Thoughts, HEXUS.awards, HEXUS.where2buy, HEXUS.right2reply
For folks on a relative budget but who want to keep the possibility of multi-GPU operation open on an AMD AM2 platform, the Foxconn N570SM2AA-8EKRS2H makes a decent case for consideration at its £70, including VAT, retail pricing.
The underlying NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI chipset is very good in most respects and Foxconn adds to it by keeping a clean layout and introducing further SATA - both internal and external - via the JMicron controller. The BIOS is reasonable and overclocking was good for a mid-priced board.
It's not all roses, though. The bundle is below par and a number of memory-related issues need addressing before it can be recommended without reservation. As it is, its attractive pricing and generally decent performance are enough positives for it to be on your shortlist, should you be looking to pair a low-cost Athlon 64 X2 CPU and still keep the SLI path open.
We can't be as positive about the Sapphire PURE AM2RD580 motherboard. It's based on the reference Sturgeon board and suffers from its poor layout. Sapphire further hampers the board's appeal by removing some of the key features and the high street price - at around £140 - puts it up against some very healthy competition from fully-loaded boards based on the better-featured NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI chipset. A flexible BIOS and flashy packaging aren't enough to hide the shortfalls present here, especially with respect to sample-specific overclocking. You can buy better, cheaper AM2 motherboards than the Sapphire AM2RD580. That's the truth of it.
HEXUS Awards
The Foxconn N570SM2AA-8EKRS2H is awarded the HEXUS Classic Good Value award for intelligently integrating a motherboard based on an excellent chipset. Extra SATA, including eSATA, SLI, and a clean layout for just £70.
Foxconn N570SM2AA-8EKRS2H
HEXUS.certification
Both of our sample motherboards passed our burn-in and benchmark tests without problems therefore both are presented with the HEXUS Certification. The certification on its own is not a recommendation to buy, however.
Foxconn N570SM2AA-8EKRS2H
Sapphire AM2RD580
HEXUS Where2Buy
The Foxconn N570SM2AA-8EKRS2H is currently available to buy for around £70.The Sapphire PURE AM2RD580 is currently on back-order for around £140.
