ASRock P45R2000-WiFi Motherboard Review

Long-term Impressions & Conclusion

Long-term Impressions

Overall, the long-term impressions of the ASRock P45R2000-WiFi are largely positive. Solid capacitors and overall build quality are quite strong, the chipset very runs cool, and voltage is stable. On the negative side voltage regulation and the BIOS need work so the board is not really an overclocker’s dream.

Solid caps are said to be more durable than older style caps and the board seems to be designed on a solid platform so we have no concerns there. Chipset and mosfet temperatures remain very low, even using the highest voltages available for NB and running orthos to produce heat. Cool parts are generally durable parts and we have no long-term worries whatsoever seeing a chipset running under 40C.

Speaking with ASRock tech support the clocking issues were said to be memory compatibility related, but even with two BIOS updates the issues remain for all memory kits we use for testing (both DDR2 and DDR3). For the long-term, it appears that ASRock is willing to work on the BIOS but at this time it is impossible to predict if memory issues will be resolved. Additionally, voltage settings labelled as high, medium and low are not ideal and vdroop could use some work. Hopefully in the next BIOS update ASRock will fix the memory issues and change the NB, SB, PLL, and VTT voltages to actual voltages instead of settings like “high” which really leave too much guessing room for many users’ comfort.


Conclusion

In terms of motherboard features for a low price, ASRock has a sure winner with the P45R2000-WiFi. The board provides users with CrossFire support, 7.1 HD audio, WiFi capabilities, overclocking and monitoring software and many other perks. All the features tested in this review worked as promised and setup was quite straightforward. As showcased in the CrossFire tests, the improvements when running CrossFire on a P45 chipset board and an overclocked system were nothing short of outstanding. Overclocking was not very user friendly due to issues with memory, but even with the problems an overclock of 33% was achieved, which is nothing to complain about. Adding to the benefits of CrossFire, great audio, and WiFi - Hybrid DDR2/DDR3 and out-of-the box support for Intel’s latest processors give an average user just about everything they would need in a board.

Features are great, but we also need to highlight some of the negatives discovered when attempting to overclock the board. First, when running the 1333FSB jumper (or default jumper) the board was not even stable at stock speeds and XMP without loosening TRD to 10. If a user did not know his way around a BIOS, an RMA would be the first thing they would do. Second, the board would not overclock much at all without utilizing the 1600FSB mode and could not get a PC8000 kit of DDR2 to stock speeds no matter what the FSB mode. One plus on the BIOS side is ASRock came out with the second BIOS for this board only a few weeks after the first, which shows they are willing to address issues, but just aren’t always successful. Additionally, the voltage regulation could use some work as we saw a vdroop of 0.065v. This was also under a relatively low power 45nm duo, throw a 65nm quad in the works and droop would only be worse. The delta between BIOS set voltage and load voltage is also a little concerning, especially when the max vcore available is 1.6v.

P45R2000-WiFi's build quality is much improved over older ASRock designs, with all solid capacitors. However, the layout issues that most people seem to hate remain. The 24 pin ATX power connector is located next to the CPU and may be an obstacle for users with bottom mounted power supplies or larger CPU heatsinks. The PCIE slots are also not very convenient for users that want to use aftermarket air or water cooling due to the close proximity. In our case the blocks fit, but just barely and we were lucky to have waterblocks with the barbs facing upwards.

To sum this all up, the features on the board work great, and there is something for everyone. That said, the P45R2000R-WiFi should do well for users who want a solid upgrade for an older system or even for the enthusiast looking to build a HTPC or similar. ASRock definitely gets points for a P45 board at a reasonable price, but P45 offerings from ASUS under $150 will make it a tough purchase decision. It all comes down to whether you are willing to sacrifice some overclocking performance for some pretty handy features.



Pros

- CrossFire support
- Hybrid DDR2/DDR3
- HD 7.1 audio
- WiFi
- Quality design, with solid capacitors
- Very cool running chipset
- 45nm and FSB1600/1333 CPU support with stock BIOS


Cons

- Tough to overclock unless you are lucky enough to have compatible memory
- Voltage regulation could be improved
- Board layout (oddly placed 24pin, close PCIE slots)
- Very limited availability at this time

Thanks to ASRock for sending us this motherboard