Review and testing of the ASUS P5Q Premium motherboard. Review and testing of the mid-range motherboard ASUS P5Q Review of the asus p5q motherboard

Introduction.
IN this review, we would like to present to your attention another motherboard based on the new Intel P45 chipset.
Motherboards based on the Intel P45 chipset have slowly replaced motherboards based on the previous generation Intel P35 chipset from the market.
This is primarily due to a decrease in prices for motherboards based on the new chipset, and due to the decommissioning of motherboards based on the previous generation chipset.
Equipment.


The motherboard comes in a box with a rather nice design, although I must note that the box design style is the same for the entire series of video cards.

The following were found in the box:
1. Instructions.
2. Driver disk.
3. One FDD cable.
4. One IDE cable.
5. Six SATA cables.
6. Two power adapters to SATA.
7. Bracket with IEEE1394 and eSATA ports.
8. Chipset cooler for additional cooling.
9. Stickers.
10. And the TPM (Trusted Platform Module) module.

As you can see, the equipment fully corresponds to the “Premium” level. Specifications.


1. Processors:
-Intel Socket 775 Processors for Intel® Core™2 Extreme/Core™2 Quad/ Core™2 Duo/Pentium® Dual-core/Celeron® dual-core/Celeron® Processors
-Compatible with Intel® 05B/05A/06 processors
-Supports Intel® 45nm multi-core CPU

2. Chipset:
-Intel P45 / ICH10R with Intel® Fast Memory Access(FMA) support

3. FSB bus: 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz


4.Memory:
-4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR2 1200/1066/800/667 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory
-Dual-channel architecture

5. Support:
-CrossFire Support ATI CrossFireX™ ​​technology, up to Quad CrossFireX

6. Expansion slots:
-1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot at max. x16 link (blue)
-1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot at max. x8 link (white)
-2 x PCI Express x16 slot at max. x4 link (black)
-1 x PCIe x1
-2 x PCI


7. Data storage:
-South Bridge:
6 xSATA 3 Gb/s ports Intel® Matrix Storage Technology
support RAID 0,1,5,10
-Marvell 88SE6121
1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 for up to 2 PATA devices
Silicon Image Sil5723 (Drive Xpert technology)
4 x SATA 3Gb/s (orange and blue)
Support EZ Backup and Super Speed ​​functions

8. Network:
-Quad Gigabit LAN controllers
-Marvell 88E8056® Gigabit LAN controller featuring AI NET 2, Teaming, and Redundant

9. Sound:
-ADI® AD2000B 8 -Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
-- Coaxial/Optical S/PDIF out ports at back I/O
- ASUS Noise-Filtering

10.USB:
-14 USB 2.0 ports (4 ports on board, 10 ports on rear wall)

11.IEEE1394:
-LSI 3227 2 x 1394a ports

12. ASUS Unique Features:
- Features from ASUS:
- ASUS 16 phase power system
- Express Gate SSD

13. Rear I/O ports:
- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse combo port
- 1 x Optical + 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output
-4 x LAN (RJ45) port
-10 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports
-8-channel Audio I/O

14. Internal I/O ports:
- 2 x USB connectors - additional 4 USB ports
- 1 x Floppy disk drive
- 1 x IDE
- 1 x COM
-6 x SATA
-4 x Drive Xpert SATA connectors (orange and blue)
-1 x CPU Fan
-3 x Chassis Fan
-1 x Power Fan
-2 x IEEE1394a
-Front panel audio
-1 x S/PDIF Out Header
-Chassis Intrusion
-CD audio in
-24-pin ATX Power
-8-pin ATX 12V Power connector
-Power on Switch
-Reset Switch
-System Panel (Q-Connector)
15. Form factor: ATX
16. Dimensions:
30.5 cm x 24.4 cm Bios features.


I would like to say one thing - all the necessary voltages are available, with the necessary adjustment steps. In a word - complete scope for an overclocker. I simply didn’t have enough time to study many points myself.
1. The maximum voltage on the processor is 2.1 volts.
2. NB voltage up to 2.04 volts
3. Manual setting of all timings.
4. Manual installation of memory dividers.
5. Q-FAN - fan control.
6. Bios settings profiles. Overclocking results.


A Core Quad Q9450 processor was installed on this motherboard. It accelerated to 3.7 GHz, with a 460 Mhz bus. The result is certainly not a record, but statistically average.
The motherboard itself, after lowering the multiplier, reached 498 Mhz in conjunction with this processor. Conclusion:
An excellent motherboard, with a rich set of components, with a well-thought-out organization of all input/output ports. She left me with only positive impressions. There is only one thing that frightens this motherboard - the price, which at the time of writing is $299. Prepared the article FireAiD especially for Mega Review.

IntroductionWe deliberately decided to take some pause in testing motherboards based on the latest LGA775 Intel chipset, P45 Express. The fact is that acquaintance with the first products using this seemingly most progressive chipset at the moment did not leave the most rosy impressions. The few boards we looked at did not allow us to achieve higher performance or reach higher frequencies when overclocked. Moreover, the reviewed motherboards from ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte gave the impression of being “crude” products, with errors in the BIOS and hardware, due to which a far from positive opinion was formed about these products.

Now, I would like to hope, the situation has changed. Boards based on Intel P45 Express should be equipped with more mature firmware, which not only corrects childhood illnesses, but also realizes the full potential provided by the new chipset. Therefore, it seems like the right time to return to testing such boards.

For new tests we chose the ASUS P5Q Pro motherboard. This is far from a top-end product, but a mid-price board that supports DDR2 memory and has a pair of PCI Express x16 slots. Considering expensive LGA775 motherboards is most likely no longer relevant - enthusiasts focused on conquering the peaks of performance today are unlikely to be satisfied with a system based on LGA775 Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors. They are eagerly awaiting the arrival of new products: processors from the Core i7 family, which should be announced in the next few weeks. Today, motherboards based on Intel P45 Express should be of interest primarily to prudent buyers who prioritize not speed, but the optimal price-performance ratio. In this regard, ASUS P5Q Pro looks promising. It has quite good capabilities, but at the same time cannot be called overly “sophisticated”. And the ASUS marketing department, obviously, did not pay too much attention to the P5Q Pro, ridding it of many unnecessary “baubles” and “ruffles”.

In other words, if the ASUS P5Q Pro also performs as high-quality products bearing the ASUS logo should perform, the board can definitely count on receiving our best recommendations. This article, in fact, will be devoted to testing the P5Q Pro in practical conditions.

Specification

If you believe the official ASUS website, today this company is ready to offer 11 different boards based on the Intel P45 Express chipset. The P5Q Pro under consideration occupies a middle position in this list: on the one hand, it uses a high-quality element base, like the most expensive representatives of the series, but on the other hand, it is devoid of an overly pretentious 16-phase processor power module.

The appearance of the board is quite ordinary; there is no ornate interweaving of heat pipes and huge fake radiators. Payment is like payment.


However, the list of features of this product is by no means as short as one might expect. The fact is that in the entire series of boards built on the Intel P45 Express logic set, ASUS has implemented a number of new, quite interesting technologies, which are reflected in the above list. I would like to note three of them right away, since they are the ones that are especially aggressively advertised by the manufacturer:

ASUS EPU-6 Engine – a hardware-software system for controlling the operating parameters of the processor, memory, board, video card and hard drive, aimed at reducing power consumption;
ASUS Express Gate - the ability to quickly load the freely distributed Splashtop operating system pre-installed on your hard drive (on Linux based) with several built-in Internet applications;
ASUS Drive Xpert – integrated on SATA board RAID controller Silicon Image Sil572, which allows you to create RAID arrays of levels 0 and 1 without prior configuration and driver installation.

In addition, one more fact attracts attention. For the P5Q Pro, as for other boards in this series, ASUS promises compatibility with processors using a 1600 MHz bus, which are not officially supported by the Intel P45 chipset. As a result, ASUS semi-officially legalizes the possibility of overclocking on its board, guaranteeing its reliable operation in such modes.

Packaging and delivery

The box in which the ASUS P5Q Pro comes is unremarkable. It is of a standard size, without windows and folding false covers, which expensive products flaunt today. The only thing that makes the P5Q Pro packaging stand out is the glossy finish and the deep blue-violet color scheme used in the design. The box contains logos and short description technologies that the manufacturer is especially proud of, and there is also a small photo of the board itself.


