Transcend TS-UWH31 microATX i810 Socket 370

Transcend is one of the motherboard companies that has been around for a while but still is not well known in the market. They focus on two different components -- motherboards and memory -- an uncommon combination. While many people might be skeptical of Transcend after the TS-AVD1 review, don't be too quick to write Transcend off. They have made quality products in the past and this board is no exception.

The TS-UWH31 is the most recent Transcend board to arrive at AnandTech, sporting Intel's i810 chipset. One advantage of the new chipset is built-in video and audio, with video built into the chipset running directly off of system memory. However, the main advantage of the board is the low price, which does not usually parallel quality construction. The question is, can Transcend make a competitive i810 board -- an extremely stable, low-priced motherboard?

New Anand Tech Report Card Rating
88/B+

The Good

The microATX TS-UWH31 is outfitted with Socket-370 and a 3/1/0 (PCI/AMR/AGP) expansion slot configuration. This means that that the TS-UWH31 has 3 PCI, 1 AMR (Audio Modem Riser) and no AGP slots. With the GMCH (Graphics and Memory Controller Hub) replacing the north bridge and the i801AA ICH I/O Controller Hub replacing the south bridge, the i810's unique design is first apparent. The i801AA ICH is probably going to be the most popular choice by i810 manufacturers. The controller also supports ATA-66 allowing both of the IDE ports to transfer at a theoretical 66MB/s.

The GMCH that Transcend included is Intel's i810-DC100 GMCH which includes 4MB of 100 MHz display cache. For more information on the chipset and GMCH, take a peek at the i810 chipset review. Although most i810 buyers might not care, all three of the PCI slots are capable of accepting full length PCI cards. Like other i810 boards, the TS-UWH31 has two 168-pin 100MHz SDRAM DIMM slots supporting up to 512 MB of RAM. The TS-UWH31 provides sound by featuring a built-in AC97 CODEC which uses processor power. The "soft audio" powers the audio input/output jacks towards the rear of the motherboard, but when CPU power needs to be preserved, the CODEC can be disabled allowing the addition of a PCI soundcard.