This release is more oriented toward the mainstream and HTPC market though, so this is a little bit different than the high-end video card reviews we often publish. In fact, none of these motherboards support CrossfireX setups, even though the ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO and the Gigabyte MA785G-UD3H have two PCI-E x16 slots. The others only have one PCI-E x16 slot since they are mATX-sized. These are the MSI 785GM-E65, the ECS A785GM-M and the Gigabyte MA785GMT-UD2H. All of them support Hybrid Crossfire, which makes the integrated HD 4200 working with the low-end dedicated card for a substancial boost.
Furthermore, the dedicated graphics card can be disabled to save energy when performance is not needed. The HDMI output also makes them very suitable for an HTPC build; they can be hooked to an HDTV when running on the HD 4200.
They all feature an AM3 socket ready for the latest Athlon II & Phenom II processors and the faster DDR3 memory, except the ATX board from Gigabyte, which still has an AM2+ socket, meaning DDR2 memory must be used.
So I will put these five motherboards in direct comparison to determine which one is the best option for a given use.
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