Board Layout

Click here for a 3000x2500 high-res shot of the board (3 MB download), the back is here.


Heatsinks are easy to install on the ECS G31T-M, there are not tall heatsinks or capacitors around the socket. Fast CPU cooler installation is important when you have to deploy a large number of systems in a short time.


The connectors are completely standard, from left to right: PS/2 Mouse, PS/2 Keyboard, RS232 Serial Interface, Onboard-VGA, 4x USB, 1x Ethernet and audio.


Most high-end boards have four memory slots, ECS has chosen to only offer two. One reason is cost savings and the other is that the space is quite limited on the board. Also you have to consider that the systems setups this board is targeted at usually won't need that much memory.

Connectors

The power connectors are around the standard spots. The CPU power connector is placed in the middle of the board, fairly unconvenient I must say, further to the top edge of the board would have been easier to use especially when using a PSU with short cables.


Four SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports are provided by the Intel Chipset.


A single IDE port is good for CD/DVD-ROM use, if you still use PATA. I was amazed to see that the prices of SATA DVD ROM drives are now dropping below the $20 mark.


The headers are without any color distinction and unlabeled. This means that you have to consult the manual when installing this board.


Two fan headers are the absolute minimum for any motherboard, a third header near the Southbridge area would have been nice.