0. ASUS M5A97 R2.0 motherboard review Asus m5a97 review and testing

The company produces motherboards, focusing on the real needs of customers. Therefore, you can easily choose a model that will satisfy all your needs, as well as be reliable and have a long service life. The main thing is to make a choice slowly so that the component fits a particular computer.

Socket AM3+

The board from ASUS is suitable only for certain processors, like any other. Each model has its own socket, which indicates its compatibility with a particular component. If the sockets of the board and the processor are different, they will not fit together even physically, because. have different contacts.

Motherboard ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0

When making a choice, pay attention to specifications: maximum memory, chipset, processor socket type, form factor, etc. This will help you choose the ideal model for your particular case.

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Platform socket AM3+ remains an attractive option for users who want to acquire at a reasonable price modern system with the current set of options. Motherboards with this processor socket provide maximum functionality for their money. Equipment and features of the board ASUS M5A97 R2.0 cost $85 - a clear confirmation that in the middle price segment AMD is quite capable of offering a worthy alternative to the solutions of its main competitor.

ASUS M5A97 R2.0 uses the classical color scheme for ordinary models of motherboards from a Taiwanese manufacturer - a dark printed circuit board, as well as connectors and elements of the cooling system painted in black and various shades of blue.

The overall layout of the device is typical for boards with chipsets consisting of two functional blocks. Chip northern AMD Bridge 970 is located in the central part and is covered by a large aluminum radiator. The AMD SB950 southbridge chip, which is responsible for the peripheral "binding", is located behind the expansion slots, next to the SATA connectors.

The board is made in the ATX form factor and has dimensions of 305×229 mm. The reduced width of the PCB, although making the device as a whole more compact, affects the convenience of fixing the board in the system unit. The fact is that instead of nine fixing screws, only six are used in this case. One edge of the PCB does not reach standard racks with screw fastening, therefore, when connecting the ATX power cable, as well as using SATA and DIMM connectors, you should be careful, trying to manipulate without undue effort, without bending the textolite.

ASUS M5A97 R2.0 has four slots for memory modules on board, allowing you to increase the total amount of RAM up to 32 GB. Declared support for DDR3 1066/1333/1600/1886/2133 (OC), but the list of possible modes is not limited to this. The connectors are fixed on both sides, but the bottom edge is located at a sufficient distance from the first PCI Express x16 slot, and therefore the video card will not interfere with manipulations with RAM modules.

Immediately note the support for the function MemoOK!, which simplifies the process of initial "lapping" of a new memory kit. If, after installing the modules, there are difficulties with the start, by pressing only one button, it is highly likely that you will be able to get a workable frequency mode and timings for a specific set of RAM.

The power subsystem is organized according to a six-phase scheme (4+2). The MOSFET elements are covered with a rather large radiator, the dissipation area of ​​which is noticeably increased due to the special shape of the profile. The height of the cooler does not exceed 30 mm, so it will not affect the ease of installation of overall CPU coolers.

An eight-pin ATX12V connector is provided for supplying additional power. The board does not have any restrictions regarding the processors used - models with AM3 / AM3 + with TDP up to 125 W inclusive are supported.

The board has six expansion slots. First of all, we note a couple of full-length PCI Express x16, which have different colors of connectors, and this was done for a reason. The first one (blue) always works in x16 maximum speed mode, while the second black connector is limited to x4 mode.

The AMD 970 chipset does not officially support multi-adapter graphics modes. However, motherboard manufacturers do not stop such restrictions. They are ready to guarantee the performance of a pair of video cards in CrossFireX. Not surprisingly, ASUS M5A97 R2.0 allows you to simultaneously use two adapters with AMD chips. However, skipping the capacity of the first PCI Express x16 slot remains indivisible, so a system with a pair of Radeon HDs will work in x16 + x4 mode. SLI links are not supported in such a situation, this is already the prerogative of models based on AMD 990FX with a large number of available PCI Express lanes.

To connect additional peripherals, the board also has two PCI-E x1 and PCI, and they are located in such a way that even when organizing the CrossFireX mode with two-slot video cards, one free connector of different types will remain available.

