The Board - A Closer Look

Biostar's design focus on audio is pretty obvious. The audio CODEC itself is their standard fare, nicely highlighted by the shiny cover over the CODEC. A tiny IC that provides decent LAN capabilities, Biostar employs a Realtek RTL8111F controller for LAN duties.


In order to ensure the best possible audio reproduction, Biostar's design isolates the audio circuit on the Hi-Fi A88W 3D in much the same way other boards targeting enthusiasts do. Flipping the board over, I found that like those other implementations, the provided isolation is highlighted by a bunch of LEDs that bridge the gap in the PCBs copper layers to shine a bright blue light through from beneath the board once it is up and running. This line completely separates the audio circuit.


There are a few diagnostic options on the Biostar Hi-Fi A88W 3D. These include a dual-digit POST display, a decent Super I/O for monitoring and fan control, and a PLL IC to help keep clocks stable and accurate.


Not too fancy so as to save on costs that can then be passed on to the end user, voltage regulation on the Biostar Hi-Fi A88W 3D is pretty basic. That said, everything is clearly geared to provide the best but most AFFORDABLE option, which the Biostar Hi-Fi A88W 3D does well, from stem to stern.


The board's cooling design really impressed upon me that Biostar takes itself seriously with the products it provides. It is not often that we find a value-oriented product with a thorough esthetic design that pulls the entire board together by highlighting the board's capabilities so well. Every heatsink comes with a vanity plate that matches the blue LEDs Biostar placed there to highlight the board's line of audio isolation, so building a rig that will draw people in based on its looks is easily done with the Hi-Fi A88W 3D.