Inside the box you will find a package that is quite standard for a mid-price board, including a user manual, a DVD with drivers and software, a plug-in panel for the rear wall of the case (I/O Shield) and a set of cables for connecting various devices information storage. In addition, ASUS did not forget to put in the box with its board Q-Connector adapters and a bracket-plug for the rear panel of the case with a 4-pin IEEE1394 port and an eSATA port brought out.



This set could be considered quite sufficient if it were not for the absence of a traditional centrifugal rotary fan installed on the board’s cooling system. After all, during overclocking, the chipset and the processor power converter can become very hot, and the ability of the standard cooling system on the ASUS P5Q Pro to effectively dissipate heat in passive mode raises serious doubts. Moreover, expensive models of P5Q series boards with an obviously better cooling system must include this fan in the delivery kit.

Features of the board

ASUS P5Q Pro is a typical board built on the Intel P45 Express chipset. It does not surprise with its design or capabilities. In full compliance with the chipset specifications, the board has 4 DDR2 DIMM slots, grouped in pairs by channels, and two PCI Express x16 2.0 slots, which operate in x8 + x8 mode when used simultaneously using Crossfire technology. In addition to this, the board can offer two traditional PCI slots and three PCI Express x1 slots.



The chipset also provides six SATA 3 Gb/s ports on the board. Two more ports are provided by the Silicon Image Sil5723 controller, a carrier of Drive Xpert technology. Support for a single PATA-133 interface is implemented through an additional Marvell 88SE6111 controller.

The chipset is also responsible for the operation of twelve USB 2.0 ports, six of which are located on back panel fees. But the IEEE 1394 ports in the ICH10R south bridge used on the ASUS P5Q Pro are not supported, so the board in question has an additional two-port FireWire LSI L-FW3227 controller.

Also, external chips ensure the operation of a gigabit network port, which is controlled by the Atheros AR8121 controller, and an eight-channel integrated audio path based on the Realtek ALC1200 codec. Both of these microcircuits are quite interesting. Thus, Atheros AR8121 is the smallest PCI Express gigabit network controller, and the ALC1200 chip is manufactured by Realtek specifically for ASUS. ASUS has finally decided to replace the previously used Analog Devices audio solutions with more popular Realtek chips, but due to the exclusivity of the selected model, it is impossible to find detailed information about its characteristics. Therefore, we present our practical assessments of this chip in 16-bit, 44 kHz mode.


The lack of originality in the characteristics of the P5Q Pro also affects the contents of the rear panel of the board. There are six USB 2.0 ports, six analog audio connectors, a coaxial S/PDIF output, a gigabit network port, a six-pin IEEE1394 port and PS/2 connectors for connecting a keyboard and mouse.



Another IEEE1394 port, six USB 2.0 ports and a serial COM port are represented by internal needle connectors on the board.

There are no special frills in the implementation of power supply circuits for the processor, memory and chipset. While older boards in the P5Q series use a 16-channel processor power converter and three-channel stabilizers for memory and chipset, everything is much simpler on the P5Q Pro in question. The number of channels in the processor power circuit is limited to eight, and the memory with the north bridge uses two-channel stabilizers. However, the reduction did not affect the quality of the element base. As on expensive motherboards, the power circuits of the ASUS P5Q Pro use solid-state Japanese capacitors with a polymer electrolyte and high-frequency field-effect transistors with low drain-source resistance in the open state.



At the same time, the proprietary ASUS EPU (Energy Processing Unit) chip is not forgotten; on the board in question it is not only present, but is also capable of software switch the processor power converter to dual-channel mode. That is why the board comes with the proprietary ASUS Six Engine utility, one of the tasks of which is to transform the CPU voltage regulator into a more efficient and economical state at low loads.



However, this program copes with the task assigned to it very poorly: in particular, it cannot work on a system with an overclocked processor.

The chipset cooling system is divided into two parts. A simple low aluminum radiator is installed on the south bridge.



The northbridge uses a higher heatsink, and it is connected by a heat pipe to another aluminum heatsink located on part of the transistors of the CPU power circuit. But since they heat up extremely slightly during operation, it is quite appropriate to consider this radiator a continuation of the northbridge cooling system.



However, the sufficiency of such a solution can only be said when the board is operated in modes close to standard, without increasing the MCH supply voltage. Conducting overclocking experiments on ASUS P5Q Pro requires improving the heat dissipation from the north bridge, at least by installing an additional fan.



The lapidary style of the cooling system also has some advantages: the board will fit any processor cooler without any problems. However, it should be noted that the bottom surface of the board in the area of ​​the processor socket contains several protruding contacts, which can be a certain obstacle when installing cooling systems that use mounting plates on the back side of the board.



Otherwise, with the exception of the noted shortcomings, the design of the ASUS P5Q Pro is quite acceptable.


The most significant flaw lies in the location of the SATA connectors, access to which is seriously complicated if a “large-caliber” video card is installed in the second PCI Express x16 slot. But, obviously, only a small part of the owners of the board in question will feel this drawback.

BIOS

Talking about what a motherboard is, we have already emphasized several times that in terms of design and characteristics it is completely ordinary and therefore belongs to the middle price category. But this does not mean at all that the ASUS P5Q Pro is not suitable for enthusiasts. The fact that equipment manufacturers deliberately try to draw the attention of this audience to the most expensive products, filling them with all sorts of and sometimes even unnecessary properties and elements, is not at all surprising. However, experienced overclockers do not buy into such marketing tricks and often choose much less expensive platforms.

This happened with ASUS P5Q Pro. Although this board is not as sophisticated as, for example, the P5Q3 Deluxe, it provides a quite sufficient set of options in the BIOS Setup for overclocking experiments. And moreover, a peculiar symptom of the recognition of the P5Q Pro among enthusiasts is the presence of alternative firmware, which will be improved by the owners of this board regardless of ASUS engineers. For example, here you can download unofficial BIOS, which expand support for new processors and improve memory stability.

It was with this BIOS version that we tested the ASUS P5Q Pro. We used the modified firmware version 1104 created by Ketxxx. Note that this firmware has no visible differences from the official one, so everything said below can be equally applied to the official BIOS of the same version 1104.

The BIOS of the ASUS P5Q Pro motherboard is based on AMI microcode and has a traditional interface. Thus, the bulk of settings that affect system performance are collected in a special section “Ai Tweaker”.


There are options here for manually setting the processor multiplier and FSB frequency, which varies from 200 to 800 MHz. Nearby there is a setting for the PCI Express bus frequency, which varies from 100 to 180 MHz. The memory frequency does not change so flexibly, since the Intel P45 Express chipset, on which the ASUS P5Q Pro is based, clocks the memory using dividers relative to the FSB frequency. The set of these dividers is the same for all the latest Intel chipsets and depends on the FSB Strap parameter, which can also be set nearby. It should be noted that the stability of the board when overclocking the bus frequency depends on the value of the FSB Strap. Obviously, to achieve the best results, it is better to set the FSB Strap to 333 or 400 MHz, and the first option, in our experience, is more preferable.

To configure memory latency, the BIOS of the board in question offers an almost exhaustive set of settings. However, among the numerous parameters in the P5Q Pro BIOS, there is still no option responsible for controlling the “Command Rate” parameter. But there is a new option “Mem. OC Charger", which, when activated, changes the board settings for the best overclocking of memory modules. However, you should not expect miracles: the slight positive effect of enabling this parameter appears only on selected memory modules, while often this function even worsens system stability.

I would like to pay special attention to the modified “Transaction Booster” option, which now allows you to manipulate the most important parameter of the north bridge “Performance Level” directly.


The options responsible for configuring voltages also did not disappoint.



The corresponding block includes the following settings:


Note that extremely high voltages on the processor and northbridge are only available after resetting the OV_CPU and OV_NB jumpers on the board.

All voltages can be set to “Auto”; in this case, the board tries to select the optimal parameters independently, based on the processor and memory frequencies. In other words, the “Auto” setting means that when the FSB or memory frequency increases above the standard values, the board itself increases the voltage at its own discretion. This is a significant help for inexperienced overclockers, but with serious overclocking, manual adjustment allows you to achieve better results, especially since the board itself tends to select high voltages.

