Accessories:

Everything included with the GF7100PVT-M is shown below, and as is the case with many ECS motherboards the offering is rather spartan. You receive a DVI to HDMI adapter, IDE ribbon, I/O plate, SATA data cable, user's guide, installation guide, and driver CD. One of the obvious ways the price stays low on boards like this is by not spoiling the buyer with goodies.


While not an interesting accessory on its own, the inclusion of the DVI to HDMI adapter is somewhat exciting since it will allow this board to be connected to just about any HDTV. While you will need your own HDMI cable (which might not be cheap), you won't need a stand alone video card which will save money, and most likely reduce noise and heat output.

The BIOS:

We'll take a quick tour of the BIOS to highlight the key features. Overall it is rather unremarkable, and for those used to the extensive menus and options found on enthusiast grade motherboards, there might not be much of interest.

The below left image shows the familiar American Megatrands main page you see when entering the BIOS. The Standard CMOS Setup page is shown in the below right image, and is again pretty much common fare.


The below left image shows the Advanced Chipset Setup page where you get the bulk of the very few 'tweaks' possible on this board. Memory timings can be left in auto mode, or you can manually adjust all of the values shown. Below that are the settings for the onboard graphics, where you can set the amount of system memory to be shared for graphics, as well as letting the system know if you plan to use the integrated graphics with two monitors.


The above right image shows the Advanced Setup page, which really doesn't seem to be properly named. While I was expecting to find overclocking settings, what I actually found were boot options and a few basic CPU settings.

The below left image shows where the integrated peripherals can be configured, while the below right image shows the Smart Fan Function page. These types of settings are very useful, especially in an HTPC, as they allow you to control fans based on the thermal sensors integrated with the motherboard. Without the need for an extra fan controller, noise can be kept to a minimum while making sure temperatures don't get out of hand.