Now that all the USB 3.0 news, press releases, and product announcements are done, we can start to see some products rolling in to review. What this means is that the new P55 and X58 motherboards out there with USB 3.0 and SATA3 features can finally be put to some good use.
Take the ASUS P7P55D-E Pro Motherboard for example. It’s pretty much the paternal twin to the ASUS P7P55D Pro we reviewed a couple months ago. That single “E” is a powerful little vowel that indicates the platform provides both USB 3.0 and SATA3 support. Aside from these features let’s find out if the “E” stands for anything else.
Features and Specifications
What makes the Pro series stand out among others are the features built in to the platform. This includes the ASUS 16 Hybrid Phase technology with 12+2 Phase power design with extra T.Probes that monitors and manage the PWM. This allows for more power efficient performance especially when using TurboV EVO for some serious overclocking. More on that later.
Two exclusive features making a return are MemOK! and ASUS EPU. MemOK! will automatically find the memory settings needed for a successful boot. This comes in handy if you just installed some new memory and aren’t familiar with the BIOS options to set it up. ASUS EPU (energy processing unit) manages the system’s power requirements in real time for more efficient use so you can stay “green”.
Both boards also offer a VIA VT1828S 8-Channel HD Audio Codec. The drivers support features like Absolute Pitch 192/24 ENVY HD. You also get DTS Surround, as well as Coaxial and Optical S/PDIF out ports in the back. In past testing, the Codec’s features have proven decent for HD content playback, but only average regular audio playback. Such are the common traits of integrated audio.
Naturally, the boards offer the same exact number JMIcron JMB363 controlled SATA 2, UDMA (IDE), eSATA, and Firewire storage ports as well as P55 supported USB 2.0 ports. However, the D-E Pro model gets 2 Marvell controlled SATA 3 ports and 2 NEC controlled USB 3.0 ports.
The D-E also loses an x4 PCIe slot, but retains two x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots. Keep in mind that these slots run at x8/x8 when running two graphics cards in SLI or CrossfireX. Honestly, even we haven’t used the extra x4 PCIe slot on the original P7P55D Pro due to the realistic use of the platform which was just gaming.
What’s in the Box?
Bundles have been increasingly light these days. That’s not so surprising given the economy. But, if we’re not going to get a full package, perhaps we could get some usable extras like a handy USB flash drive, or at least make the bundled cabling a little flashier.
Despite thinning motherboard bundles, ASUS includes at least 4 black SATA cables. Can’t go wrong with black if you’re keeping with a theme. Asus also includes the standard flat ATA and Floppy cables as well as a PCI bracket that offers 2 more SATA and 1 eSATA port. And, yes, there’s a flexible SLI/Crossfire Bridge included for the hardcore gamers.
There’s also a handy user guide and IO plate which you may or may not need to get set up. It’s a pretty standard manual, so take your time and read slowly if needed. Most commonly, users have questions about which memory slots to use first and when to use the flexible SLI/Crossfire Bridge. We’ll save you the time: use the light blue slots for dual module memory kits. And, only use the Bridge when you’re running two identical video cards.
TurboV EVO
TurboV EVO is both a hardware and software overclocking software. Next to the DIMM slots is a TurboV chip that essentially monitors the system while using the EVO software to manipulate frequencies, Bus clocks, voltages, and timings.
Since some folks aren’t comfortable using the manual EVO settings to overclock, you can use Auto Tuning Mode(s). Fast Tuning automatically goes straight for just overclocking the CPU. Extreme Tuning automatically overclocks the CPU and memory. Once EVO indicates the overclock is stable, you have the option to keep it. Or, if the auto detected overclock just isn’t quite enough, you can use Custom Tuning which allows you to push voltages and frequencies a bit higher manually. This is usually out on the hairy edge of some really extreme overclocking. So, good luck!
Turbo Key is an interesting little software feature that allows you to bind keys for overclocking. Just set your key configurations and you can overclock on the fly when you need it. Just don’t get too carried away, or you’ll crash your system.
The Layout of P7P55D-E Pro
This birds eye view gives you a better look at the attractive black and blue theme. At first, I wasn’t too sure about the silver on blue PWM and chipset heat sinks. But, they’ve grown on me.