Also among the voltage settings, we should highlight the extremely useful “Loadline Calibration” option, which allows you to automatically compensate for the effect of the voltage drop on the board from the power converter to the processor itself, which is harmful during overclocking.

But the board does not provide the ability to change the CPU reference voltage GTL Vref independently for each of the cores of quad-core processors - this is the prerogative of only the top products in the ASUS P5Q line.

Let's briefly go through the remaining BIOS Setup pages. The Advanced page allows you to change chipset settings, enable or disable integrated controllers and USB ports, and manage processor technologies.


The “Power” page traditionally contains a section dedicated to hardware monitoring.



The “Boot” page allows you to set the order of polling boot devices and configure the board’s starting options.

The “Tools” section offers the usual EZ Flash 2 utilities for ASUS motherboards for flashing the BIOS and O.C. Profile for saving configuration profiles, as well as options for managing Drive Xpert and Express Gate technologies.


Description of the test system

The test system that we used for practical testing of the motherboard in question included the following set of components:

Motherboard: ASUS P5Q Pro (BIOS 1104);
Processors:

Core 2 Extreme QX9650 (3.0 GHz, 333 MHz FSB, 2x6 MB, Yorkfield rev. C0);
Core 2 Duo E8600 (3.33 GHz, 333 MHz FSB, 6 MB, Wolfdale rev. E0);


CPU cooler: Scythe Mugen (Infinity);
Memory: 2 GB DDR2-1111 SDRAM (Corsair Twin2X2048-8888C4D);
Video card: OCZ GeForce 8800GTX;
HDD Western Digital Raptor WD1500AHFD;
power unit SilverStone SST-ST85ZF.

Tests were carried out in the operating room Windows system Vista Ultimate x86 SP1.

Overclocking experiments

First of all, we decided to check the ability of the motherboard in question to overclock processors. Previously tested products based on the Intel P45 chipset showed good results when overclocking dual-core processors, but were not particularly encouraging when it came to quad-core CPUs of the Core 2 Quad or Core 2 Extreme families. To test the corresponding capabilities of the ASUS P5Q Pro, we tried to overclock processors with different numbers of cores on it, trying to achieve maximum FSB frequencies.

First of all, the board was equipped with a Core 2 Duo E8600 – a new processor using the most “overclockable” E0 stepping. The nominal frequency of this processor is 3.33 GHz, and the nominal multiplier is set to 10x. Using this multiplier and increasing the supply voltage to 1.4 V, the processor easily reached 4.4 GHz on the P5Q Pro, which only required increasing the FSB frequency to 440 MHz.


Note that all voltages, except Vcore, were set to standard values. In other words, Core overclocking 2 Duo E8600 on the specified board passed with minimal effort. At the same time, the system remained completely stable, which was verified both by a test in Prime95 and an hour-long test by the OCCT Perestroika program.

Following the set goal, an attempt was made to overclock the processor in a similar way with a multiplier reduced to 8x. Naturally, in such conditions, when a much more radical increase in the FSB frequency above normal values ​​is required, the overclocking process has some subtleties. And the main limiting factor on the board in question is the difficulty of significantly increasing the supply voltage of the northbridge of the chipset, since the simple radiator system installed on the P5Q Pro copes very poorly with effective cooling of this chip. Even after replacing the standard thermal interface with a more efficient silicon thermal paste, it was impossible to raise the voltage on the north bridge above 1.32 V, which did not allow achieving stability at FSB frequencies above 540 MHz. A greater increase in this voltage entailed a banal overheating of the MCH chip.

In other words, when we lowered the multiplier to 8x, we were not able to achieve the same results as with the stock 10x multiplier. The processor only clocked up to 4.32 GHz, which, however, is also not bad.


Note that stable operation of the CPU at a FSB frequency of 540 MHz required not only an increase in the supply voltage of the processor itself, but also an increase in other voltages. The CPU PLL Voltage parameter was additionally set to 1.56 V, and the FSB Termination Voltage was increased to 1.28 V. It should be borne in mind that the achieved bus frequency is not the limit for the ASUS P5Q Pro, it is only the limit for the standard cooling systems. Replacing it with a more efficient one can better reveal the overclocking potential of this board and ensure stable operation of the system at higher FSB frequencies.


The achieved result allowed us to test the stability of the P5Q Pro when setting aggressive parameters for the memory subsystem. Under the conditions described above, the memory was able to clock at 1080 MHz using 4-4-4-12 timings. Naturally, in this case we increased the voltage on the memory modules. In these tests it was 2.3 V.

We have been convinced more than once that boards based on the Intel P45 Express chipset are capable of very good overclocking of dual-core processors. But with overclocking quad-cores, as practice shows, the situation is somewhat worse. The ASUS P5Q Pro motherboard under review once again confirmed this thesis.

More specifically, using the quad-core Core 2 Extreme QX9650 processor, we tried to find out the maximum FSB frequency at which the P5Q Pro can provide stable operation. To do this, we reduced the multiplier of this processor to 8x, and set the CPU PLL Voltage and FSB Termination Voltage to their maximum safe values ​​for the processor - 1.7 and 1.35 V, respectively.

With this combination of parameters, the processor was able to demonstrate stable operation only at an FSB frequency not exceeding 453 MHz.


Obviously, this is far from the limit for our processor, however, qualitatively better results could not be achieved even with a significant increase in CPU PLL Voltage and FSB Termination Voltage, which usually have a significant impact on overclocking quad-core processors. Thus, even with an increase in FSB Termination Voltage to 1.5 V, overclocking stalled at FSB frequencies only slightly exceeding 460 MHz.

In other words, ASUS P5Q Pro is far from the best platform for overclocking quad-core processors. Boards based on the Intel X48 Express chipset are much better suited for this purpose.

To what has been said, it remains to be added that during the process of overclocking experiments, we again noted problems with the incorrect behavior of the board during overclocking. Like the previously tested ASUS P5Q3 Deluxe, P5Q Pro, if it cannot start with the settings set in the BIOS Setup, often does not start in “ safe mode” with a proposal to correct erroneously set values, but simply performs a complete clearing of the CMOS contents, requiring re-configuration of the entire set of parameters.

Overclocking performance

Testing the performance of motherboards based on the Intel P45 Express chipset is a rather thankless task. After all, Intel is last generation its chipsets use the same memory controller as in previous products, and therefore P45-based boards show approximately the same performance as their predecessors. The new support for the second version of the PCI Express protocol, although it increases the theoretical bandwidth of the graphics bus, in reality only has an effect when using a pair of video cards and Crossfire technology, and therefore most users simply do not care.

Does this mean that ASUS P5Q Pro performance tests can be neglected? Not at all, because the speed of the board is affected not only by the features of the chipset, but also by the results of the work of engineers involved in BIOS optimization. Moreover, differences in board performance due to different firmware implementations are primarily detected during overclocking. That's why we decided to see how fast the ASUS P5Q Pro is compared to "previous generation" boards based on the Intel P35 Express, under typical overclocker use.

It must be said that the idea of ​​such a comparison did not arise on its own. The fact is that the BIOS Setup of the ASUS P5Q Pro motherboard differs in the set of parameters that affect performance from the BIOS Setup of boards from the same developer that were tested earlier. Thus, the new board no longer has the ability to change the “Command Rate” parameter, but instead it has the “Ai Clock Twister” setting, which is absent on the P5K series boards, which are based on the P35. In addition, during overclocking tests, it was noticed that the ASUS P5Q Pro sets suspiciously high values ​​for the “Performance Level” parameter by default, which also cannot but affect performance.

To evaluate the speed of the ASUS P5Q Pro, we compared it with the ASUS P5K-E motherboard. In testing both boards, we used a dual-core Core 2 Duo E8600 processor, which was overclocked to a frequency of 4.41 GHz using a multiplier reduced to 9x (which allows us to simulate the overclocking of the Core 2 Duo E8400, the youngest processor of the E8000 series transferred to the new E0 stepping).

With this overclocking, the bus frequency was set to 490 MHz, and the memory, which was clocked in synchronous mode, worked as DDR2-980 with timings of 4-4-4-12. This applies to both platforms.


