Asus Striker II Formula

Overall the Asus Striker II Formula is an excellent motherboard for overclockers and also for people who are looking for Penryn support in addition to SLI. This motherboard definitely goes above and beyond the norm in every single way with a multitude of features to make for both a better overclocking motherboard and one that is easier to overclock. That and a great software bundle and extra perks like the LCD read out, this definitely makes this board a luxury item. Of course like other luxury items that comes at a definite price costing over $80 than the P5N-T without all these features at many shops.

NVIDIA's 780i is on a par with the Intel X38/X48 DDR2 boards when it comes to dual-core CPU overclocking in the performance zone. ASUS has managed to supply clean power to the memory banks that allows us solid performance and 8GB memory overclocking potential, something we have not managed on other boards with the same settings. It will be interesting to see how the reference boards measure up to the strengths of the Striker II Formula. For now, we would not hesitate to recommend this board for a dual-core SLI-based gaming system. Although 790i may be robbing this platform of the limelight, the real-world performance figures of both platforms are not enough to convince gamers that they need to make a jump over to the new DDR3-based chipset unless they have money burning in their pockets.

Despite the fact it offers absolutely no extra performance and a few iffy bits, we really like this board and it offers good value for the genuine features it delivers. If you really want the latest SLI solution, the Striker II Formula should certainly be on your shopping list – just be wary of what's coming out in the next few months: you won't be waiting another year for a chipset update like before.

The only real bad news as far as the Striker II Formula goes is regarding price - At around £50 more expensive than ASUS' DDR2, Intel X38 Maximus Formula, this really is one very expensive motherboard at around £200. Such is the price for living at the cutting edge with a requirement for SLI functionality. This isn't a problem that is restricted to the Striker II however, with all nForce 780i-based motherboards coming in at similarly high prices - In that light, the Striker II Formula with its wonderfully impressive feature set becomes far more desirable, making it virtually a must-have for anyone with need of NVIDIA's latest. Of course, that doesn't take into account NVIDIA's nForce 790i chipset which will likely appear in a few months, offering DDR3 and 1600MHz FSB support, but as of right now the Striker II Formula is one fantastic piece of hardware in its corner of the market.

Innovation, and a nifty bundle, are what truly set this board apart from others. Power users will be pleased by the LED Poster and onboard Power and Reset buttons, not to mention the rear-mounted Clear CMOS button. And hardcore gamers with deep pockets can dream of 3-Way SLI configurations. Unfortunately, Stan Lee said it best when he said, "with great power there must also come great responsibility, er, a great price". Our look around the web pegs this board at a pricey $329.99, making it one of the more expensive nForce-based desktop boards available. With the 780i possibly being overshadowed when NVIDIA releases the 790i, it might ultimately be best to wait and see how DDR3 affects the playing field. But with DDR2 prices so low right now, we could see this motherboard being popular with the hardcore gaming crowd.