Asus M5A97 motherboard built onSocket AM3 + platform can hardly be attributed to the affordable budget class. And the matter is not at all in the price (5,000 rubles), which is twice as high as the cost of low-cost solutions based on the AMD chipset. The functionality of the board is intended for those who like overclocking components (such as a processor, memory and video adapter). In this article, the reader will be able to get a closer look at the product: see the full review, find out the specifications, and the owners' reviews will help you draw your own conclusions before purchasing the motherboard.
Packing and equipment
The box with the device is quite informative inunlike cheap competitors. Its back panel contains a photo of the Asus M5A97 motherboard with a detailed description of all the technologies and their capabilities, which is quite convenient for both the seller and the buyer - all the functionality just does not need to be explained. It should be noted that on the market there are two modifications of the same device, having in the name "EVO" and "PRO". The difference between them is not significant - in the latter there are additional ports “DIGI +”.
There is nothing special about the standard:plugs, cables, driver disks and operating instructions for the Asus M5A97 motherboard. The instruction in Russian facilitates installation to beginners upon purchase and installation. The device itself is packaged in a tight antistatic bag.
Cooling system
The first thing that catches your eye is plentyinstalled aluminum radiators on the surface of the motherboard. In addition to the covered with the grids of the south and north bridge, the manufacturer installed additional cooling on the power elements of the device. Opinions of users, judging by their reviews, are divided here. Some believe that the usual grids will not be enough for decent cooling, small coolers would be just right. Others, represented by owners of expensive video cards, claim that the radiator on the north bridge of the Asus M5A97 motherboard will still have to be removed, as it prevents the installation of the video adapter. In any case, it is obvious that the device becomes very hot during operation, and therefore, attention should be paid to the cooling inside the system unit.
Expansion Slots
Having two PCI-Express 16x expansion slotsto install video adapters, it will immediately attract the attention of the owner, but you shouldn’t be happy, the manufacturer limited the mode of operation of the lower slot to PCI-Express 4x speeds. A strange decision, because the Asus M5A97 motherboard is positioned as a device for players.
On the other hand, the owners of one video cardI will like that two PCI slots are not closed by the video accelerator cooling system, as is often the case in budget motherboards. No problem, you can install two additional devices (TV-Tuner, sound card or other device).
Designers of the company supplied their devicetwo PCI-E x1 slots, one of which will be exactly available after installing the video card. In the Russian market, only a few know about their intended purpose. Recently, many users have been switching to SSD drives, but the SATS III mode has speed limits. To overcome the speed barrier, SSD drives appeared on the market for installation in the PCI-E x1 slot, operating several times faster than the SATA standard. In the next decade, this technology will supplant the old SATA format.
Work with disk drives
The Asus M5A97 card does not have an old IDE interface,it is not needed by many, but there are users who own expensive DVD drives, who are still perfectly fulfilling all the tasks assigned to them (Plextor, for example, which will last another decade). Four times SATA also look somehow unconvincing on the 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 by the BIOS software. As users note in their reviews, it is still more convenient to work with an external controller connected to an expansion card. So it is more reliable, because when changing the motherboard, the integrated array cannot be recovered.
RAM
The manufacturer found a place to accommodate fourDDR3 connectors on the Asus M5A97 motherboard. Reviews in the media claim that this is the right approach to consumers. The memory works at frequencies up to 2133 MHz, although the hardware provides for a limit of 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. However, for the Dual mode, it is still better to use the same memory strip.
An additional function is built into the system BIOS."MemOK!", Which is responsible for "grinding" all installed memory modules. In fact, it tests all the bars separately, finding the same timings in the modules. Then sets the maximum performance mode in which all devices can work simultaneously. Previously, this was done by the user, calculating the greatest common divisor, set the timing in the BIOS.
Supply system
Standard for all gaming devicesThe six-phase (4 + 2) power subsystem is unlikely to surprise the owners. Unless he hints at a sufficiently large power dissipation (this is why radiators were installed). To supply additional power, use an ATX12V connector that has 8 pins. Please users may lack of restrictions on installed processors. The Asus M5A97 motherboard, the review of which is presented to the reader, supports all existing models of the AM3 / AM3 + format, with any heat release. If we take into account the overclocking potential of the last eight-core device, it turns out that 140 W for the motherboard is not a problem.
However, testing shows the opposite, withSignificant acceleration of the core temperature sensors installed on the motherboard, record a significant heating device. In any case, it is necessary to solve the problem of exhausting hot air from the system unit by organizing a decent exhaust, otherwise overheating is possible during acceleration and the system board is out of order.
Oddities with interfaces
As expected, the Asus gaming deviceM5A97 has no integrated video output. But the manufacturer has provided the board with acoustic capabilities in full: 6-channel sound with the presence of an optical output. There is also a network interface and IEEE1394 (which nobody in our country uses). Under the keyboard and mouse of the old sample, the 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 desoldering on the controller ASMedia ASM1042 - 2 of them under the standard USB 2.0, the rest are designed for technology USB 3.0. As the owners note in their reviews, the problem is solved by purchasing a remote panel on the case of the system unit and outputting high-speed interfaces by connecting to the system board.
Mounting Features
Всем владельцам системной платы Asus M5A97 instruction is required to read. Especially when it comes to installing the device in the system unit. After all, the manufacturer has deviated from the technology in the manufacture of motherboards form factor ATX and made a printed circuit board according to its own standard. As a result, the mounting system of the device in the system unit has changed: instead of nine screws, the user needs to use six.
Такому простому монтажу радоваться рано, ведь в As a result, the board does not have a rigid attachment around the 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, you need to rely not on physical strength, but on maximum caution, since breaking a printed circuit board is quite easy.
Features of the BIOS and its firmware
Many owners accustomed to proprietary utilitiesfor flashing the BIOS, resenting the introduction of ASUS proprietary technology USB BIOS Flashback. 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 owner of the system than a single click on the utility button in the Windows operating system. According to experts in their reviews, this is a rare stupidity on the part of the manufacturer.
If we talk about the BIOS system itself maternalAsus M5A97, then there is a 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 - to change the voltage, set limits and enable locks. Made by the mind and for people. True, the interface is in English, so you can not do without a manual, since it is completely Russified.
Owner feedback
Initially, the Asus M5A97 setting is optimizedfor full-featured work in automatic mode, so before overclocking you should go to the power management menu and remove all restrictions, both in overheating and voltage. In their reviews, many owners point out that if this is not done, any overclocking leads to an immediate shutdown of the computer. Fortunately, after a failed launch, the BIOS system can reset to factory settings.
To the overclocking potential of the processor and operationalNo user has a single memory issue. Everything works with dignity, the motherboard allows you to perform any actions. If in the process of overclocking a crash is fixed, this is a problem of the device whose performance increases.
Finally
After reviewing the Asus M5A97 motherboard, you canMake an unequivocal conclusion that the device is primarily oriented towards overlockers, because the message functionality to increase performance works flawlessly. Excellent control, a lot of settings and features, hardware and software protection - all contributes to positive overclocking.
But ordinary users who wishcreate your home media center on the basis of this motherboard, the device will seem raw and non-functional. No USB 3.0, two video cards in compatibility mode will work at 4x speed, strangeness with SATA ports is a trifle, but in the aggregate an indisputable factor when choosing a decent platform for your computer.
