ABIT FIRST INTRODUCED its Fatal1ty-branded motherboard line with the Intel 925XE-based Fatal1ty AA8XE. Given the Pentium 4 platform's comparably poor gaming performance, that probably wasn't the greatest idea. After all, the Fatal1ty brand squarely targets gamers and enthusiasts who know better than to covet Pentium 4 motherboards.

It seems that Abit now knows better, too. They've bolstered the Fatal1ty lineup with the Fatal1ty AN8 motherboard for Athlon 64 processors. With a 939-pin socket, nForce4 Ultra chipset, temperature-controlled OTES cooling, and a loaded uGuru-powered BIOS, the Fatal1ty AN8 could be the ultimate Athlon 64 platform for gamers, overclockers, and enthusiasts. Read on to see if it was worth the wait.