entranceASUS P5E64 WS Evolution and MSI P45D3 Platinum motherboards. Review and testing of the motherboard ASUS P5E Deluxe
Socket LGA775 Supported processors Intel Celeron Conroe-L / Core 2 Duo / Core 2 Extreme / Core 2 Quad / Pentium 4 / Pentium D / Pentium Extreme System bus 800 MHz - 1600 MHz Hyper-Threading Support there is Support for multi-core processors there isChipset
Intel X38 BIOS Chipset AMI with disaster recovery capability SLI / CrossFire support CrossFireMemory
DDR2 DIMM, 667 - 1200 MHz Number of memory slots 4 Dual channel support there is Maximum memory size 8 GBDisk controllers
IDE number of slots: 1, UltraDMA 133, RAID: no SATA number of connectors SATA 3Gb / s: 6, RAID: 0, 1, 5, 10Expansion slots
Expansion slots 2xPCI-E x16, 3xPCI-E x1, 2xPCI PCI Express 2.0 support there isAudio Video
Sound 7.1CH, HDA, based on ADI AD1988BNetwork
Ethernet 1000 Mbps, based on Marvell88E8056Connection
Availability of interfaces 12 USB, 2xFireWire (IEEE1394a), S / PDIF out, Ethernet, PS / 2 (keyboard) Rear panel connectors 6 USB, 1xFireWire (IEEE1394a), coaxial output, optical output, Ethernet, PS / 2 (keyboard) Main power connector 24-pinExtra options
ATX Form Factor Package Contents 1 bracket for 2 USB2.0 / 1x EEE1394a ports, UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable, FDD cable, 3 in 1 Q-connector, ASUS Q-shield, SupremeFX II Audio card, 6 SATA cables, power cable to SATA devices Additional Information 2 x 4-pin ATX 12V Power connector, 1600MHz bus frequency and DDR21200MHz are not documented for this chipsetBefore buying ask about technical specifications and a complete set by the seller
Taking into account the growing interest in gaming platforms based on several video accelerators, we suggest considering the ASUS P5E3 motherboard based on the Intel X38 chipset. If we compare all models from ASUS, it turns out that ASUS P5E3 is almost the cheapest solution of this level. But support for "progressive" DDR3 memory assumes that the buyer has funds to purchase it. So, for example, if you are going to create a powerful gaming platform, you can pay attention to the ASUS Maximus Formula motherboard we reviewed earlier, which works with DDR2 memory. Although the latter looks and is positioned as a more expensive solution, the purchase of cheaper DDR2 memory will be able to offset the costs. Well, for those who are trying to keep up with all the trends in the digital world, there is a reason to evaluate the capabilities of ASUS P5E3.
ASUS P5E3 motherboard specification:
|
Manufacturer | |
|
Intel X38 / Intel ICH9R |
|
|
CPU socket | |
|
Supported processors |
Intel Core 2 Quad / Core 2 Extreme / Core 2 Duo / Pentium Extreme / Pentium D / Pentium 4 |
|
System bus, MHz |
1600/1333/1066/800 MHz |
|
Memory used |
DDR3 1800 * / 1600 * / 1333/1066/800 MHz |
|
Memory support |
4 x 240-pin DIMM dual-channel architecture up to 8GB |
|
Expansion slots |
2 x PCIe2.0 x16 (both x16) CrossFire support |
|
Disk subsystem |
ICH9R Southbridge supports: The optional Marvell 88SE6111 controller supports: |
|
Sound subsystem |
8-channel High-Definition Audio codec Realtek ALC 883, coaxial / optical S / PDIF; |
|
Agere L-FW3227 controller |
|
|
Gigabit LAN controller Marvell88E8056 with AI NET 2 support |
|
|
24-pin ATX power connector |
|
|
Cooling |
Heatpipe system based on chipset and MOSFET of VRM node |
|
Fan connectors |
1 x CPU |
|
External I / O ports |
1 x PS / 2 keyboard port |
|
Internal I / O ports |
6 x USB |
|
8 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI 2.0a, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 |
|
|
Overclocking capabilities |
Changing the frequency: FSB, PCI-Express, memory. |
|
Proprietary technologies |
ASUS EPU (Energy Processing Unit) |
|
Equipment |
Instruction and user manual |
|
Form factor Dimensions, mm |
ATX 12 "x 9.6" |
|
Products webpage |
Http: // www. asus. com / The new version of BIOS and drivers can be downloaded from the official page. |
|
average price |
View in price. ua. |
All prices for ASUS P5E3
The ASUS P5E3 motherboard came to us for testing in a simple package, without its informatively filled outer part.