To organize the disk subsystem, the board provides six SATA connectors that have the same color. And this is not surprising. The SB950 southbridge provides SATA 6 Gb/s mode for all six channels, so there is simply no need for color differentiation. The integrated controller not only allows you to use the highest possible data transfer rate on this interface, but also makes it possible to create RAID levels 0.1, 5 and 10.

Recall that chipsets for the Socket AM3+ platform still do not have USB support 3.0. However, it is now quite difficult to imagine a mid-range motherboard that does not allow you to connect devices using this high-speed bus. ASUS M5A97 R2.0 has a pair of additional ASMedia ASM1042 controllers, each providing support for two USB 3.0 ports. In this case, two connectors are located on the interface panel, and one more internal connector is on the PCB.

Signature function USB BIOS Flashback allows you to switch to new version without requiring an operating system boot or even UEFI login. All you need to do is write the firmware file to the USB drive, after renaming it according to the requirements (for this board model - "M5A97R20.CAP"), install the flash drive in a specific USB connector (indicated in the manual) and press the BIOS button for three seconds Flashback on board. When the firmware is completed, the LED indicator next to the function activation button will turn off - the update process is completed.

We considered a device from a fairly recent shipment, because the board already initially had firmware 1302, which allows you to work without problems with any processors for the Socket AM3+ platform. Support for updated AMD FX chips from the Vishera family appeared in 1006, so for boards with earlier BIOS versions(if they are still on the market), it may need to be updated.

It was quite unexpected to see a connector on the board TB_Header, which is required to connect an additional external Thunderbolt controller, which is an expansion card with a PCI-Express x4 interface. Previously, this connector could only be found on a few top ASUS models.

Equipping the board with a separate button direct key, the manufacturer makes it clear that this model can be considered as an inexpensive platform for a novice enthusiast. The ability to be guaranteed to enter UEFI without waiting for the right moment and repeatedly pressing the “Del” key is worth a lot for those who like to experiment with their system settings.

The placement of the fan connectors is somewhat unusual. Three of them are crowded at the top edge of the board. Moreover, in this case, the central one is designed to connect the fan of the processor cooler, and the extreme ones are for case ones. Another connector for connecting the propeller is placed closer to the interface panel.

To control the speed of three fans fixed in the case, one channel is used, therefore, their speed can be controlled using the board only simultaneously. There's nothing you can do about it - the cost of the class. If it becomes necessary to manage them separately, you can’t do without a reobas.

The interface panel is not overloaded with exotic connectors, although everything you need is in its place. Two PS / 2 connectors, as many as six USB 2.0 ports, a pair of high-speed USB 3.0, and an Ethernet socket. To connect acoustics, a full-fledged six-socket block is provided, which allows you to avoid all sorts of tricks even when connecting an eight-channel set. In addition, the panel has a digital optical audio output S / PDIF, which allows you to remove all potential issues with connecting acoustics.

Contents of delivery

Only the essentials are supplied with the board: a user manual, a brochure describing some proprietary technologies, a disk with drivers and software, two SATA cables, and a plug for the back of the case.

UEFI

The ASUS UEFI graphical shell is well-structured as usual and allows you to fine-tune the system quite finely. The number of options available may not be as wide as dedicated enthusiast models, but if you do not plan to chase world records, the options available will be more than enough.

The voltage on the processor can be changed in the range -0.3 V to +0.5 V, while the voltage supply to the memory modules is regulated within 1.2–2.2 V in steps of 0.00625 V. You can adjust the power supply of the north and south bridges , tires HT. There are “only” about 15 options in the list of RAM delays available for changing. Few? If you purposefully and consciously set up more than five basic timings, feel free to demand the "demanding enthusiast" achievement from the motherboard manufacturer.

In general, the available tuning tools are typical for mid-range boards. price range. Without special frills, but at the same time without significant restrictions.

To configure settings from the operating system, you can use the set branded applications AI Suite II.

Overclocking

Exploring the possibilities of the board for overclocking the processor, we used AMD FX-4100- belonging to the first generation of Bulldozer chips, a quad-core model with a base frequency of 3.6 GHz. First stage- the simplest method that does not even require the launch of UEFI. Using the function TurboV EVO, the base overclocking brought 3888 MHz.

It’s not bad for an initiative, but you can’t even call it forcing, so, pampering. Using the "Extreme overclocking" option, after several iterations of automatic selection of the optimal mode, the board overclocked the processor to 4338 MHz (18x241 MHz) using the TPU chip.

