Gigabyte X38-DS5 review & X38T-DQ6 revisit

We previously looked at the Gigabyte GA-X38T-DQ6;s board layout in detail in our first look. In this article, we're just updating you with information on the box contents you're going to find in a retail box as the board layout hasn't changed. If you're after a full rundown on the features and layout of the board, please head back to our initial look at the board.

Gigabyte GA-X38T-DQ6 Feature List

• Support for LGA775 Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo, including 1,333/1,066/800MHz FSB and 45nm processors
  
• Intel X38 Northbridge
  
• Intel ICH9R Southbridge
  
• Supports up to 8GB of dual channel DDR3 1,333 and 1,600MHz memory using four 240-pin, 1.5V DDR3 DIMMs
  
• Two PCI Express x16 slots (both x16 electrical)
  
• Two PCI Express x1 slot
  
• Two 32-bit v2.3 Master PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface)
  
• One IDE port
  
• Six SATA 3Gbps ports supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 or JBOD
  
• Two SATA 3Gbps ports supporting RAID 0, 1 and JBOD
  
• Realtek ALC889a High-Definition audio codec supporting 7.1 channel surround sound up to 32-bit/192KHz with optical S/PDIF in and out as well as AACS content protection where drivers and software support it
  
• Two PCI-Express Gigabit Ethernet controllers provided by the Realtek RTL8111B chipset
  
• Texas Instruments TSB43AB22A IEEE1394a Firewire controller
  
• Gigabyte Features: @BIOS, Q-Flash, EasyTune, Xpress Install, Xpress Recovery 2, Virtual Dual BIOS and Quad triple phase power regulation

Box Contents

• Four orange SATA cables, two of which use 90-degree connectors
  
• One blue IDE cable
  
• One blue floppy cable
  
• One SATA to eSATA cable
  
• One Molex extension cable
  
• Two PCI brackets with two SATA to eSATA converters and a Molex socket
  
• A colour coded metal rear I/O plate
  
• Manual, driver CD and quick install guide

The DQ6 doesn't offer much more in the way of extras over the DS5 - the only difference is that you get an extra eSATA bracket and cables for it. I don't know many people that use eSATA drives but having the option is always a good idea because they are significantly faster than their USB equivalents. Of those that do though, owning two is rare, let alone four. I have one myself and like many others simply use it for backup, so needing several of them seems a bit alien. I also don't know how many drives I'd like to leave hanging outside of the case either using the eSATA to SATA adapters - if it was for any significant length of time surely you'd put them inside the case anyway?

Still no PCI bracket for USB or any of the other included pin-outs on the board, so really you're getting the same as with the DS5 - even though the box is a significantly larger volume it doesn't fill it with anything more. After discussing it with one of Gigabyte's Product Managers, we were informed that the eight USB should suffice for included USB ports. This I can respect and you're still covered for the all the basics and what there is is still certainly adequate for most people, but it doesn't feel like a "DQ6": If I'm paying for the best, I'd want every base completely covered.