ASUS M2NPV-VM
The integrated GeForce 6150 chipset was initially announced as a Socket 939 solution for AMD processors. Today this socket has become pretty obsolete already and a more advanced Socket AM2 came to replace it. However, this didn抰 require Nvidia to introduce any changes to the chipset, we see it today in mainboards supporting DDR2 SDRAM. It is explained by the fact that this chipset is only responsible for HyperTransport bus between the processor and the chipset, and this bus hasn抰 changed during the transition to the new processor socket. The memory controller in AMD platforms I built into the CPU, which ensures that the chipsets for these processors live a long and happy life.
ASUS M2NPV-VM mainboard built on GeForce 6150 chipset is equipped with a Socket AM2 that accommodates any contemporary AMD processors including the dual-core Athlon 64 X2, single-core Athlon 64 and budget Sempron CPUs. There are four DIMM slots with standard color coding on the mainboard. The maximum amount of supported memory as well as its speed is determined by the memory controller in the CPU, the mainboard doesn抰 impose any limitations on these parameters.
Just like the mainboards on Intel chipsets we have just discussed, ASUS M2NPV-VM allows installing an external graphics card into a PCI Express x16 slot. By the way, this slot is moved slightly away from the DIMM slots clips, so that the installed graphics card wouldn抰 block them. Besides the graphics card slot, the mainboard also features three additional expansion slots: two PCI and one PCI Express x1.
Most other features of ASUS M2NPV-VM are provided by the chipset South Bridge ?nForce 430 chip. It delivers four Serial ATA-300 and two Parallel ATA-150 ports. All hard disk drives connected to this board can be united into RAID 0, 1, 0+1 or 5 arrays. The South Bridge also provides support for 8 USB 2.0 ports, half of which are already laid out on the mainboard rear panel and the other half is available as onboard pin-connectors. The chipset is also responsible for Gigabit LAN support, which can also be used together with the company抯 brand name Nvidia Firewall software.
The sound on ASUS M2NPV-VM is implemented not only via the nForce 430 South Bridge but also via the 6-channel onboard ADI AD1986A codec supporting not only analog but also SPDIF output laid out as an onboard pin-connector. On the rear panel you can only see three audio jacks.
The only external PCI controller on this mainboard is a Texas Instruments chip providing support for IEEE1394a ports: one on the rear panel and another one as a PCB pin-connector.
Beside the ports and connectors already listed above, there are two PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse and a parallel port. The board also carries two onboard pin-connectors for serial ports, although you will have to find and install special brackets if you want to use them.
The rear panel carries two monitor connectors: a D-Sub and a DVI, which we haven抰 yet seen on any Intel based mainboards. However, I have to point out that the DVI connector on this mainboard doesn抰 work with DVI-to-D-Sub adapters. Therefore, if you are planning to use ASUS M2NPV-VM in configuration with two monitors (which is theoretically possible), one of them should have digital and another ?analog interface. As an additional bonus to the two monitor connectors, ASUS also includes a small daughter card with an HDTV-out.
Thanks to very few additional onboard chips, ASUS M2NPV-VM boasts very well-organized PCB layout, despite its MicroATX form-factor. It will most likely feel very convenient even in small system cases.
The processor voltage regulator features a three-phase design and no additional cooling. The chipset North Bridge is equipped with a small aluminum heatsink, and the South Bridge has no cooling at all. However, it doesn抰 at all mean that the mainboard components work in favorable thermal conditions. The CPU voltage regulator warms up moderately, while the chipset components get pretty hot. You can even burn your fingers if you dare touch the chipset South Bridge or the heatsink on the chipset North Bridge during work. However, it doesn抰 affect the mainboard stability, overheating seems to have no negative effect on the chipset operation.
Just like in the previous two mainboards on i945G and iG965, ASUS M2NPV-VM boasts very scarce overclocking friendly options. Even though the board allows playing with the clock generator frequency, the processor Vcore and Vmem cannot be altered. As a result, not much CPU overclocking is possible on this platform.
