Introduction

AMD launched their APU platform several weeks ago, and since then, we've seen a flood of supporting motherboards hit the market with not much more than features setting them apart. We asked ECS what they had cooking for AMD's APU platform, and what we got in return was the ECS A75F-A, straight out of their "Black Series" of motherboards. As we've mentioned before, the "Black Series" legend centers around a pair of knights that defend the world from the impending doom placed upon it by a dragon wielding a black hole. We send the ECS A75F-A out as the knight to meet the dragon. Will it stand victorious?

Specifications

AMD A75 Chipset

With the closing of the second quarter of 2011, AMD launched their latest platform based on Fusion technology, which brings high performance GPU capabilities and CPU functionality together in the same socket, for modest cost. Featuring AMD's first sampling of 32 nm technology from Global Foundries, the new APUs from AMD mate with the AMD A75 chipset, which not only features built-in SATA 6 Gb/s drive connectivity, but also USB 3.0, simplifying board design for manufacturers, while allowing greater functionality for the end user.


Toeing up the power consumption at a limit of 100W, the new AMD APUs offer fantastic video performance not seen anywhere else, with a Radeon 6550D GPU nestled right next to a full quad core CPU in the A8 APU models. For those needing a bit more performance, but still focused on budget performance, the addition of specific affordable discrete GPUs, matched in performance to the APU's onboard Radeon cores along with CrossFire functionality, brings the complete platform to incredible performance levels for little cost, setting the stage for the next era of office desktop functionality, while offering enough grunt for a little bit of gaming entertainment, too.

ECS, for many, has had long standing as a budget alternative that brings all necessary features, with a twist all of their own. The latest incarnation of boards from the "Black Series" has been well received, and again, ECS puts their own spin this time on AMD's A75 chipset, with the ECS A75F-A:

Packaging

The ECS A75F-A's glittering box didn't take too long to arrive at our doorstep. "Glittering" isn't even a strong enough word for the "bling" this box has in direct light, and the above pictures really do it no justice. ECS has outfitted its entire product line with similar boxes that feature a foil layer that really helps the box "pop" on the shelf, catching the eye. The front of the box is pretty simple, with few distractions, but at the same time, the flashy nature of the box nearly hides the grouping of technology logos at the bottom that highlight the board's features. The rear of the box has the same foil layer, which can make reading it a bit difficult at times, yet the descriptions are not something you want to miss; they give a pretty good idea of what you can expect from the ECS A75F-A.


We opened the box to be greeted by just a couple of paper manuals, and the driver disk. We were a bit concerned until we lifted the brown cardboard layer to find some accessories tucked below, with the board nestled under the accessories, in an anti-static bag. We're not too sure how much we like the accessories put under the cardboard layer, as the backplate could definitely scratch the board's surface if the packaging is mishandled by an over-zealous shipper.