ASUS P5E3 motherboard package contents:
- DVD with drivers and software; user manual in English, quick installation instructions, and instructions for AI Remote; ASUS Q-Connector adapters (system panel, USB, IEEE1394a); ASUS Q-Shield I / O panel cover; FDD loop, UltraDMA 133/100/66 loop;
- two power adapters to SATA devices; six SATA cables;
- turbine fan ADDA AD4512LX-D03 on a hydrodynamic bearing;
- remote control ASUS AI Remote;
(There are twelve buttons on the remote. AI Remote can launch and control various multimedia applications, put the computer into AI Nap sleep mode, switch ASUS AI Gear 3 modes, and more.)
- an ASUS AI Remote IR receiver that connects to the USB port and a battery.
The layout of the ASUS P5E3 motherboard is pretty good. Among the shortcomings that will interfere with the assembly of the computer, it can be noted: the SATA and IDE slots deployed parallel to the board, to which it will be very inconvenient to connect in small cases, as well as the fact that a long video card inserted into the upper PCI-E x16 slot will impair the freedom of access to the latches of the RAM slots. In addition, the COM port located in the upper right corner is not very convenient for connection.
On the ASUS P5E3 motherboard, the heatpipe cooling system deserves special attention. Heat pipes combine radiators on the south and north bridges, as well as on half of the phases of the power stabilizer. The other four phases have a separate radiator. Despite the relatively high class of the board, only a 4-pin ATX12V connector is used to supply power to the processor.
The cooling system involves the installation of an active element - a turbine-type fan, on the radiator near the I / O panel. Apparently, therefore, the entire system, although made of copper, still does not seem very massive. The small heatsink on the northbridge is adorned with a shiny metal cover with the ASUS wordmark on top.
The cooling system is very securely and rigidly attached due to the stop metal plates on the back of the ASUS P5E3 motherboard.
The Intel ICH9R South Bridge supports six SATA II ports, with the ability to form RAID arrays 0, 1, 5, 10. And to support IDE devices and one external SATA connector, an additional Marvell 88SE6111 controller is installed. The ASUS P5E3 motherboard has six internal USB ports, four of which are located in the lower right corner of the board, and two more near the external connector panel. In the right corner of ASUS P5E3, there is a system panel connector, a power on indicator and a BIOS reset jumper.
The ASUS P5E3 motherboard has two PCI slots, two PCIE x1 and two PCIE x16 (PCI Express 2.0) slots, with which you can combine AMD / ATI video accelerators in CrossFire x16 + x16 mode. Other features of the board include the Marvell88E8056 Gigabit LAN controller, the Agere L-FW3227 FireWire controller supporting two ports, and the 8-channel HDA audio codec Realtek ALC 883, the front panel connector of which supports HDA and AC`97 formats.
The layout of ASUS P5E3 assumes the ability to connect to two USB ports near the I / O panel of the ASUS WiFi-AP Solo wireless network module, but this feature is not implemented on the tested model.
The on-board VRM processor power supply is 8-channel and supports the energy-saving EPU (Energy Processing Unit) technology. The ASUS EPU chip provides full control of the processor utilization level and, depending on this, adjusts the power settings, achieving increased energy efficiency. In applications not demanding on processor resources, the technology can save up to 80.23% of energy by disconnecting four phases of the power supply regulator.
The following ports are displayed on the rear panel: One PS / 2 for keyboard, six USB connectors, IEEE 1394a port, RJ45 connector for network connections, coaxial and optical S / PDIF, one External SATA port and six connectors for 8-channel audio output.
The ASUS P5E3 motherboard has four fan connectors, one 4-pin for the CPU cooler and three 3-pin for case fans. All connectors are fairly evenly distributed across different parts of the board, which makes it more convenient to choose a place for connecting the cooling.
