Closer Look:

First impressions? Cool! The product box steps away from the otherwise simplistic packaging in the past and goes with some cool glyphs below a dragon. This is a more aggressive approach which we like to see here in the states. About the only thing missing is a sweet glyph sticker etching for the side of the computer case.

Front Graphics

Back Features

The A780GM-A comes built on jet black PCB with a nice balance color scheme. There are 3 main matching colors all over the board. The centrally located, gold chipset heat sink catches your attention. The Black Series badge gives it a flashy moniker destined to grab your attention.

Nice New Look

If you've Googled 780G motherboards, then you've probably noticed many of them are Micro-ATX platforms. That's because the board can double as a really good budget series Hybrid Graphics HTPC solution. ECS decided to take it a step further offering a full sized board which offers a bit more expansion.

Back

Since this is a single graphics slot platform, there isn't anything to worry about in terms of space when accessing any SATA ports. There's plenty of SATA support including two eSATA ports on the back I/O area of the board. There's a standard single yellow PATA and black FDD next to the 24 pin main power supply connector.

Plenty of Space

Low Profile Sinks

All of the USB, Firewire, and Audio panel connectors are located at the bottom of the motherboard. Since these aren't always accessed or needed by every user, I find this to always be a nice location. The Front Panel and motherboard headers are also at the bottom right. These are a little tough to get to if you've already installed the motherboard. So, until ECS starts sending a decent header connector that allows you to pre-connect the wires and then install, consider connecting them before securing the motherboard.

Bottom - Expansion Slots, SATA, and USB/Firewire/Audio Headers

The rear I/O ports include the standard PS2, USB, GigaLAN, and 7.1 High Definition Audio ports. There is a single eSATA for a little expansion if the need arises. There aren't any extra eSATA adapters or anything which are sometimes really nice to have for the future storage.

PS2, VGA, HDMI, USB, eSATA, USB, GB-LAN, 7.1 HD Audio

The 7.1 HD Audio Codec is created by IDT. I haven't personally had an opportunity to sample anything from IDT's in terms of audio performance. A little research has revealed that they offer some pretty decent, affordable audio processors. The Black Series motherboard comes with an integrated IDT 92HD206 Audio Processor. There are other revisions of the same processor that have Dual SPDIF and digital microphone interface. Other than the common features you'd expect from a true HD audio processor, it can only really be gauged on the quality of sound. And this really depends on the perspective of the listener.

Still, these are some pretty decent specs, though not quite state of the art. But as with most integrated audio, you're not going to get the best of the best. Integrated audio is intended to offer something decent as a worth while feature that can save you a few bucks if you're not a recording artist.

As an avid user, I have to say the new A780GM-A has a really cool new look going for it. No more weird mismatched sockets on the board any more and it has a balanced theme. This has become pretty important to a user when they want a platform that denotes that they have pride in their new machine. The board is also pretty much laid out about as well as it can be expected in a world where PCB space is almost as costly as the current real estate market.

Don't expect much in the way of a bundle. There are only two SATA and one PATA cables included with the motherboard. Aside from a driver disc, manual, and quick reference guide, there aren't any extras. This is a pretty meager bundle to be honest.

Limited Bundle

The main thing comes to its defense in this respect is price. This board can be found for as little as $77.00 up to $90.00 depending on the vendor. This is a really inexpensive motherboard with quite a few extra features along with looks to boot. Does this cost have effect on the performance? Let's find out.

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