ASUS P5E3 PRO Schematic Circuit Diagram (BoardView)
ASUS P5E3 PRO Schematic Circuit Diagram (BoardView)
ASUS P5E3 Pro Review
Despite the fact that Intel never released a press release to officially announce the X48 chipset, a variety of motherboards from ASUS, DFI, Gigabyte, MSI, and, of course, Intel themselves are available at popular e-tailers. We've had X48 boards in-house for quite some time now, so there's no better time than now to share our thoughts and reviews! The P5E3 Premium WiFi-AP @n from ASUS was the first to arrive, and it was an update to their P5E3 Deluxe. The chipset is the only real difference, thus they're nearly identical in practically every way.
Companies may opt to produce a product that serves the primary aim of maintaining the flow of releases, regardless of how revolutionary it is, from time to time. That's essentially what X48 is. The difference between X38 and X48, for those who are unaware, is that the latter officially supports processors with a 1600MHz FSB. The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is currently the only LGA775 desktop CPU that fits that description.
You might believe there's more to it than that, but there isn't. The identical Intel chipset drivers can be used on both the X38 and the X48 because only the profile changes. Overall, it's a speed bump, and most people have already hit 400MHz or above, so the jump isn't really thrilling.
However, this should mean that X48 motherboards will use the highest binned Santa Clara chipsets, potentially resulting in superior overall overclocking. X38, on the other hand, wasn't exactly a lightweight, with people attaining speeds of over 2000MHz. Whatever the case may be, it's here, it's the 'best,' and it's made to fit the QX9700 precisely. That's all there is to it.
ASUS P5E3 Pro Features
The Premium, like the P5E3 Deluxe before it, is for individuals who value features over overclocking. Given the feature set and $375 US price tag, it may be considered a luxury board in some ways. It costs roughly $50 more than the X38-based P5E3 Deluxe at that price. Without a doubt, it's the Porsche of motherboards. Given that the Premium's only upgrade is a simple chipset update, I can't suggest this model unless you really need native 1600MHz FSB compatibility for your brand-new QX9770.
This is one of the most durable X38/X48 boards on the market. It boasts a wonderful layout, efficient and passive cooling, plenty of connectivity, and even Crossfire compatibility for three GPUs. The bundled 802.11n WiFi is one of the board's biggest selling points, and it's a great plus for some. It eliminates the need for a separate add-in card and maintains everything in one place.
I have no instant complaints about the design. I like the colors ASUS chose, and even though it's a simple thing, it looks great when fitted in a killer system. It works since I prefer deeper colors. The blue heatsink protectors, on the other hand, do not appeal to me. The silver ones on the Deluxe Edition of the board are significantly more appealing. However, ASUS had to make a distinction between the two.
 |
| ASUS P5E3 PRO BoardView |