Near all PCI slots, there are small indicators that signal the incorrect installation of the device into the slot (AI Slot Detector technology).
ASUS P5E3 motherboard uses a “multilingual” version of the AMI BIOS, with a wide range of settings. The BIOS has a function for saving user settings to a profile (ASUS O. C. Profile technology), as well as a built-in EZ Flash 2 utility for flashing new versions and support for AI Net 2 technology, which helps to determine the location of a network cable break.
Overclocking settings can be found in the AI Tweaker section:
|
Parameter |
Menu name |
Range | |
|
Processor technology management |
C1E, Max CPUID Value Limit, Vanderpool Technology, CPU TM, Execute Disable Bit, Intel SpeedStep | ||
|
CPU multiplier |
CPU Ratio Setting | ||
|
Strap frequency |
FSB Strap to North Bridge |
Auto / 200/266/333 | |
|
System bus frequency | |||
|
PCI Express bus frequency | |||
|
Divider for memory |
533/639/667/709/800/852/887/1066 | ||
|
Delaying command execution |
DRAM Command Rate | ||
|
Timings |
CAS Latency, RAS to CAS, RAS Precharge, RAS Active Time, RAS to RAS, REF Cycle Time, Write Recovery Time, Read to PRE Time | ||
|
Sub-timings |
Read to Write Delay (S / D), | ||
|
Speeding up the memory controller |
DRAM Static Read Control |
Enable - enables acceleration | |
|
DRAM Dynamic Write Control | |||
|
Memory setting |
AI Clock Twister |
Auto, Moderate, Light, Strong | |
|
AI Clock Skew for Channel A |
Advance 350ps - Delay 350ps | ||
|
AI Clock Skew for Channel B |
Advance 350ps - Delay 350ps | ||
|
Setting sub-timings |
Transaction Booster |
Boost Level 0-8 | |
|
CPU voltage | |||
|
Supply voltage of timing circuits |
1.5V - 2.78V | ||
|
FSB bus voltage |
FSB Termination Voltage |
1.2V - 1.5V | |
|
CPU Voltage Reference |
0.63x, 0.61x, 0.59x, 0.57x | ||
|
Voltage on memory modules |
1.5V - 2.3V | ||
|
Northbridge tension |
North Bridge Voltage |
1.25V - 1.75V | |
|
Southbridge voltage |
South Bridge Voltage | ||
|
Clock Over-Charging Voltage | |||
|
Reducing the voltage drop on the processor under load |
Loadline Calibration |
Enable - enables the function | |
|
Processor Power Supply Mode |
CPU GTL Voltage Reference |
0.67x, 0.65x, 0.63x, 0.62x | |
|
Northbridge power supply mode |
NB GTL Voltage Reference | ||
|
Reducing the background radiation of the system bus |
CPU Spread Spectrum |
In order to more accurately adjust the memory frequency in the BIOS there are eight dividers, which for the 266 MHz system bus will correspond to the memory frequency of 533, 639, 667, 709, 800, 852, 887, 1066 MHz.
In the BIOS of the ASUS P5E3 motherboard, you can adjust the timings and sub-timings of the DDR3 RAM. In addition, the current values of timings and sub-timings are shown on the screen, which is very convenient when setting up.
For overclocking and increasing system stability, the BIOS has a large number of settings that change the voltage on the main components in a very wide range and with a small step, which is due to the implementation of the "Precision Tweaker 2" technology. For convenience and better clarity, in the upper right corner of the screen, information on the adjustment range of the setting, step and standard voltage of a particular component is provided. In addition, for convenience during overclocking, voltages of different levels are highlighted in different colors. So the blue font indicates safe values, yellow - high, and red - critically high.
BIOS monitoring
In the Hardware Monitor window, you can monitor:
- temperature of the motherboard and processor;
- rotational speed of the processor cooler and three case fans;
- voltage on the processor and main power lines 3.3 V; 5V; 12V.
For the processor cooler and case fans connected to the CHA_FAN 1-2 connectors, you can use the Q-Fan automatic control function. The range of regulation for a cooler is set by choosing a certain profile, and for case fans by defining in percent (60% - 90%) the minimum speed and limit temperature (from 28 ° C to 46 ° C with a step of 3 ° C).
