Additional BIOS Features
All of Gigabyte’s performance boards include a utility for saving current BIOS settings, which comes in very handy whenever resetting the BIOS causes a user to lose custom values. Simply press the F11 key to store values in one of eight registers.
Retrieving a setting is just as easy, because pressing the F12 key from the BIOS main page brings up a menu that lets you restore either a previously-lost setting or one of the eight stored profiles.
Updating the BIOS can be done by pressing the F8 key, either from the main BIOS screen or at boot time. The utility, named Q-Flash, is able to update using either a floppy disk or flash drive. Because Q-flash uses the BIOS boot loader, it doesn’t require the media itself to be "bootable".
Finding a BIOS update online is almost as easy as updating it from Q-Flash. Each motherboard model page at the Gigabyte website has a quick-link to BIOS downloads on the upper right-hand corner, and both the global and U.S. sites load quickly.
Accessories
| Accessories | |
|---|---|
| Documentation & Software | Motherboard Manual
Motherboard Driver CD |
| Hardware | 1x 80-conductor Ultra ATA cable
1x Floppy Drive Cable 4x SATA Data Cable 1x eSATA Breakout Plate (2-drives each) 1x External Four-Pin to SATA Power Adapter 1x eSATA to SATA Adapter Cables 1x I/O Panel Shield 1x Gigabyte Case Badge |
Our GA-X48-DQ6 sample arrived before Gigabyte had completed the user manual or printed the retail driver CD. It did arrive in a retail box, but without the custom-printed box sleeve.
It appears that Gigabyte has slimmed-down its cable pack slightly, including four rather than six internal SATA cables, and one instead of two eSATA to SATA data and power adapter cable kits. We expect the retail Gigabyte driver disk will contain Gigabyte’s usual assortment of overclocking, BIOS management and anti-virus utilities, plus the firm’s new Dynamic Energy Saver program.
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Vista Home Premium or Vista Ultimate? (P16)
Its no suprise that the manufacturers didn't really bother with a major redesign because this is the last of the current Intel architectures before we move to the CSI memory link in the upcoming CPUs. I say embrace the X48 and enjoy the greatest performance that Socket 775 will ever be able to deliver. Besides since when can you disagree with releasing a validated chipset in favour of overclocking? Some people just want a bloody good board that runs perfectly stable - we are not all overclockers you know (plus there is the issue of possibly invalidating warranties when overclocking is done)