Asus P7P55D Premium unReview

Introduction.



Hello all.

I am back to testing an Intel setup and will take you guys through some quick numbers on what may soon be the new ‘E8400/Q9550 + P5Q Deluxe’ replacement.



Time to take the wraps off my latest guinea pig that has been quite obedient and purposeful in all the tests conducted on it –

the Asus P7P55D Premium.

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Thanks to ASUS for sending something so new so well in advance.



Thanks a lot to Intel, for this would not have been possible without them lending me an i7 and then an i5 for some socket 1156 testing.

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(These tests would have been conducted with an i7 870 but the P55 boards hadn’t arrived then.

Before the boards arrived, it was time for the i7 to go.

I am still unsure of picking up a retail (1156) i7, yet.

So seems like my not-so-lucky phase still hasn’t passed fully.)

[BREAK=Asus P7P55D Premium Feature Overview]

P7P55D Premium



Xtreme Design - Hybrid Series

The World's 1st SATA 6Gb/s Motherboard



· Intel LGA1156 Platform / Intel® P55 Express Chipset

· True SATA 6Gb/s Support

· ASUS Hybrid Technology

· TurboV EVO

· TurboV Remote

· T.Probe Technology for Active Cooling



CPU, Chipset and Graphics features



LGA1156 Intel® Lynnfield Processor Ready



This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Lynnfield processors in LGA1156 package which has memory and PCI Express controller integrated to support 2-channel (4 DIMMs) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes providing great graphics performance. Intel® Lynnfield processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPU in the world.

Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX Support!



Flexible Multi-GPU solutions, Your Weapon of Choice!

P7P55D Premium brings you the multi-GPU choice of either SLI™ or CrossFireX. The motherboard features the most powerful Intel P55 platform to optimize PCIe allocation in multiple GPU configurations. Expect a brand- new gaming style you’ve never experienced before!

Intel P55



The Intel® P55 Express Chipset is the latest one-chipset design to support latest 1156 socket Intel® Core™ i7/Core™ i5 Processors. Intel® P55 providing improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability.



PCIe 2.0



Double Speed; Double Bandwidth

This motherboard supports the latest PCIe 2.0 devices for double speed and bandwidth which enhances system performance.

Memory Features



Dual-Channel DDR3 2200(O.C.) / 1600 / 1333 / 1066 support



The motherboard supports DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 2200(O.C.) / 1600 /1333 / 1066 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel DDR3 architecture enlarges the bandwidth of your system memory to boost system performance.

Next-gen Storage Technology



True SATA 6Gb/s Support



Supporting next-generation Serial ATA (SATA) storage interface, this motherboard delivers up to 6.0Gbps data transfer rates. Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systems.





ASUS Xtreme Design - Hybrid Processor



ASUS TurboV EVO



Ultimate O.C. Processor

Whether novice or enthusiast, TurboV Evo satisfies overclockers of any level. Intelligently push systems to the fastest, stable clock speeds with Auto-Tuning. Turbo Key boosts performance with a simple touch, while TurboV offers additional advanced options for breaking those records!





Auto Tuning



Auto System Level Up

Achieve extreme yet stable overclocking results automatically with Auto Tuning! With built-in stability testing, Auto Tuning lets even beginners improve performance with no additional cost.





ASUS TurboV Remote



Versatile, Real-time O.C. Hardware Controller

Tweak your settings real-time without interrupting ongoing work or games. With ASUS TurboV remote, you can overclock, activate Turbo Key and adjust EPU settings directly form a convenient side controller.





ASUS Xtreme Design - 48 Hybrid Phase*



ASUS 32+3 Phase Power Design



Unprecedented Innovation with the Best Quality Component for Best Performance

The groundbreaking 32+3 phase VRM design is brought to the ASUS motherboards. 32+3 phase power design, 32-phase for vCore and extra 3-phase for Memory controller inside CPU, can provide the highest power efficiency, and hence generates less heat to effectively enhance the overclocking capability. With the high quality power components such as low RDS (on) MOSFETs, Ferrite core chokes with lower hysteresis loss and 100% Japan-made high quality conductive polymer capacitors, ASUS 32+3 phase VRM design also ensure longer component life and minimum power loss.



*48 Hybrid Phase = 32+3 Phase x T.Probe

100% Ultra Long Life Japan-Made Solid Capacitors



This motherboard uses all high-quality conductive polymer capacitors onboard for durability, improved lifespan, and enhanced thermal capacity.