This is already a pretty good result. The increase in performance in this case will already be quite noticeable. Tellingly, the system raises the base system bus frequency without using the capabilities of the unlocked AMD FX processor multiplier.

In manual mode, it is easy to use all the advantages of such CPUs. Without increasing the supply voltage, the FX-4100 worked stably in the 22×200 MHz mode, i.e. at 4400 MHz. At a frequency of 4500 MHz, under high load, failures are possible. After increasing the voltage to 1.45 V, the stability threshold of the processor increased to 4700 MHz.

It is also important here to activate the CPU Load Line Callibration compensation mode in UEFI by changing this parameter from Auto to Enabled. Otherwise, when maximum loads voltage will drop a little more than desired. Well, of course, you should take care of the effective cooling of the processor. A boxed cooler will definitely not be enough for such experiments.

We won't open a big secret, if we say that the capabilities of the memory subsystem largely depend on how the bundle works motherboard with a specific set. Rated modes are often achieved quite easily, but working at higher frequencies requires some luck. Of course, if you pay special attention to this moment. In the case of ASUS M5A97 R2.0, the main test kit worked stably at its standard 2133 MHz, while 2400 MHz was not obeyed by it at any timings and increase in supply voltage. At the same time, Kingston's 4GB DDR-2000 kit (KHX2000C9AD3W1K2/4GX) ran stably at 2400MHz at 11-11-11-32 and 1.65V.

Heat

The radiator, mounted on the elements of the power subsystem, warmed up only up to 43 °C in idle mode, while under load its temperature increased to 55 °C. The MOSFET-mounted aluminum construction is a very useful option, especially for systems with poor ventilation inside the case, which are also used not only in normal mode.

The heatsink on the northbridge chip warmed up to 60 °C - it was problematic to keep your finger on the cooler for a long time. Recall that the TDP of the AMD 970 chipset is almost 14 watts. This is quite a significant value, because the heating of the chip cannot be avoided from specific model The fees here have little to do with it. A fairly large cooler allows you to keep the temperature of the north bridge within acceptable limits. A much more compact heatsink installed on the southbridge chip is enough to keep the temperature of this chip below 42°C.

Results

ASUS M5A97 R2.0 is a mid-level functional model for the Socket AM3+ platform. For its price, the board has excellent equipment. There is actually nothing superfluous here, no exotic controllers, for which you often have to overpay. A streamlined set of essentials plus useful proprietary features for online memory tuning, offline flashing, and guaranteed UEFI startup. A good overclocking toolkit opens up possibilities for tuning the system, and massive coolers on the VRM elements and the chipset allow you to boldly add sometimes much-needed megahertz.

Liked

Excellent combination price/equipment

USB 3.0 support

Availability of DirectKey and USB BIOS Flashback

Efficient VRM Cooling

The motherboard, as you might guess from its name, is based on the AMD 970 northbridge chip, which is complemented by the traditional AMD SB950 southbridge. It is designed to work in tandem with processor families AMD Phenom II, AMD Athlon II and AMD FX for Socket AM3+ with TDP not exceeding 140W. At the time of writing this review, this model it is offered at retail for an average of $95 - 105, which is not so much for pretty good and modern equipment. As we know, AMD SB950 Southbridge does not support modern USB interface 3.0, however, the manufacturer took care of the buyer and equipped the tested model with four corresponding ports using the ASMedia ASM1042A controller. Let's take a look at what other opportunities it can offer its buyer.

ASUS M5A97 R2.0 motherboard specification:

Packaging and equipment

Motherboard ASUS M5A97 R2.0 comes in a cardboard box with a hinged lid. Its design is made in dark and yellow shades. On the front side, support for Dual Intelligent Processors technology is noted. Additionally, here you can pay attention to the logo of the manufacturer and support for a number of proprietary technologies.

