There’s a big difference between the concepts "low-budget" and "high-value." Long known for bargain-bin boards that sacrificed nearly everything to keep prices low, Elitegroup Computer Services recently began attacking the opposite end of the market with its high-end Extreme Motherboard series. Finally finding a nice combination of basic features and quality parts in its C19-A SLI, ECS is attempting to play the same high-value hand again -- this time in the AM2 game, with the introduction of its NFORCE4M-A.

As the name implies, the NFORCE4M-A uses nVidia’s previous-generation mainstream-performance nForce4 chipset, and applies it to the new generation AM2 CPU socket. Use of the older chipset allows ECS to apply proven performance technology to a budget board, rather than making do with newer, low-end parts. Pizza-box style packaging further emphasizes the new motherboard’s budget aspirations. But can it live up to the performance standards previously set by other AM2 boards?