March High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 3

Intel Motherboard: ASUS P5AD2 Deluxe

Current Cost: $199
Months on list: 2
Price Change: +$2

Last month we moved to an LGA775 processor and PCI Express video card, which naturally required a motherboard upgrade. We went with Intel's performance LGA775 chipset, the i925X, which natively supports PCI Express, 800/533MHz FSB, dual-channel DDR2 memory, and SATA, all in one high-end package. When it comes to i925X motherboards, the ASUS P5AD2 Deluxe is a killer option. Sporting the i925X Northbridge and ICH6R Southbridge, the P5AD2 Deluxe has everything we could possibly ask for in a motherboard. The motherboard is rather expensive at $199, but support for bleeding edge technology never comes cheap.

The P5AD2 Deluxe has a wealth of onboard features, including Wireless LAN, Gigabit LAN, 8-channel high definition audio, IEEE & USB 2.0, SATA RAID, dual-channel DDR2, one PCI Express x16 slot, two PCI Express x1 slots, and three standard PCI slots, not to mention NCQ hard drive support through the ICH6R. ASUS continues to impress by using high quality parts, designing the board layout with enthusiasts in mind, and supplying each motherboard with a high quality, overclocker-friendly BIOS.

AMD Motherboard: ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe

Current Cost: $175
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$13

The last few guides have featured a constant shuffle of new AMD motherboards, including a move from the K8T800 to the nForce3 Ultra, and then last month's quantum shift to the nForce4 SLI. This allowed us some very exciting motherboard choices, as the nForce4 SLI has support for all the latest and greatest technologies, including SATA2/NCQ, PCI Express, Gigabit LAN, dual-channel DDR, NVIDIA Firewall, and Socket 939 processors.

Of course, the most exciting feature is the support for SLI (Scalable Link Interface) video, which allows for two matched GeForce 6 series PCI Express video cards to run in tandem for up to twice the 3D performance. Users of the old 3dfx Voodoo 2 line of cards will remember the simple upgrade path this offers, whereby you could buy a single GeForce 6800GT now, and then upgrade to SLI performance by upgrading later on. Not everyone may need the power that SLI offers, but it never hurts to be ready just in case.

At this time, there are still only a few viable nForce4 SLI boards, with MSI, Gigabyte, DFI and ASUS offering the top brands. This month we're sticking with the ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe, as it offers the nice combination of value and features. However, running on the bleeding edge of technology still comes at a price, although lower $175 price tag is certainly welcome news. ASUS also continues to improve the product through a frequent BIOS update program. Like any new motherboard, if you're experiencing problems it's always a good idea to check for BIOS updates as more often than not they can fix common problems. Overall, we love the features and performance of this motherboard, and the thought of adding a second GeForce6 6800 GT down the road is a very compelling upgrade solution.