The first Striker Extreme motherboard from Asus used an Nvidia nForce 680i SLI chipset, to combine an Intel LGA775 processor with dual Nvidia graphics cards for maximum gaming power, and now it's time for an update.

Striker II Formula employs the latest 780i chipset to support Intel processors with SLI, with a couple of features that you don't get with 680i SLI. This new chipset supports Intel's new 45nm Penryn processors but the main added feature is an increase in the level of PCI Express graphics. 680i SLI can supply 46 lanes of PCI 1.1 which is sufficient for Tri-SLI with triple 8800 Ultras, provided you have enough cash in your bank account.

The new chipset can supply up to 62 lanes of PCI Express but it's a strange mix of PCI Express 1.1 and 2.0 thanks to the design of the 780i SLI which uses three chips instead of the usual two. The Northbridge controls the memory and processor but only adds two lanes of PCI Express to the equation, while the Southbridge has all of the usual audio, networking, USB and storage functions with the addition of 12 lanes of PCI Express.

The major graphics work is handled by the nForce 200 chip which connects to the Northbridge and delivers 16 lanes of PCI Express 2.0 to the first two graphics slots and 16 lanes of PCI Express 1.1 to the third slot. As a result the Asus Striker II Formula is dominated by the three graphics slots, and especially so if you install three graphics cards, but the extensive cooling system on the chipset also takes up plenty of real estate.

The layout of the Asus is similar to other models from its Republic of Gamers range and is quite superb. There are six laid down SATA II connectors with RAID, a laid down ATA133 connector and the power connectors are positioned at the edges of the board. There's a bracket in the package with two USB ports and one Firewire port to add to the six USB and one Firewire on the I/O panel, plus an array of headers across the bottom edge of the board.

Asus retains a PS/2 port for the keyboard which is absolutely fine with your reviewer and it gains a new feature in the shape of the LCD Poster. This is a small external POST debug device that looks rather like a small LCD clock.

Some of the I/O panel is taken up with part of the system for cooling the chipset so Asus has created space by moving the integrated audio to a PCI Express riser card. The digital outputs are still on the I/O panel but the ADI SoundMAX chip and six analogue mini jacks are placed on the riser card and, if you plan on using a Creative X-Fi, the riser card can be left in the box.

During testing we had some problems with the BIOS on the Press sample but we have no reason to doubt that Asus will fix the issues by the time you read this review. The performance of this motherboard is impressive but it only makes sense if you plan on running dual Nvidia graphics cards in SLI and you'll need a hefty budget for the Asus and a pair of suitable graphics cards.

There's another reason to avoid the Striker II Formula, which is that kludge of a chipset with two flavours of PCI Express. Nvidia is due to release a 790i model very soon which will integrate the function of nForce 200 in the Northbridge, which sounds far more sensible.

Asus has made the best of a bad job with the Striker II Formula as the nForce 780i SLI chipset is fundamentally flawed. Happily it seems that the 790i SLI chipset is due in the next few weeks so watch this space for a ‘new improved' Striker III model in the near future.