Typically ASUS motherboard are some of the best I've owned but this week I have a different story.  I recently bought a A7V600-X motherboard from them and it features a technology they call "Crash Free BIOS 2".  It supposedly makes boot failures from bad flashes a thing of the past.  Well after using their utility to unsuccessfully flash the board it will no longer POST.  Unfortunately this isn't even the worst part of the experience...

I immediately called their non toll-free support number and after a 5 minute wait I got to talk to their info gathering monkey.  He got my name, phone number, and a quick problem description.  He gave me a support number then told me all the techs were busy and one would call me back as soon as possible.  This both amazed me and scared me.  As part of my job I make many tech support calls a month and I know that the world will end and hell freeze over before most tech support places actually call you back.  So three hours later, without any call, I was not a bit surprised.  I called back with the same result.  It was a Monday but how crappy does your support or products have to be where a tech isn't available in over 4 hours.  Before I went to bed I sent in an e-mail with a more detailed description of what happened just in case their e-mail support department was a little more on the ball.

Well, 24 hours later, still no call and no e-mail.  I was too busy to make another call so I let it go to the next afternoon.  After still receiving no calls and no e-mail I decided to call again.  I had misplaced my support number so I started a new case and he again told me a tech would call.  For some reason, I believed this time would be different.  Needless to say, six hours later still no call and no e-mail.

Going on to day 4 I was starting to get very annoyed and worried.  Had ASUS gone under over night and there were no techs to take my call?  I called again and decided this time I would demand to talk straight to a tech.  Luckily it wasn't necessary as the operator said he was sending me to the tech support line.  After waiting about 15 minutes I finally got a tech and gave him the story.  He said the board could be RMAed or the BIOS chip could be sent in and it would all be explained in an e-mail he was now sending me.  I felt rather blown off but was happy that I could now move on.  Unfortunately the retard sent me the wrong e-mail so after cursing ASUS a few more times I called back and after holding another 20 min or so finally got somebody to send me the correct e-mail.  Basically it would now cost me either $13 and the pain of disassembling my PC to RMA or about $10 and mail the chip.  If they would back their products like a decent company they should have mailed me a chip for free.  I've gotten better support from companies who were in bankruptcy.

I mailed the chip and two, yes, two weeks later I get my chip back.  You probably already guessed it, it didn't work.

From now on I'm NOT buying ASUS.