A Closer Look:
Time to take a closer look at the features of the ECS C19-A SLI, starting with the rear panel. Below we see all the connections available, including: 1 x PS/2 keyboard & PS/2 mouse connectors, 4 x USB ports, 1 x RJ45 LAN connector, 1 x Serial port (COM1), 1 x Audio port (Line-in, Line-out, Mic-in), 2 x Digital SPDIF (Optical & Coaxial) out, and 1 x Parallel port (LPT1). Audio features definitely dominate this area, and hopefully the number of connections is matched by high audio quality, making an add-on sound card unnecessary.
The below left image shows off the upper right corner of the board. Here we have the brightly colored (dual channel) DDR2 slots. As stamped right on the board, these are intended for DDR2 667 MHz, but the BIOS/overclocking features on the board will let you go higher. A 24-pin power connection is shown with a sticker blocking 4 of the pins. You can use a strong 20-pin PSU, but it is highly recommended that you use a 24-pin unit capable of all the components you intend to install.
 
The above right image shows off the four SATA 3 Gbps connections, capable of single drive installations, as well as RAID 0, 1, 0+1, and 5. You also have a single IDE connection, which I thought was the only one available at first. I missed the one in the previous image (next to a floppy drive connection), as I am used to them being located right next to each other. This view also shows off the compact MCP51 chipset cooler (which shouldn't interfere with any graphics cards), the Pheonix BIOS, the CMOS battery, and a thermal sensor for reading system temperatures.
The next two images highlight the expansion slots, and show that the C19-A SLI provides 2 x PCI Express x16 slot ( SLI mode: x8, x8 ), 2 x PCI Express x1 slots, and 3 x PCI slots. A 4-pin power connector just above the PCI Express x1 slot provides local delivery of extra power for your graphics cards. One thing I found odd on this board, and another motherboard I got from ECS, is the extremely tiny latches on the PCI Express slots. I thought they were broken at first, and even once I realized they weren't, I wasn't happy with their miniature size. I found it to be extra difficult to operate, and a few times they didn't seem to lock into place.
 
As mentioned previously, the board appears to support Firewire. The above right image details where you might find Firewire headers, if it had been included.
The below left image shows off both chipset coolers, with a focus on the nVidia C19XE (nForce4 SLI XE). This cooler features a translucent fan in a chromed frame that integrates well with the heatsink. In the below right image we see the LGA 775 CPU socket near the upper edge of the board. You have the 4-pin power connection for the CPU located between the socket and the rear I/O panel, meaning you will have to snake your power cable around the cooler in order to connect. Not the most convenient location, but it does seem fairly typical these days.
 
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