Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe
slide show: Asus M2N32 SLI Deluxe
Asus looks to have a solid entry in the AM2 segment with SLI compatibility, good overclocking options and impressive chipset cooling.
Interfaces
For expandability, the board features two PCIe x16 slots for video accelerators, one PCIe x4 slot and three standard PCI slots. For USB and Firewire connectivity, we have the four integrated USB ports, and three headers to support six more USB ports. A single Firewire (IEEE1394) port is on the motherboard and a header for a second port is available on the board as well. The bundle includes three add on brackets for the user: One with two USB ports, one with a Firewire port and one with two eSATA ports, as well as a molex power port.
Like most of the nForce boards, there are two Gigabit network ports utilizing the nForce5 GbE controller. In addition, the bundle includes a tiny 802.11g wireless card that attaches to a specially-located USB header on the board, which is a great addition.
The SATA connectivity is covered well, primarily with the nForce 590 MCP controlling six nForce ports for SATA II 300 Mb/s devices, and a single old-school UltraATA/100 connector. In addition, an additional two SATA ports are enabled through the secondary Silicon Image Sil3132 controller; one is internal and the second one is external eSATA.
Audio
The M2N32-SLI Deluxe uses a relatively new codec for 7.1-channel high-definition audio: the Analog Devices SoundMAX ADI AD1988B. Six audio mini jacks, a single SPDIF coax and a single optical out are offered for audio connectivity, and headers are available for 5x2 pin Front Audio, CD-in and SPDIF out. The board also comes with an array microphone, which is reported to capture a moving audio source better than a standard microphone while keeping background noise to a minimum, which is not bad for a bundled mic.
Cooling
A huge heat pipe connects the Northbridge, Southbridge and power supply components. Included in the bundle is a separate fan that can be attached to the heat pipe cooler, although ASUS recommends it to be used only with water-cooled setups, so that it does not interfere with CPU cooler airflow. Add to this the impressive number of fan headers - a total of seven - and you can see this board has very strong options in the cooling department.
Bundle
Asus Ai Booster
Asus AI booster is a dynamic overclocking utility that allows newbies to overclock by small percentages without messing with the meaty settings in the BIOS. Of course, there are more advanced controls as well, and monitors for voltage and the like, which make the tool fun for anyone to mess around with. It also allows the user to save up to three different settings, which is good for testing.
Asus PC Probe II
The original PC Probe was a useful tool, and the newest version carries on the tradition. The software can monitor many variables at the same time - voltages and temperatures to name a few - and you can organize them as you see fit. You also have the option to set alarm temperatures, voltages and fan speeds.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal
Free virus protection is nice, assuming it's reliable, and Kaspersky Anti Virus has a good reputation.
slide show: Asus M2N32 SLI Deluxe
