Following the success of Nvidia's SLI technology, most motherboard manufacturers are starting to include some degree of dual graphics capability in their new products. The Intel-based 915-A is the first in the new Dual Graphic Engine series from ECS.

The 915-A offers a choice of three kinds of graphics, plus the option of using either DDR1 or DDR2 memory, making it ideal for those who want to upgrade to the latest technology. The board is well laid out, with plenty of room around all the components and colour-coded and clearly-labelled slots.

Based around a Socket 775, the 915-A is compatible with the latest 800/533MHz FSB Pentium 4 and Celeron processors. There are two 240-pin DDR2 memory slots, supporting DDR2 533/400, and two 184-pin DDR slots for DDR400/333 modules, supporting a maximum of 2GB. ECS has opted for the standard ICH6 Southbridge chip, which doesn't include Raid support.

The star of the show is the graphics subsystem. Using its own patented PCI-Express Lite design, the PCI-E and AGP slots can be used together for a dual 3D display, if desired. Also, ECS has chosen to use the GV version of the i915 chipset, which includes integrated graphics.

Packed with options that allow for a wide range of upgrades, the 915-A offers remarkable flexibility and value for money. ECS is definitely on to a winner with this one.