Now let's talk about the differences in settings. The main character of today's article, ASUS P5Q Pro, in the state recorded in the above screenshot, set the “Performance Level” parameter to 12, which, of course, is too much to conquer performance records. Therefore, we resorted to manually reducing this delay through the “Ai Transaction Buster” parameter. As it turned out, the minimum “Performance Level” at which the P5Q Pro successfully starts is 9. It was this level that was used in the tests. Another performance-affecting parameter, “Ai Clock Twister,” had to be set to “Light,” since otherwise the board would be unstable.


On the ASUS P5K-E board, which, unlike the P5Q Pro, allows you to change the DRAM Command Rate through the BIOS settings, unfortunately, it was not possible to set this delay to 1T; failures occurred even at the stage of loading the operating system. But we managed to lower the “Performance Level” to 7 much more than on the P5Q Pro.


It was with these settings that tests were carried out, the results of which are summarized in a table.


A quick glance at the table is enough to realize the fact that the new P5Q Pro board is a complete fiasco, losing to the Intel P35 Express-based product in all tests. The reason is obvious: ASUS P5Q Pro does not allow the use of “Performance Level” values ​​as aggressive as the good old boards with the P35 chipset. Why this is so is obviously something to ask the developers. As a result, although the ASUS P5Q Pro can overclock dual-core processors very well, the resulting performance is somewhat lame.

conclusions

Unfortunately, for the umpteenth time, finishing our review of the ASUS motherboard, we cannot write an unambiguously positive conclusion. Despite the fact that ASUS continues to be a generally recognized leader among manufacturers and developers of motherboards, its products are not without offensive shortcomings and shortcomings that can be classified as critical.

Thus, the ASUS P5Q Pro board reviewed in this review makes a good impression at first glance. It has a very favorable combination of cost and capabilities, has a fairly convenient design and offers several useful new technologies, among which especially noteworthy is support for ExpressGate, an alternative lightweight operating environment.

In practical use, the ASUS P5Q Pro behaves somewhat ambivalently. On the one hand, it seems that the potential of this board is very great. But on the other hand, it turns out that revealing it is not so easy. The cooling system of the chipset cannot cope with the load placed on it in “heavy” modes, and the performance obtained during overclocking is far from the indicators that can be achieved when using other platforms.

But among the alternative solutions based on the Intel P45 Express and released by other manufacturers, we have not yet encountered any outstanding products. All this suggests that the Intel P45 Express, although the newest, is far from the best platform to date. So keep an eye on the reviews on our website, we intend to continue exploring products based on this chipset in search of the ideal.

However, everything said above is only true if you consider yourself to be a cohort of overclockers and enthusiasts. If you are interested in a platform that is not overclocking-oriented, but stable and modern, the ASUS P5Q Pro board is a very good option that can be recommended without hesitation.

Check availability and cost of ASUS P5Q

Other materials on this topic


New Wolfdale stepping: Core 2 Duo E8600 review
Review of ASUS Striker II NSE motherboard based on NVIDIA nForce 790i SLI
Eight cores for gamers: Intel Skulltrail review

The ASUS P5Q Deluxe motherboard is a good example of a top-end model that does not irritate with its focus on the exotic needs of virtual “hardcore gamers” and others like them. It is clear that four network sockets are 2 times more powerful than two, and six PCIEx16 slots are about 3 times more powerful than two standard ones. This board fully pays off its high cost, without resorting to the services of technologies, the key factor of which is the quantitative indicator reflected in the name.

The model we are reviewing today is one of the top models in the new ASUS P5Q series, based on the Intel 4x chipset line. Of course, like all older models, it has two PCI-E 2.0 x16 slots, implementing the innovation of the chipset: support for the second version of the PCI Express standard and full-fledged CrossFire organization. As for the rest, as already mentioned, the price is based on the variety of technologies used and their elaboration. Well, let's get acquainted with one of the most interesting (and de facto most popular) models on the Intel P45.

When looking at the board, you can note several layout features: a strong displacement of the memory connectors relative to their usual position, an on-board cooling system, a set and relative position of expansion slots and SATA connectors. However, despite the unusual appearance, the wiring does not create any difficulties for assembling the system, and when installing all sorts of large components, the owner of the board risks losing only one SATA port (the rest are either removed from the video card installation line or laid on its side). There are 2 PCI slots and 2 (actually 3) PCIEx1 slots for installing peripheral expansion cards - the third automatically becomes the outermost slot, which has a PCIEx16 form factor (which in any case does not interfere with installing PCI-E expansion cards of all formats into it), but switching the operating speed to x1 mode when any PCIEx1 slot is used. Note that the slots for installing video cards are shifted to the edge of the board, which we can only welcome, since the upper slots are guaranteed to remain free. We also note that both PCI slots will probably not be blocked by oversized expansion cards. The size of the board is 305x245 mm (full-size ATX), fastened to the case with nine screws, all edges of the board are rigidly fixed.

The reason for the unusual location of the memory slots becomes clear upon careful examination of the voltage stabilizer circuit of the key elements of the board - this is exactly the component that ASUS can be rightfully proud of. Firstly, the top motherboards of the ASUS P5Q series set a new record for the number of switching processor power regulator channels: 16! Moreover, in this case we see 16 full-fledged channels, with their own individual driver and two field-effect transistors for each, which should ensure exceptionally high efficiency of the stabilizer and less heating of the components. Moreover, the memory and chipset voltage stabilizers are made dual-channel (it was the need to place the chokes of the corresponding stabilizer that forced the engineers to “play” with the usual arrangement of memory slots) - today this is no longer a unique phenomenon, but still an “elite” distinctive feature. The choice of other electronic components is also worthy of the most sincere praise: the processor stabilizer uses field-effect transistors with a reduced R DS(on) (open channel resistance); capacitors on the entire board are polymer, manufactured by Fujitsu, with an increased service life; All chokes have ferrite cores.

However, the lower cooling requirements of the power subsystem components, of course, did not lead to savings on this important (especially during overclocking) element. The board uses, one might say, a “classical” chipset cooling scheme: the heat sink on the south bridge is connected by a copper heat pipe to a radiator on the north bridge (with a large heat exchange surface area), which, in turn, is connected using two heat pipes to one of the two additional radiators for field effect transistors in the processor power circuit. The configuration of the upper part of the fins of these radiators allows you to install branded coolers on them - in this case, one is included in the kit, but, however, ASUS recommends using active cooling only if the processor uses a cooling system that does not create air flow in the area of ​​the processor socket.

Another feature of the board is associated with radiators on field-effect transistors: they are not attached in the usual way for such cases (with plastic latches directly to the PCB), but with normal screws to aluminum plates located on the back side of the board. This technology allows, by pressing these plates to the PCB, to improve the thermal conditions of the board in the hottest place (the proprietary Stack Cool 2 technology - a metallization layer on the reverse side of the PCB) also contributes to this. True, in our opinion, the thick layer of the thermal interface is too confusing, but over time it, of course, should ensure normal heat exchange. However, leaving aside the effectiveness of the applied solution, we will lament the fact that the radiators on the chipset bridges are attached to the board using plastic latches, and it is for these components that it is critical to ensure tight contact with the surface of the chipset crystals! It’s simply surprising that to this day, normal fastening of the radiators of the on-board cooling system remains the prerogative of several overclocking models: of course, few will regularly change thermal paste, but even without this, normal clamping force will ensure decent efficiency of such cooling.

The board in question, like all the latest ASUS models, implements proprietary Express Gate technology, which our regular readers could already get acquainted with from the site’s reviews. In this case, the “full” version of this technology is implemented (Express Gate SSD), which differs, as you might guess from the name, by the use of a drive integrated on the board with 512 MB of flash memory, which contains boot image. Let us recall that the essence of Express Gate is the fast loading of a special Splashtop shell (on Linux based) instead of fully loading the main working OS, and the choice is made immediately when the computer starts (and you can use the mouse). This OS, which is very limited in functionality (which is a purchased development from DeviceVM), provides only a few basic functions: viewing photos from flash drives or hard drives, surfing the Internet, communicating in IM networks (except ICQ) and using Skype.

