X-bit labs

Love at First Touch: ATI Radeon Xpress 3200 Review (page 6)

Category: Chipsets

by Alexey Stepin , Anton Shilov

[ 03/27/2006 | 02:34 PM ]

ASUS A8R32-MVP Deluxe Mainboard

Package and Accessories

ASUS A8R32-MVP Deluxe is one of the first mainboard on the CrossFire Xpress 3200. We’ll use it to learn more about the weak and strong aspects of ATI’s new chipset. So, the mainboard is really worth our attention.

The mainboard box carries the AiLife logo, the same as we noted in our ASUS A8N320SLI Deluxe review.

We expressed our praises to this design already. It is simple and elegant. The product creates a positive impression from the very beginning. The flap panel of the box can be opened to reveal the basic technical info on the mainboard.

Here’s what we found in the box, besides the mainboard itself:

• User manual
• CD with drivers and ASUS software
• InterVideo Media Launcher CD
• Bracket with two USB 2.0 and one Game port
• Bracket with one 4-pin and one 6-pin FireWire port
• Bracket with one COM port
• 4 Serial ATA cables
• Two Molex → Serial ATA power adapters with two connectors on each
• 80-pin ATA-133 cable
• 40-pin ATA-33 cable
• FDD cable
• I/O shield
• ASUS sticker

As you can see, the accessories are not gorgeous at all even though this is a Deluxe product (no Wi-Fi modules or the like). Yet you do receive everything necessary to use the mainboard. Considering that the ULi M1575 South Bridge supports only eight USB 2.0 ports and there are four ports already on the mainboard’s I/O panel, a single USB 2.0 bracket is quite enough. The remaining connector is used for the wireless network adapter the Wireless Edition of the mainboard comes with or attached to the USB ports on the front panel of your system case.