Test Setup & Software

• Motherboard: ASUS P5E3-Premium
• Processor: Intel C2D E8400
• Processor Cooling: Thermalright Ultra-120
• Memory: Corsair Dominator 2x1GB PC3-14400
• Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower 750W
• Video Card: HIS HD3870X2 512MB
• Additional Fans: 120mm AD1212MS-A73GL 2050RPM/80.5CFM
• Hard Drive: 1 x Seagate 7200.9 80GB SATAII 8MB cache
• OS: Windows XP SP2 (with all updates) / Windows Vista SP1 (with all updates)

As with the last motherboard review, all testing will occur in an open bench setup to ensure complete control over motherboard and component cooling. The image to the right is an accurate portrayal of how the setup remained throughout testing. The 120mm fan was angled to cool the memory but also provided a bit of support to the chipset cooling on the motherboard.

During installation of the hardware there were absolutely no issues. The Thermalright 120-Ultra fit in either direction despite the four sided heat sink assembly and taller Corsair Dominator memory. The height of the motherboard heat sinks surrounding the CPU socket fit easily under the outstretched arms of the large cooler. Anything shorter, however, would definitely have issues.

Continuing forward, we will take a quick look at the software that comes with the P5E3-Premium with a particular interest in the WIFI capabilities of this twin antenna setup. The initial ASUS software is un-changed from those of the past and is very straight forward. There are a couple tabs along the top of a small window and the options listed for each tab on the page. There were no issues to note when installing the standard drivers like the Intel chipset, network controllers, or the audio drivers. Everything installed smoothly and the next item we wanted to look at was the WiFi-AP Solo @n, which is just a long name for wireless software.

The above sequence is that of switching from the original Client mode that we find ourselves in after the software installs. Setting up WEP as well as manual IP and DNS was very easy and within a minute or two we found our private SSID and were online and surfing our network. It was then time to switch to AP mode which was no more than a click of the mouse away.

Again, setting up the software for SSID and security options was extremely simple. It took about five minutes total, but without frustration, we now had the P5E3-Premium acting as an access point and supplying a much better WiFi service to the laptops used in the office than the cheap D-Link consumer level wireless G router that has been in use for years. The only issue was that of getting the wireless clients to access the network resources like the various NAS devices, print servers, and other machines. Personal lack of networking knowledge may have been the root cause for this issue though. All basic connectivity was easily setup and the simple interface was really easy to work with. Perhaps a little simple for some, but overall nicely implemented.

This is just a quick look at the wireless connection in client mode connecting to said D-Link wireless router at the 54Mbps G standard showing the full 1200KBps download speed from some NVIDIA servers. This is the maximum download speed available on our network, wireless or wired. The overall latency was quite good and there were no real issues found when working in any of the wireless modes. The option for turning the ASUS P5E3-Premium into an Access Point is a unique feature and not likely one widely utilized but a nice little feature we found fun. Being the new draft N is even better, we are sorry we weren't able to test properly with a matching wireless N router.