The Basics:

Now let's get a better look at the predominantly black colored printed circuit board that makes up the ECS PN2-SLI2+.


When inspecting a motherboard at Bigbruin.com we generally are considering the motherboard layout, special features of interest, cable management, and things that seem out of place (connectors that may be hard to get at, for example). An overall layout of the motherboard is pictured below. Now lets begin by inspecting the rear I/O panel of the motherboard.


The I/O panel on the ECS PN2-SLI2+ is like any other. This model does come equipped with a high definition 8-channel audio system and two onboard Gigabit LAN ports that will blink different colors depending upon your LAN connectivity (yellow = 10Mbps, yellow+green = 100Mbps, green = 1000Mbps).


Now let's consider the area surrounding the CPU socket immediately behind the I/O panel. You won't find too much around the processor socket which is a good thing. The excess space means larger aftermarket heatsinks, such as the Tuniq Tower 120, should fit without interference. In fact the only plug located in this area of the motherboard is a white plastic connector which is located to the right of the curved black fins pictured below. This connector is an 8-pin ATX power plug so don't forget to make this connection when powering the ECS PN2-SLI2+.