Elitegroup (ECS) is a decent value for the money. You don't get whiz-bang features like RAID, firewire, control panels or anything like that. You also don't get overclocking. What you do get is $$$ savings over other boards that do offer the bells and whistles. If you need those features, pay more for a board that has them standard. If you do not, save a bit and consider an ECS product.