ASUS P5Q PRO P45 Motherboard Review

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ASUS P5Q PRO P45 Motherboard Review

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Price: $135+ CDN Click Here to Compare Prices
Manufacturer’s Product Page: ASUS P5Q PRO
Manufacturer’s Part Number: P5Q PRO
Warranty: Limited 3 Year Warranty
Availability: Now


A little over four years ago, Intel introduced the enthusiast-oriented 925X Express “Alderwood” and mainstream 915 Express “Grantsdale” chipsets. These chipsets were groundbreaking because they were the first Intel chipsets to support several (now ubiquitous) technological advancements, such as Socket 775, PCI Express, and DDR2. This little history lesson is relevant because the motherboard that we are reviewing today is based on the new P45 Express chipset, which will be among the last to support Socket 775 and DDR2 memory. The Intel 4-Series will also be the last Intel desktop chipsets to use the venerable Memory Controller Hub (MCH) design, as the upcoming Nehalem processors have an Integrated Memory Controller (IMC). Now we realize that this is starting to sound like a technological eulogy, so let’s move on.

As the largest and arguably most respected motherboard manufacturer in the world, ASUS has always been well-positioned to capitalize on the arrival of a new chipset. In particular, they have consistently demonstrated the ability to have their products available in the retail channel before the competition, which is an advantage that cannot be understated given the "I want it now!" nature of most consumers.

With this latest chipset release, ASUS has created the diverse P5Q series product line, with a total of nine different P45 models announced so far. We say “so far” only because if the company’s seventeen P35-based motherboards are any indication, we can expect a few additional models down the line. The fact that ASUS offers such a vast selection of models catered to many different price points is another factor that explains the company's popularity among the D-I-Y computer crowd.

The motherboard we are reviewing today is the P5Q PRO, which is squarely aimed towards the mainstream market. However, despite its mainstream roots, this is no cut-corner model. It comes remarkably well-equipped for a ~$150 CDN motherboard, with standout features like dual mechanical PCI-E x16 (8x electrical) 2.0 slots, three PCI-E 1x slots, eight SATA-II ports, eSATA and FireWire connectivity, top-notch RAID capabilities, twelve USB 2.0 ports, 8-channel High-Definition audio, ExpressGate "instant-on" OS, EPU, and...well, let's keep some surprises for rest of the review.

All of these features and more have resulted in the ASUS P5Q PRO being one of (if not THE) P45 motherboard to have at this time. E-tailers are constantly selling out of it even though stock seems to be flooding in. Consumers obviously see something they like but is all this hoopla warranted? Let's find out.

 

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Specifications

Specifications

The P5Q PRO is based on the recently released mid-range Intel P45/ICH10R chipset combination. The P45 is Intel's second-generation mainstream chipset to be manufactured on the 65nm process, which is a significant shrink from the 90nm X38 and X48 Express chipsets. As a result, the default northbridge voltage is set at a low 1.10V, which should lessen heat output.

Officially, the P45 does not support the newest 1600Mhz FSB specification, therefore you (un)fortunate Core 2 Extreme QX9770 owners are theoretically out of luck. However, all motherboard manufacturers (aside from ECS) are marketing their models as FSB1600 capable. Memory-wise, the chipset has been validated for operation up to DDR3-1333 and DDR2-800, but several manufacturers have certified their own models for operation up to an DDR3-2000 and DDR2-1200.

On the PCI Express front, the P45 is limited to 16 PCI-E lanes, just like its predecessor the P35. However, the P45 chipset has been updated with PCI Express 2.0 compliance, which in layman's terms means that the theoretical bandwidth available has been doubled. Now surely a lot of P35 owners are saying “Whoopty-doo! We’re not impressed…”. But wait! You haven’t heard the main difference between these two mid-range chipsets. The P45’s PCI-E 2.0 slots can work in either 1x16 or 2x8 configuration, which is unprecedented for a mainstream chipset. In effect, a proper CrossFire configuration, no more crippled x16/x4 CrossFire nonsense. It’s not a full-blown x16/x16 setup, but no one could realistically expect Intel to allow a mainstream chipset to share the technological limelight with the higher-end X48.

While the P45 chipset is the first to benefit from the new ICH10R southbridge, there is not much to report. The ICH10R is effectively identical to the previous ICH9R, both support six SATA II ports, AHCI, and Matrix RAID technology.


Now let’s see what kind of motherboard ASUS has built around this new chipset.

