The latest NVIDIA nForce 500 chipset series hosts an impressive range of features while offering end-users exceptionally good performance. Those looking for the ultimate AMD experience combined with a touch of SLI technology, will benefit greatly from an nForce 590 SLI motherboard. There are a few examples floating around, though I feel there are probably none better than the ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe. This motherboard has been in the Legion Labs for a few months now and I have to say, this is possibly the best AMD based motherboard I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
Being a cream of the crop ASUS motherboard, the M2N32-SLI Deluxe does come at a price premium. Valued at around $210 US, the M2N32-SLI Deluxe is also one of the most expensive AMD motherboards I have had the pleasure of reviewing. Nevertheless, with this motherboard there is a strong sense of money well spent. There are a number of unique features that make the M2N32-SLI Deluxe a highly desirable motherboard. From the board design and layout, to the overclocking performance, this ASUS product will put a grin on any users face from ear to ear.
Unique features found on the M2N32-SLI Deluxe include the awesome 8-phase power design, WiFi-AP supporting IEEE802.11b/g and of course the ohh so impressive heat-pipe thermal solution. As most of you will be well aware, cooling has really become an issue for most motherboards as the power consumption of CPUs, Graphics cards and even chipsets continue to rise. However, ASUS has done their best to avoid the heat using high-quality design methods such as the 8-phase power design, Stack Cool 2 and heat-pipe technology.
Heat-pipe technology has to be one of the coolest design elements to make its way into computers over the past few years. Just think of all the technological advancements computers have made in the past few years and to think that without something as simple as heat-pipes, most of it would not have been possible. The heat-pipe elements on the M2N32-SLI Deluxe work to cool the 8-phase power design as well as the north and south bridge chips and it works perfectly. During testing the motherboard and all its components remained very cool, even under extreme conditions!
The WiFi-AP Solo feature is also very impressive as it offers users much greater flexibility. This wireless access point can also be used in client mode and will allow users to play games, connect to the internet, access shared printers and use Skype. The best part is the Skype feature can be used when in sleep mode, so users can use Skype as a true replacement for traditional long distance telephone services. The M2N32-SLI Deluxe feature list is massive, with so many ASUS own brand features included you could spend all day talking about them.
The previous AMD flagship motherboard from ASUS was much the same, sporting a feature list longer than my arm. The A8N32-SLI Deluxe also featured true SLI x16 support and an 8-phase power design, which was also cooled using heatpipe technology. The A8N32-SLI Deluxe was also available at a similar retail price of $230 US. Finally, the A8N32-SLI Deluxe was also an excellent overclocker, as we were able to hit a 300MHz FSB using our stubborn Athlon64 3800+ processor. Therefore the M2N32-SLI Deluxe has a lot to live up to, though as I have already given away, it has been one of the best AMD based motherboards we have had the pleasure of testing thus far. Let’s move on to find out why...
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