The Basics:
With the inclusion of an HDMI port, HDCP compliance and HD audio, the P5N7A-VM seems to be aimed squarely at the HTPC (home theater personal computer) market. This is further reinforced with ASUS' decision to equip the P5N7A-VM with a Display Port connection and an S/PDIF optical port. Despite these options, the mATX form factor, DirectX 10 compatible IGP, and LGA 775 support make the P5N7A-VM a viable low cost desktop solution.
The layout of the ASUS P5N7A-VM is pretty standard, with the 24-pin EATX connector on the far edge of the motherboard with the PATA header below it and the floppy drive and serial port headers above it. The 4-pin ATX12V connector is on the top edge between the cpu socket and the rear ports.
ASUS includes a small passive heat sink on the chipset. The P5N7A-VM features solid capacitors which have become the standard in modern motherboards. These solid capacitors offer higher heat tolerances and better electrical conductivity, as well as much longer life spans. This is welcome news to anyone who has ever had an electrolytic capacitor overheat and burst.
The area around the cpu socket is spacious and should accommodate most heat sinks. The components that are near the socket are mounted low enough to the motherboard to allow the heat sink to be mounted over the top of them.