Through standard testing of the system bus capabilities, we were able to raise its frequency to 495 MHz. But there is an assumption that the incorrectly working BIOS or some peculiarities of the specimen that got to the test did not allow revealing the full potential of the board.
Testing
The following hardware was used to test the capabilities of the motherboards.
Some performance gain in the system tests with the ASUS P5E3 motherboard was caused by the use of another faster DDR3 RAM. If we compare it with ASUS P5K3 Deluxe / WiFi-AP on the Intel P35 Express chipset, which also worked with DDR3 memory, then the slight difference in the results is mainly due to the measurement error.
conclusions
The ASUS P5E3 motherboard can become an excellent basis for a high-performance gaming system with two AMD / ATI 3D accelerators combined in CrossFire x16 + x16 mode and features PCI Express 2.0 support. ASUS P5E3 works with DDR3 memory, so the future owner should be ready to buy a rather expensive "RAM" as well. Motherboard ASUS P5E3 has good overclocking and stability improvements - I especially liked the implementation of settings with different colors and standard values, although system monitoring in the BIOS is quite standard.
ASUS P5E3 implements an 8-phase power regulator with the advertised EPU energy-saving technology. The copper heatpipe cooling system combined with the fan should cope with the cooling of a powerful and overclocked platform. The absence of an 8-pin connector for supplying power to the processor speaks of the positioning of ASUS P5E3 more as a gaming and multimedia proposal, which is confirmed by the AI Remote included in the package.
Advantages:
- high performance; excellent overclocking capabilities; CrossFire x16 + x16 support; PCI Express 2.0 bus support; 8-phase power regulator using EPU; 6 SATA connectors with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, 10; External SATA port on the rear panel; heat pipe cooling system with a fan included; remote control ASUS AI Remote; built-in FireWire controller; 8-channel High Difinition Audio.
Disadvantages:
- No PS / 2 mouse connector; 4-pin processor power connector.
The results in gaming applications have the same picture as in 3DMark "06, except for the game Doom 3, famous for its love of the memory subsystem. It is in this application that the advantage of the older model is clearly visible - still something“ wrong ”is happening with the settings memory of this motherboard.
conclusions
The days of "top-end" motherboards, which differ from their cheap counterparts in the color scheme, gold or platinum plated radiators and costing $ 150, are long gone. And if for exclusivity 7-8 years ago some kind of bonus was put into the box, for example, in the form of a screwdriver, now manufacturers can easily charge us 200-300 dollars, leaving only with the motherboard and a standard set of cables. You cannot say the same about ASUS products - the package bundle is as always on top, and the functionality corresponds to the price, which also depends on the positioning of the chipset. In this case, the cost of solutions based on Intel X38 will not be small by definition - the chipset itself is top-end, which means that motherboards based on it at a price of less than $ 200 will not appear soon. Is that after the release of the next flagship of Intel - X48, which will be officially presented this spring. Then yes, you can think about buying, and then for the sake of building a powerful CrossFire system, which is not so productive with the Radeon HD 3870.
Now, regarding each of the reviewed products. ASUS P5E3 Deluxe, as befits a high-end solution, has good equipment, wide BIOS capabilities for fine-tuning the system, and powerful operating system. The eight-channel processor power scheme will allow you not to worry about the high-quality power supply of the overclocked quad-core CPU. An interesting technology using EPU, designed to save energy with a low load on the processor, until the run-in has passed, so we won't focus on it - we eat, and that's fine with it. The only drawback in all this is the final cost of the finished system, because DDR3 memory modules are still quite expensive.
The P5E3 came out somehow unbalanced, expensive and not very functional. A rich set, wide BIOS capabilities and an 8-phase processor power scheme have a positive effect on the evaluation of the board, but just one network controller and an eSATA interface is somehow not associated with the price of $ 250. And if extra equipment is really required in exceptional cases, then how can you explain the use of a 4-pin ATX12V auxiliary power connector instead of the 8-pin EPS12V that has already become customary for expensive solutions? If ASUS P5E3 is used in its nominal value, then this drawback will in no way affect the stability of the system, but for an enthusiast and overclocker it can become a problem.
