ASUS P5Q PRO P45 Motherboard Review | ||
| by MAC | July 28, 2008 | ||
| Included Software Included SoftwareNow that we have gotten the motherboard unpacked and installed, let’s see what kind of software goodies ASUS has included on the driver DVD. PC Probe II PC Probe II is a system monitoring utility that displays information regarding fan speeds, component temperatures, and voltages, as well as alerting users once preset thresholds have been surpassed. With the P5Q PRO there isn't really an abundance of temperature and voltage readings, but that is due to the lack of on-board sensors, not a limitation within the software. Overall though, because it is ease to use and unobstructive, PC Probe is one of the better manufacturer provided monitoring tools. ASUS AI Suite  The AI Suite is composed of three elements: AI NAP, Fan Xpert, and the AI Booster. The AI NAP is an advanced sleep feature that allows users to put their computers to sleep without terminating any tasks. Fan Xpert allows users to select from 5 fan speed profiles that can be individually applied to any fan. AI Booster is an overclocking utility that allows users to alter several basic system parameters, such as the FSB, CPU multiplier, memory voltage, memory speed, and PCI-E frequency, without the need to reboot. It worked quite well for mild overclocking, however it’s limited by the lack of NB, and SB voltage options. EPU- Six Engine The new EPU - Six Engine is one of the most highly touted features of the P5Q series. This utility works in coordination with the EPU chip in order to maximize the energy efficiency of your system. It does this by continuously monitoring and altering the speeds and voltages of the CPU, VGA card, memory, chipset, hard drives and fans. There are four manually selectable modes, and an automatic option that changes settings according to system load. ExpressGate Last, but certainly not least, is the ExpressGate “instant-on” operating system. This SplashTop Linux mini-OS allows for quick access to basic functions. In mere seconds, users can web browse, view photos, chat via Pigdin, and even make internet calls through Skype. It was painless to setup thanks to its completely automated installation procedure, and a delight to use. As you can see in the image that is directly above, ExpressGate features an application dock somewhat similar to that which can found in recent Apple OS X versions. It is a convenient way to layout the four included applications. There are also a configuration panel with some very basic setup options. Overall, ExpressGate is useful for those instances where your PC is off and you need the internet or Skype right away, but otherwise it quickly becomes a novelty feature due to its inherent software limitations.         | ||
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