The PC Perspective Podcast is your weekly stop for the latest PC tech news and reviews! Give it a listen!

Summary

To read the complete Asus P5N32-E SLI Plus review with more detailed information, test results, and plenty of pictures, please click on the following link.

Click this link to get the full article

The nForce 680i SLI chipset is a great product that we reviewed in November of last year that was fast, overclockable and offered a wide range of features.  The main concern was price: you still can't find the EVGA 680i SLI motherboard for under $240.  Asus is claiming that you can get nearly all of the performance, features and even overclocking levels by getting their new P5N32-E SLI Plus motherboard that is for sale for around $50 less. 

Click to Enlarge

The motherboard layout itself is very similar to other Asus motherboards we have looked at recently including the use of heatpipes instead of fans for chipset cooling and the inclusion of three PCIe x16 connectors for improved expansion capability. 

Here are a few quick benchmarks:

In all, I'd have to say that the overclocking on the P5N32-E SLI Plus is probably nearly on par with that of the standard 680i motherboards, though as with all overclocking, your mileage will vary.  For now though, this board isn't able to topple the overclocking prowess of the original EVGA 680i motherboard.

This is where the Asus HybridUp design really kicks into gear; with a current going price of $185 it is about $65 cheaper than the EVGA 680i motherboard and nearly $180 cheaper than Asus' own Striker motherboard!  Obviously, the Striker is only for the most hardcore enthusiasts that must have the latest and greatest gadgets and gimmicks; the P5N32-E SLI Plus offers nearly the same performance and overclocking at almost half the price! 

Availability on the P5N32-E SLI Plus is also very strong, for sale at about 15 stores in our pricing engine as well as the ever popular Newegg.com. 

Final Thoughts

It would be hard to NOT recommend the Asus P5N32-E SLI Plus motherboard to any user looking to build a new Core 2 system.  The unique combination of innovative motherboard design, overclocking and features as well as a low price when compared to other comparable solutions, make this board one of the few that really stand out from the crowd. 

If you have any questions or comments on this review, stop into this thread at our Asus motherboard forum to drop me a line or just see other's comments on the board!

Be sure to use our price checking engine to find the best prices on the Asus Striker Extreme, and anything else you may want to buy!

Click here for the Detailed Review