On reverse side boxes, in addition to the image of the novelty and its brief characteristics, a description of the key advantages is located, namely:

• Dual Intelligent Processors- the board is equipped with two intelligent chips: an energy processor (Energy Processing Unit - EPU) and a TurboV processor (TurboV Processing Unit - TPU), which allows fine optimization of the system depending on the current needs of the user.
• Network iControl- using the bundled software, you can monitor the network activity of the PC in real time, as well as set each program a priority for access to network resources.
• USB 3.0 Boost- to speed up the operation of the USB 3.0 interface, support for the UASP protocol has been implemented.
• Fan Xpert- an intelligent fan control system that allows you to achieve efficient cooling computer with minimal noise.
• AI Suite 2- together with motherboard proprietary software is supplied with which you can fine-tune a number of system parameters without entering the BIOS.
• Remote GO! - designed to connect the computer with other devices in home network By wireless connection and provides the ability to broadcast video from a computer to a DLNA-compatible TV or use a tablet (smartphone) to remote control desktop PC, as well as an easy way to share files between PC and mobile devices.

The ASUS M5A97 R2.0 package includes only the most necessary accessories, which is not surprising for an affordable solution. Its members included:

• disk with drivers and utilities;
• User's Manual;
• two SATA cables;
• interface panel cover.

Design and features of the board

The ASUS M5A97 R2.0 motherboard is designed in ATX format (305 x 229 mm) on a dark brown textolite. The discreet design is pleasantly diluted with blue and blue shades in the design, making the model look very attractive.

As for the layout of on-board elements, the manufacturer tried to take into account all possible problems that users may encounter. So, although DIMM slots are equipped with latches on both sides, they are located at a sufficient distance from the PCI Express x16 slot, which means that you do not have to turn off the video card to replace modules random access memory.

While the SATA 6Gb/s ports are perpendicular, long dual-slot graphics cards won't make it difficult to access them, but a three-slot graphics accelerator will take away one or two of the six available ports.

Another nuance that should be taken into account during assembly is the lack of mounting holes on right side printed circuit board, which will require you to be careful when connecting drives and the main power cable.

On the reverse side of the PCB is only the base plate of the processor socket. Also note that only one of the three heatsinks (on the northbridge chip) is fixed with screws, while the other two are fixed with plastic clips.

The following connectors are located at the bottom of the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 printed circuit board: a front panel audio connector block, S/PDIF Out, COM and TPM connectors, a CMOS reset jumper, and a front panel connection block. Additionally, we note three pads for activating USB 2.0 ports. In total, the AMD SB950 south bridge supports twelve USB 2.0 ports: six internal and six on the interface panel.

The DRCT connector deserves special attention, which allows you to connect an additional button for switching to the BIOS and move it, for example, to the front panel of the case, as well as a button for quickly updating the BIOS firmware - "USB BIOS Flashback".

The possibilities of organizing a disk subsystem are represented by six SATA 6 Gb / s ports, for which there is support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 arrays. All interfaces are implemented by the AMD SB950 south bridge.

The ASUS M5A97 R2.0 motherboard is equipped with four DIMM slots for installing DDR3 RAM modules, which are equipped with latches on both sides. RAM can work in dual-channel mode. To implement it, the straps must be installed either in the first and third, or in the second and fourth slots. Modules operating at frequencies from 1333 to 1866 MHz in nominal mode and up to 2133 MHz in overclocking are supported. The maximum amount of memory can reach 32 GB, which will be enough for almost any task.

We also note the block for connecting the remote panel with USB ports 3.0 and the “MemOK!” button, which allows you to automatically select the necessary parameters for the operation of RAM for a successful system start. There is also a button for a quick transition to the BIOS - "DirectKey".

As for USB 3.0, all four interfaces (two internal and two external) function thanks to the ASMedia ASM1042A controller.

The cooling system of the board under consideration consists of three aluminum radiators: the first one covers the elements of the processor power subsystem, the second cools the AMD 970 northbridge, while the third one cools the AMD SB950 southbridge. During testing, the following temperature indicators were recorded:

• AMD SB950 southbridge cooling radiator - 38.5°C;
• AMD 970 northbridge cooling radiator - 44.5°C;
• radiator for cooling the elements of the processor power subsystem - 41.7°C;

The results obtained confirm the efficiency of the cooling system and allow us to hope for a good overclocking potential of this model.

The processor is powered by a 6-phase scheme for computing cores and additional nodes. The converter itself is based on the ASP0903C PWM controller. All components of the processor power unit are highly reliable: reliable solid capacitors and ferrite core chokes are used. The main 24-pin and additional 8-pin connectors are intended for supplying the supply voltage.

