A peek under the hood

In many ways, the KM18G Pro is a textbook nForce2 platform. However, Albatron's implementation of the platform is a little different than what's found on many full-sized, enthusiast-oriented motherboards.

The first hint that the KM18G Pro may be more appropriate for business and general consumer systems than for enthusiasts is its use of the nForce2 IGP, which includes an integrated NV17 graphics core. The NV17 graphics core is also found on NVIDIA's GeForce4 MX graphics chips. Although it's no heavyweight when it comes to frame rates in the latest and greatest 3D applications, it's a step above competing integrated graphics cores. As I've already mentioned, the KM18G Pro doesn't make use of the nForce2 IGP's support for dual VGA outputs, nor does it make use of the graphics core's integrated video encoder.

For everyone but gamers and those needing a video output port, the nForce2 IGP should be sufficient. The KM18G Pro's video signal quality rivals that of the many crisp, clear GeForce4 MX implementations I've had the pleasure of using, and it's a definite cut above any other integrated graphics chipset I've used. In fact, the video signal quality of the KM18G Pro's nForce2 IGP is better than that of a GeForce3 I have kicking around.

On the audio front, the KM18G Pro features six channels of output goodness via NVIDIA's nForce2 MCP and Realtek's ubiquitous ALC650 codec chip. The KM18G Pro does not, however, support all the features necessary to receive NVIDIA's "Soundstorm" certification. For starters, the board uses the nForce2 MCP rather than MCP-T south bridge chip. The KM18G Pro also doesn't have digital output ports. All told, users won't be able to take advantage of the nForce2's ability to encode Dolby Digital Surround Sound. There are numerous other Soundstorm requirements that the KM18G Pro doesn't meet, but with the essentials already missing, there's no need to go over the rest of Soundstorm's requirements.

The KM18G Pro may not have all the bells and whistles necessary to be Soundstorm-certified, but its integrated audio implementation is still pretty good, at least as far as integrated audio goes. To my ears, the KM18G Pro's integrated nForce2 MCP audio doesn't have the fidelity to compete with even Creative's original Audigy. However, the board's audio quality is at least on par with the integrated audio solutions found in VIA's VT8235 south bridge and Intel's ICH4.

Because the KM18G Pro uses NVIDIA's nForce2 entry-level MCP south bridge, there's not a lot more to talk about, feature-wise. The MCP lacks the Firewire support, extra audio processing capabilities, and the additional Ethernet port found in the high-end MCP-T south bridge. The KM18G Pro II does use the more feature-rich MCP-T audio chip, but only for its Firewire port; the KM18G Pro II lacks Soundstorm audio features and a second Ethernet port.

A lack of extras
Perhaps because Micro ATX boards typically appeal to system builders, the KM18G Pro includes little in the way of a bundle. A USB expansion header and IDE cables are included in the box, as is a driver CD, but that's it. For a board with integrated graphics in this price range, one really can't ask for much more.