ASRock X48TurboTwins-WiFi

Conclusion:

Retailing for about $200 USD or just a little bit less, this is the most expensive ASRock motherboard we have seen to date. We are used to seeing ASRock products available for under $100 USD, but the X48TurboTwins-WiFi deploys Intel's current flagship Chipset and offers a few extras such as integrated 802.11g WiFi, eSATA, and IEEE-1394a Firewire. Even with this elevated pricing, it still is cheaper than many of the Intel X48 motherboards currently available. For instance, the Gigabyte X48T-DQ6 is still selling for over $300 USD and even the X38-based ASUS P5E3 Deluxe is going for $270 USD.

While it should come as no surprise, the ASRock X48TurboTwins-WiFi had worked fine on Linux when tested with the Linux 2.6.24 kernel from Ubuntu 8.04 LTS. In addition to the basic functionality, the ASRock 802.11g WiFi module had even worked natively (read: no ndiswrapper) under Linux. This is really great to see. When it comes to the performance of this motherboard with the Phoronix Test Suite, the ASRock X48TurboTwins-WiFi had performed competitively against the Super Micro, Gigabyte, and ASUS motherboards but there wasn't a clear winner with all of the motherboards performing at about the same level.

At the end of the day, we were left with quite a bit of pleasure for the ASRock X48TurboTwins-WiFi. This motherboard isn't exactly cheap but it costs significantly less than other Intel X48 motherboards and it comes with a similar set of features along with a few extras. In addition, it supports both DDR2 and DDR3 interfaces to provide a smooth transition for those not yet interested in using this newer memory standard. If you are interested in an Intel LGA-775 motherboard that will provide a smooth transition process and necessarily doesn't have all of the extra frills, the ASRock X48TurboTwins-WiFi is certainly worth considering.

For more information on the ASRock X48TurboTwins-WiFi, including pricing and other reviews, visit TestFreaks.com.