In previous reviews, we have already dwelt on ASUS solutions based on Intel processor chipsets of the fourth series. To complete this series, let's talk about the Intel X48 Express high-end motherboard that hit the market this spring. Formally, the X48 belongs to the new generation of chipsets, but in practice there are practically no fundamental differences from its predecessor Intel X38 Express. The only thing to note is the official support for the FSB 1600 MHz. In addition, Intel now claims that the X48 only supports DDR3 RAM, but this is most likely just a marketing ploy, since the chipset description mentions frequency dividers for DDR2. A detailed comparison of the X38 and X48 can be viewed at compare.intel.com... The same fact confirms that ASUS has motherboards based on Intel X48 Express with support for DDR2 RAM. In this review, we'll take a closer look at one of these boards. Before you ASUS P5E Deluxe
Specification:
|
Manufacturer |
|
|
Intel X48 Express / Intel ICH9R |
|
|
CPU socket |
|
|
Supported processors |
Intel Core 2 Extreme / Intel Core 2 Quad / Intel Core 2 Duo / Intel Pentium Dual-Core / Intel Celeron |
|
System bus, MHz |
1600/1333/1066/800 MHz |
|
Supported memory |
Dual channel memory architecture; *32-bit operating systems can display the amount of memory no more 4 GB |
|
Expansion slots |
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 * * Supports ATI CrossFireX technology in x16 by x16 mode |
|
Disk subsystem |
Intel ICH9R Southbridge: JMicron JMB368 PATA controller: |
|
Sound subsystem |
SupremeFX II audio card |
|
LAN support |
Marvell88E8056 PCIe Gigabit LAN controller support AI NET2. |
|
Primary 24-pin ATX connector |
|
|
Cooling |
Radiators on bridges and power regulator, united by heat pipes. |
|
Fan connectors |
1 x for cpu fan |
|
External I / O ports |
1 x PS / 2 keyboard port |
|
Internal I / O ports |
3 x USB connectors supporting 6 USB 2.0 ports |
|
16 Mb Flash ROM, DMI 2.0, PnP, AMI BIOS, SM BIOS 2.3, ACPI 2.0a |
|
|
Proprietary technologies |
Energy Saving Technologies Silent cooling ASUS EZ DIY |
|
Equipment |
6 x SATA cables |
|
Form factor, |
ATX |
|
Products webpage |
The latest BIOS and drivers can be downloaded from the support site. |
Package
ASUS P5E Deluxe is packed in a black cardboard box. On the front side in the lower left corner are the logos of the supported processor families. On the right, it is noted about support for 45-nanometer processors, 1600 MHz system bus frequency and ASUS EPU technology.
On the front spread, as well as on the back side, the proprietary technologies supported by the motherboard are described in detail. Let's say a few words about each of them.
ASUS EPU - This is a chip that is used to control and adjust the power settings of the processor, which provides an optimal balance of performance and power consumption. Thanks to the voltage level control system on the processor, it provides complete control of power consumption under any load level. In addition, it allows you to achieve the most efficient use of energy, up to 80.23%, when working with applications that are not demanding on processor resources.
ASUS 3rd Generation 8-phase Power - 8-phase processor power supply that is capable of operating at 15 ° C lower than traditional solutions. Lowering the temperature allows you to reduce the fan speed for a quiet, stable system and improve overclocking capabilities. The 8-phase power supply reduces input / output voltage fluctuations, keeping the processor and power supply safe and extending component life.
ASUS AI Nap - With AI Nap, users can instantly put their computer into power saving mode without leaving applications. During the absence of the user, the system will continue to operate silently, consuming the minimum amount of power.
ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe - Heatpipes channel the heat generated by the chipset to the heatsinks, which are located next to the processor fan. As a result, the speed of the system fans is reduced, which guarantees quiet operation with good stability and long component life.
ASUS Fanless Design: Stack Cool 2 - expansion of the cooling system, thanks to a special printed circuit board, which contributes to an even distribution of heat from the heating elements.
ASUS Q-Fan 2 - intelligently adjusts the rotation speed of the processor cooler and case fans depending on the load (heating of the elements) of the system, ensuring quiet operation.
