Which ASUS mobo should i pick ?

This is a classic ASUS C2D board. You can find benchmarks everywhere. You might check the links on the left side of the page for more information.

http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx [...] odelmenu=1

I believe the PN32 is an Nvidia chipset. The P5B Deluxe is an Intel 965 chipset. I believe the 680i chipset will perform close to the Intel 965 and 975 chipsets. The nvidia chipsets are for SLI.

i recently purchased the asus p5b-e and it is working flawlessly and I recommend it, a lot of folks recommend the deluxe model but unless you need the features why bother. as usual it overclocks ok too.

correct me if im wrong... but it seems that the p5b deluxe supports CROSSFIRE ..... so does that mean i can have 2 ati vid cards ? like sli ?

and i dont quite get the 965 or 975 or 680i ? whats that ? help very much appreciated.. thanks !

well, as of right now, i dont have the cash nor the need, but might take that into consideration in the future .

on a sidenote, which is better, p5b deluxe or p5n32 sli ?

and why does the crossfire fail at 965 ?

aaahhh !!! now i got it! i might review more on crossfire next time....

also, IGNORING the dual vid card (SLI / Crossfire)

which of the three is the best ?

p5b - plus
p5b - deluxe
p5n32 SLI ?

pros and cons if possible, coz even if i read the specs, i dont quite understand it... thanks in advance !

yeah, im also inclining on those... but the p5b and p5n32's price difference is really minimal...

so.... narrowing down the choices..... p5bdeluxe and p5n32... ignoring SLI / CROSSFIRE feature...

The Asus boards have sound issues. But, getting a pci sound card solves that problem. If you are using the computer for a HTPC and use up the slots for a tuner card and sound card, you still have one pci slot left, right?

Apparently, there's a crackling and the sound is slightly distorted. I believe this is due to the onboard sound controller which is an ADI codec. These codecs are in most of the newer Asus (p965, at least) boards and they all have the same crackling, popping sound with the onboard audio. Other motherboards use the Realtek codecs and don't have the problem. I assume a sound card will help avoid the problem but that uses up a PCI slot and if you don't already have a sound card, you have to spend a bit extra, right? But, don't quote me on the solution as I'm only guessing on that. I've read about the onboard audio problems though from a review on the board. I also read on another forum, people who had bought Asus boards discussing their onboard sound problems.

HTPC = Home Theater PC

Google the two boards and read the reviews. This site probably has reviewed both boards.

The P5N32 board is probably better if you're heavily into gaming. The other board is a good all-purpose board, I think. Since, I want a board for HTPC, I'm choosing between P5B-E and the Deluxe as far as Asus goes. I read that the nvidia chipsets (e.g. P5n-series) produce more heat so I want the other chipsets since I'll be wanting low-heat (due to video intensive tasks).

You are correct.

Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3
Biostar Tforce 965PT
MSI P965 Platinum
Abit AB9 Pro
DFI P965-S (not that avail. yet?)
The boards above are the ones I'm considering besides the Asus P5B series.

Where are you located that you cannot find the P5B Deluxe? I thought that was a very common board. If there is a board you can't find or it's not available in your area, you could always check ebay. I am quite sure that board is available via ebay. Try to go with a seller who has a 99% rating or better.

yay ! i got myself the p5b-e plus since there are no more p5b deluxe and p5n32.... is the p5b e plus good ? whats the difference between this and p5b deluxe ? thanks !