In other ways it downgrades, such as there being only one PCI Express x16 slot and no support for ATI CrossFire. One questionable aspect is the incorporation of DDR2 RAM, which is more fitting as this motherboard hosts a slower FSB. The signature portion though is the inclusion of eight SATA ports, which means RAID functionality (0, 1, 5, 10), though many users have had difficulty building the RAID.