Paying tribute to the interest that techies show in all sorts of new products, it is difficult for us to force ourselves to seriously consider the functionality and features of this solution. Firstly, at the moment, Splashtop updates can only appear from the depths of ASUS laboratories. And although such updates do happen in reality and even gradually expand the capabilities of the built-in OS, there is no need to talk about customizing this shell “for yourself” (adding favorite programs, changing the design, etc.). Secondly, today Splashtop's configuration options (of which only changing the screen resolution and setting up a network connection for a very standard local network case) are extremely limited. Thirdly, the absence of at least a poor media player and the ability to install extension modules for the built-in Internet browser (Firefox is extremely limited in functionality) is unlikely to keep the user in front of the Splashtop monitor for long.

However, the main obstacle that makes Express Gate meaningless and makes it a toy for a few fans, in our opinion, is that Splashtop can barely compete in boot speed with waking Windows from sleep mode (Hibernation) - although the latter process can be significantly slowed down, filling the motherboard with memory to capacity. ASUS gives Splashtop boot times between 5 and 10 seconds, which is absolutely consistent with our observations, but waking up Windows (with applications fully loaded into memory, including, for example, an Internet browser with 30 open tabs) takes barely 10 seconds more , and taking into account the need to run required applications, enter identification data, etc. the built-in OS will probably even lose. And since in everything related to possible functionality and comfort of work, Splashtop not only loses to a customized working OS (be it Windows of any version or one of the varieties of Linux), but loses miserably, even before the start of the competition, then we personally have the utility of Express Gate /SSD raises very big questions.

You can find a board to your liking even within the P5Q series, since it offers many models for every taste, but some of these models are practically indistinguishable from the heroine of today’s review: they have a very similar or the same PCB, as well as extremely similar functionality. Of these, we note the P5Q3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP@n (a complete twin, but designed for DDR3 memory and with a Wi-Fi-n module) and P5Q-E/WiFi-AP (a slightly simplified version, without the Express Gate SSD module, but also With Express technology Gate, which has an 8-channel PWM controller circuit for the processor power stabilizer; there is a version with a Wi-Fi module). Due to the extreme similarity, this article can be considered as a review of these models.

System monitoring (Winbond W83667HG-A, according to BIOS Setup and utilities for Windows)

  • CPU voltage, +3.3, +5 and +12 V;
  • Rotation speed 5 fans;
  • Temperature of the processor (built-in processor sensor) and board (built-in board sensor);
  • Technology for automatically adjusting the rotation of the processor and three system fans depending on temperature.

The board's automatic fan rotation control system is at an excellent level, but to fully realize its capabilities you will have to use programs for Windows (ASUS proprietary utilities or universal ones like SpeedFan) - in BIOS Setup you can only enable and select one of three automation operation profiles. The Fan Xpert utility, part of the ASUS AI Suite, significantly expands the list available profiles automation for the processor cooler, and also provides the opportunity to create your own profile, setting, using a very visual interface, three control points on the graph of the dependence of the fan speed on the processor temperature.

In this case, in BIOS Setup, the monitoring capabilities provided by the Winbond controller are fully implemented, and utilities for Windows do not add anything new to the above list.

Ports, connectors and connectors on the surface of the board

  • Processor socket 775, all modern ones are supported and old processors for this socket from the Core 2 Duo/Quad/Extreme, Pentium 4/D/Dual-Core and Celeron/Dual-Core lines with FSB frequencies from 800 to 1600 MHz (although the 1600 MHz frequency is not officially supported by this Intel chipset), including Wolfdale/Yorkfield core models; a list of processors tested for compatibility is available on the manufacturer’s website;
  • 4 slots for DDR2 SDRAM DIMM (up to 16 GB DDR2-667/800 without ECC; dual-channel operating mode is supported - even when the slots of both channels are filled asymmetrically); list of certified modules on the manufacturer’s website;
  • 3 PCIEx16 form factor slots, 2 of which comply with the PCI-E 2.0 standard and can operate simultaneously at x8 speed to support two video accelerators in CrossFireX mode, otherwise only the first slot works in full-speed mode; the third slot operates due to the PCI-E 1.1 controller in the south bridge of the chipset, has a maximum operating speed of x4, and when using any PCIEx1 slot available on the board, it also reduces its speed to x1;
  • 2 PCIEx1 slots;
  • 2 PCI slots;
  • Power connectors: standard ATX 2.2 (24 pins, with the ability to connect a regular 20-pin ATX 2.03 connector) and 8-pin EPS12V for powering the processor (you can connect a regular 4-pin ATX12V even without an adapter);
  • FDD connector;
  • IDE (Parallel ATA) connector for 2 ATA133 devices, operated by an additional controller;
  • 8 SATA-II (Serial ATA II) connectors, 6 of which are “chipset” (for 6 SATA300 devices), the drives connected to them can be combined into a RAID array of levels 0, 1, 0+1, 5 and Matrix RAID, two more the connectors operate due to an additional controller and are designed to organize a specific RAID array;
  • 2 connectors for connecting brackets for 4 additional USB ports;
  • Connector for connecting an additional FireWire port on the bracket;
  • Connector for connecting a COM port on the bracket;
  • Block of connectors for connecting analog inputs and audio outputs on the front panel of the computer;
  • Output connector sound signal from a CD/DVD drive;
  • Connector for digital audio output S/PDIF-Out on the bracket;
  • Connector for connecting the Chassis Intrusion body tamper sensor;
  • 5 connectors for connecting fans, one of which (processor) is 4-pin; All connectors have the ability to control the number of revolutions, and for four of them there is also a function for automatically adjusting the rotation speed of the corresponding fan depending on the temperature.

Rear panel of the board (from left to right, by block)


follow the link - 3/4 view of the board from the rear panel

  • PS/2 connector for connecting a mouse or keyboard, 2 USB ports;
  • Coaxial and optical (Toslink) S/PDIF-Out connectors;
  • FireWire connector and 1 eSATA-II port;
  • 2 USB ports and 1 RJ-45 (Gigabit Ethernet);
  • 6 analog audio jacks (Line-In, Front, Mic-In, Rear, Center/Sub, Side).

Note that the board successfully implements a compromise between the desire to preserve PS/2 ports (for the most dedicated connoisseurs of old manipulators) and the need to place more various interface connectors on the rear panel. Indeed: in this case it is possible without additional cards expansion and remote strips with ports use 2 types of S/PDIF-Out, FireWire and eSATA-II, but at the same time retain 6 USB ports (well, more than one device with the PS/2 interface can only be found at junk dealers today).

Contents of delivery

    • EPU-6 Engine is a utility responsible for comprehensive regulation of system energy consumption. Can, depending on the selected operating profile, reduce or increase the frequency (and voltage) of the processor (and, together with the FSB frequency, the memory operating frequency), reduce the chipset voltage, change the operating profile automatic system regulating the rotation of fans, turn off hard disks and “put to sleep” the system. The sixth control element of this utility is the video card, but to work it requires that the video card be from the list of certified ones (and, of course, manufactured by ASUS). Note that an important part of the advertising campaign is the ability of the EPU-6 Engine to automatically reduce the number of channels used by the PWM controller of the processor power regulator (to four). Of course, this will provide some positive effect during idle time, although this technology is not provided for memory and chipset power stabilizers. We also note the obvious fact that the normal operation of energy-saving technologies in the processor provides the bulk of energy savings during idle time, so you should not expect miracles from the EPU-6 Engine: according to the test results of our foreign colleagues, the total gain will be hardly 10 W.

      As an interesting piece of information, the EPU-6 Engine displays the current power consumption of the processor (and, obviously, similar information should be provided on the video card), and for those shifted to the “green” theme, the amount of energy saved in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. (It is curious that when switching to Turbo operating mode, accounting re energy consumed is not recorded.) Let us note a very important nuance in the operation of this program: the EPU-6 Engine will refuse to start if the system is overclocked. The fact of overclocking, however, is monitored in an extremely simple way - by the state of the AI ​​Overclock Tuner switch in BIOS Setup: switching to Manual mode, even without actually changing the FSB and PCI Express frequencies, is considered overclocking. In this regard, I would like to wish ASUS to display a more informative message about the reasons for the impossibility of starting the program than what is currently implemented;

    • PC Probe II is designed to monitor temperatures, voltages and fan speeds, and can notify the user when controlled parameters exceed manually specified boundaries (the program cannot perform any more complex actions). PC Probe II also gives access to low-level polling data from DMI, PCI, WMI and clearly displays CPU, memory and disk load;
    • AI Direct Link is a program for directly connecting two computers via an Ethernet cable. The advantage is the extreme ease of setup (you only need to specify the directory that will be used for file exchange - and only if you are not satisfied with the default one), the disadvantage is extremely limited functionality (only two computers can be connected, only direct file exchange is available via a fixed directory on the hard drive). In general, if you decide to connect computers with an Ethernet cable, we would recommend organizing a normal TCP/IP local network;
    • Drive Expert - a shell for configuring the operation of a RAID array provided by the Silicon Image controller;
    • ASUS Update is responsible for flashing the BIOS from Windows, and new firmware The program can search on the manufacturer's website. As additional opportunity, before starting the firmware, the MyLogo utility is launched, which allows you to change the picture displayed on the screen during the POST procedure.

