| INTEL-BASED MOTHERBOARD |
| 1 BEST BUY |  • nVidia nForce 650i SLI chip set
• 2 PCIe x16, 1 PCIe x1, 2 PCI slots
• 4 SATA, 2 PATA ports
• 4 + 2 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 eSATA ports
• Price when ranked: $149
Check latest prices This impressive all-around SLI board has two ATA channels and an eSATA port, though only x8. You"ll need a rear-panel breakout to get 7.1-channel analog output.
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| 2 |  • nVidia nForce 570 SLI chip set
• 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 3 PCI slots
• 8 Serial ATA, 1 PATA ports
• 4 USB ports
• Price when ranked: $95
Check latest prices Easily the lowest-priced SLI board on the chart, this model is a very good performer. A lack of FireWire ports and limited x8 SLI are the only nits to pick.
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| 3 |  • Intel P965 chip set
• 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PC slots
• 7 SATA, 1 PATA ports
• 4 + 2 USB, 1 + 2 FireWire ports
• Price when ranked: $135
Check latest prices The best performing board, this model also offers a full complement of cutting-edge and legacy features. Only the lack of dual graphics kept it out of the top spot.
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| 4 |  • Intel P965 chip set
• 2 PCIe x16, 3 PCIe x1, 2 PCI slots
• 8 SATA, 1 PATA ports
• 4 USB, 1 FireWire, 0 + 4 eSATA ports
• Price when ranked: $198
Check latest prices Another board with a complete set of legacy ports and state-of-the-art features. We love the friendly color scheme, but the price--not so much.
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| 5 |  • Intel P965 chip set
• 1 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI slots
• 8 SATA, 1 PATA ports
• 4 + 2 USB, 0 + 2 FireWire, 1 eSATA ports
• Price when ranked: $150
Check latest prices This great performer has contemporary ports to spare: ten USB (six on headers), eight SATA, and a single eSATA port. But a lack of legacy ports dropped its ranking.
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| AMD-BASED MOTHERBOARD |
| 1 BEST BUY |  • nVidia nForce 590 SLI chip set
• 2 PCIe x16, 1 PCIe x8, 1 PCIe x1, 2 PCI slots
• 8 SATA ports, 1 PATA ports
• 4 USB, 1 FireWire, 0 + 2 eSATA ports
• Price when ranked: $170
Check latest prices Like its 965-based sibling on the Intel portion of the chart, this model has all the legacy ports and cutting-edge features you"ll need--but at a better price.
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| 2 |  • nVidia nForce 590 SLI chip set
• 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 1 PCI slots
• 6 SATA ports, 1 PATA ports
• 4 + 2 USB, 0 + 2 FireWire ports
• Price when ranked: $170
Check latest prices This board performed well at specified speeds and was born to overclock. If you don"t need legacy parallel or serial ports, it"s a terrific deal.
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| 3 |  • ATI CrossFire Xpress 3200
• 2 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1, 2 PCI slots
• 4 SATA ports, 1 PATA ports
• 4 + 2 USB, 1 + 1 FireWire ports
• Price when ranked: $130
Check latest prices This very solid offering mixes all of the newest and oldest technlogies, but it performed a tad slowly in our testing, which kept it from the top of the chart.
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| 4 |  • nVidia nForce 590 SLI chip set
• 2 PCIe x16, 1 PCIe x4, 3 PCI slots
• 6 SATA ports, 1 PATA ports
• 4 + 2 USB, 1 + 1 FireWire ports
• Price when ranked: $249
Check latest prices A tweaker"s delight, with a ton of techie-oriented lights and other features. It"s pricey if your needs are basic, but it"s a great board for overclocking enthusiasts.
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| 5 |  • ATI CrossFire Xpress 3200 (AMD 580X)
• 2 PCIe x16, 1 PCIe x1, 1 PCI slots
• 8 SATA ports, 1 PATA ports
• 4 + 2 USB, 1 + 1 FireWire, 2 eSATA ports
• Price when ranked: $130
Check latest prices The classy, retro pale green look belies a true overclocker"s heart. But this board could use better SATA connectors, and Sapphire"s support policies are stingy.
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