ASUS Q-Connector- modules that make it easy to connect buttons and LEDs on the front panel of the case. As well as USB and FireWire connectors.
ASUS Q-Shield- Convenient I / O connector panel cover that protects the motherboard from static electricity.
ASUS AI NET 2- tests network connections without booting the OS. Remotely detects the correctness of connection at the moment the PC is turned on
ASUS O.C. Profile–Allows to save BIOS parameters in CMOS or in a separate file, which allows users to exchange profiles of overclocking settings.
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3–This function allows you to recover BIOS from a USB flash drive containing the firmware file.
ASUS EZ Flash 2- The EZ Flash 2 function allows you to update the BIOS directly through its setup menu.
C.P.R.- restores BIOS settings after unsuccessful overclocking, providing the ability to start the system.
Equipment
In the box with the motherboard, you can find a fairly rich set of components, which is not surprising for motherboards of this class. Note the presence of a separate SupremeFX II sound card based on the 8-channel ADI AD1988B HDA codec, which should please fans of high-quality sound. Also included in the kit:
- 6 x SATA cables;
- 1 x adapter for 2 SATA power ports;
- 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 flex cable;
- 1 x FDD flex cable;
- 1 x module with two USB 2.0 ports and one IEEE1394;
- 1 x ASUS Q-Shield back panel cover;
- 1 x DVD with drivers;
- additional turbine type fan;
- instructions and user manual.
Layout
Let's talk about the layout of the motherboard. ASUS P5E Deluxe is soldered to an ATX PCB (305 mm x 244 mm). No significant deficiencies were found. The only thing worth paying attention to is the horizontal arrangement of all SATA and IDE connectors.
The cooling system looks impressive. Radiators are installed on the north and south bridges, as well as on the power supply and are interconnected by heat pipes. There is also a copper plate on the back of the board to help keep the temperature down.
But, despite all the efforts of ASUS developers, the cooling system heated up quite strongly during testing, so the turbine fan in the kit comes in handy.
The Intel ICH9R chip acts as the south bridge. This chip is not the newest, but this cannot be considered a drawback, since there are no fundamental differences between it and the ICH10R. The south bridge supports 6 SATA ports (red) located to the right of the chip itself. On these SATA ports, you can organize a RAID array of levels 1, 0, 5, 1 + 0. Above them is a single IDE connector controlled by the JMicron JMB368 PATA controller. And under the SATA ports in the lower right corner you can see the front panel connector.
The ICH9R south bridge supports 12 USB 2.0 ports, half of which are routed to the I / O panel, and the rest are internally connected. To reset BIOS settings, instead of the usual jumper, a small switch is used, located to the left of the south bridge.
ASUS P5E Deluxe motherboard supports 7 different expansion slots:
- Three PCI-Express x1 slots: one black for the included audio card.
- Two PCI slots.
- Two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots with support for ATI CrossFireX technology in x16 to x16 mode.
An internal IEEE 1394 port is located under the expansion slots. The VIA VT6308P controller that controls it is to the left of the PCI-Express x1 slots.
The power regulator is eight-phase and supports ASUS EPU technology. Without the use of EPU, all eight phases work even when the system is idle, when such power is not needed. When ASUS EPU is running, it reduces the number of involved phases based on the processor load. The processor socket is surrounded by radiators, but they will not interfere with the installation of an oversized cooler.
The following connectors are located on the I / O panel:
- optical S / PDIF output;
- six USB ports;
- IEEE 1394a port;
- RJ-45 (LAN) port;
- coaxial S / PDIF output;
- PS / 2 port for keyboard.
The ASUS P5E Deluxe motherboard uses the AMI BIOS with a fairly large set of settings. The main parameters related to overclocking and fine tuning are summarized in the following table.
