September 2005 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 3

Intel Motherboard: ASUS P5ND2-SLI Deluxe

Current Cost: $190
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$20

The NVIDIA nForce4 SLI is currently the highest performing and most flexible chipset on the market for Pentium 4 processors, so it's no wonder that we use it in both this guide and our Extreme Buyer's Guide. The NVIDIA nForce4 SLI chipset has been popular among AMD enthusiasts for quite some time whereas an Intel edition of this chipset came to market afterward. In addition to support for dual PCI Express video cards, the nForce4 SLI also features a dual-channel DDR2 interface, PCI Express graphics and peripheral support, a 1066MHz FSB, dual core processor compatibility, SATA2, and EM64T, among other options. From an ever-expanding selection of nForce4 SLI-based boards, we chose to stick with the ASUS P5ND2-SLI Deluxe we recommended in the last edition of the high-end guide.

ASUS has been a favorite among enthusiasts for quite some time, and their commitment to performance and quality is practically unmatched in the industry. The P5ND2-SLI Deluxe continues this tradition, and remains one of the most feature packed and highest performing nForce4 SLI-based boards currently on the market. The nForce4 SLI for Intel has support for SATA2, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and 8-channel audio, not to mention all the peripheral ports one could ever need. The deluxe version of this board can be found for about $190, which is $20 less than last time, but it is still one of the most expensive motherboards we have ever recommended in his guide.

AMD Motherboard: DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 SLI-DR

Current Cost: $160
Months on list: 3
Price Change: -$15

The nForce4 SLI chipset from NVIDIA is arguably the most powerful and feature rich chipset currently available for AMD motherboards, which is why we recommended it on both the AMD and Intel side of the spectrum. The nForce4 SLI chipset has support for the latest and greatest technologies including SATA2/NCQ, PCI Express, Gigabit LAN, dual-channel DDR, NVIDIA Firewall, and Socket 939 processors, but the single most compelling feature is its ability to handle dual PCI Express graphics cards.

We are going to stick with the DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 SLI-DR motherboard again this month, as has the most to offer in terms of performance, stability, overclocking and features. Lately, DFI has been a favorite as they have been releasing some truly impressive motherboards with wacky and wild color schemes, not to mention a mainstream price. This particular board impressed us so much that we also include it in our Extreme Buyer's Guide. In addition to all the usual amenities, the board also features dual Gigabit Ethernet, dual-channel DDR, and 8-channel audio, SATA2, not to mention a wide range of peripheral ports.

Like the ASUS P5ND2-SLI Deluxe we included on the Intel configuration this month, the most impressive feature of this board is its support for dual PCI Express 16x video cards. While it is unfortunate that our budget does not allow two PCIe cards in an SLI configuration this month, having the extra slot available means that there is a quick and easy upgrade path should the need ever arise. The motherboard is priced at approximately $160, so we have no qualms about including it from a budgetary standpoint either. Additional goodies such as rounded IDE cables, a FrontX panel, a PC Transpo carrying strap, and component and cable UV sensitivity are just a few of the items that are simply icing on the cake for an excellent board.