Board Revision: 1.02
BIOS Version: 1001

Asus equipped their Solano 2 motherboard with an AGP Pro slot. Don't worry if you only have a standard AGP connector, since the AGP Pro slot is not faster. It was designed for high-end graphics cards, which need even more power than GeForce models. The Asus BIOS differs completely from all others. You can either setup your processor using the on-board DIPswitches or use the soft setup. If you decide for the BIOS setup, you may choose from many different FSB speeds up to 200 MHz (185 MHz still boots up!) and alter the CPU core voltage as well. If you set an exaggerated clock speed that does not work, the board will automatically launch this BIOS menu after you reset the system. Other motherboards require the CMOS settings be deleted in order to make the system working again.

The CUSL2 comes with 6 PCI slots and 2 CNR. The locks of the three DIMM sockets will not interfere with an AGP card even if they are opened. I could install each of my three CPU coolers without problems as well. Best news from the memory tests: The Asus is the other of the two motherboards that worked with all the different DIMMs! In addition, Asus is again on the top of most benchmark charts.

Our sample did not include a sound system, but the CUSL2 is also available with AC97 sound. Asus is the only manufacturer which includes both a COM2 cable and the cable to make use of three more USB ports. The manual is comprehensive, detailed and easy to understand. Performance and stability are on a very high level.