ASUS M4A77TD Pro AM3 Motherboard Mini-Review

Update: This board has full 6-core CPU support for both the 1055T and 1090T Black Edition Hex-Core 45nm CPU's. BIOS version/update 2005.

I have never really been dedicated to one single motherboard brand like I am with my CPU's and video cards. I have had pretty good results from Gigabyte, MSI, ASUS, and ASRock. Though my last 3 personal builds have all been ASUS powered. So I guess ASUS has managed to sneak it's way to the top of my favorites list. My latest build is no exception.

I did quite a bit of research on what motherboard to use in my new build, I wanted one that did not cost a lot, yet had all the basic features I was looking for.

• AMD Northbridge since I use ATI video cards
• Successful core unlocking of AMD X2 and X3 CPU's results from other users
  
• Good overclocking and BIOS options
• DDR3 Support
• AM3
• 140 Watt CPU support
  
• Crossfire ready
• Good on-board audio
• Gigabit LAN
• Future hex-core CPU support
  

With those basic wants in mind I did a lot of digging and ended up settling on the ASUS M4A77TD Pro motherboard. I was able to pick it up on Newegg on an "Open Box" deal for $70, saving me money I was able to use on other hardware.

This motherboard not only meet all my needs, but had a 100% success rate on core unlocks and good overall overclocking results. The AMD770 Chipset also allows me to use AMD Overdrive to its fullest potential.

Here is a list of its overclocking features:

• Intelligent overclocking tools
• Turbo Key
• Stepless Frequency Selection
• FSB tuning from 200MHz up to 550MHz at 1MHz increment
• PCI Express frequency tuning from 100MHz up to 150MHz at 1MHz increment
• Overclocking Protection
• ASUS CPU Parameter Recall

My only concern was it was the first time I had ever ordered a product "open box". Though I did not require any of the normal hardware that comes with a new motherboard, I have more than enough on hand and drivers can all be found online, I was concerned with the board condition. In the end however, my concerns were unwarranted, it showed up in a M4A77TD box (Not the pro version), well packed, and in mint condition.

The board fit perfectly in my mid-tower case. Installation of the CPU, memory, and into my case took a total of about 15 minutes. Once I got all the other hardware installed, hooked up, and all my cables managed to promote unimpeded airflow, the board fired right up and I begin installing my OS.

Now I had read in some online reviews, such as those on Newegg, that some other users were having problems with the boards related to the memory running at a single channel. When you would try to run in dual channel, the boards would not post. I however did not have a single problem with this. The ADATA 1600G OC DDR3 I purchased worked wonderfully and is perfectly stable running overclocked at 1600.

This board, for me, does everything I ask of it and more. There is also plenty of room to upgrade if the need ever arises. Though to be honest, I don't think that need will present itself anytime soon. As it is now, with the other hardware in the build, I can play any game on the market today that I would want to and it handles my multimedia, video, and graphic editing needs.

So after over a month of hard use, gaming, and stress testing overclocks, the ASUS M47A77TD Pro is still screaming right along and working flawlessly. So I give this board a 10 out of 10 and would recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable yet powerful AMD build.

Here is a breakdown of the boards primary specifications:

• ATX Formfactor
• AMD Socket AM3 140W CPU 45nm Support
• AMD Cool 'n' Quiet™ 2.0 Technology
• AMD 770/SB710 Chipset
• 5200 MT/s Hyper-Transport™ 3.0 interface
• 4 x DIMM DDR3 1800(O.C.)/1600(O.C.)/1333/1066 (16GB Max)
• 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 - 1 x PCIe x1 - 3 x PCI
• Realtek 8112L PCIe Gb LAN
• 1 xUltraDMA 133/100 - 5 x Serial ATA 3Gb/s Support RAID 0,1,10 - 1 x eSATA 3Gb/s ports
• VT1708S High Definition Audio 8 -Channels
  
• 12 USB 2.0 ports

A few other ASUS specific features:

• ASUS EPU-4 Engine
• ASUS Express Gate
• ASUS Turbo Key
• ASUS Q-Fan
• ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
• ASUS EZ Flash 2
• ASUS MyLogo 2
• ASUS AI NET 2

Rated: 10/10