 

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P5Q PRO Features

P5Q PRO Features

In the competitive motherboard market, manufacturer-specific features are one of the main factors that differentiate between two motherboards with the same chipset. ASUS is obviously well aware of this fact, and they have outfitted the P5Q PRO with a wide assortment of unique and innovative enhancements.

So without further ado, let’s examine some of these standout features.

These are just eight of the features that we believe users will appreciate the most, but ASUS has packed this model with a number of other useful features that we must skip for brevity’s sake.

 

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Package & Accessories

Package & Accessories

Now that we have examined some of this motherboard’s abundant features, let’s take a quick peak at the package and accessories.

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Aside from the Maximus II Formula, the P5Q series all share a similar blue package with a reflective surface. It is a fairly attractive design, but it is also devilish to photograph properly.

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The rear of the package highlights a few of the unique features that we examined earlier, as well as listing the specifications. It also reassures buyers that their brand new motherboard does in fact come with a 3-year warranty, since that information has somehow been omitted from the user guide and the online product page.

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Upon opening the package, we are greeted by the customary bundle of accessories. There is also a cardboard partition seperating the accessories from the board itself. This piece of cardboard in addition to the thick cardboard of the box affords the P5Q Pro with enough lateral protection that you don't have to worry about it becoming damaged on its way to you.

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The included accessories are pretty standard fare, but let’s break down the list of items:

1 x Floppy Cable
1 x IDE Cable
4 x SATA Cables
1 x 4-pin Molex to Dual 5-pin SATA Power Cable
eSATA & FireWire PCI Expansion Bracket
ASUS Q-Connector
ASUS Q-Shield I/O Panel

The eSATA port is a welcome feature, and a new addition to the PRO product line, since the previous P5K PRO was eSATA-less. There are also the standard ASUS red(ish) SATA cables that we always find ourselves wishing were black.

 

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A Closer Look at the ASUS P5Q PRO

A Closer Look at the ASUS P5Q PRO

Now at first glance the overall layout of the P5Q Pro appears quite good, but there are few small issues. First, by placing the floppy connector at the very bottom of the board, ASUS has made cable management a nightmare. However, floppy drives are all but obsolete, so this is a nitpicky detail. Secondly, because the IDE connector is positioned so close to the ATX power connector, installing and removing the IDE cable can be somewhat tricky, especially when the nearest black memory slot is occupied. These are minor issues, but they could easily be rectified by moving both connectors to the right edge of the motherboard, where there is more than ample free space.

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The CPU socket area on this motherboard is quite clean, surrounded by the low-profile northbridge and MOSFET heatsink, and a number of solid capacitors (no cheap electrolytic caps here!). There should be no clearance issues with the majority of CPU coolers. Interestingly, ASUS chose to not cool the MOSFETs above the CPU socket, which is a slightly bizarre omission since even the budget P5Q and P5Q-C feature two heatsinks. As you can see, the P5Q PRO comes with an eight-phase power design, courtesy of the high-quality Yageo R68 ferrite chokes. The bumblebee-themed memory slots are well spaced, and also benefit from a two-phase power design ensuring stable voltage to your DDR2 modules. The little chip beside the rightmost yellow memory slot is the EPU (Energy Processing Unit). Lastly, notice the blue jumper, which is used to unlock the CPU overvoltage options (1.72V-2.10V).

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Here we have the PCI/PCI Express expansion area. The PCI-E x16 slots are spaced far enough apart to accommodate just about any cooling solution. There are also an impressive three PCI-E x1 slots, which will come in handy as an increasing number of PCI-E components are being released. At the top of the image, you may notice that the northbridge is also outfitted with a two-phase power design, which is great to see on a mainstream motherboard.

The blue jumper next to the legacy PCI slots is used to clear the CMOS. It becomes quite difficult to access when the first PCI slot is occupied. Thankfully, we never once had to use it during our time with the board.

Next we have the southbridge, which is cooled by a small push-pin heatsink, and does not share a heat pipe with the other coolers. The blue jumper to the right of the southbridge unlocks northbridge overvoltage options above 1.90V To the right of the battery is one of the three 3-pin case fan headers.

