What are CNR and AMR slots?

[astroview]

I've noticed that new motherboards have something called a CNR (Communications Network Riser) or AMR (have no idea what this acronym is). What are these? None of the reviews have really talked about them much. Are they a good thing to have? Thanks.

 

[Vegito]

CNR for adding cheap Network Adapter
AMR - Audio Modem riser - for adding cheap audio/modem cards..

Being that the decoder is built into the motherboard.. add a riser and you have ports for modem/sound/network.

Depends if you really have a use for cheapo sound card..

 

[Ulysses]

Here's some pics:http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.html?i=1274

 

[The Wildcard]

Hmm i sitll don't know what they are. How are they different from our regular pci or isa slots?

 

[crowz]

From what Ive seen the network cards work ok, the modem risers are a little flaky and have a very short lifespan.

This is based on around 75 of them I made the mistake of taking on a deal from our suplier. Wont be ordering anymore.

Machines worked ok other than the modem risers croaking. Connection speeds were decent but nothing to write home about.

Another thing on these boards they were using the risers to eliminate the pci/isa slots to the bar minimum which I dont care for. The things only had 1 shared pci/isa slot

 

[DaddyG]

The riser slot differs from a regular slot because some of the function is built into the mobo specifically for that riser. In the case of the audio modem riser, some of the audio function is built in the mobo, by plugging in the riser, you get the connectors required for speakers, line out/in and mic in. The CNR is similar, the riser provides the network interface.

 

[Mday]

they allow OEMs to cheaply implement audio\modem\network technologies. in other words, codecs, which use the CPU to decode. so it's like a software modem, available in audio cards and network adapters.

not for power users.

 

[The Wildcard]

Oh okay, i see, i see. They are sorta "meant" to simplfy things but i think they are even more confusing, lol.