T.Probe



Leading Active Cooling Technology

The T.Probe microchip detects and balances power phase loads and temperatures real-time. With optimal power phase functions, components run cooler and extend system lifespan.



ASUS Xtreme Design - Hybrid OS





ASUS Express Gate SSD



0 to Internet in Seconds!

Express Gate™ is an ASUS exclusive OS that provides you with quick access to the Internet and key applications before entering Windows®.

ASUS Exclusive Features



MemOK!



Any Memory is A-OK!

MemOK! quickly ensures memory boot compatibility. This remarkable memory rescue tool requires a mere push of a button to patch memory issues. MemOK! determines failsafe settings and dramatically improves your system boot success. Get your system up and running in no time!



ASUS EPU



System Level Energy Saving

The new ASUS EPU - the world´s first power saving engine, has been upgraded to a new six engine version, which provides total system power savings by detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power in real-time. With auto phase switching for components (which includes the CPU, VGA card, memory, chipset, drives and system fan), the EPU automatically provides the most appropriate power usage via intelligent acceleration and overclocking - helping save power and money.

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution



ASUS Fanless Design - Heat-pipe solution



The Heat Pipe design effectively directs the heat generated by the chipsets to the heatsink near the back IO ports, where it can be carried away by existing airflow from CPU fan or bundled optional fan. The purpose of the innovative heat pipe design on this motherboard is that the groundbreaking fanless design does not have lifetime problems as a chipset fan does. Furthermore, it provides options for users to install side-flow fan or passive cooler. The Heat Pipe design is the most reliable fanless thermal solution to date.

Fan Xpert



Active Quiet & Cool

ASUS Fan Xpert intelligently allows users to adjust both the CPU and chassis fan speed according to different ambient temperature , which is caused by different climate conditions in different geographic regions and system loading.Built-in variety of useful profiles offer flexible controls of fan speed to achieve a quiet and cool environment.





Up to 20°C(36°F) Cooler - Stack Cool 3+



Effective Fanless Heat Dissipation at 0dB

Stack Cool 3+ is a fanless cooling solution offered exclusively by ASUS. It effectively and noiselessly transfers heat generated by the critical components to the other side of the specially designed PCB (printed circuit board) for effective heat dissipation - making temperatures cooler by up to 20°C.

ASUS Crystal Sound



10-channel Audio



Enjoy High-End 10-channel sound system on your PC!

The onboard 10-channel HD audio (High Definition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality 192KHz/24-bit audio output, jack-sensing feature, retasking functions and multi-streaming technology that simultaneously sends different audio streams to different destinations. This motherboard now adopts the future standard to deliver the most vivid audio enjoyment!!

Noise Filtering



Eliminate background noise while recording

This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises like computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates it in the incoming audio stream while recording.

DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC



DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC delivers exceptional 5.1 surround experience through the most common PC audio setups - your existing stereo speakers or headphones. In addition to virtual surround, “Bass enhancement†provides stronger low frequency bass sound, and “Voice clarification†provides clear human dialogue even with loud background sound. With these technologies, you may experience a better home-theater audio with ease.

ASUS EZ DIY



ASUS Onboard Switch



With an easy press during overclock, this exclusive onboard switch allows gamer to effortless fine-tune the performance without having to short the pins!



Q- Shield



Easy and Comfortable Installations

The specially designed ASUS Q-Shield does without the usual "fingers" - making it convenient and easy to install. With better electric conductivity, it ideally protects your motherboard against static electricity and shields it against Electronic Magnetic Interference (EMI).

EZ-Flash 2



Simply update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS

EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply launch this tool and update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS. You can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or using an OS-based flash utility.

ASUS Q-Design



DIY quickly, DIY easily!

ASUS Q-Design enhances your DIY experience. All of Q-LED, Q-Slot and Q-DIMM design speed up and simplify the DIY process!

Q-Connector



Make connection quick and accurate!

The ASUS Q-Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in one easy step with one complete module. This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in one cable at a time, making connection quick and accurate.

O.C. Profile



Conveniently store or load multiple BIOS settings

Freely share and distribute favorite overclocking settings The motherboard features the ASUS O.C. Profile that allows users to conveniently store or load multiple BIOS settings. The BIOS settings can be stored in the CMOS or a separate file, giving users freedom to share and distribute their favorite overclocking settings.

Industry Standard



IEEE 1394a interface



IEEE 1394a interface provides high speed digital interface for audio/video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices.





S/PDIF-out on Back I/O Port



This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theater audio systems via coaxial and optical S/PDIF-out (SONY-PHILIPS Digital Interface) jacks. It allows to transfer digital audio without converting to analog format and keeps the best signal quality.

