The Basics:
An overview of the
ECS GF8200A Black Series GeForce 8200 motherboard is provided in the images below. As mentioned previously, the board is black and the various connectors are easy to identify thanks to the vibrant colors. Even if you didn't know what each socket, slot, or header was for, they have screen printed plenty of text onto the board to further explain each feature.
A quick scan of the board reveals that the layout was apparently well thought out and it should make for an easy installation. There is plenty of space around the CPU socket for aftermarket coolers, the power connectors are located near the edges for easy wiring, the chipset heatsink is low profile in order to avoid interference with expansion cards, and the more commonly used headers (SATA, IDE, USB, front panel connections) are all conveniently located near the front edge of the board.
The next image shows the rear I/O panel and all it has to offer. We have two PS2 ports for keyboard and mouse, a 15-pin VGA connection, HDMI, a total of six USB 2.0 connections, one eSATA, Gigabit LAN, and six 1/8" stereo jacks for analog audio. The options and their positions are exactly the same here as on the Black Series A780GM-A.
The video options are interesting because you can connect to a standard monitor, as well as using HDMI to output high definition video and audio to a compatible monitor (or TV). One wish list item would be to exchange the standard VGA connection for a DVI connection.