As you can see, there is an abundance of Serial ATA connectivity. The six red ports come from the ICH10R and support RAID 0/1/5/10. The other two are controlled by the Silicon Image Sil5723CNU storage processor, and can be used for RAID 0/1 in coordination with the Drive Xpert feature. These ports cannot be used to boot from unless you enable Drive Xpert Control in the BIOS and select 'normal mode'. The LSIL-FW3227-100 controller supplies the two FireWire ports. Not pictured is the Marvell 88SE611-NAA1 controller, which provides Ultra DMA 66/100/133 IDE and eSATA capabilities.

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As you can see above, ASUS apparently ignored the criticisms levied against the P5K PRO, since once again the SATA ports are placed in such a way that some of the eight ports are unusable when a dual-slot graphics card is installed in the second PCI-E x16 slot. In the above pictures, we used a standard 9-inch long Radeon HD 3870. Those who choose to use even longer graphics cards, such as the 10.5-inch Radeon HD 3870 X2 will lose all four top-row SATA ports. So keep that in mind if you were planning to purchase this model for its CrossFire capabilities, since you will be relegated to single-slot graphics cards…unless you don’t mind losing some SATA connectivity, of course.

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The small square chip is the new Realtek ALC1200 eight-channel HD audio codec, which is the successor to the extremely popular ALC888/889 series. The Winbond W83667HG-A is a recently released Super I/O controller, which not only provides support for legacy devices (PS/2 port, serial port, floppy drive), but also SMART FAN monitoring capabilities. Just out of sight is the miniature Atheros AR8121 Gigabit Ethernet controller, which is to the right of the Winbond chip.

The rear I/O panel may look a little sparse, but all the essentials are there, and you must not forget the eSATA & FireWire ports on the PCI expansion bracket.

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The back of the board is devoid of any distinctive features, there are just PCB traces, solder points, and the ends of the plastic push-pins that hold the chipset coolers in place.

 

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Bios Rundown

Bios Rundown

The best designed, most feature-rich motherboard can easily be rendered mediocre by a subpar BIOS. Thankfully, ASUS has outfitted the P5Q PRO with an intuitive, tweaker-friendly BIOS. Now let’s have a closer look at the P5Q PRO BIOS Version 0703, which is latest one as of July 27^th, 2008.

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The welcome screen should be familiar to anyone who has used an ASUS motherboard in the last 5 years. It features the usual assortment of date/time, language selection, and hard drive configuration. This particular BIOS version (AMI v02.61) offers six language options; English, French, German, Japanese, as well as two Chinese dialects.

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The Ai Tweaker section does not have any sub-menus, so everything pertaining to overclocking can be conveniently found in one area. In default mode, everything is set to AUTO and the available options appear pretty slim. However…

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…once you set Ai Overclock Tuner, DRAM Timing Control, and Ai Transaction Booster to manual, the BIOS displays its full set of capabilities. The FSB and PCI-E frequency are adjustable in 1Mhz increments, up to 800Mhz and 180Mhz respectively, and you can choose from four chipset straps; 200/266/333/400. There are countless memory frequency options, depending on the chosen FSB and strap combination.

For a mainstream model, the memory tweaking options are quite impressive. In fact, the only obvious settings that are missing are the DRAM Command Rate and Refresh Period (tREF). However, these relatively minor omissions are overshadowed by the inclusion of an updated Transaction Booster option, which permits total control over the critical Common Performance Level, also known as tRD.

Voltage-wise, the P5Q PRO does not disappoint either. To demonstrate how liberal the available adjustments are, we set every option to its highest level, and as you can see, ASUS has given users an incredible amount of freedom. Should that be insufficient, the CPU and NB voltage can go even higher, to 2.10V and 2.06V respectively, once you enable the overvoltage jumpers. Furthermore, all voltages can be finely tuned in 0.02V increments, aside from the southbridge which has 0.10V intervals. In short, overclockers will only be limited by their components, cooling…and their sanity!

On a side note, except for the CPU GTL Reference, there are no itemized lists in the voltage section. Therefore, you must input the numeric voltage settings manually. It may take a little getting used to, but it is a much faster approach.

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The Advanced tab is where you can enable or disable a number of CPU-specific features and functions, as well as the motherboard’s various onboard devices (audio, LAN, IDE controller, USB, etc).

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The Power section is not particularly noteworthy. It contains the power management settings linked to the power-saving sleep modes, and the Hardware Monitor. The Hardware Monitor has very basic functionality, but it does report the essential temperatures and voltages, and it supports the three-setting Q-Fan Control feature.

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The Boot section is perfectly standard, nothing new or unusual to report here.

