*** The Official [H]ard ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Thread ***
This thread is for the new ASUS A8N-SLI Premium motherboard. It's a new version of the A8N-SLI Deluxe, which was the first SLI board released.
Currently, it isn't listed on ASUS's MotherBoard Index nor does it show up if you do a product search for the word "premium."
However, a little comparison between the URLs for the Premium edition Intel boards, and the regular A8N-SLI Deluxe, led me to try:
http://usa.asus.com/products/mb/socket939/a8nsli-p/overview.htm
Not sure why ASUS hasn't linked to this on their site, since the board has been released and is clearly listed on the Support section of the site under Downloads (search for "premium")
http://www.asus.com/support/support.aspx
And the manual is available in pdf format here.
So, how is this board different from the A8N-SLI Deluxe? The biggest differences are:
The passively cooled chipset is a big plus for me, because it's quieter and more reliable.
The SLI selector isn't a big deal to me, because I don't intend on using SLI. In fact, I'd rather have a A8N-E Premium, but it doesn't look like that board is going to be released.
The PCI-E x4 slot is a nice addition, but I don't know of any PCI-E cards out right now other than video cards.
Also, this board is supposed to be a better overclocker than the original Deluxe version. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen, but I'm sure ASUS has made some improvements on the A8N-SLI Deluxe, which has been on the market for about 6 months.
The voltage option are somewhat limited, especially compared to the DFI boards.
However, early results are looking pretty good.
I'll be putting my system together this weekend which will consist of the following:
PCP&C 510W PCI-E
Antec P180
ASUS A8N-SLI Premium
AMD X2 4400+
2 x 512MB Corsair BH-5
X300
WD Raptor
and more
So until I get it up and running, I took a few pics of the box.
Front
Support for the X2 is prominently displayed
Top inside sleeve
Bottom inside sleeve
Back
Accessories
The board
My X2 4400 OEM package
Closeup of the label
CPU
And my new case, the Antec P180
With the door open
This thread is for the new ASUS A8N-SLI Premium motherboard. It's a new version of the A8N-SLI Deluxe, which was the first SLI board released.
Currently, it isn't listed on ASUS's MotherBoard Index nor does it show up if you do a product search for the word "premium."
However, a little comparison between the URLs for the Premium edition Intel boards, and the regular A8N-SLI Deluxe, led me to try:
http://usa.asus.com/products/mb/socket939/a8nsli-p/overview.htm
Not sure why ASUS hasn't linked to this on their site, since the board has been released and is clearly listed on the Support section of the site under Downloads (search for "premium")
http://www.asus.com/support/support.aspx
And the manual is available in pdf format here.
So, how is this board different from the A8N-SLI Deluxe? The biggest differences are:
- AI Cool-Pipe
It's no longer either quiet operation or low system temperature. The A8N-SLI Premium, with AI Cool Pipe, lets you have the best of both worlds. This unique heat pipe design provides heat dissipation performance comparable to that of cooling fans without the annoying rotation noise.
- AI Selector
AI Selector enables easy swiching between single-GPU and dual-GPU modes by simply clicking on the mouse under Windows operating system. It begins the era of electronic SLI switch, allowing users to enjoy both SLI and non-SLI applications with ease.
- Addition of a PCI-E x4 slot
The Deluxe board had two PCI-E x16 slots, two PCI-E x1 slots, and three three 32-bit PCI slots. The Premium version replaces one of the PCI-E x1 slots with a PCI-E x4 slot.
The passively cooled chipset is a big plus for me, because it's quieter and more reliable.
The SLI selector isn't a big deal to me, because I don't intend on using SLI. In fact, I'd rather have a A8N-E Premium, but it doesn't look like that board is going to be released.
The PCI-E x4 slot is a nice addition, but I don't know of any PCI-E cards out right now other than video cards.
Also, this board is supposed to be a better overclocker than the original Deluxe version. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen, but I'm sure ASUS has made some improvements on the A8N-SLI Deluxe, which has been on the market for about 6 months.
The voltage option are somewhat limited, especially compared to the DFI boards.
Code:
VDIMM from 2.6v to 3.0v
VCORE from .800v to 1.650v
CHIPSET V from 1.5v to 1.6v
HT V from 1.2v to 1.25v
PCI-E clock is selectable from 100-145MHz
However, early results are looking pretty good.
- qk4723Deluxe at XS has a San Diego 3700+ at 3GHz and 300MHz HTT
Link - teamride at AnandTech has a San Diego 3700+ at 2.8GHz and 311MHz HTT
Link - And incase you missed it, Steve posted a link to T-BREAK's review, where they achieved a 260MHz HTT with a 1:1 ratio and 320MHz HTT with the memory set to a lower multiplier
I'll be putting my system together this weekend which will consist of the following:
PCP&C 510W PCI-E
Antec P180
ASUS A8N-SLI Premium
AMD X2 4400+
2 x 512MB Corsair BH-5
X300
WD Raptor
and more
So until I get it up and running, I took a few pics of the box.
Front
Support for the X2 is prominently displayed
Top inside sleeve
Bottom inside sleeve
Back
Accessories
The board
My X2 4400 OEM package
Closeup of the label
CPU
And my new case, the Antec P180
With the door open