The main things to point out about the layout is that there’s ample CPU socket room for the largest CPU tower coolers available. There’s no capacitors or heat sinks close enough to interfere. If you can find a massive towering cooler that you like it’ll fit.
The PCI and PCIe slots are all arranged in a nice configuration based on realistic use. Having the extra space between the video cards also equates to better air flow which extends the life of any electronic component.
Some of the industry standard features include horizontal SATA and UDMA ports. That way cables run off the side of the board and don’t conflict with video cards. Even the two extra SATA ports by the DIMM slots are at least in a location that won’t interfere with anything.
What we do miss is on this board are power and reset buttons. They work good for us for testing or for gamers who happen to have an exposed gaming system. Sometimes it’s nice to not have to worry about the front panel wiring. But, again, these aren’t always a necessary feature. You at least have the ASUS Q-Connector which allows you to pre-populate a dummy plug so you don’t have to squeeze your fingers inside and bend pins.
Test System Setup
Not one issue popped up during installation. And, I have no complaints about how the motherboard interacts with all the components. It even loved the Corsair Dominator 1600MHz CAS 8 memory running at CAS 7. We call this a win!
Here’s the system’s specs:
- Intel Core i5 661 Clarkdale LGA1156 Processor
- Cooling by: Thermalright MUX-120
- ASUS P7P55D-E Pro Motherboard
- Intel DP55KG Kingsberg Motherboard
- Corsair Dominator 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 Memory @ 1333MHz
- Zotac Geforce GTX280 1GB Videocard (DX10)
- Kingston SSDNow V+ Series 128GB SSD (Rev 1.1)
- Antec SG-850 Power Supply
Since Intel processors officially support 1333MHz DDR3 memory, we felt it a good idea to match that frequency when testing CPUs or motherboards. We’re also performed testing with Intel Turbo Tech enabled because it is a feature built in to the CPU and is fully supported by the motherboards. However, this was disabled during overclocking to ensure stability.
All testing was done under Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with all the latest updates. Our benchmarks will include: Benchmarks: PCMark Vantage, SANDRA CPU, 3DMark Vantage, Cinebench R11.5, Crysis, Heaven Demo, and RightMark Audio. Let’s get to it.
Overclocking
Before overclocking right away, we double checked three DDR3 memory kits clocking in at 1600MHz, 2000MHz, and 2133MHz to see if the platform can handle XMP profiles up to the platform’s supported 2200MHz. There weren’t any problems with 1600 or 2000MHz. However, 2133 to 2200MHz is going to require a hands on approach to reach that frequency.
The EVO software was great up to about 170 to 175 CPU Bus Speed depending on the voltages picked. Anything higher was unstable pointing to some of the OS’s limitations. Getting our OC on through the BIOS produced much better results topping out at 180MHz with Auto and OC selected BIOS options.
In the end, it appears the CPU held back the system a bit. We were able to hit 193 CPU Bus bringing the processor to a very healthy 4.45GHz at 1.385 VCore and manually applying 1.65 volts to the memory. Yep, that should do just fine. Now on with the benchmarks!
PCMark Vantage
There’s not much excitement here. The reference and Pro platforms offer a little give and take most likely due to enabling the Turbo Tech feature. The Pro is a bit more aggressive in the end.
SANDRA CPU
Again, we see the Pro steps ahead just a bit no doubt due to its more aggressive tuning. The overclocked results were much better and give you an idea of the Pro’s capabilities. Suffice it to say, the DP55KG couldn’t match the Pro, so they weren’t included.
3DMark Vantage
Once again, the Pro just passes the KG all around. Plus, the Pro transforms the Core i5 661 into a new processor when overclocked. Pretty impressive to say the least.
Cinebench R11.5
It’s going to take some time getting use to the Cinebench R11.5 point scoring system. Even though we’re only talking about pennies here, you get an idea of where the Pro scores in regards to the reference board.
Heaven Demo
Here, we get to see a little more of the Pro’s finer tuning. We get a better overall score though with comparable average frame rates. That, of course, changes when the system is overclocked, providing us with a sizable 4 frame per second lead over the others with the P7P55D-E Pro.
Crysis
Crysis is still a heavily graphic dependent game. Stock platform frequencies don’t say as much as the overclocked settings. It’s nice to know there’s something still underneath the hood when you want it though.