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The last section contains the previously mentioned ASUS EZ-Flash 2 tool, which greatly simplifies the BIOS updating process. You can also enable/disable and configure the Drive Xpert and Express Gate features from this section.

The ASUS O.C Profile feature gives users the option to save and switch between two BIOS profiles, for example an everyday profile and a benchmarking profile. Not only is this infinitely quicker than manually inserting every setting, but it might finally allow overclockers to stop making hand scribbled BIOS setting notes on random pieces of paper (don’t lie, you’ve all done it!). An interesting addition is that the O.C Profiles can be saved to a USB flash drive and shared among fellow P5Q PRO users.

Overall, this is a functional, intuitive BIOS with an abundance of options, and it is quite respectable for a motherboard in this price range.

 

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Included Software

Included Software

Now 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

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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

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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

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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

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Last, but certainly not least, is the ExpressGate “instant-on” operating system. This SplashTop Linux mini-OS allows for quick access to basic functions.

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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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Test Setup / Overclocking Methodology

Test Setup

Test Platform:

• Motherboard: ASUS P5Q PRO (0703 BIOS)
• Processor: Intel C2D E6400
• Processor Cooling: Thermalright Ultra-120 + 120MM Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 1600RPM/63.7CFM
• Memory: OEM Micron PC2-5300 (D9GMH) @ 800Mhz 5-5-5-15 1.8V
• Power Supply: Corsair HX620W
• Video Card: XFX GeForce 8800 GT Alpha Dog 512MB (ForceWare 175.16)
• Additional Fans: 120MM Evercool EC12025M12S
• Hard Drive: 1 x Seagate 7200.11 500GB SATAII 32MB cache
• OS: Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 32-bit (with all updates)

Testing will occur on a Highspeed PC Standard Top Deck Tech Station, and not in a traditional case. This allows easier access to the motherboard for the constant poking and prodding that is required during the reviewing process. The setup remained as pictured during the duration of the benchmarking and overclocking process.

On a side note, a few days before the start of this review, our used & abused C2D E8400 went to Silicon Heaven. Therefore, we conducted this review using a venerable E6400, which sports a 2.13Ghz default clock speed, 1066Mhz FSB, and 2MB L2 cache.


Overclocking Methodology

Although the P5Q PRO is a mainstream model, and it’s not really marketed towards the enthusiast market, we still feel compelled to test out its overclocking capabilities. After all, if you are anything like us, the overclocking section is the first part that you read when checking out a motherboard review.

For the purposes of this review, our overclocking efforts will primarily focus on three main areas: maximum stable memory frequency, maximum stable front side bus, and then overall stable system overclock.

In our overclocking tests, we put an emphasis on stability. You will not find suicide screenshots in our motherboard reviews, since they are a disservice to consumers and the community as a whole.

While the question “What is stable?” could be debated endlessly, we have devised a methodology that combines a wide range of programs, and that will test the stability of the entire system.

Here is the suite of applications that will be run in order to validate each of the overclocks:

• Dual 32MB runs of SuperPi Mod 1.5 (ran at the same time)
• 2 hours of dual Prime 95 v25.6 using the Stress Testing Blend
• 2 hours of OCCT Custom 2H Mix OCCT v2.0.0a - Except for Memory Overclocking
• 2-3 hours of dual HCI MemTest in Windows using all available memory
• Multiple loops of 3DMark 06 (30 minutes of looping the full tests each)
• 1 hour of game play in Team Fortress 2 & Crysis @ 1680x1050

Altogether, the above suite should provide enough stress testing to ensure a completely stable overclock, however we are always up for new suggestions. As always, no two systems are ever alike, so your results may vary. Also, overclock at your own risk! If you aren’t fully confident in what you are doing, feel free to stop by our forums and our helpful members will be glad to offer some assistance.

 

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Overclocking Results

Overclocking Results

With its brand new chipset, extensive BIOS settings, and epic voltage options, we were definitely looking forward to putting the P5Q PRO through its paces. Now we are happy to report that you can achieve respectable overclocks on this motherboard with very little tinkering, which is excellent for a mainstream motherboard aimed at slightly more novice users. The daunting memory options and Performance Level can be left at AUTO and the motherboard will make appropriate (if not slightly high) selections.

