Board Features

USB 2.0

While the 845 chipset doesn't natively support USB 2.0, ASUS has implemented USB 2.0 support in the P4B266 by utilizing NEC's D720100A USB 2.0 controller. USB 2.0 builds on USB 1.1 by providing up to 480MBits/sec of bandwidth. In comparison, USB 1.1 peaks at 12MBits/sec. With the added bandwidth provided by USB 2.0, removable storage devices such as CD-Rs and hard drives should begin to take off, digital camcorders are another application that could take advantage of USB 2.0. Since the 845 chipset and NEC controller both support up to four ports, the P4B266 can theoretically support up to eight USB devices! To accomplish this the P4B266 ships with two USB ports on the back of the motherboard, a 2-port bracket for the USB 1.1 controller provided by the 845 chipset, and an external 4-port USB 2.0 bracket. Both brackets must be connected to the P4B266 via headers on the bottom of the motherboard for additional connectivity.

NEC's USB 2.0 controller

ASUS EZ Plug

Are you interested in upgrading to an 845 motherboard but you aren't eager to purchase an ATX 12V power supply? Thanks to ASUS' EZ Plug feature, you don't have to. Simply plug one of the 4-pin power cables from your ATX power supply into the EZ Plug located next to the IDE connectors and you're good to go! This feature was also present on the original ASUS P4B 845 motherboard.

AGP LED & EZ Plug

Six-channel audio!

6-Channel Audio

While most motherboard manufacturers rely on the onboard sound provided by the system chipset, ASUS goes the extra mile by integrating C-Media's CMI8738 audio chip on the P4B266. The 8738 supports 3D positional audio and while it won't give an Audigy or nForce a run for its money in the audio department, it's considerably better than the audio provided on most motherboards. ASUS provides a S/PDIF bracket for connecting your P4B266 to a 5.1 home theater setup.

ASUS POST Reporter

To ease troubleshooting nightmares, ASUS has implemented the POST reporter. With it, a voice will alert you to the specific cause of a system boot failure. For instance, if the video card isn't plugged in properly, an error message will come from your system speaker informing you of the problem. As an added feature, the default voice messages can be replaced with those of your own for comedic value.