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FINAL THOUGHTS
After extensive testing, we can conclude that the Asus M3N78 Pro and its Geforce
8300 chipset is a success. Compared directly to Gigabyte's GA-MA78GM-S2H and
its AMD 780G chipset, the nVidia chipset board has the power efficiency edge
in all areas, saving up to 11W depending on the load. For a low power system,
11W is a sizable amount. High definition playback was comparable, but again
more energy efficient. Only in 3D performance did the M3N78 Pro fall a bit short.
The HybridPower feature, while not able to completely shut down the Geforce
GTX 260 we tested, still reduced power consumption by as much as 17W. It's a
fraction of the card's overall power consumption, but it's better than nothing.
When the power saving mode was activated, it also stopped the GTX 260's fan
— this is possibly a boon for silent PCs. During game play, a video card's
fan noise is mitigated by the sound/volume pumping out of the speakers —
in many cases, its when a gaming card is idle that the sound level of its fan
is most annoying.
Asus did a pretty good job on other details. The fan control is good, with
smooth automatic control, and fully customizable control via SpeedFan if you're
so inclined. The board also overclocks well, even though current AMD CPUs are
not known for their overclockability. Express Gate is a nifty addition to Asus
boards — the fast boot-up time coupled with its ease of use truly illustrates
the advantage of Linux's low system requirements. It is a kind of subversive
attempt to promote Linux, rather than a shot at Microsoft as the orignal Asus
EEE sub-notebook.
The M3N78 Pro is a polished piece of hardware — rarely do we encounter
a motherboard that does not present serious bugs or quirks, let alone one that
impresses in almost every criteria. If you're in the market for an AM2+ motherboard,
there is little reason not to choose this one. It's a complete, well-balanced
package.
PROS
* Excellent, efficient high definition playback
* Low power consumption
* HybridPower reduces power draw modestly
* Overclocks well
* Good fan control
* Express Gate convenient for simple tasks |
CONS
* 3D performance lacking
* HybridPower savings much less than expected
|
Our thanks to Asus
and AMD for the product samples.
* * *
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Albatron KI690-AM2: A Mini-ITX Powerhouse
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