Specification

• Micro ATX format
• Onboard 1.2ghz Duron (1800+)
• SiS 740 Northbridge SiS 962L Southbridge
• Onboard Graphics, Sound and LAN
• 2 PCI, 1 CNR, 2 DDR DIMM, 6 USB 2.0 (2 on a motherboard header, cable not supplied)

At only £60, the K7SOM+ walks a fine line between specification and price. If it cost more and was better specified, the bargain hunters would turn away, and those seeking a mid range workstation would discount it due to the un-upgradability. If the specification was any lower, it would not make a very capable PC at all, and only the most cost conscious would buy it. ECS have chosen a very good spec. The value for money is enhanced greatly by the 1.2ghz Duron, which means this dirt cheap board is none the less, a perfectly good office machine.

Layout

The layout isn't ideal, with the ATX connector right in the middle of the board, which is always awkward on normal motherboards. Since the K7SOM+ has a small onboard CPU sink which goes nowhere near the ATX cable, I don't think this is a problem however. There is plenty of room around the dimm slots, which is a definite plus point. The IDE connectors come close to the PCI slots, and could make cabling a bit fiddly if you are using a long PCI card.

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