However, for enthusiast users seeking high overclocks, our advice can be summarized in one word: finesse. The brute force approach of setting all the voltages to their maximum safe limits and then increasing the front side bus to find the ‘sweet spot’ will not yield optimal overclocking results. A more disciplined, incremental approach is necessary for those seeking to extract every last megahertz out of their components, and with the least possible voltage.

Before starting, please note that Everest, MemSet and CPU-Z all mistakenly report the memory type as DDR3. Also, when using a 3:4 memory ratio, MemSet misreports the memory clocks, so rely on Everest instead.

Maximum FSB Stability Overclocking

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Two dreaded words: FSB Wall. This insurmountable obstacle halted our progress much sooner than we hoped for. However, as is often the case, it was caused by the processor and not the motherboard itself. Nevertheless, a perfectly stable 473Mhz FSB at a mere 1.20V (measured via digital multi-meter) is nothing to scoff at, and hints at the solid overclocking potential that awaits someone with a more capable processor.

We were able to achieve this FSB with a tRD (Performance Level) of 8, which is quite good. However, a tRD of 7 was usable up to around 460Mhz, and we would recommend giving up a few Mhz on the FSB to retain this higher performance setting. Having said that, after our extensive testing it is pretty clear that the P45 chipset was designed for high FSB over low tRD. Now let’s see if we can test out this model's claimed DDR2-1200 capabilities.


Maximum Memory Stability Overclocking

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As you can see, we were able to reach the 10,000 MB/s Everest Read speed milestone with relatively low memory speeds. Not that you can really call DDR2-1216 a ‘low memory speed’, especially since it was achieved with run-of-the-mill Micron PC2-5300 modules. Based on our measurements, which can be found in the subsequent ‘Voltage Regulation’ section, the vDIMM required to attain this memory clock was 2.26V. We could have tried higher voltages, but this particular kit has always had a drastic point of diminishing returns at 2.28V, so rest assured that it’s not the P5Q PRO limiting the memory overclock.

We did utilize MemSet in order to manipulate the Refresh Period (tREF), since the BIOS does not have this option. It didn’t assist in overclocking, but the 16383 setting provided a roughly 80MB/s Read gain compared to the stock 4171. On a side note, when using the 1:1 memory ratio the motherboard would not boot with any tRD under 10. It is too early to tell whether this is a BIOS or chipset limitation.


Maximum Overall Stability Overclocking

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Our last area of interest is the overall system overclock. This is basically the configuration that we would use in our own 24/7 system. We settled on these settings because they form a nice combination of high CPU clocks, high FSB, high memory clocks, while still using relatively low voltage and running cool.

So what are our overall thoughts regarding the P5Q PRO’s overclocking capabilities? Well…69% overclock on the processor, 69% overclock on the front side bus, 69%...no, 80% overclock on the memory, how can we possibly not be impressed? It proved to be an excellent overclocking platform on which to eek every last Mhz out of our components.

Do keep an eye on our forums though, as updated overclocking results will be posted as soon as we receive a new C2D E8000 series processor.

 

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Benchmark Methodology

Benchmark Methodology

The benchmarking will only be done on the ASUS P5Q PRO for this review. The reasoning behind this approach is that there is often a miniscule clock-for-clock performance difference between two motherboards that share an identical chipset and declaring one product a winner based on a 1% performance advantages seems futile to us.

We have outlined the two setups in the sample graph to the right. The blue results will indicate the performance at the BIOS defaults. The only changes that will be made are to the memory in order to get it running at its rated frequency and timings. Every other setting will be at the default that the BIOS sets. The red results are going to display the overall best overclock we found for this particular setup.

These overclock results are again, the best overall overclock we could manage with this motherboard and the hardware used in the review. As was mentioned in the overclocking section, we used Everest bandwidth benchmarks and a few other performance tests to determine which settings were ultimately faster, not just higher. For all of the benchmarks, appropriate lengths are taken to ensure an equal comparison through methodical setup, installation, and testing. The following outlines our testing methodology:

A) Windows is installed using a full format.

B) Intel Chipset drivers and accessory hardware drivers (audio, network, GPU) are installed followed by a defragment and a reboot.

C) Programs and games are then installed followed by another defragment.

D) Windows updates are then completed installing all available updates followed by a defragment.

E) Benchmarks are each ran three times after a clean reboot for every iteration of the benchmark unless otherwise stated, the results are then averaged.

We have listed the benchmark versions on each graph as results can vary between updates. That should about cover everything so let's see what kind of numbers this motherboard puts up in the suite of benchmarks we have chosen.