RoHS



GreenASUS



The motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union´s Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products and packaging to safeguard consumers´ health while minimizing the impact on the environment.

[BREAK=Asus P7P55D Premium Specification]

SPECIFICATIONS :



CPU

Intel® Socket 1156 Core™ i7 Processor/Core™ i5 Processor

Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology

Chipset

Intel® P55 Express Chipset

Memory

4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)*/1600/1333/1066 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory

Dual Channel memory architecture

Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)

*Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs. Some hyper DIMMs only support one DIMM per channel. Please refer to Memory QVL for details.

*Refer to ASUSTeK Computer or the user manual for the Memory QVL(Qualified Vendors Lists).

Expansion Slots

2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode)

2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 (2.5GT/s)

2 x PCI

Multi-GPU Support

Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology

Supports ATI® Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology

Storage

Intel® P55 Express Chipset built-in

6 xSATA 3.0 Gb/s ports

Intel Matrix Storage Technology Support RAID 0,1,5,10

JMicron® JMB368 PATA controller

1 xUltraDMA 133/100/66 for up to 2 PATA devices

Marvell® 88SE9123 SATA controller:

- 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (gray)

LAN

Dual Gigabit LAN controllers Realtek® 8112L / 8110SC Gigabit LAN controller featuring AI NET2 and Teaming

Audio

VIA® VT2020 10-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC

- Absolute Pitch BD192/24 featuring ENVY HD

- DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC

- Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-Retasking

- Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF out ports at back I/O

IEEE 1394

VIA® 6308P controller supports 2 x 1394a ports (one at mid-board; one at back panel)

USB

12 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 ports at mid-board, 8 ports at back panel)

ASUS Unique Features

ASUS Hybrid Processor - TurboV EVO

- Auto Tuning, TurboV and Turbo Key

- TurboV Remote

ASUS 48 Hybrid Phase*

- T.Probe Technology for Active Cooling

- 32+3 Phase Power Design

- 100% Ultra Long Life Japan-Made Solid Capacitors

*48 Hybrid Phase = 32+3 Phase x T.Probe

ASUS Hybrid OS - Express Gate SSD

ASUS Xtreme Design

ASUS Exclusive Features

- MemOK!

- ASUS EPU

ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution

- ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe solution

- ASUS Fanless Design: Stack Cool 3+

- ASUS Fan Xpert

ASUS Crystal Sound

- ASUS Noise Filter

ASUS EZ DIY

- ASUS Q-Shield

- ASUS Q-Connector

- ASUS O.C. Profile

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

- ASUS EZ Flash 2

- ASUS MyLogo 2

- Multi-language BIOS

ASUS Q-Design

- ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)

- ASUS Q-Slot

- ASUS Q-DIMM

Overclocking Features

Precision Tweaker 2

- vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.00625V increment

- vIMC: Adjustable IMC voltage at 0.00625V increment

- vDRAM Bus: 81-step DRAM voltage control

- vPCH: 2-step chipset voltage control

- vCPU_PLL: 4-step reference voltage control

SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)

- PCI Express frequency tuning from 100MHz up to 200MHz at 1MHz increment

- Internal Base Clock tuning from 80MHz up to 500MHz at 1MHz increment

Overclocking Protection

- ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)

Back Panel I/O Ports

1 x IEEE 1394a

2 x LAN(RJ45) port

8 x USB 2.0/1.1

10 -Channel Audio I/O

1 x PS/2 Keyboard port (Purple)

1 x PS/2 mouse port (Green)

1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output

1 x Optical S/PDIF Output

1 x Clear CMOS switch

Internal I/O Connectors

2 x USB connectors support additional 4 USB ports

1 x IDE connector

1 x TPM connector

1 x IEEE 1394a connector

1 x CPU Fan connector

1 x Power Fan connector

1 x COM connector

6 x SATA 3.0Gb/s connectors (blue)

2 x SATA 6.0Gb/s connectors (gray)

2 x Chassis Fan connector (1x4-pin, 1x3-pin)

Front panel audio connector

1 x S/PDIF Out Header

1 x CD audio in

1 x 24-pin ATX Power connector

1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector

System Panel(Q-Connector)

1 x TURBO_CON header (for TurboV Remote)

1 x MemOK! button

1 x Power on switch

1 x Reset switch

BIOS

16 Mb Flash ROM , AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

Manageability

WfM 2.0,DMI 2.0,WOL by PME,WOR by PME,PXE

Accessories

User's manual

1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable

1 x TurboV Remote

2 x Serial ATA 6.0Gb/s cables

4 x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s cables

1 x 2-port USB and eSATA module

ASUS Q-Shield

2 in 1 Q-connector

1 x ASUS SLI bridge connector

Support Disc

Drivers

ASUS Update

ASUS Utilities

Anti-virus software (OEM version)

Form Factor

ATX Form Factor

12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )

[BREAK=Asus P7P55D Premium Images]

Images:





The first thing one sees on unwrapping this motherboard is - this thing is teeming with components of all sorts.

