NVIDIA nForce 590 Based Mainboard: ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe

As a reference solution for their new chipset, Nvidia nForce 590 SLI, Nvidia is offering a Foxconn mainboard. As far as we understand, Foxconn C51XEM2AA mainboard design was developed under thorough supervision of Nvidia engineers and represents exactly what Nvidia would like to see as an end-product on their new nForce 590 SLI.

However, we decided to test in greater detail another retail product on nForce 590 SLI instead. It is going to be ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe mainboard.

This solution reveals all the features of the Nvidia nForce 590 SLI chipset that have been expanded with a few additional controllers. Among them are: IEEE1394 controller and SiI3132 PCI Express Serial ATA II RAID controller. I would like to point out that one of the SATA ports implemented in this controller has been laid out on the rear panel of ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe mainboard, so that you can easily connect hard drives to the platform without even getting inside the system case.

As we see, solutions based on the new Nvidia chipset do not need the whole lot of additional microchips besides the chipset. And the mainboard we are talking about right now proves this fact greatly.

ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe features two fully-fledged PCI Express x16 slots, PCI Express x4 slot, and three PCI slots. They are located in such a way that the graphics cards with dual-clot cooling systems onboard will completely block one PCI and the PCI Express x4 slot.

As for the overall PCB design, this solution is also not flawless. Since the memory slots are located along the right-hand side of the PCB and since there is pretty bulky chipset cooler installed, the external devices connectors are fit into the available empty spots without much logical thinking to it. For example, the SATA 2.0 ports appeared in the area in front of the secondary graphics card, which can cause potential problems. The additional ATX power supply connector is also in far not the best place: it is practically in the middle of the PCB behind the first PCI Express x16 slot.

However, ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe has a few indisputable strengths. First of all, it is high-quality 8-channel processor voltage regulator that can generate high-power current and at the same time retain clear signal.

All MOSFETs are covered with copper heatsinks with very large cooling surface.

More than that, the heat dissipation on ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe is worth our special attention. The thing is that MOSFET heatsinks located on both sides of the Socket AM2 also serve to dissipate the SPP and MCP heat. To make this entire thing work, ASUS engineers used two heatpipes to connect the small chipset heatsinks with the large heatsinks in the CPU voltage regulator circuitry. As a result, ASUS didn?t need any fans on the mainboard: the necessary airflow is created by the CPU cooling fan.

I would like to stress that although there is a snowflake drawn on one of the heatsinks, the entire heatpipe construction gets really hot. The hottest part of this chain is the chipset MCP that is made with 0.13micron technology and is usually equipped with an active cooler on most nForce 500 based mainboards.