Asus A8N-SLI Premium

[jenneth]

Well, looks like it'll be out very soon, this place is taking pre-order:

http://www.computerhq.com/ASUS_A8N-SLI_...emium/hardware/partinfo-id-533549.html

$299? It's a bit more expensive than I thought.

jenneth

 

[imported_Kensai]

Whoa. I'll stick with my MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI.

 

[bookman]

Looks like the price gouging has started.

 

[jenneth]

I was told by one of their sales rep. that it probably won't be out for a few weeks.

 

[meolsen]

What's it got that the deluxe doesn't have?

 

[Promethply]

Basically with the A8N-SLI premium, you can switch from non-SLI to SLI mode in Windows, and then restart to enable the new setting. Sounds better than having to open the case each time you want to switch SLI setting because you have to undo, invert, and reinsert the ASUS "EZ" selector card.

 

[jenneth]

Basically with the A8N-SLI premium, you can switch from non-SLI to SLI mode in Windows, and then restart to enable the new setting. Sounds better than having to open the case each time you want to switch SLI setting because you have to undo, invert, and reinsert the ASUS "EZ" selector card.

But if you have SLI why would you want to switch to non-SLI? As far as I'm concern, this is a one-time process.

 

[Capt Caveman]

No WIFI? That's strange. I believe all ther other premium boards do.

 

[ohnnyj]

Originally posted by: jenneth

Basically with the A8N-SLI premium, you can switch from non-SLI to SLI mode in Windows, and then restart to enable the new setting. Sounds better than having to open the case each time you want to switch SLI setting because you have to undo, invert, and reinsert the ASUS "EZ" selector card.

But if you have SLI why would you want to switch to non-SLI? As far as I concern, this is a one-time process.

Yeah, would help the initial install but that's about it.

 

[Promethply]

It's all about convenience, just as overclocking once needed us to open the case and change the jumper setting on the mobo everytime you want to change your overclock settings.

Then a motherboard manufacturer (ABIT) pioneered overclocking thru the BIOS, and now we can overclock in Windows.

 

[ohnnyj]

Originally posted by: Promethply
It's all about convenience, just as overclocking once needed us to open the case and change the jumper setting on the mobo everytime you want to change your overclock settings.

Then a motherboard manufacturer (ABIT) pioneered overclocking thru the BIOS, and now we can overclock in Windows.

But still, why would anyone want to change to single card mode if they have SLI?

You can still disable SLI through nVidia's drivers and leave it set to dual card mode. This is actually better as you can still utilize both cards for up to four monitors. Setting it to single card mode just makes the other card dead weight.

 

[Promethply]

For those of us who're not very mechanically adept , it would be much easier to switch to SLI in Windows or through the BIOS in the first place.

 

[ohnnyj]

Originally posted by: Promethply
For those of us who're not very mechanically adept , it would be much easier to switch to SLI in Windows or through the BIOS in the first place.

I can see this benefit, as I even had difficulty the first time getting the (not so) EZ Selector card properly inserted. If it isn't in just right you will have a no post/no video situation. Maybe enough people complained and figured it would be good to implement it internally. However, I don't see how this makes for much of a difference, just one change and call it a Premium. Maybe add WiFi and some better overclocking capabilities then I may consider an upgrade. Its definetely a Premium board though, that is it command a premium price over its bretheren.

It would be better if they found a way to switch between SLI enabled/disabled in Windows w/o a restart. Then you can game away under SLI and then quickly switch to non SLI for multi-monitor support (up to four). Then it would be worth it.

 

[Promethply]

Yeah, some mobo manufacturer will probably find a way for us to enable/disable SLI in Windows without restarting, if the SLI mobos turned out to be a success in the marketplace

 

[ohnnyj]

Originally posted by: Promethply
Yeah, some mobo manufacturer will probably find a way for us to enable/disable SLI in Windows without restarting, if the SLI mobos turned out to be a success in the marketplace

Well if this press release from nVidia is any indication, it already is a success.

"SANTA CLARA, CA?FEBRUARY 15, 2004?NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), a worldwide leader in graphics and digital media processors, today announced that the Company shipped more than one million NVIDIA nForce4 media and communication processors (MCPs), the industry?s most feature-rich core-logic solutions for AMD64-based computing platforms, since its availability in December 2004. In addition, the demand for NVIDIA nForce4 SLI technology is exceeding the Company?s high expectations, accounting for more than 25 percent of all NVIDIA nForce4 MCP shipments to date. This demand has resulted in the fastest sales ramp the platform group at NVIDIA has ever experienced, and helped NVIDIA grow its share of the AMD64 market to 48 percent, as reported by Mercury Research for the quarter ending December 31, 2004."


Full Press Release.

 

[Promethply]

:thumbsup:

 

[Whitewolf]

It is nice to remove this sli card selector. It shouldn't be there from the beginning 5 months ago. People that already have a mobo with a selector card can leave without it but new buyers will like thi future. And they didn't implement this just for our convenience. The selector card is a point of failure on a motherboard, and many people here had problems with it. Either it was faulty, or when they reversed it they didn't make sure it contacted the pins well.

 

[lambchops3344]

I read a thing stating that several games crash with sli enabled... so this way you dont have to open your case to play a game. ive been waiting so long for this mobo i hope it comes out soon...

and of coarse there gonna charge alot for a preorder... there the first site to even have a preorder... im waiting till its released.

 

[eXx08]

It's only $199, YAY , I will be ordering soon