Asus P4B266/Audio/USB 2

Using the same graphics card, the dual Athlon board returned a 2D benchmark score of 4.59 with only one Athlon MP 1900+ processor installed. With both MPs installed, this score increased marginally to 4.61. However, the performance increase is more significant when using true multithreaded applications such as our LightWave benchmark. The rendering time of our test scene speeds up from nine minutes, 44 seconds with one Athlon to eight minutes, 21 seconds when two Athlons are used. This is a marginal improvement over the Tyan.

There's no doubting the dual-processing route provides performance dividends, and Asus offers an excellent platform. That said, there's the extra cost and inconvenience of replacing your power supply. As for the P4B266, the features are tempting, but the relatively poor performance can't be ignored. The Pentium 4 motherboard Labs Winner, MSI's 645 Ultra, is still a better choice.

Author: Ian Robson