With the release of the X58 chipset around 10 months ago, a lot has changed in the world of computer hardware. Suddenly, gamers and hardcore enthusiasts were able to purchase a motherboard which supported both SLI and CrossFire, were able to run memory in an all-new triple-channel scenario and last but not least, make use of the awesome performance the i7 series processor offered. Although many would have liked to upgrade to the X58/i7 platform, doing it inexpensively was one of the largest roadblocks caused by this new technology.

Fortunately, ASUS and a few other motherboard manufacturers cottoned onto the crisis hardware enthusiasts were experiencing and decided to shred features that many users didn't need from their top-end motherboards in order to make more affordable versions. This opened a new window of opportunity for enthusiasts to migrate from their current systems to the performance driven i7/X58 combinations without breaking the bank.

One of the most popular X58 motherboard which supports the i7 processor series is the ASUS P6T board. In many reviews and tests it has delivered outstanding performance and has proven to be a favourite amongst overclockers. ASUS immediately became aware of this success and developed the ASUS P6T SE (Second Edition). The SE was designed to be a cheaper alternative to the original P6T and was made possible by removing SLI support (so CrossFire only), downgrading the capacitors and removing a couple of needless features. Today we hope to find out if the 25 price difference between the P6T SE and its elder brother is money worth saving. Let's see how the sibling performs