ASUS F1A55-M/CSM FM1 AMD A55 (Hudson D2) HDMI USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Pros: ASUS does not fail to deliver. always rock solid

other == plan you SATA connections depending which case you have. this MOBO will work in the SILVERSTONE Grandia Series SST-GD08 with the 120mm fans installed but you have to have the correct right angle cables to point upwards.




I only use ASUS and have never had an issue

Cons: SATA connections could be an issue

Other Thoughts: MY SPECS
CPU
AMD A8-3870K Unlocked Llano 3.0GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core Desktop APU

MOBO
ASUS F1A55-M/CSM FM1

CPU COOLER
COOLER MASTER GeminII M4 RR-GMM4-16PK-R2

HTPC case
SILVERSTONE Black Aluminum / Steel Grandia Series SST-GD08B

RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBXL

WiFi Card
Rosewill RNX-N300X

PSU
Rosewill Green Series RG430-S12 430W 80 PLUS Certified

KEYBOARD/MOUSE
IOGEAR GKM561R Black 2.4GHz Wireless HTPC Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel

Pros: I had used this board in a previous build for a client, so when a friend of mine wanted something similar I went to this one again. I know you can buy cheaper FM1 boards, but I am willing to pay for Asus quality. The layout of the board is very smart, especially those often tricky front panel connectors. The system booted up with zero problems.

The included Asus AI software was helpful for ensuring that the BIOS was up to date, which it already was.

Cons: Initially Windows 7 did not find the ethernet drivers, so I had to use the drivers on the disk.

Other Thoughts: I am looking forward to upgrading both my HTPC and my desktop to Asus boards at some point. Asus builds excellent hardware.

Pros: ASUS has done a great job with this motherboard. The graphical interface of the BIOS is really slick and easy to use. The TurboV feature made overclocking a snap. CPU and chassis fan speeds are controlled automatically so my system runs cool and is is very quiet.

Cons: None so far.

Other Thoughts: Be aware that the SATA connectors face outward toward the rear of the board rather that upward. Be sure you have the necessary clearance to attach your SATA cables.

Pros: room for lots of memory

Cons: defective , no hdd light or power on light . Not a defect Iwould send it back for but a pain non the less. sata's are very hard to connect where they are located and their orientation. It would be easier if they were "upside down" I like the two cables that came with it but can't find anymore. Even with those you have to work at getting them plugged in.

Other Thoughts: not impressed with the lay out either. the sata's should be turned 180 degrees.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for the issue you had with the motherboard.

Please make sure that the HDD light and power light connectors are oriented in the correct IDE_LED and PLED pins. If inserting the connector one way doesn't work, try connecting it in reverse.

Thank you for your input regarding the SATA connectors. They are designed that way to minimize footprint on the board which allows for a tighter package and efficienty on a mATX form factor. If you need more SATA cables, you may order them at our eStore http://estore.asus.com.

Regards,
Benson
Asus Customer Loyalty

Pros: Good Mother Board but has issues

Cons: This is the second Motherboard I ordered and the usb 2.0 is not working, I play with the settings on the bios and no luck, I updated and get all updates and still not working. updated the bios and no luck. This is the same issue for both motherboards I ordered. at first I thouhg it was the firts motherboard being defective but is not. I contacted Asus and they were not able to help me. This is the first time I have this issue with a motherboard. I have build computers in the past and never had this issue.

Other Thoughts: I would buy this item is this issue were fix, but I have lost fate on this item and probably on the company as well.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for the issue you had with the motherboard.

It's unusual for both motherboards to have defective USB 2.0 ports. Can you email me with the device that you plug into the USB ports? There may be compatibility issues between the device and the USB controller.

Also, in Windows Device Manager, do you see any unknown device detected or is there an exclamation sign next to any of the devices?

Please contact me at cl-benson@asus.com reference #C1037-904.

Regards,
Benson
Asus Customer Loyalty

Pros: Experimental first AMD APU (CPU + GPU) build. I've always run dedicated vid cards in my builds. Built this as a workstation for a new office staff member. Went together easily and simply flies with an AMD A6-3500 Llano triple core. Nice BIOS setup to boot. Speed is off the chart. Well beyond anything I expected. Happy camper.

Cons: Not really a con, but the micro ATX board is really crowded.

Pros: See other thoughts.

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: Good board with nice features for a reasonable price. Wouldn't play nice with an LSI raid controller until the firmware was updated on both the raid controller and the motherboard. UEFI bios is great improvement in motherboard tech and makes working with older boards seam rather archaic. After that, everything worked fine. The 2/customer limit will keep me from purchasing this product from newegg. I build computers for customers and ordering 2 more every couple of days is a pain, though I understand the reason behind it.