GamingNexus: Talk a little bit about the Top Hat Flash, how it works, and how it will benefit consumers.
ECS: BIOS corruption is one of the most common reasons for an enthusiast motherboard to fail. To avoid down time, we have come up with a patented solution called Top Hat Flash. Think of it as an extra safety measure. The primary BIOS chip is soldered onto the motherboard and on top of this BIOS chip, we have provided a special double-sided BIOS socket. The back up ECS “Top Hat” flash module (or BIOS chip) can simply clip on top of the surface mount BIOS chip when needed. In the event of a bad BIOS flash, the ECS Top Hat Flash module will take over from the primary BIOS and ensures continued operation.
Having this additional flash module on the motherboard means users can flash or update BIOS without the worry of a dead motherboard. In addition, this ensures zero down time for our users. Having a solution that saves on our RMA cost means we can return more savings back to the consumers. Plus the time saved, how can anyone not love this solution?
GamingNexus: The dual identity motherboard, PF88 Extreme, is getting some buzz for the ability to use either an Intel or AMD chip. Should we be expecting more types of these boards and more innovations like this from ECS?
ECS: Being a creativity-driven company, we are always looking for great ideas to combine with new technologies. Without giving away too much, I’d say that you should definitely keep your eyes open for more new and exciting products from ECS!
GamingNexus: Will you be producing SLI and/or Crossfire boards soon?
ECS: We have been shipping several Extreme series motherboards supporting NVIDIA’s SLI technology for quite some time. We are also working on the solutions to take advantage of ATI’s Crossfire technology. The launch should be coming up soon. Have you seen our SDGE upgrade module? This unique design allows users to upgrade to different graphics standards without having to upgrade the entire motherboard. It’s a very neat design!
GamingNexus: ECS just doesn’t make motherboards but is in a variety of areas from laptops to video cards. What are some products that ECS produces that you think not many people know about but offer great value?
ECS: As you mentioned, users might not be familiar with our notebook products. It is a fast growing segment for us and like our motherboards, it has all the bells and whistles without the price tag. They are available through our authorized distributors and resellers, and come with great technical support.
GamingNexus: Do you see ECS moving to producing higher end video cards or will they concentrate on the motherboard business in the U.S.?
ECS: Motherboard and notebook are still the two primary business units within ECS but we are definitely evaluating the video card market. Who knows, maybe by next ECS Editors’ Day, you will be the first to see this new product line!
There you have it. Look for our review of their SLI setup really soon. So far I've been impressed with their new lineup and hope they continue to push the industry through innovation. I'd like to thank Joe Chang at ECS and Joanne Lo for helping me out with this interview.
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