[H]ard|OCP reviews ASUS Blitz Extreme Intel P35 based motherboard
ASUS is among an elite group of computer component manufacturers favored and loved by enthusiast and mainstream users alike. The company's reputation for high quality and high performance parts has taken years of hard work to establish. ASUS strives to push the technological envelope through its integration of cutting edge technologies in to product design. Most recently, they have further differentiated their product lines in to several branches, including the "Republic of Gamers" product line, catering to the most hardcore enthusiasts.
The Blitz Extreme is ASUS' premier offering in their Republic of Gamers product line using the next generation of Intel chipsets. The board is designed around the Intel P35 chipset, featuring in-built support for LGA 775 type processors up to 1333MHz FSB, DDR3 DRAM modules operating in Dual Channel mode up to 1333MHz, and support for PCI Express based x16 graphics cards. The Blitz Extreme supports AMD CrossFire across 2 AMD graphics cards, with both cards operating in 8x mode. The Blitz Extreme board is feature-complete, requiring the addition of an Intel LGA 775 style processor, DDR3 memory, drives, and a PSU for a fully operational system. The following components have been integrated in to the Blitz Extreme?s design: 6 SATA II ports (RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and 5 capable) on the Intel ICH9R controller; 1 ATA-133 IDE port, and 2 e-SATA port (RAID 0 and 1 capable) on the JMicron controller; 12 USB 2.0 capable ports (6 in rear panel, and 3 onboard headers supporting 2 ports each); 2 IEEE 1394 capable ports (1 in rear panel, and 1 onboard header); dual Marvell Yukon GigE Ethernet ports in the rear panel; ADI 8-channel HD audio codec featuring an S/PDIF RCA component output port; integrated power, reset and CMOS reset push buttons; and PS/2 keyboard port support in the rear panel...
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