Integrated Controllers

  • Audio, based on the 8-channel HDA codec ADI (Analog Devices) AD2000B with the ability to connect 7.1 audio systems, a connector for connecting front audio inputs/outputs and S/PDIF-Out connectors;
  • 2 network, based on Marvell 88E8001 (PCI interface) and Marvell 88E8056 (PCIEx1 interface) chips, supporting speeds of 10/100/1000 Mbit/s (Gigabit Ethernet);
  • IDE/SATA-II, based on the Marvell 88SE6121 chip (PCIEx1 interface), supporting 2 ATA133 and 2 SATA300 devices; in this case, one port is implemented as eSATA, and the Silicon Image RAID controller is connected to the second;
  • SATA-II RAID, based on the Silicon Image SiI5723 chip (SATA interface), with support for 2 SATA300 devices (hard drives only), with the ability to combine them into a RAID array of levels 0 and 1.
  • FireWire, based on the LSI L-FW3227 chip (PCI interface), supporting 2 ports.

We assessed the quality of the integrated sound solution in 16-bit, 44 kHz mode using a test program and a Terratec DMX 6fire sound card:

Frequency response unevenness (in the range 40 Hz - 15 kHz), dB+0,13, −0,04 Very good
Noise level, dB (A)−94,4 Very good
Dynamic range, dB (A)92,2 Very good
Harmonic distortion,%0,0047 Very good
Harmonic distortion + noise, dB (A)−70,5 Average
Intermodulation distortion + noise, %0,045 Fine
Interpenetration of channels, dB−80,9 Very good
Intermodulation at 10 kHz, %0,023 Fine

Overall rating: Very good(). ASUS remains the only major player in the market that has not yet completely switched to audio codecs from Realtek. It cannot be said that Analog Devices audio solutions are fundamentally behind their competitors in such parameters as noise level or uneven frequency response of analog audio output, but still in this case we see a picture that is somewhat inferior to that typical of modern boards with HDA codecs. However, let’s not forget that the implementation features of the audio path (the length of the track from the DAC to the connector on the rear panel, the filter capacitors used, etc.) have a greater influence on the final sound quality than the choice of codec.

At the same time, most modern Realtek solutions have a number of “additional” functions that are interesting to the home user (such as a set of DTS technologies implemented in drivers and on-the-fly encoding of the audio stream in AC-3 for output via the S/PDIF interface), including certification of their technologies Dolby laboratories. The ADI AD2000B audio codec used in this case does not have such capabilities, although a couple of interesting functions are implemented in the drivers for Windows Vista.

The Marvell 88SE6121 controller used on the board is well known to our readers, as it is used on many modern boards based on Intel chipsets, which do not have built-in (chipset) PATA support. In this case, we can only confirm that this IDE controller performed in the best way, without creating the slightest problem with identifying the optical drive when booting the system and under Windows, allowing you to successfully boot from a CD, etc. In addition, the Internet conferences are full of information that the SATA controller of this Marvell chip successfully implements eSATA ports (for which it is usually used).

The Drive Expert technology, which is implemented on the board through the use of the Silicon Image RAID controller, deserves a separate story. By and large, the functionality of this controller cannot be called unique: it organizes 2 SATA or eSATA ports and allows you to create a RAID array of levels 0 or 1 from two connected hard drives. A nice feature of the controller is that there is no need for drivers, which apparently seemed to be the case ASUS engineers are so attractive. Complementing this fact with the ability to reorganize the RAID array using BIOS Setup (the traditional method for RAID controllers), a utility for Windows (or another OS) and even a special utility in the Splashtop shell (Express Gate), ASUS truly offers users a “one-button” solution, which does not require any special knowledge or fiddling with drivers and settings. Otherwise, we repeat, the Drive Expert technology is nothing unique, and some of the capabilities of the Silicon Image controller were even sacrificed for the sake of simplicity.

Proprietary technologies and features

Of course, the board has a huge number of proprietary technologies, some of which are unique, but we tried to talk about all of them in the appropriate places in our review. Here we list only the two remaining unmentioned:

  • Power/reset buttons on the board make it easy to perform the corresponding actions without resorting to the front panel of the computer; in addition, illuminated onboard buttons indicate the system is on;
  • DieHard BIOS: Two copies of the BIOS in different flash ROM chips ensure that this system component is virtually invulnerable to firmware errors.

Settings

Using jumpers and buttonsJumper to clear CMOS contents
A set of jumpers to enable the possibility of supplying increased voltage to the processor and north bridge
From BIOS based on version 2.61 from AMIAbility to disable specific processor functions+ Hyper-Threading, Thermal Management (TM2), Enhanced Halt State, Execute Disable Bit, Virtualization Technology, Enhanced SpeedStep
Memory timing settings+ By SPD, CAS Latency Time, DRAM RAS to CAS Delay, DRAM RAS Precharge, Precharge Delay, T WR, T WTR, T RRD, T RTP, T RFC and a couple of dozen more timings, but without the ability to set the DRAM Command Rate!
Selecting memory frequency+ Auto or set a multiplier relative to the FSB frequency (in this case, the resulting DDR2 frequency is immediately selected, which is very clear): a very large list of multipliers is available, allowing, for example, at an FSB frequency of 800 MHz, to set the effective memory operating frequency: 533, 639, 667, 709, 800, 852, 887, 1066, 1200 MHz
Ability to set frequency for peripheral buses+ PCI-E = 100-180 MHz in 1 MHz steps
Manual assignment of interrupts to slots-
Changing the FSB frequency+ 200-800 MHz in 1 MHz steps
Changing the processor multiplier+ only integer values
Changing CPU Core Voltage+ Auto, 0.85000-1.70000 V in steps of 0.00625 (up to 2.1 V after switching the corresponding jumper)
Changing Memory Voltage+ Auto, 1.80-3.08 V in 0.02 V steps
Changing chipset voltage+ for the north bridge: Auto, 1.10-1.90 V in steps of 0.02 V (up to 2.2 V after switching the corresponding jumper);
for south bridge: Auto, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 V
FSB voltage change+ Auto, 1.20-1.90 V in 0.02 V steps

We used BIOS version 1306 dated 08/20/08, which was the latest available at the time of testing. The listed BIOS features are available in the specified firmware; the functionality of non-standard settings has not been tested.

The board allows you to press a certain key during the POST procedure to call up a menu for selecting a boot device, which makes it possible to conveniently perform a one-time boot, for example, from a CD drive, without making corresponding changes in the BIOS Setup. In case of overclocking of the system and the inability to boot (and with a configurable number of attempts), the board automatically starts with default settings, without changing the settings in BIOS Setup, which is very convenient for making corrections.

Two utilities are integrated into the board's BIOS. The first (EZ Flash 2) is a program often found in products from other manufacturers for flashing BIOS from disk, and not only floppy disks and (a less common function) USB flash drives are supported as media, but also hard drives, but always with the FAT file system ; In any case, there is no need to make the storage medium a system one. The BIOS profile save/load function provides convenience when experimenting with overclocking, since most of the settings can be quickly returned to the selected state immediately after clearing the CMOS. In BIOS Setup, only 2 profiles are available for saving and loading, but the built-in OC Profile utility also allows you to use profiles stored as files on disk (similarly, the limitation is only in the FAT file system).

Of course, for overclocking fans, ASUS offers a huge number fine adjustments, list full list which without trying to analyze how important these settings are and what their real impact is on the success of overclocking is probably pointless. Let's highlight just a few that are rarely found in mid-range motherboards.

