|
Asus P5E3 Deluxe Motherboard
Take A Good Look!
If you haven’t heard by now, DDR3
memory is the top-shelf drink of choice for system builders. Those without monetary
scruples, accept prices lingering around the cost of a toy poodle.
While most motherboard companies wouldn’t mind you dropping a
small fortune on their DDR3 motherboards, Asus attempts to make
every penny count when you buy the P5E3 Deluxe. Using the X38
chipset, this motherboard supports CrossFire, PCI Express 2.0 with
full bandwidth, 1600FSB support, and a horde of other features.
Any worries of your hardware becoming obsolete are quickly tossed
aside. This quick look at the P5E3 Deluxe will show you why many
view Asus products as second to none.
Again, what is
particularly impressive about the Asus P5E3 Deluxe is the wealth
of features that it offers. DDR3 support is still quite rare and
quickly makes the P5E3 Deluxe top any short list of high-end
motherboards. The main advantage over DDR2 memory is the increased
bandwidth due to the higher speeds possible with DDR3 technology.
An added plus to the value of the P5E3 Deluxe includes: dual
gigabit Ethernet LAN, 4 USB ports, 2 eSATA ports, Firewire port,
SPDIF optical/coaxial connectors, copper silent chipset cooling, 3
PCIe slots and Asus's innovative "Express Gate" feature. This
feature is a fast-boot alternative that, in just five seconds,
bypasses Windows and gives you a web-browser running in a custom
Linux OS. This allows you to be connected to the Internet without
the PC being switched on, thus enabling you to use Internet based
applications, such as the popular Skype VoIP client. Such a list
would make anyone’s inner geek chuckle uncontrollably.
Asus has always produced excellent
motherboards for overclocking, so, it was no surprise to see the
P5E3 Deluxe doing so well in this department. ASUS has a very
comprehensive BIOS with quite a number of performance enhancement
features that should squeeze out more from the board if you're
willing to try them out. The P5E3 Deluxe also packs in impressive
voltage ranges that allow you to increase the CPU and memory
voltages up to 1.7 volts and a staggering 2.78 volts. Overclocking
should also get a solid boost by DDR3 memory as well, as its speed
and timing clocks exceed DDR2 by a long shot. Intel recently has
released a CPU with 1600MHz FSB and the X38 chipset, which P5E3
Deluxe supports right out of the box. This is an awesome
motherboard, exceedingly capable to overclock side-by-side with
the usual gambit of competitors.
If you're a true enthusiast or a
high-end gamer, and want the latest and the best, then Asus P5E3
is definitely worth considering. Support for DDR3 will become the
new de-facto standard in high-performance memory and is something
we look forward to. Besides, one who wants the best, is willing to
pay the price, as you get all of the features, performance, and overclocking you desire.
H. L.
Technology Reviewer
|
