Asus AI Lifestyle M2N32-SLI Deluxe Desktop Motherboard - nVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP Chipset - Socket...

What not to love - A gamers dream, a media center piece, or a workstation that won't quit!.

Strengths: Silent heat pipe design on north and south bridge chips, nVidia 590 chips, Award bios, Vista compatible

Weakness: Two GeForce cards in SLI block other PCI slots

Pop in 2-4 gig of quality DDR II 800 RAM (I used Mushkin Performance) with an X2 processor, and a nice PCI nVidia 7950 and watch the fun as others turn green with envy! Enjoy a true visual experience that will tickle you silly while gaming! Oops! Don't forget the dual core processor will run business programs side by side - even while you game. The 590 nVidia is designed to handle the load, and...
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Pop in 2-4 gig of quality DDR II 800 RAM (I used Mushkin Performance) with an X2 processor, and a nice PCI nVidia 7950 and watch the fun as others turn green with envy! Enjoy a true visual experience that will tickle you silly while gaming! Oops! Don't forget the dual core processor will run business programs side by side - even while you game. The 590 nVidia is designed to handle the load, and silently. Just be sure to use a performance PSU rated for all your components and provide a case with decent airflow. Wireless G on the board is a great innovation that puts it Online before the OS starts loading - speeding the process. Features, features, features, this board is loaded with them and they all work. The BIOS should be tweaked, and ASUS has supplied a great manual to aid in this. Anyone capable of reading can configure this BIOS correctly and it very overclock friendly for those in the know. Even configured with a lower class video card, this mobo rocks in a workstation environment. SATA II, Raid 0, 1, 5 for more drives than you will ever need says it all. USB, Firewire, and 8+1 surround sound with digital out. Features even provide for improved sound quality by filtering interference out. Wow! This means it just works great as a media center solution. Understand why the high price now? Pick one up, you won't be disappointed. Hasta la VISTA baby, this boards calling me back for another round of gaming before manana for business use with it.

Update 8/28/06

I've loaded Windows XP Pro 32 bit, Windows XP Pro 64 bit, and Vista Ultimate 64 bit. My preference is 64 bit XP for the following reasons.

While XP Pro 32 Bit is fast and smooth with the M2N32, it lacks the protection of the 64 bit version. (try Avast with 64 bit) ASUS has supplied 64 bit drivers for this board and every feature is available using XP 64 bit. The ASUS drivers also work smoothly and very well in XP 64 bit. Beside that, XP Pro 64 bit support is needed for many new games requiring it, and 64 bit softwares are rapidly appearing. Newer hardwares and chipsets available also support XP 64 bit just as ASUS has with the M2N32.

VISTA? Well it's nice but those ASUS drivers are not very good for it. The wireless feature is inoperable under VISTA, and the onboard sound drivers will not work properly. Beside these facts, few video drivers will work for any of the better and newer video cards.

A memory change to Crucial "Ballistix" also made for another performance boost. I also removed the temporary PATA drive and used the single IDE cable available on the M2N32 for two new Sony burner drives. Swapping in two new 250 gig. WD2500KS SATA drives for use was as simple as a quick load of XP Pro 64 bit, and a quick format using Windows in repair mode to get back up and running. No added SATA drivers were needed or required. I'll get back with an update once I start using the advanced RAID features, but it looks like they will be as simple as installing the added SATA drives and enabling the functions in BIOS.

By AlexanderAkulick - Jul 4, 2006

Asus M2N32-SLI Wireless Edition Motherboard

Strengths: Stability, features, BIOS

Weakness: Picky with memory

Very good motherboard. I had a problem, trying to use Kinston HyperX modules, and couldn't boot even into the BIOS. After researching the web found, that it needs newer modules, supporting AM2. Installed Corsair XMS2 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 and voila! Processor (4200+ dual core) overclocked 10%, everything is working, but some drivers are were in beta version, now all available from Asus and NVidia...
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Very good motherboard. I had a problem, trying to use Kinston HyperX modules, and couldn't boot even into the BIOS. After researching the web found, that it needs newer modules, supporting AM2. Installed Corsair XMS2 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 and voila! Processor (4200+ dual core) overclocked 10%, everything is working, but some drivers are were in beta version, now all available from Asus and NVidia sites. And, by the way, you don't need to install Windows for BIOS update, sometimes it's good to read manual.

By dimgeoch - Jul 4, 2006

The Best You Can Get

Strengths: Includes many connectors on the board, Dual X16 PCI Express slots

Weakness: Pretty Expensive

This motherboard has everything you could possibly want. The dual PCI Express slots BOTH run at x16 when in SLI. The only downside is in your wallet, as it will cost you upwards of $200 (at the time of this review).

By parrottio - Sep 14, 2006

My 1st Asus motherboard

Strengths: Has a 590 NVidia chipset,a AM2 socket, wireless networking and both SLI slots are full 16 X

Weakness: picky about RAM, and a little cramped (theres a lot on this board )

This is the 1st Asus motherboard I've owned and now it will most likely not be the last. I read the manual and found my OCZ 2 gigs PC-6400 RAM was not listed. But with help from a OCZ tech I got it working. (Email them, they will help you.) After that, everything was alot easier. I had no trouble updating BIOs. and the fanless heatpipe helps in the noise dept. I'm using 2 HHD in RAID with XP,and...
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This is the 1st Asus motherboard I've owned and now it will most likely not be the last. I read the manual and found my OCZ 2 gigs PC-6400 RAM was not listed. But with help from a OCZ tech I got it working. (Email them, they will help you.) After that, everything was alot easier. I had no trouble updating BIOs. and the fanless heatpipe helps in the noise dept. I'm using 2 HHD in RAID with XP,and a 160 HHD with Vista beta 2, (trying that out.) 2 Nvidia 7600GS cards in SLI. along with a X2 AMD 64-4000 CPU. I haven't tried the wireless yet so I can't say anything about it. I'm pleased with the way it all works together and I am now set for another 2 years.

By Silverstre11053 - Jul 26, 2006

Highly Recommended

Strengths: Everything about this board.

Weakness: None!

I am running AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual-Core 5200 2.6Ghz Rev. F2 2x1Ghz OCZ Platinum PC6400 DDR800 XFX 8600 GT 3 Serial ata WD Raptor 32Gig strickly for games 1st WD2000JS 200 Gig for win xp 2nd WD2000JS 200 Gig for Vista 2 EIDE Maxtor 250 Gig for Pix,Vids CD-RW/DVD-RW Writer I Know it is not the best system but it is a demanding one and this board puts up with me GREAT! I have everything OC. The...
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I am running
AMD Athlon 64 x2 Dual-Core 5200 2.6Ghz Rev. F2
2x1Ghz OCZ Platinum PC6400 DDR800
XFX 8600 GT
3 Serial ata
WD Raptor 32Gig strickly for games
1st WD2000JS 200 Gig for win xp
2nd WD2000JS 200 Gig for Vista
2 EIDE
Maxtor 250 Gig for Pix,Vids
CD-RW/DVD-RW Writer

I Know it is not the best system but it is a demanding one and this board puts up with me GREAT! I have everything OC. The processor at 3016 Mhz 3.01 Ghz. Memory at 948.74 Mhz. All I can say is that this board is a tank and I wouldn't ever buy anything else but Asus lol all depending on the reviews....

By Awal6988 - Aug 25, 2007