The CPU socket is surrouned by not 4/6/8 or 12 but a whopping 32+3 hybrid phase power system. Honestly, Overkill does come to my mind but what the heck!

Two long and colourful heatsinks with an inbuilt heatpipe system take care of heat dissipation in the PWM area while a large flat heatsinks with a decorative faceplate cools the ICH.

They are held on with a nice spring-loaded bolts and backplate mechanism.



Be it the choice of components or the new stack cool 3+ system, a lot of things look like fresh designs and very unlike those from the socket 775 generation mainstream boards.



I think it’s time you guys explore the pics and discover it yourselves.

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[BREAK=Asus P7P55D Premium BIOS Screens]

Here are some pics of the "work area" in the BIOS.



BIOS:

















[BREAK=Test Setup]



Intel Core i5 750 (ES)

Asus P7P55D Premium

Kingston HyperX 1800 2GB

Palit 4870 1GB (9.9 Catalyst)

7200.10 250GB

Silverstone DA1000

Dell 24"



Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus (Stock Fan)

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate RC



Methodoogy:

Tests were run 3-4 times and averages taken to make sure the numbers/scores were in line.

CPU Speed was kept @ 2.8GHz (21 x 133BCLK) and RAM @ 1333 CL6-6-6-20.

All the tests, leaving Super Pi were also run at overclocked speeds of 4GHz (20 x 200BCLK) and RAM @ 2000 CL9-9-9-24. Super Pi being single threaded allowed for lil bit higher CPU overclock of 4.2GHz (21 x 200) and was tested @ mentioned speed.







Note: I was going to include QX9770 number on Foxconn BlackOps X48 motherboard but the Palit 4870 1GB died while testing and I couldn't complete all the test. Using another card implied re-doing all the tests again for the sake of uniformity.



[BREAK=Super Pi Performance]



"Super Pi" does not need an introduction. One of the most popular benchmarks for testing CPU performance.

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[BREAK=PCMark Performance]



Another popular PC benchmark, PCmark Vantage analyses the performance of your pc and determines its strengths and weaknesses.

[BREAK=3DMark Performace]



A 3DMark score is an overall measure of your system’s 3D gaming capabilities, based on comprehensive real-time 3D graphics and processor tests.



3Dmark06 tests your system's DirectX 9 performance.

3Dmark Vantage tests your system's DirectX 10 performance.

[BREAK=Gameing Performance: Crysis]



One of the most awaited and visually stunning games of the present times. Crysis brings most gaming rigs down to their knees.

[BREAK=Gaming Performance: Far Cry 2]



A hit or miss with gamers, Far Cry 2 still stands as one of the decent games to test the gaming performance of one's system.

[BREAK=Gaming Performance: HAWX]



Hawx - One of the best aerial combat games ever made. This graphical treat also feautres DX10.1 support.

[BREAK=Gaming Performance: Resident Evli 5]



Resident Evil 5, known in Japan as Biohazard 5 , is a survival horror video game and was preceded by a benchmark tool, that was released for both system performance evaluation as well as to test the new 3D technology which is implemented in all the cutscenes within the game.

[BREAK=x264 HD Benchmark Performance]



This benchmark tests performance with one of the most popular H.264 video encoders, the open-source x264. The results come in two parts, for the two passes the encoder makes through the video file. These scores come from the newer, faster version 0.59.819 of the x264 executable.

[BREAK=Cinebench Performance]



MAXON CINEBENCH runs several tests on your computer to measure the performance of the main processor and the graphics card under real-world circumstances.

[BREAK=Personal take]



Personal take:



Though I am tempted to say, “considering the price point this comes in at, i5 takes the previous gen platforms and mops the floor with itâ€,

I will not pass such a sweeping and rather harsh remark.

Loosely put, core i5 is no slouch compared to big brother socket 1366 core i7 at stock (to slightly overclocked speeds).



