ASUS Maximus II Formula Motherboard Review

“Overall then, the Maximus II Formula is another excellent offering from ASUS which is really quite hard to fault. However, considering that at its core it features Intel's mid-range P45 motherboard chipset, I can't help but wonder if many will balk at the asking price of around £180 in the UK. This is particularly true of anyone looking to run a CrossFire multi-GPU configuration, who would do far better to pick up an Intel X48-based motherboard to enjoy the benefits of its additional PCI Express 2.0 lanes. Indeed, from looking around even ASUS' own Rampage Formula part (sporting DDR2 support on an X48 chipset) is available at a very similar price point, leaving the Maximus II Formula to battle it out on little more than that SoundBlaster MB functionality and a few other new additions introduced alongside P45 parts. Personally, I'm not quite sure that would be enough to tempt me away from an X48-based solution.”