The possibilities for expanding the functionality of the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 model are represented by six slots:

1. PCI Express 2.0 x16 (in x16 mode);
2. PCI Express 2.0x1;
3. PCI Express 2.0x1;
4. PCI Express 2.0 x16 (in x4 mode);

As you can see, such a configuration of connectors allows you to install one or two video cards (in AMD CrossFireX mode), however, in the second case, the x16 + x4 line distribution scheme will not allow you to fully unleash the potential of a bundle of a pair of graphics accelerators.

Multi I/O capabilities are provided by the ITE IT8721F chip, which controls the operation of system fans, COM and PS / 2 ports, and also monitors.

The operation of four USB 3.0 ports is implemented by the ASMedia ASM1042A controller.

For support network connections is a Realtek RTL8111F gigabit LAN controller. And the proprietary Network iControl utility will help you manage network resources in real time.

The sound subsystem of the motherboard in question is based on the Realtek ALC887 8-channel HDA codec, which supports 2/4/5.1/7.1 audio formats.

The following ports are displayed on the interface panel of the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 model:

• 2 x PS/2 (for keyboard and mouse);
• 1 x LAN (RJ45);
• 2 x USB 3.0;
• 6 x USB 2.0;
• 1x Optical S/PDIF out;
• 6 x audio ports.

The interface panel of the novelty provides the user with excellent opportunities for connecting a wide variety of peripherals. Judge for yourself: there are not only a large number of USB ports, but also the ability to put a COM port on the back panel of the case and convenient connection of multichannel acoustics.

The ASUS M5A97 R2.0 motherboard is equipped with four 4-pin fan connectors: one is used to power the CPU cooling system, while the other three are for connecting system fans.

UEFI BIOS

The tested novelty uses a modern preloader based on GUI UEFI, in which you can make settings with the mouse. It offers two main use cases.

"EZ Mode", in which all the necessary settings are grouped on one screen.

Or the usual "Advanced Mode", where all the settings are separated into their tabs.

All settings related to overclocking of the system are located in the “Ai Tweaker” tab.

The memory frequency multiplier allows you to set the speed of the connected modules in the range from 800 to 1600 MHz for the processor used. If the model is installed AMD series FX, the number of available values ​​will increase.

Also, if necessary, you can access the memory delay adjustments.

To increase stability during overclocking, voltage settings on key components can serve.

The settings required for overclocking and optimizing the system are summarized in the table:

The "Monitor" section provides access to monitoring the temperature of the processor and chipset, as well as the speed of rotation of installed fans. Additionally, in this section, you can monitor the voltage on the processor core and on the power lines +12V, +5V and +3.3V.

Overclocking options

Using the function automatic overclocking, we got the frequency of our test processor AMD Phenom II X3 720 equal to 3371 MHz at a voltage of 1.296 V. At the same time, the RAM automatically accelerated to 1926 MHz.

Manual overclocking capabilities were tested by increasing the bus frequency, which eventually amounted to 320.00 MHz.

Testing

The following equipment was used to test the capabilities of the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 motherboard:

Test results

Model ASUS M5A97 R2.0 demonstrates good performance indicators, which are on a par with a competitive counterpart. This allows us to talk about high quality its execution, selection of a good element base and successful optimization of BIOS settings.

Testing the audio path based on the Realtek ALC887 codec

Test report in RightMark Audio Analyzer

16-bit, 44.1 kHz

Operating mode 24-bit, 192 kHz

The audio subsystem based on the preinstalled Realtek ALC887 codec demonstrates good quality sound reproduction that will be more than enough for everyday use.

conclusions

Summing up our acquaintance with the motherboard, it is worth noting that during testing it proved to be an exceptionally successful model, which has a very good set of characteristics, perfectly combined with an affordable price and the complete absence of any significant shortcomings.

Among the main advantages of the novelty can be noted high-quality element base, a reliable 6-phase power subsystem, a good layout of on-board elements and an interface panel, a nice design, an efficient cooling system, as well as support for modern SATA 6 Gb / s and USB 3.0 ports. Additionally, we highlight the presence of several control elements on the printed circuit board and support for a number of proprietary technologies that we mentioned at the beginning.

