The Basics:

The ASUS AT3IONT-I Deluxe arrived in a retail box typical of an ASUS product. As is the case with many "Deluxe" versions of products, this motherboard is chock full of extras. The first image below and on the left shows you the top of the box. The bright yellow color is certainly eye-catching and the subtle line drawing of a home theater setup pretty much clues you in to where ASUS is marketing this particular product. The image on the right gives you a glimpse at the back of the box. ASUS has included an image of the actual motherboard along with all of the peripherals attached so you can deduce how it all works together and see what you get with this "Deluxe" edition. Also mentioned are the key features that help make this stand out for your hard earned dollars.



Once we open the box, we can see what we're getting. The first thing we're greeted with is the User Guide and a pair of SATA cables. Inside the User's Guide we find a few other items which we'll see shortly. The second image is the bottom box contents. The items are packed in separate compartment so that they don't rattle around and damage each other.



Included with the AT3IONT-I Deluxe are a good number of accessories. As you can see below we have some of the standard fare along with a few items that round out the "Deluxe" part of this kit. From top to bottom and left to right, we have (1) Molex to SATA power cable for powering up to (4) SATA devices, (1) Remote Control receiver with double-sided tape, (1) WiFi antenna, (2) SATA cables, and (1) I/O motherboard back-plate.



Also included is a fairly basic remote (with batteries, thanks ASUS), User's Guide, Driver and Application DVD, and a spiffy case badge. The second image gives you a better idea of how the buttons are laid out. Apart from the standard Play, Rewind, Fast Forward, etc, the included device has buttons specifically for ASUS' Home Theater Gate software suite. Those buttons, on the bottom half of the remote control the launching of the application itself via the center button and the perimeter buttons are (starting at the top left) Main Window, Switch Window, Internet Radio, Music, DTS on/off, Tranquil Mode, Full Screen, and Previous Page. Please note a few things: first, The remote is only part of the "Deluxe" package; secondly, the Internet radio application is trial-ware and has limited function; and lastly, Tranquil Mode does not work in this implementation as the unit is fanless. I reckon that if there were a fan on the heatsink, this button would spin it down or shut it off completely.



Finally we have the included power adapter. ASUS has chosen to go the route of using a laptop style power brick instead of the standard ATX power supply connector on the AT3IONT-I Deluxe. This will allow for even smaller cases and fewer fans, thus dropping the overall noise of the unit. The first image shows the power adapter and the 3-prong AC cable. The second image is a close-up of the specification label on the adapter. At a mere 19v, which equates to 90 watts, you certainly won't be running a high-end graphics solution with this motherboard, but it certainly will allow for the 3 fan headers and 4 SATA devices with a bit of room to spare, power-wise.