Abit's AB9 Pro and AW9D MAX motherboards

ABIT HAS BEEN ON the comeback trail since its acquisition by USI, and we've been impressed by the company's recent AN8 32X and AT8 32X motherboards for Athlon 64 processors. Intel's Core 2 Duo has become the processor of choice for PC enthusiasts, though, and we've yet to see what a reinvigorated Abit can do with an LGA775 socket.
Interestingly, Abit's most famous boards have been for Intel processors. Classics like the BH6 and BP6 essentially defined the enthusiast-oriented motherboard genre, making us particularly eager to see how Abit can complement the Core 2 Duo.
The most intriguing members of Abit's Core 2-compatible motherboard lineup are the AB9 Pro and AW9D MAX. The former is the most affordable P965 board to feature the ICH8R south bridge, and it comes with all the hardware monitoring, fan speed control, and overclocking options you'd expect from an Abit board. For those looking for a little something extra, the AW9D adds CrossFire support and marks the resurgence of Abit's high-end MAX brand. Read on to see if either of these boards has the potential to become another classic.