As for the features, in this case, we can only highlight the absence of mounting holes on the right side of the printed circuit board. This will require you to take some care during assembly.

As a result, the ASUS M5A97 R2.0 motherboard will be a good and inexpensive purchase for building a gaming PC with a single video card, as well as with processors from the AMD Phenom II, AMD Athlon II and AMD FX families.

Advantages:

• support for USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s interfaces;
• a good set of ports on the interface panel;
• good opportunities for overclocking processors;
• support for a number of useful proprietary technologies;
• competent layout of on-board elements;
• affordable cost;
• the presence of a number of control elements on the printed circuit board.

Peculiarities:

• lack of mounting holes on the right side of the textolite.

We are grateful to the company MTI, official product distributor ASUS for the motherboard provided for testing.

We are grateful to companiesAMD , SeaSonic AndTwinMOS Technologies for provided for test stand equipment.

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built on Socket platform AM3 + can hardly be attributed to the affordable budget class. And it's not at all about the price (5000 rubles), which is twice the cost of inexpensive solutions based on the AMD chipset. The functionality of the board is intended for fans of overclocking components (such as a processor, memory and video adapter). In this article, the reader will be able to get to know the product better: see full review, find out the technical specifications, and the reviews of the owners will help you draw your own conclusions before buying a motherboard.

Packaging and equipment

The box with the device is quite informative, unlike cheap competitors. Its back panel contains a photo of the Asus M5A97 motherboard with detailed description of all technologies and their capabilities, which is quite convenient for both the seller and the buyer - all the functionality simply does not need explanation. It is worth noting that there are two modifications of the same device on the market, with the name "EVO" and "PRO". The difference between them is insignificant - the latter has additional "DIGI +" ports.

There is nothing special in the standard package: plugs, cables, driver disks and an instruction manual for the Asus M5A97 motherboard. The instruction in Russian makes it easier for beginners to install and purchase. The device itself is packed in a dense antistatic bag.

Cooling system

The first thing that catches your eye is the abundance of installed aluminum radiators on the surface of the motherboard. In addition to the southern one covered with grilles, the manufacturer installed additional cooling on the power elements of the device. The opinions of users, judging by their reviews, are divided here. Some believe that conventional grills will not be enough for decent cooling, small coolers would be just right. Others, represented by owners of expensive video cards, assure that the heat sink on the north bridge of the Asus M5A97 motherboard will still have to be removed, as it interferes with the installation of the video adapter. In any case, the obvious fact is that the device heats up a lot during operation, respectively, the cooling inside the system unit needs to be paid attention.

Expansion slots

The presence of two PCI-Express 16x expansion slots for installing video adapters will immediately attract the attention of the owner, but you shouldn’t be too happy, the manufacturer limited the lower slot to the PCI-Express 4x speed. A strange decision, because the Asus M5A97 motherboard is positioned as a device for gamers.

On the other hand, owners of one video card will like that the two PCI slots are not covered by the video accelerator cooling system, as is often the case in budget motherboards. You can easily install two additional devices (TV-Tuner, or another device).

The company's designers provided their device with two PCI-E x1 slots, one of which will definitely be available after installing a video card. In the Russian market, only a few know about their intended purpose. IN Lately go to SSD drives carried out by many users, but SATS III mode has speed limits. To overcome the speed barrier, the market has SSD drives for installation in a PCI-E x1 slot, operating several times faster than the SATA standard. In the next decade, this technology will replace the old SATA format.

Working with disk drives

Asus M5A97 board has no old Interface IDE, many do not need it, but there are users who own expensive DVD drives, which still perfectly fulfill all the tasks assigned to them (Plextor, for example, which will work for another decade). Four SATA ports also look somewhat unconvincing on a motherboard. There are additional 2 eSATA connectors, but in our country they somehow did not gain popularity.

The device supports the creation of arrays, this is done at the level of a single integrated chip and is controlled using BIOS software. As users note in their reviews, it is still more convenient to work with an external controller connected to an expansion board. This is more reliable, because when you change the motherboard, the integrated array cannot be restored.

RAM

The manufacturer found a place to place four DDR3 connectors on the Asus M5A97 motherboard. Media reviews claim that this the right approach to consumers. The memory operates at frequencies up to 2133 MHz, although the hardware limit is 1886 MHz, everything else is achieved by overclocking. You can increase the amount of RAM up to 32 gigabytes, and you can install any modules you like. However, for the Dual mode, it is still better to use the same memory bars.