Biohazard 5 Benchmark
We’re always happy to try out something new if it helps our readers. Biohazard 5 benchmark is a free down loadable graphics test if you want to see where you system weighs in on the performance scale. This means that you won’t have to buy it to see how your system might potentially stack up to our test rigs.
Giving it a go on the P7P55D-E Pro, we got very playable frame rates even with the details turned up. It does even better overclocked! Woot!
RightMark Audio
To give you an idea how the integrated Via VT1828S audio Codec performs, we’ve compared it to a Realtek ALC890 Codec. In simple terms, the higher the dBA, the more audible the volume levels. And, the lower the distortion, the clearer the quality of audio at all levels.
Here, we have the VT1828S using the latest software drivers. This result actually supports the audio experience we observed during good old fashioned ear sampling. Expect very clear audio whether it be gaming or watching a movie. Just, don’t expect rich frequencies at higher volumes.
The Realtek ALC890 provides a more voluminous audio experience. However, that can come at a price as you reach the upper levels. The distortion becomes a bit more noticeable the higher the volume goes.
The trade off here is that the Via solution gives you much less noise without high volumes. The Realtek solution gives you high volumes with a little more noise. This seems to be typical when using an integrated audio Codec. If you want the best of both worlds, you’ll want to consider picking up a discrete audio card. If you’re super picky about your headphone audio, the ASUS Essence STX is really the only game in town.
Motherboard Input/Output Features
We’ve seen the P7P55D-E Premium motherboard offer good SATA3 performance right out of the gate while other vendors have struggled. The latest SATA3 driver available for the P7P55D-E Pro is the 1127 while the Premium motherboard has an 1130 version on file. Since both boards utilize the same Marvell 9123 controller, both versions were tested.
Since the Intel DP55KG doesn’t support SATA3, we threw in another motherboard which does support it just for a live fire comparison. In this case, that would be the GA-P55A-UD6 board from GIGABYTE, which we’ll be grilling on its own in a review coming up really soon.
The 1127 driver provided sporadic results very similar to the P55A-UD6. However, the 1130 driver improved performance dramatically. Topping out at almost 350MB/s for SATA3 in Sequential tests, the 1130 driver is definitely the way to go. It bested both the 1127 driver results and the results from the GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD6 board. Either way, this is the driver you’ll want to use. Seek it out. Download it. Install it. FTW.
Also worth noting are the USB 3.0 results. They literally destroy the USB 2.0 results in every possible way. Both boards though are pretty much neck and neck as far as results. This is likely due to the fact that they both use the same NEC USB 3.0 chip as do all the other boards on the market.
Final Thoughts
Does the E Stand for Excellent? I’m not sure that it’s completely excellent, but it’s darn sure a much sweeter platform with USB 3.0 and SATA3 support. A little cross model driver finesse went a long way to improve the platform’s performance and we’re not sure why both boards don’t get the same driver revision on their driver pages. Perhaps it’s a way to distinguish the Premium boards from the PRO boards? I’m not sure. Either way, a driver is an easy way to upgrade so no harm no foul.
The stock performance of the P7P55D-E PRO alone is pretty nice, allowing INTEL’s i5 to stretch its legs with the Turbo feature enabled. This feature really does shine when put into the hands of a well built board. This equates to some extra overclocking room when you wish to get into the BIOS and do it yourself. Still, with the help of the MemOK! and Turbo EVO, anyone (including the novice) should be able to go from stock to hero in the press of a few buttons, making it a good board for hours of overclocking fun and experimentation.
Overall, the ASUS P7P55D-E Pro Motherboard brings a nice refresh to the LGA1156 P55 series platforms. Stability and reliability are top notch. Inexperienced users should find working with this $189 US motherboard a respectable and easy experience, but that price also places the board within the pricier enthusiast’s bracket. But then, this is a board intended for Pros who hunger for performance and it definitely delivers.
Pros
- Enthusiast’s theme
- Strong performance and worthy overclocking
- Supports USB 3.0 and SATA3 well
- MemOK! and EVO featured
- Stable, reliable, and well tuned
Cons
- New SATA3 drivers needed on disc and linked online
- Pro platform requires a Pro premium
Overall Rating: 8.75 / 10.0
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