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Introduction Features and Specifications Installation Setup and BIOS Photos and Pictures Test Setup and Procedures Benchmarks: Sandra Pro 2007 Benchmarks: 3DMark 2005/06 and PC Mark05 Benchmarks: Quake 4 and UT2004 Benchmarks: AquaMark3 and X3 Reunion Benchmarks: Far Cry and Serious Sam 2 Benchmarks: Science Mark 2 Overclocking Memory Bandwidth Comparison Verdict and Conclusion

Asus goes all out with Nvidia's nForce 590 SLI chipset. The M2N32-SLI Deluxe is one for the enthusiasts.

INTRODUCTION

 

This is the first Asus motherboard review I've done in quite a while. And I'm glad that it's one of the first AM2 motherboards that's arrived in our testing labs. We have a very good mutual relationship with Asus, and in the past they've always been very helpful in terms of support and supplying us with their review samples.

If you don't already know by now ... Asus is THE biggest manufacturer of motherboards in the world. The volume and amount they ship worldwide, each year is staggering. They cater not only for corporate/business users but also for gamers and enthusiasts. They've always produced top quality products that's both innovative and extremely sought after. Performance and stability is a vital part of their strategy in becoming the manufacturer of choice when it comes to any PC hardware. Being such a big brandname, you'll find a lot of big companies like Intel, AMD, Nvidia, ATI and many others that have partnered with Asus. It's no wonder that Asus seem to be the first to release new products using new technology.

My past experience with Asus products have been very memorable, I've tested a lot of their motherboards and graphic cards and found them to be very good indeed. Performance and stability on all of their products have been excellent. This is a good news for everyone, but all of this comes at a price ... yes, the price is the main issue. What you will find is that Asus products, especially their motherboards are a little more expensive than most other manufacturers. However, if you're an enthusiast and performance is top of your agenda, then I'm sure the price won't be an issue.

 

 

Enough talk about Asus ... Let's have a look at their latest AM2 motherboard ... the M2N32-SLI Deluxe. It's based on Nvidia's higher-end nForce 590 SLI chipset and supports DDR2 ram. The main feature of the board is the new socket AM2 and only supports AMD's latest AM2 processors with 940-pins. Nvidia have two versions of the 500 series chipsets ... the higher-end 590 SLI and the lower-end 570 SLI. There are several differences between the two SLI chipsets. The 590 SLI supports Enhanced Performance Profiles (for memory) and 2x16 SLI mode, it also features a SSP and MCP combination, while the 570 SLI is a single chip MCP solution and supports 2x8 SLI mode.

 

 

 

There have been lots of stories and talk about AMD's socket AM2 platform using DDR2 ram. Some say the benefits are unjustified for switching over to the AM2 platform ... the older socket-939 platform using DDR1 ram performs equally as good. That left a lot of consumers confused and created a dilemma ... do you switch over to the new AM2 platform, which will mean new AM2 motherboard, new DDR2 ram and new AM2 processor? OR stay with the current socket-939 platform?

 

Well, to be honest ... you'll know what I'm going to say. I would say "Yes, why not !!" ... DDR2 technology will become more and more mainstream over the coming months, so it's only a matter of time before everyone will join the bandwagon. If your're planning an upgrade soon ... now is the time to switch over, otherwise if you stay with your current socket-939 platform you'll be alright for another a 12-18 months.

 

 

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Introduction Features and Specifications Installation Setup and BIOS Photos and Pictures Test Setup and Procedures Benchmarks: Sandra Pro 2007 Benchmarks: 3DMark 2005/06 and PC Mark05 Benchmarks: Quake 4 and UT2004 Benchmarks: AquaMark3 and X3 Reunion Benchmarks: Far Cry and Serious Sam 2 Benchmarks: Science Mark 2 Overclocking Memory Bandwidth Comparison Verdict and Conclusion