Built into the system BIOS additional function"MemOK!", Which is responsible for "lapping" all installed memory modules. In fact, it tests all the bars separately, finding the same timings in the modules. Then it sets the maximum performance mode in which all devices can work simultaneously. Previously, the user was engaged in this, calculating the greatest common divisor, setting the timing in the BIOS.

Supply system

The six-phase circuit (4 + 2) of the power subsystem, standard for all gaming devices, is unlikely to surprise the owners. Unless it hints at a sufficiently large dissipated power (that's why the radiators were installed). To supply additional power, an ATX12V connector with 8 pins is used. The absence of restrictions on installed processors can please users. Motherboard Asus M5A97, the review of which is presented to the reader, supports all existing models of the AM3 / AM3 + format, with any heat dissipation. If we take into account the overclocking potential of the latest eight-core device, it turns out that 140 W for system board- no problem.

However, tests show the opposite, with a significant overclocking of the core, temperature sensors installed on the motherboard record a significant heating of the device. In any case, it is necessary to solve the problem with the removal of hot air from the system unit by organizing a decent exhaust, otherwise overheating during overclocking and the failure of the motherboard is possible.

Oddities with interfaces

As you might expect, the Asus M5A97 gaming device does not have an integrated video output. But the manufacturer endowed the board with full acoustic capabilities: 6-channel sound with an optical output. Also have network interface and IEEE1394 (which no one uses in our country). Under the keyboard and mouse of the old model, a PS / 2 port is displayed (only one).

Organized 14 USB ports. But there is a problem: ten of them are available for use and have a USB 2.0 interface. The rest are presented in the form of wiring on the ASMedia ASM1042 controller - 2 of them are for the USB 2.0 standard, the rest are designed for USB 3.0 technology. As the owners note in their reviews, the problem is solved by purchasing a remote panel on the system unit case and outputting high-speed interfaces by connecting to the system board.

Mounting Features

All owners of the Asus M5A97 motherboard must read the instructions. Especially when it comes to installing the device in the system unit. After all, the manufacturer deviated from the technology in the production of ATX form factor motherboards and made printed circuit board according to your own standard. As a result, the device mounting system in the system unit has changed: instead of nine screws, the user needs to use six.

It's too early to rejoice at such a simple installation, because as a result the board does not have a rigid mount around the entire perimeter, but sags in the area where the power system, memory modules and SATA connectors are connected. Naturally, in the process of connecting all devices, one should rely not on physical strength, but on maximum caution, since it is quite easy to break a printed circuit board.

Features of the BIOS and its firmware

Many owners who are accustomed to proprietary utilities are indignant at the introduction of ASUS' proprietary USB BIOS Flashback technology by the manufacturer. It is not clear why the developers considered that opening the system unit and pressing a button near the I / O controller would be less resource-intensive for the system owner than a single click on the utility button in operating system Windows. As experts note in their reviews, this is a rare stupidity on the part of the manufacturer.

Speaking about the BIOS motherboard Asus M5A97, then there is complete order. The UEFI graphical shell will satisfy even the most demanding user - a real control panel. You can control any port, connector or interface - change the voltage, set limits and enable blocking. Made for the mind and for the people. Indeed, the interface English language, so you can’t do without a manual at hand, since it is completely Russified.

Motherboard ASUS M5A97 is a practical solution for building a computer with high performance. The model is released in the Standard-ATX form factor, for installation you will need to select the appropriate case. The manufacturer designed the motherboard for AMD processors with socket AM3+. To ensure compatibility, you need to select the appropriate chip for installation. There is support for CrossFire X to increase graphics performance.
You can install DDR3 memory in ASUS M5A97. The frequency of their work can reach 2133 MHz. The total number of slots is 4, the amount of RAM is up to 32 GB. Standard modules are used for stationary systems with DIMM form factor. The board has six SATA connectors. Their maximum throughput is 6 Gb / s, there is a fast exchange of information to increase the performance of the assembled PC.
The design of the board provides six USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports with increased data transfer speed. You can connect a mouse and keyboard not only using these connectors, but also via PS / 2.