|
Parameter |
Menu name |
Range |
|
|
Control processor technologies |
C1E, Limit CPUID MaxVal, Vanderpool Technology, CPU TM, Execute Disable Bit, Intel SpeedStep |
||
|
CPU multiplier |
CPU Ratio Settings |
1 and 0.5 for 45 nm models |
|
|
System bus frequency |
|||
|
PCI-e bus frequency |
|||
|
Northbridge delay set |
FSB Strap to North Bridge |
||
|
Memory frequency |
533-1066 |
||
|
Timings |
CAS Latency, tRCD, tRP, tRAS, RAS to RAS, Row Refresh, Write Recovery, Read to Precharge |
||
|
Sub-timings |
READ to WRITE, Write to Read, Read to Read, WRITE to PRE, PRE to PRE, ALL PRE to ACT, ALL PRE to REF |
||
|
Memory subsystem settings |
DRAM Static Read Control |
Auto, Enable, Disable. |
|
|
CPU voltage |
|||
|
PLL operating voltage |
|||
|
CPU GTL Voltage Reference |
|||
|
FSB signal level |
FSB Termination Voltage |
||
|
RAM voltage |
|||
|
Northbridge tension |
1.25V - 1.75V |
||
|
Southbridge voltage |
|||
|
Voltage drop compensation function during load |
LoadLine Calibration |
Auto, Enable, Disable. |
|
|
Electromagnetic background reducing function |
CPU Spread Spectrum, |
Basic settings related to overclocking, such as setting timings and delays, frequencies and voltages on the main nodes, are located in the AI Tweaker tab.
You can configure processor technologies in the Advanced tab.
On the Power tab, you can observe the following parameters:
- voltage on the main lines of the power supply 3.3V, 5V, 12V and on the processor;
- temperature of the motherboard and processor;
- rotation speed of all five fans.
Proprietary technologies such as ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS O.C. Profile and Ai NET 2 can be found under the Tools tab.
We have tested overclocking capabilities this board. Mainly, the voltage on the processor, northbridge and FSB bus was increased. The voltages on the other nodes were forced to their nominal values so that the BIOS would not change them on its own. The voltage compensation function on the processor (Loadline Calibration) was activated and the main memory timings were written manually. Overclocking the bus with a quad-core processor to 1.6 V raised the CPU PLL voltage.
As a result, we were able to increase the system bus frequency to 533 MHz using a dual-core processor.
When installing a quad-core processor, the system bus frequency increased to 480 MHz.
Based on these indicators, we can safely say that ASUS P5E Deluxe has a good overclocking potential, which, in principle, is typical for many motherboards based on Intel's fourth series chipsets.
Testing
The following hardware was used to test the performance of the motherboard:
|
CPU |
Core 2 Duo E6300 (LGA775, 1.86 GHz, L2 2 MB) |
|
Thermaltake Sonic Tower (CL-P0071) + Akasa AK-183-L2B 120 mm |
|
|
RAM |
2x DDR2-800 1024 MB PQI PC6400 |
|
Video card |
EVGA GeForce 8600GTS 256 MB DDR3 PCI-E |
|
HDD |
Samsung HD080HJ 80GB SATA-300 |
|
Optical drive |
ASUS DRW-1814BLT SATA |
|
Power Supply |
Chieftec CFT-500-A12S 500W 120mm fan |
|
CODEGEN M603 MidiTower, 2x 120 mm blowing / blowing fans |
Results:
Based on the test results, we conclude that the "heroine" of our review does not differ in performance from other solutions of the same class.
The bundled SupremeFX II sound card on the 8-channel ADI AD1988B HDA codec was tested in two modes.
Operating mode 16-bit, 44 kHz
|
Noise level, dB (A) |
||
|
Dynamic range, dB (A) |
||
|
Harmonic distortion,% |
||
|
Intermodulation at 10 kHz,% |
||
|
Overall score |
Good |
Operating mode 32-bit, 192 kHz
|
Frequency response (in the range 40 Hz - 15 kHz), dB |
Very good |
|
|
Noise level, dB (A) |
||
|
Dynamic range, dB (A) |
||
|
Harmonic distortion,% |
||
|
Harmonic distortion + noise, dB (A) |
||
|
Intermodulation distortion + noise,% |
Very good |
|
|
Interpenetration of channels, dB |
Very good |
|
|
Intermodulation at 10 kHz,% |
Very good |
|
|
Overall score |
Very good |
conclusions
ASUS P5E Deluxe motherboard is a striking representative of the high-end class. The manufacturer positions it as the basis for high-end multimedia gaming complexes. Also, this board will be a good choice for overclocking enthusiasts, which is confirmed by the tests carried out. It should be noted a large set of proprietary technologies that are implemented in this product, and an enviable bundle typical of high-end motherboards. Also in the graph of ASUS P5E Deluxe's advantages is the support for DDR2 RAM, since the main chipset manufacturers Intel and NVIDIA have clearly taken a course to popularize the more expensive DDR3. The only thing that can alienate potential buyers is the price of the motherboard, but do not forget that this indicator should be considered only together with the quality characteristic.
