Testing, etc:

275MHz Bus Stable	284MHz Bus Stable	295MHz Bus Stable
305MHz Bus Stable	315MHz Bus Stable	275MHz Bus Not Stable

The ECS PN1-SLI2 was capable of reaching a maximum Front Side Bus overclock of 1275MHz from its stock 1066MHz FSB. This resulted in a 318MHz Bus Speed from its stock 266Mhz Bus Speed while using 5-5-5-18 memory timings. However, this wasn't 100% stable as the system would refuse to boot when restarted. If the system was powered completely down and then turned back on, it would boot with a 1275MHz FSB all the way in to Windows for testing. The actual 'sweet spot' for the PN1-SLI2 is 1260MHz FSB using 4-4-4-15 memory timings and stock or AUTO voltages within the BIOS.

Adding some voltage across the entire spectrum didn't yield any difference with stability above the 1275MHz FSB. Personally, I rarely find that any extreme tweaking yields any extra performance when overclocking. You might find a little more where I could not depending on your motherboard and various components. And if you recall, ECS claims support up to 1.2GHz FSB. Anyone would agree that ECS finally exceeded these specifications. In this case, the PN1-SLI2 actually performs more like a true enthusiast board.

3DMark05 Stock 1066FSB Cas4

3DMark05 OC 1260FSB Cas4

Aquamark3 Stock

Aquamark3 OC

   So, we know the PN1-SLI2 Intel 590-SLI Motherboard can handle 800MHz memory modules perfectly. We also know that many users are going to be using faster DDR2 modules for overclocking which is why the 900MHz OCZ memory modules were chosen for the test system. While the system was running with a 1260MHz FSB, the memory modules were changed to a frequency 900MHz using its stock 4-4-4-15 timings. The system operated exactly as anyone would expect from this kind of platform and performed fine running a series of Sisoft benchmarks and a little Battlefield 2142 to see how it handled games. Unfortunately, the system couldn't handle anything higher as it would become randomly unstable revealing a few glitches here and there.

800MHz @ 4-4-4-15

860MHz @ 4-4-4-15

900MHz @ 4-4-4-15

The things that users will like about this board are the price foremost followed by the very low noise and decent appearance. Some of the Intel 975X based motherboards have some much noisier chipset fans where these are barely half the noise. And being that the specifications also mention this motherboard as being a good home theater platform, you can't have loud fans within an HTPC system.

8 Channel HD Audio & Dual Giga LAN

This brings us to the 7.1 HD Realtek Audio which some will use and some will not. If you choose to save some money and stick with the 7.1 HD Realtek, you'll find that it produces very clear playback sound quality all around whether in games, programs, or movies. This has become a nice standard these days which are also almost a necessity if it is to be your next home theater solution.

Conclusion:

   ECS and NVIDIA did well incorporating all the features on the PN1-SLI2. The ECS PN1-SLI2 has pulled away from the lack luster crowd exceeding its standard specifications by bringing some performance and options you would expect from this kind of platform. ECS Elitegroup has a very good alternative for users rather than the costlier Intel 975X chipset based motherboards. So, if you need to save some money and spend it on other peripherals, don't hesitate to consider the PN1-SLI2.

   Finally, an ECS motherboard that dares to challenge the competition with much better results leaving days of average performance behind and truly ventures in to the 'Extreme'. We definitely appreciate that the color scheme has been evolving leaving the old school purple and bright board sockets. Granted it's not perfect yet, but it's definitely much better than any previous generations. When considering layout, price,  and use of more silent cooling options make it an even more appealing platform of choice.

Editors Update:

I just spoke with ECS and they told me the MSRP of this board is $159.99 and they have 10,000 units coming in. Keep on eye on Newegg.com for inventory!