Some months ago, we tested the ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard and we suggested that it would be great if the SLI selector card could be replaced with an easier approach. It seems that ASUS read the review and decided to make it reality with their latest motherboard supporting the AMD64 CPUs (including Dual Core X2 processors), the A8N-SLI Premium.

Except for SLI support and some more advanced features, "AI Cool-Pipe technology" comes to complete the image of an excellent featured motherboard. ASUS used a fanless design, offering noiseless operation and better thermal dissipation. The Premium edition also has all the goodies that the Deluxe version has to offer, all packed in a stylish eye-catching box.

It also utilizes NVidia's new nForce4 MCP (Media and Communication Processor), offering a whole bunch of features implemented at the hardware level.

- Features

The complete list of features that the A8N-SLI Premium motherboard offers can be seen below.

Supports AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64FX/Athlon 64, which are based on AMD's 64-bit and 32-bit architecture. These processors provide a dramatic leap forward in compatibility and performance.

The NVIDIA nForce4 Scalable Link Interface (SLI) technology allows two graphics processing units in a single computer. This technology takes advantage of the PCI Express bus architecture and features intelligent hardware and software solutions that allows multiple GPUs to work together and achieve exceptional performance.

NVIDIA introduces built-in NVFirewall, a high-performance firewall application, and NVActiveArmor engine that provides advanced data packet inspection.

The A8N-SLI Deluxe supports AMD's Cool'n'Quiet technology that will automatically monitor and control VCore voltage, CPU speed and power, and adjust it accordingly to CPU demands.

HyperTransport technology increases the communication between integrated circuits in computers and networks, and can achieve 48 times faster communication. It basically is a high-speed, low-latency point-to-point link.

Double Data Rate (DDR) memory technology is supported, offering ultra-fast memory bandwidth

Next-Generation Serial ATA 3GB/sec is supported, providing twice the bandwidth of current Serial ATA products. Additionally, Serial ATA allows thinner and more flexible cables with lower pin counts and reduced voltage requirements. RAID controllers provide Dual-RAID functionality that allows you to select the best RAID solution.

The A8N-SLI Deluxe supports 8-channel audio through the onboard ALC850 CODEC with 16-bit DAC, a stereo 16-bit ADC, and an AC97 2.3 compatible multi-channel audio designed for PC multimedia systems.

The motherboards offers up to 10 USB2.0 compatible ports, and 2 IEEE1394a (Firewire) ports.

	It's no longer either quiet operation or low system temperature. The A8N-SLI Premium, with AI Cool Pipe, lets you have the best of both worlds. This unique heat pipe design provides heat dissipation performance comparable to that of cooling fans without the annoying rotation noise.
	AI Selector enables easy switching between single-GPU and dual-GPU modes by simply clicking on the mouse under Windows operating system. It begins the era of electronic SLI switch, allowing users to enjoy both SLI and non-SLI applications with ease.
	Except the AIAudio feature described above, ASUS uses several others AI Proactive features to further improve network and overclocking performance of this motherboard.
	ASUS Non-delay Overclocking System (AI NOS) will monitor CPU demands and overclock the system automatically, only when it is needed.
	AI NET2 will reports all Ethernet cables faults and shorts. During the boot-up process, AI NET2 will check cables' condition and report back all problems found.

The features list does not end here! There are more ASUS innovative features:

ASUS EZ Plug is a 4-pin auxiliary +12V connector that is used to ensure voltage stability for your motherboard and for other installed peripherals.
CrachFree BIOS 2 will protect you from bad BIOS flashing, giving the ability to restore the BIOS to its original state from the installation CD.
On the other hand, with ASUS Post Reporter you can forget all these annoying beeping sounds if something is wrong with your hardware. The A8N-SLI will inform you for any hardware failure with pre-recorded voice messages.
Asus QFan will adjust the fan rotation speed according to the system's temperature/load to reduce noises and ensure quiet, cool and efficient operation.
You can also turn your computer to a stand-alone CD player, with ASUS InstantMusic, since you do not have to turn on your PC to use your CD/DVD player for audio playback.

You can see the full, detailed specification table below: