Reviews of Motherboards

Integrated graphics, plenty of extras and AM2 support. If you're aiming to build a mid-range AMD system without breaking the bank, the GA-M55plus-S3G looks like a sure thing. But how does it fare when we put it through its paces?

Once in a while a company actually surprises us with a midrange product that's priced comparably to lesser-featured competition. Elitegroup Computer Systems has been there before, but its attempts have sometimes ended in mixed results. The P965T-A marks the company's latest attempt to amaze value seekers.

We examine a motherboard designed for the lower-budget professional or home system builder interested in moving up to Core 2 Duo. Lacking a few frills but still offering some surprises, the Gigabyte GA-945PL-S3 may turn out to be a diamond in the rough.

Better, stronger, faster -- Foxconn has the technology, and rebuilt its 975X7AA motherboard into nothing less than a Core 2 champion.

Mid-sized Core 2 motherboards are still few and far between. Fortunately, Gigabyte is tackling the problem. How does it fare with the GA-945GM-S2?

Looking to improve performance - but not quite ready to ditch your investment in pre-AM2 components? We examine the Socket 939-based Asus A8R32-MVP Deluxe, which promises to deliver plenty of bang for the buck.

We examine a motherboard jam-packed with features -- including wireless -- and promising some serious support for the new Core 2 Duo. How does it fare for the serious enthusiast?

Intel's Core 2 desktop processors are here, and we're taking a look at one of the first motherboards to support the next-generation CPU. How does Foxconn's P965 chipset design fare?

I have recently become a big fan of Asus products. The first contact i had with them was when i purchased an A8v deluxe motherboard for my pc. At the time, it was the best motherboard available on the market, but this was mainly due to the small number of manufacturers catering for this format.

Last month my younger brother pleaded with me to build him a computer which he can use for games, music, internet and all manner of things pc related. As Microsoft are slowly integrating 64 bit capability into almost all of their upcoming software, and 32 bit is being slowly phased out, I decided on starting with a 64 bit system. There are currently 3 formats of 64 bit system available, namely socket 754, socket 940 and socket 939. These 3 formats differ in their chip types and also in their compatability with other components used in the pc. The socket 939s have dual on-chip memory controllers and dont require ecc registered ram (the more expensive memory) as is the case with the socket 940 format. Socket 754 is now being phased out and parts available for a system incorporating this format are either very hard to come by or are outdated. This led me to the conclusion that building a socket 939 system was the most viable option.

The base of any system is the motherboard and this more often than not determines the speed at which all other components communicate with eachother. After having read many reviews and countless (riveting) pc magazines, the Asus A8N-SLi board seemed to be the best option in terms of features and price.

Consequently, an order was placed with Scan computers (www.scan.co.uk) as they tend to be the most competitive retailer around. The board cost approximately 92 GBPs but can also be found slightly cheaper if purchased as a bundle.

The board arrived the next day and was opened immediately to check that everything required was included. The motherboard actually came with more than was required. Installation was fairly easy but this varies on which case you are using to house it in.

Elitegroup has an AM2 motherboard targeted toward the low-cost market. Sporting an nForce4 chipset, how does a "budget-performance" motherboard fare when coupled with AMD's newest desktop processor line? The results may surprise you.