Asus P7P55D Premium is a well-built board, looks good and works great too.

The good quality of ASUS motherboards, that had somewhat slackened with the P45 generation, excluding the ROG series i.e., seems to be back on track.

The overclocking potential is decent enough for a board in this range. In my short time with the board there were no fights with it in terms of clocking, but it wouldnt go beyond 210BCLK. 211BCLK via software or BIOS would either result in crash or no boot/failed OC attempt. May be going cold will help with this situation.

As time goes by and my experiences with other P55 motherboards grows, I will be in a better position to maybe rank them all.



Till then, all I can say is i5 seems the way to go for the budget-minded enthusiast and the ASUS P7P55D Premium will surely not disappoint.



Price Update: Got the price from ASUS India. P7P55D Premium is priced at 22,750/- (Excluding taxes). With this uppdate I suddently feel that budget-minded enthusiasts will be better off buying X58s and 920s. So the Great Indian story continues...



Note: The connector end for TurboV Remote is very prone to damage if not careful enough and its location/placement needs to be examined by the engineers/designers.

 

[SharekhaN]

Great work, thanks! Always the best
Also: clean up your inbox.

 

[-Anish-]

A very nice review Harshal.

Whats that remote control for in one of the pics?

 

[sid_donnydarko]

@Harshal - were you running the HD4870 off the x8 slot or the x16 slot during testing?

I noticed that CPU-Z reported the x16 2.0 slot running at x8.

Sweet review otherwise!

 

[Harshal]

@ Sid, Nice catch!
The card was running in 16x slot but I suppose that's how the card decided to die on me. With X48 BlackOps it went 4X and then finally dead while running x264 HD Benchmark. No clear reason but thats how hardware world is atleas on my side.

 

[sumchamp]

Nice review Harshal sir.

 

[YoGi-Sama]

Nice review. Good to see various P55 options with varied features coming out, makes consumer selected much easier.

There is just one issue though.... Using black color for font is problematic for people using Nocturnal theme.

 

[ultimabasher]

Good review, but I think getting a better card, like the current gen 5870 or the 4870x2 or prolly increasing the graphic power could have done much better cause it clearly shows the GPU bottlenecking

 

[sid_donnydarko]

@ Sid, Nice catch!
The card was running in 16x slot but I suppose that's how the card decided to die on me. With X48 BlackOps it went 4X and then finally dead while running x264 HD Benchmark. No clear reason but thats how hardware world is atleas on my side.

If that's the case, then just check your card to see if there are any blown IC's along the PCI express lane on the back of the card.

Oh! If its not too much trouble, do try re-running a few tests with another 4870 if not crossfire, i.e, if its possible for you too get your hands on one The difference in results, if any, will reveal if your malfunctioning 4870 did bottleneck the motherboard/processor thereby affecting the overall results.

 

[Harshal]

@ Ultimabasher, A 5870 right now deserves the review of its own, and it would be unfair to relegate it to the general testing status. Though, I do not follow trends, but you may observe the trend out there that even the best tester review highest end cards but those are hardly used for their basic test setup. Most value minded enthusiasts have a 4870 1GB OR a GTX260 OR are planning to get one since the prices are low now. So keeping the article in mind, which focuses on motherboard, I chose not to overdo the graphics card part. I could've easily posted with a GTX295 OR a 5870 but I think most users will relate to the outcome when they have a similar setup of their own. If need be, I as well as many other reviewers can post every article with highest end stuff available out there but that according to me will be pompous display of resources available. Anyways, this 4870 1GB dead now and you guys can expect a newer/slightly better card from next article.

@ Sid, if the board remains with me for longer I will update the numbers using a different card for sure.

 

[ultimabasher]

Oh, so you were aiming for the mid end users :S. i thought the review was telling us about the potential of mobo and proccy combined. Review was really good if aimed at midend users . Though I am sure, after looking at the number, most of the ppl wont need to oc the proccy

 

[Harshal]

I think most users will relate to the outcome when they have a similar setup of their own.

Oh, so you were aiming for the mid end users :S. Review was really good if aimed at midend users

When did " mid-end users(which a larger no.) will relate to" imply "aimed at mid-end users only"?

I think no one "aims at" informing a certain segment only.

It's all relative and esp TE users are on a 4870 or moving to used one now and may be able to compare a bit more easily as they have P45 setups mostly.

i thought the review was telling us about the potential of mobo and proccy combined.

Does it not? :S

 

[Godfather]

Way to go harshal.... Good stuff...

 

[Buygamingstuff]

Nice review bro !!