Advantages:
- official support for the system bus 1600 MHz;
- excellent overclocking capabilities;
- two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots with the possibility of implementing ATI CrossFireX technology on them in x16 to x16 mode;
- 8-phase power regulator with EPU technology;
- a large set of proprietary ASUS technologies;
- 6 SATA connectors supporting RAID 0, 1, 5, 1 + 0;
- additional cooler included;
- "External" audio card SupremeFX II.
Disadvantages:
- the need for additional cooling;
- no PS / 2 mouse connector.
We express our gratitude to the company PF Service LLC (Dnepropetrovsk) for the motherboards provided for testing.
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The lack of reviews of motherboards based on the latest top-end Intel X38 chipset on our website is a rather serious omission. Our laboratory has been unsuccessfully trying to start testing such products for at least a month now. However, until now, we could not provide materials about these products for a number of objective and subjective reasons. For example, in place of this article, which opens a series of publications about motherboards based on Intel X38, there should have been a review of the ASUS P5E3 Deluxe motherboard, which has been tested in our laboratory for several weeks. But, despite the fact that we have successfully used this board in our Penryn tests, we still do not have the opportunity to present a complete and substantiated report on its capabilities. The fact is that our sample ASUS P5E3 has a number of problems that appear when overclocking the FSB and memory frequencies. In addition, the widely advertised ASUS Express Gate function turned out to be inoperable on our board. To date, we have already tried almost a dozen different beta BIOS versions, but we have not yet succeeded in achieving the typical ASUS motherboards without problems. In the near future we expect to receive a new P5E3 sample, on which we will try to confirm or refute the unpleasant opinion about this motherboard that has developed to date.
In order not to further delay the already excessively prolonged pause in the reviews of motherboards, we decided to look at other products based on Intel X38. Another ASUS product, the P5E motherboard, immediately came into view. It compares favorably with other Intel X38-based offerings in two ways. First, it is a relatively inexpensive product with a retail price of about $ 220, which is not much for a motherboard based on the X38 chipset. Secondly, this motherboard works not with the new expensive DDR3 SDRAM, but with the much more common DDR2 memory, although officially Intel is extremely reluctant to talk about the versatility of the chipset memory controller. Thanks to these features, ASUS P5E may well become a very common product, highly demanded among enthusiasts. Actually, there is only one thing missing to make the P5E into a widely popular motherboard: the confidence that it can offer better performance and overclocking capabilities than the already impeccable products based on the Intel P35 chipset. Actually, this article will be devoted primarily to finding the advantages of ASUS P5E, which will allow us to talk about the superiority of this platform over cheaper alternatives based on mid-range chipsets.
It would be logical to start acquaintance with a motherboard based on Intel X38 by considering the features of the chipset itself.
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Intel X38 Details
The Intel X38 chipset was conceived by the developer as a new chipset designed to create motherboards in the upper price range. In fact, this means that the X38 is replacing the outdated i975X, which does not have official support for the promising 45 nm Penryn processors, and is not equipped with the most modern south bridge. At least that's what Intel thinks.
From our point of view, the situation is seen in a slightly different way. Due to its venerable age, the i975X has long become unattractive for enthusiasts who today opt for motherboards based on Intel P35. The only strong point of the i975X chipset, its support for Crossfire via PCI Express x8 + PCI Express x8, is actually not such a strong trump card. First, the Intel P35 chipset is also capable of supporting Crossfire (albeit according to the PCI Express x16 + PCI Express x4 scheme). Secondly, AMD today does not have the ability to offer graphics cards as fast as NVIDIA. Therefore, the number of users interested in Crossfire is very small. Based on the above arguments, we will not be comparing Intel X38 with i975X either, but will focus on comparing the new chipset for high-performance systems with the recently released