February 5, 2007 – Michael J. Larabel started Phoronix.com in June 2004, after seeing the lack of online media that covers alternative operating systems – primarily GNU/Linux hardware reviews. Ever since, Phoronix has become a well-known and reliable resource when it comes to Linux-suited hardware information.
This time they took a closer look at abit's NF-M2 nView motherboard. This Socket AM2 platform is based on the nVidia® GF6150/NF430 chipset and offers a powerful onboard graphics solution with integrated dual-monitor support.
"Seeing both VGA and DVI onboard for an abit board is a first, and it certainly is a nice addition for anyone planning to use this board for an HTPC."
These external features are important, but for those looking to set up a PC system on an alternative OS, it is also of utmost significance whether the hardware plays along with the OS at all. Does the OS kernel offer driver support for the platform at hand? Phoronix made sure:
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"The abit NF-M2 nView motherboard had run great under Fedora Core, MythDora, and Ubuntu Linux."
MythDora, being a MythTV derivative, is an advanced multimedia center interface offering features such as live-TV, DVD playback, RSS reader and image viewer... you name it.
Overall, Phoronix praises the feature-rich NF-M2 nView motherboard as the real deal for Linux based HTPC platforms:
"The abit NF-M2 nView is also unique with the variety of overclocking features including support for DDR2 memory voltage up to 2.50V. This motherboard also features GeForce 6150 graphics, 7.1 channel HD audio, and Silent OTES. To top off this motherboard is reputable Linux support. At $90 USD for this abit motherboard it is certainly a respectable deal considering the features packed by this motherboard."
For more information on the NF-M2 nView motherboard, go here: abit NF-M2 nView
For the full review, go here: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=625&num=4 | 
