Recommendations
In terms of performance, there are three AMD760 motherboards that are superior to the rest of the competitors. My number one choice is either the Gigabyte GA-7DXR or the Abit KG7. The Gigabyte has only 5 PCI slots, but a Creative PCI sound chip. Abit's KG7 is exemplary in that it offers 4 DIMM sockets and 6 PCI slots. Though it has no special hardware except the RAID controller, I consider this as the ideal platform for power users.
The alternative choice may even be the first choice for people on smaller budgets: The DFI AK76-SN is an alternative that might even be the best choice for users with smaller budgets: It performs almost as fast as the other two, but is available at a much better price point. Of course there won't be any special features to go with it, but perhaps that's just what you are looking for.
Conclusion
It is always difficult to recommend a certain product from a totally objective point of view. The three leading products are not the only ones that run well - the 8K7A+ from Epox is also an excellent motherboard, just as the A7M266 (Asus still knows how to make good ones). These two motherboards only have two DIMM sockets, while Gigabyte and Abit have 3 and 4 accordingly. The K7 Master-S from MSI may be your first choice if you need a motherboard with SCSI on-board.
To have one of the fastest motherboards available is really only important for your ego. It's hardly an advantage to anybody to own a motherboard that performs faster by only a few percent. I recommend going through the article again, keeping your requirements and your budget in mind. Finally, the price you have to pay in your local computer store may also become important.
Nobody is at rest out there - the fact that Asus has been outperformed by several companies makes that pretty clear. It can be favourable to spend some time on perfecting your product before releasing it. That's what Asus usually does, but others (e.g. Abit) were able to take the lead this time.
Tell us what you think! Your opinion about this article is highly appreciated. Please send comments and criticism to patrick@tomshardware.com .
