

The Asus Q-Shield makes it into the package too - while the rear I/O shield is not something many care about, those that do want to complete the Faraday cage in their case will be thankful that Asus’ one now comes with a spongy coating on the back, not the little metal prongs that either get in the way or cut your fingers to shreds. While not every connector supplied gets a cable to match it, several SATA cables and even the power adapter are included, which is an acceptable number given how much it costs. It might as well be a statistic for the number of kittens saved or babies kissed, thanks to Asus' efforts against global warming. The box looks surprisingly appealing in its shiny blue attire, providing that is, you ignore the "energy efficiency" statistic pulled out of thin air at the bottom.

The MSI Platinum/P35 Neo2-FR, the Abit IP35-E/Dark Raider, the Asus P5K-E/C and the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3 are all hot property for well under £100. The P35 chipset is a staple diet for many-a true enthusiast looking for a good deal on a motherboard with plenty of overhead.
