EggXpert

I have an Abit IP35 Pro motherboard, and discovered that it featured a little external switch to clear CMOS without having to crack open the case and reach for that blasted jumper with needle nosed pliers. This feature wasn't advertised at all when I purchased the board from Newegg, but I'm now very glad it was there. Since I'm shopping for replacements, I'd like to know: are external switches a common sight on motherboards these days (that is, should I just expect them on any enthusiast-class motherboard even if it's not listed as a feature), or do I need to specially check each manufacturer's page to be sure about it? (I looked at a few Gigabyte product pages and they didn't mention the feature at all.)

Thanks

By external reset switch, you mean the one that is mounted on the rear I/O panel? Those are pretty chancey. I know Gigabyte and Asus have them on high end motherboards, but you should check out product pictures or specifications before buying, if you need it. There's no guarantee that its a feature, even on some high end MOBOs.

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HP Media Center machine
MOBO: ASUS OEM board
CPU: 2.6 GHz Socket AM2 Athlon X2 5000+
RAM: 2 GB Qimonda PC2-4200 DDR2 RAM
GFX: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 320 GB SATA 7200 RPM