Thus, the user can “adjust” the operation of the board’s clock generator by changing the signal shape: CPU Clock Skew and MCH Clock Skew = Auto, 100-1500 ps. Additionally, GTL Reference Voltage can be changed for each processor core and chipset northbridge in a wide range with very small steps, as well as CPU PLL Voltage (1.50-2.78 V in 0.02 V steps) and PCI-E SATA Voltage (1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 V). Load-Line Calibration and CPU Margin Enhancement settings are also available; for each DRAM memory module CLK Skew on Channel A1-B2 (−350 to +350 ps); you can enable/disable DRAM Static Read Control, DRAM Read Training, AI Clock Twister, AI Transaction Booster.

Performance

348 346 343 FarCry (Highest@1600×1200), fps179 178 181 179 181 Doom 3 (Low@640×480), fps208 208 208 205 203 Doom 3 (Highest@1600×1200), fps179 179 180 178 179

As one would expect, in none of the tests performed there is a noticeable difference between the boards (even those based on different chipsets) - this is completely consistent with the picture that has emerged recently.

Bottom line

With a retail price of around $200 at the time of the article’s announcement, the ASUS P5Q Deluxe, in our opinion, deserves a definite recommendation for those who are, in principle, willing to spend such amounts on a motherboard. This model fully implements the functionality of the chipset, significantly expanding it, and at the same time adds so many interesting and useful functions with its proprietary technologies, that we cannot help but honor the board with a site award for original design. Equally important are the excellent selection of electronic components and full support for beautiful and easy-to-use proprietary software. In short, this is one of the most interesting top-end models based on the Intel P45. It is also worth paying attention to a slightly simplified version of P5Q Deluxe - P5Q-E, and for those who want to join DDR3 - P5Q3 Deluxe.

The board was provided for testing by the manufacturer.
The ATI Radeon HD 3870 video card was provided for testing by the company

The motherboard is the base that allows you to build an excellent system. Of course, the strongest devices paired with a weak motherboard never work at full capacity. Therefore, if the user is determined to build a decent, powerful PC, then he will have to start by choosing a good platform. This has always been the case, even when the choice of motherboards was scarce. The reviewed PRO Turbo model has been on the market since 2009. She acquired new products from the world of technology and took another step towards the current modern options.

Idea

At that time, motherboards were supplied in small quantities. Of course they were introduced different manufacturers, but relative to the current state of affairs we can say that the market was poorly filled. Then Gigabyte decided to introduce the user to its proprietary Ultra Durable technology, which immediately received a positive response.

Asus decided to keep up with its competitors and release its new product along with the new Xtreme Design. In addition to the fact that the new functions were quite useful, their fashionable names helped promote models that became endowed with advantages. This is exactly what the PRO Turbo motherboard became.

The essence of this development is a new board design. It has been specifically designed to ensure performance, stability and system integrity. Introduced updated overclocking potential.

Package

The products were delivered in a bright box with graphic elements. Made in blue color showing all available technologies, functions and characteristics. So, the name of the model was on the front, there was a description of the main advantages and an indication of dry numbers. There were more specifications at the back. A photo of the motherboard was also included. The main indicators were also displayed using graphic icons.

The packaging was spacious, so there was hope that in addition to the platform, there were many useful accessories inside. In fact, there weren't many gifts. In addition to the manual and instructions, there was a CD with drivers, several cables for SATA and UltraDMA, an ASUS Q-Connector and a panel cover.

Appearance

If anyone was familiar with ASUS P5Q PRO, they could easily recognize it in appearance. But there were still some peculiarities. Now the latches random access memory do not block the installation location of video cards. But if you change the RAM when the platform is installed in the PC case, some problems will arise. Not everyone will be able to get to memory modules so easily.

Several radiators are responsible for the cooling system. P5Q PRO Turbo has an aluminum radiator, which is painted to look like copper. Naturally, to make the system more efficient, it is advisable to purchase a good cooler for increased ventilation in the case. If someone wants to experiment with overclocking, then it is advisable to devote even more time to this point.

This model has an additional radiator for power elements. But the base itself remained unchanged. Polymer capacitors are used nearby, and there are also chokes with a ferromagnetic core, which was quite common at that time.

The power stabilizer is controlled by an eight-phase circuit that powers the central processor. It is equipped with proprietary technology from the manufacturer, which allows you to save more energy under heavy loads. This technology works through EPU circuits and allows you to adjust the number of active phases relative to the system load. The power supply circuit is made according to the VRD specification.

An interesting change concerns the 3.5" connector, which was previously designed to connect a floppy drive. This model does not have it, so when purchasing there were often complaints from those users who did not finish reading the specification. There are also fewer SATA ports, though only by one unit.

Noticeable is the use of proprietary development Drive Xpert, which deals with automatic data backup. The board contains a special JMicron JMB361 controller, which helps the PATA and SATA connectors function.

Details

It is also important to keep an eye on the expansion slots of the Asus P5Q PRO Turbo. The instructions indicate all available connectors and also help in connecting devices. There are two noticeable spaces on the board for PCIE x16, which easily made it possible to use AMD CrossFireX technology. There are also slots for expansion cards, implemented in five formats: two PCI and three PCIE x1.

Of course, there was a place on the board and cooling system. The only thing users encountered were problems with fastening. If the cooler was attached with metal plates, then this would cause the board to fail.

The place that is responsible for sound codecs is also noticeable. It was implemented in this case using VIA VT1708S microcircuits and easily provided audio output to 7.1 channels.

The interface panel was more than full. There were all the necessary slots and connectors. So there was a place to connect a keyboard and mouse, implemented by PS/2 ports, there were six USB ports version 2.0, there was also a place to connect an Internet cable, and three pairs of audio connectors. The RJ-45, S/PDIF and

BIOS

This is another integral part Asus review P5Q PRO Turbo. The BIOS comes with a wide range of management options. Settings can be adjusted and changed. The main section here is AI Tweaker, since it is here that the system performance is tuned.

To manage processor technologies, you can go to several menus at once. So this includes the menu CPU TM, Intel SpeedStep, etc. The processor multiplier is adjusted in CPU Ratio Settings. In this model, its range is from 6. You can change in steps of 1 and 0.5. The latter option applies to cores with a 45 nm process technology.

In the FSB Frequency menu, you change the frequency of the system bus, the range of which is from 200 to 800 MHz, in steps of 1. Next to it, in the PCIE Frequency menu, you can adjust the frequency of the PCI-e bus, which is configured according to the same principle, but the range is small - 100-180 MHz .

The BIOS PRO Turbo setting allows you to adjust the memory speed from the DRAM Frequency menu, the maximum value is 1066. You can also configure timings, sub-timings and the memory subsystem.

A huge selection in this menu is presented for voltage adjustment. Here the current supply to the processor, clock chip, bus, RAM, south and north bridges changes. The permissible adjustment steps, as well as the range for each of these parameters, are indicated nearby. There is also a function setting in the BIOS that compensates for voltage during system boot. It has three modes: auto, on and off.

Of course, these are not all the parameters that can be adjusted. But still, working with BIOS is quite dangerous, since for inexperienced users it can lead to problems, system failure and incorrect operation. Therefore, before you configure anything yourself, you need to thoroughly study the essence of the issue.

Testing

Naturally, when the Asus P5Q PRO Turbo motherboard hit the market, it went through all sorts of standardized tests to accurately determine its capabilities and needs. These experiments also helped identify errors and shortcomings. Despite the fact that motherboard testing often depends on the system as a whole, on the video card, processor, hard drive and other elements, yet the average indicators are at the same level.

So the new product was put through PCMARK’05 where it showed not the worst results and was on par with other models such as MSI P45-8D and Asus P5 QC. It showed itself exactly in the CrystalMark test, where it also showed the result of the “golden mean”.

Testing FPS in games of that time also showed good results, although again everything depends on the rest of the hardware inside. But we managed to squeeze out our 122 fps in Battlefield 2. As in other equally cool games.

The testing of sound capabilities also performed well. The noise level, dynamic range, etc. received a good rating. The unevenness of the frequency response, harmonic distortion and interpenetration of channels showed themselves to be excellent. As a result, according to the average rating, it was possible to reveal that with settings of 16-bit, 44 kHz, the sound of the system is excellent. Naturally, it also turned out to be good at 24-bit, 192 kHz.

