Cheapest SLI motherboard reviewed

LINUX REVIEWER Phoronix tests the Sytrin Nextherm PSU 460 which as you can guess is a power supply. It is squarely aimed at the server segment and supports both AMD and Intel platform. It has dual independent 12v rails supply and is SATA/SLI compliant although in the later case, it provides only with one PCIe connector. There are a few oddities which beg to be corrected and make us ask a question. Is it really a server PSU?

HK outfit HKEPC checks the Asrock 939SLI-eSATA2 which comes from the Asus rebel child. It uses the M1697 chipset and is branded as SLI compatible although Nvidia has put records straight about which chipset would support SLI. The board supports HD Audio though the ALC660 - a cheaper version of the ALC850 which you normally find in Nvidia's offering. The motherboard also come with eSATA2 connectors and AM2 slot from AMD for future expansion. SLI works flawlessly and this is certainly the cheapest SLI board out there.

The FX60 is again in the limelight at Driverheaven. Specs again are dual core 2.6GHz TOledos 1MB-per-core, 90nm SOI process - basically two FX55. Overclocking is so, so at 10% - 3GHz is simply unstable. It is the most powerful AMD processor currently available but you'll have to pay the price. One other thing worth noting is that it is thermally more efficient than most dual core from Intel and as a gaming component should be untouchable performancewise.

Bit Tech rounds up five X1900 cards in a big bad article. Sapphire, Club3D, Connect3D - XTX models, Powercolor XT model and an ATI AIW X1900. All the cards - except the AIW, are within £50 of each othe with varying features and software package. The 7800GTX 512MB on the other hand cost much more than the X1900XTX for not that much performance extra. It would be a good idea if manufacturers could sell a pair of XT for £700.

The Aopen 1915GMm-HFS motherboard is geared towards the Pentium M platform which has just received Dual Core members. Hardwarezone tested it and gave it its most innovative product award. Even if it is a mATX motherboard, it comes with a phenomenal set of features like two SATA/2 ports, DM interface, HD Audio, DDR 1/2 support, two GbE ports, Firewire and HDTV encoder.

Another motherboard is on test at VR-zone. The DFI RS 482 Infinity is based on ATI latest Radeon Xpress/SB450 couple. It has an integrated Radeon X300 GPU core, DVI-D, TV OUT with more connectors that you can aim at, Realtek's ALC850, Raided SATA , GbE ports and Firewire. It is a very good overclocker, at a good price although the packaging falls short of more expensive models out there. But that's another story. µ