After testing, we were able to notice that the version turned out to be somewhat weaker than its predecessor Asus P5Q PRO, but if you install both motherboards, you may not notice the difference.

Overclocking

To improve the performance of the Asus P5Q PRO Turbo, you should study the overclocking potential of the motherboard. Specialists immediately showed interest in abnormal modes, which hinted at the safety margin of the components. As a result, overclocking showed itself in an interesting way and individually for each system.

With a dual-core chip, the frequency rose to 537 MHz, and the quad-core processor began to operate at a speed of 500 MHz. If we compare these indicators with Asus version P5Q PRO, then it becomes clear that installing an additional radiator on the power elements was worth it and was not in vain.

Wide range of possibilities

Overall, the Asus P5Q PRO Turb motherboard turned out to be excellent. Its review does not end with the above. Manufacturers also presented a special software package that manages the energy consumption of the system.

The program has special profile modes, each of which is configured and can be adjusted. Here you can manage system components. Four modes can be adjusted manually, and the fifth is designed for automatic switching. There is also a special function called Climate Savers, which calculates the volume of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.

Automatic overclocking

We also note ASUS Turbo Key - this is automatic overclocking software that instantly improves the system with one button, although in general you can also configure everything individually. If problems arise, you can also stop everything with one button and return the PC to its original state.

The disc also contains ASUS Turbo V for Asus P5Q PRO Turbo. Using it you can overclock from the OS. There are not as many parameters here as in the BIOS, but it is possible to regulate some individual characteristics.

SE2 allow us to classify this motherboard as a premium-level device. It is based on one of the most productive chipsets within the LGA775 framework - P45. But at the same time, the reduced level of functionality can significantly reduce the cost of the component. Therefore, it can be found as part of budget computing systems. This is a universal motherboard.

Specialization

As noted above, the characteristics of the ASUS P5Q SE2 belong to the category of the most universal solutions. The year of release of this computer component is 2008. At that time, it was at the forefront of Intel’s product range. Accordingly, its chips for this processor socket made it possible to assemble personal computers with various purposes. These could also be office PCs that processed only the most simple information. Also, on the basis of this board it was possible to assemble an average-speed computer. To do this, it was necessary to install Core 2Duo series chips in its socket or in combination with a high-performance discrete video card. In addition, LGA775 made it possible to assemble high-performance computing devices. In this case, the specified motherboard must work in conjunction with a Core 2Quad CPU.

Equipment

The owners characterize this solution very positively from the configuration point of view. The manufacturer included in it not only the main components that allow it to be immediately used as part of a PC, but also additional ones. The latter significantly simplify the process of assembling a new personal computer.

The supply list for this computer component included the following:

  • ASUS P5Q SE motherboard.
  • Russian instructions in paper form.
  • Warranty card.
  • A special plug with a dielectric coating for mounting the device into a PC case.
  • A separate adapter for supplying power to devices with a SATA interface.
  • One cable for connecting drives with an IDE port.
  • A standard DVD is a disc that contains not only documentation, but also drivers.
  • One cable for connecting a floppy disk reader and writer.
  • A set of convectors for simplified connection of the PC front panel.

Layout

ASUS Specifications P5Q SE2 belongs to the ATX category devices. Its length is 305 mm and width is 193 mm. The key element of the board is the LGA775 processor socket. It is located almost at the very top. To the right of it are grouped four slots for installing RAM modules. The main communication ports are located on the opposite side. Immediately below the socket there is a small aluminum radiator with the company logo in blue. The north bridge of the chipset is “hidden” under it. To the left of it is the main power connector, and just below is the slot for installing a graphics adapter. Next are the expansion slots and the south bridge of the chipset. At the very bottom of the board there are communication ports for connecting drives and connectors on the front panel of the case.

Chipset characteristics, processor socket

The characteristics of the ASUS P5Q SE2 motherboard, as previously noted, indicated that it was based on the P45 set. The latter was made according to a layout that is outdated today, which includes two separate components. One of them is the P45 chip, which acts as a north bridge. It connects the processor, RAM and peripheral devices connected to the communication ports. The second component of this chipset is ICH10. This chip was called. It was responsible for the interaction of controllers installed in expansion slots and drives with other elements of the PC. It is also necessary to note that this board was equipped with an LGA775 connector. This socket is currently completely obsolete.

CPU Models

The instructions for the ASUS P5Q SE motherboard indicate the presence of a fairly large number of supported microprocessor models. Actually, there are no restrictions regarding the brand of CPU in this case. Therefore, the following chip models can be installed in the processor socket:

  1. Processors of the Celeron and Celeron D series allow you to assemble with minimal costs office PCs. They were suitable for processing office documents, web browsing and playing multimedia content. The difference between these two families is that in the first case there is one computing module, and in the second there are two.
  2. Microprocessors of the Pentium D line offered higher performance. Therefore, they can be found even in entry-level gaming PCs. But at the same time, the total cost of the computing system increases significantly.
  3. Core 2Duo chips are used in mid-range PCs. These can be gaming computers, workstations, and even economy-class servers.
  4. You can also install Core 2Quad in such a motherboard. Such a chip necessarily includes four separate cores and provides very high performance.
  5. The P5Q SE socket can accommodate Core 2 Extreme microprocessors with an unlocked multiplier. But in this case it will not be possible to significantly overclock such a CPU. To do this, it is better to use X48-based solutions with an improved power supply system.

A processor from any of the previously mentioned families can be installed in this model motherboard, and she will be able to work with him without any problems. And you don’t even need to update the BIOS to a newer version for this.

RAM

The ASUS P5Q SE PLUS motherboard is equipped with four slots for installing RAM modules. The characteristics indicate that it can address four modules of four gigabytes each. That is, a computer based on it can address up to 16GB of RAM.

Moreover, the slots allow the installation of only DDR2 standard strips. The recommended operating frequencies for the latter are 667, 800, 1,066 and 1,200 MHz. If you seek help special utilities, then you can overclock the RAM modules to 1,333 MHz. Due to this operation, the performance of the computer as a whole will slightly increase.

Expansion slots

This computer component boasts quite good communication capabilities. The set of expansion slots includes the following:

  1. One separate blue connector for mounting a discrete graphics accelerator PCI-E16x. That is, such a PC can only have one video accelerator. Now let's figure out which video cards are supported by the ASUS P5Q SE PLUS motherboard. You can install any accelerator with a PCI-E16x connector in its slot. That is, even a GeForce 1080Ti can function as part of such a PC. But based on performance and component load, it is better to use outdated and less productive accelerators.
  2. Three white PCI slots. They are used to connect currently outdated controllers. This could be a TV tuner or an additional network card.
  3. There are also two PCI-E slots in white. In this case, new modifications of external controllers must be installed.

Communication ports

The characteristics of the ASUS P5Q SE2 allow us to focus on a fairly large set of communication ports. The manufacturer included the following:

  1. Six ports of USB versions 1.1/2.0 allow you to connect almost any modern peripheral device.
  2. There are also two separate PS2 sockets. One of them is used to receive information from the manipulator, and the second is used from the keyboard.
  3. One integrated RJ-45 port allows you to connect your PC directly to a computer network.
  4. There is also a set of acoustic connectors for connecting an external acoustic subsystem to the computer.
  5. Separately, it should be noted that there are six SATA ports. With their help, the motherboard can interact with any modern drive.
  6. The IDE connector completes this list. Up to two legacy drives can be connected to it.
  7. You should also note the presence of an FDD port, to which an outdated floppy drive is connected.
  8. In addition, the motherboard has one connector for an external COM port.

Front Panel Connection

Now let's look at the pinout of the ASUS P5Q SE PLUS motherboard, which allows it to be connected to the front panel of the computer case. All connectors necessary for these purposes are located in the lower right corner of the board and are neatly grouped. The markings of each of them, as well as the connected element, are given in the table.

Price

You can still buy this computer component from warehouse stocks in World Wide Web. Moreover, the price is quite affordable and amounts to 3,600 rubles. But it is incorrect to assemble a new computer based on LGA775 now. This platform was outdated and after it the Intel processor lineup was updated many times. Accordingly, the performance of such computing systems is at a very low level. But in the event of a failure of a motherboard based on the LGA775 socket, the purchase of the PC component discussed in this material becomes justified and completely justified. This will allow you to “revive” your old computer with minimal investment.