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Recently, we tested ASUS P5E3, a lower-end model in the P5E series based on the X38 chipset. And today we are reviewing a top-end product by ASUS based on the same chipset. The motherboard is dubbed Maximus Formula and supports solely DDR2 memory, which makes it stand out among the other models with support for DDR3. We note it straight off that it is not a regular motherboard but one belonging to a limited Special Edition series which stands out for the water block installed on the north bridge. This allows computer enthusiasts to plug in a water-powered cooling system without changing the PCB design and thus preserving the guarantee. Running ahead, we note that the fluid cooling of the north bridge on X38 is more justified than even on the P35. The thing is, the typical heat emission level on X38 is twice as high than on P35 (~36 W versus 16 W).

At the remaining specifications, Maximus Formula is nothing out of the ordinary (by the standards of boards based on X38) - it supports the Crossfire technology (two PCI Express x16 v2.0 slots), has two onboard Gigabit LAN controllers and a Firewire controller.

ASUS Maximus Formula Specifications

Package

The box with the ASUS Maximus board is pretty massive and has a handle to carry it around:

One page tips up, and the user can get a brief idea of all ASUS' proprietary technologies. Through the transparent windows you can see the water block and an additional audio board.

Inside the box, there is the motherboard itself in a transparent plastic box

and box with additional items:

Package bundle:

• motherboard;
• User's Guide + Quick Setup Manual;
• 1x software & drivers DVD;
• DVD with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game;
• one ATA133 cable, FDD cable;
• 6x SerialATA cables + a power supply adapter (2 connectors);
• A bracket for 2 additional USB 2.0 ports and a Firewire port;
• ASUS corporate logo sticker;
• kit of additional connectors;
• a cap for the rear panel of the housing;
• additional sound card;
• kit of clamps, adapters, and nipples for the water-powered cooling system;
• additional fan;
• kit of clamps;
• LCD Poster.

Despite the high retail price and status of the motherboard, the number of standard components is not enough to implement all the features. In particular, missing are two power adapters for SerialATA devices (needed are adapters with four connectors), although there are enough SerialATA cables (six).

Also missing is a pair of brackets for four USB 2.0 ports; the bundle includes only one bracket for two USB and one Firewire ports. On the other hand, there is a special additional connector (Quick Connection Kit) to which all the cables from the housing can be plugged in (the "Power", "Reset" buttons, a cable from the "HDD" indicator, etc.), and then plug them in to the board with a single motion.

The user's manual has nothing to complain about. The bundled DVD contains a complete kit of all the required drivers and ASUS' proprietary utilities (including the drivers for 32- and 64-bit Windows versions, drivers for Linux and MS Vista). Besides, the disk contains Norton Internet Security 2006 (including a version for Vista - 2007.1), InterVideo WinDVD 8 Trial, DVDCopy5, MediaOne Gallery, Ulead PhotoImpact, CyberLink PowerBackup 2, Corel Snapfire Plus. There is a separate DVD with the game S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Note that the package bundle contains an additional turbine fan which is installed on the power supply module.

On the same photo, you can see a kit of varied clamps, adapters, and connection pipes to link the water block to the water-powered cooling system.

The audio subsystem is located on a separate board which is called SupremeFX II, with AD1988B used as the codec:

Finally, the user gets an additional device named LCD Poster.

It is pluggable to the motherboard and upon the system start-up it indicates the current status.

Unfortunately, the package bundle lacks additional thermal sensors with which the user could measure the temperature of any of the system's components. This is a definite shortcoming since such sensors are rarely available in the retail.

ASUS Maximus Formula Layout and Features

There are no complaints about the board's design: there is no blocking of DIMM slots latches by the PCI Express video card, with the power connectors positioned conveniently over the board's edges: 24-pin - on the bottom edge, with a 8-pin on the right-hand.

We note that the board has retained a backward compatibility to the "old" PSUs and allows using them with 20+4 cables. At the same time, the unused pins of the additional connector are closed with a plastic lid:

Near the CPU socket, there is a 4-pin CPU_FAN connector for a matching cooler.

Besides it, there are seven (!) more 3-pin connectors: PWR_FAN - near the rear panel, CHA_FAN1 and CHA_FAN3 - near the north bridge, OPT_FAN1 - near the DIMM slots, CHA_FAN2 and OPT_FAN2 - near the south bridge, OPT_FAN3 - in the upper left-hand corner of the board.

On the north bridge, there is a massive water block connected to the radiator on the power supply module with a heat pipe. Also, using the heat pipe the heat from the south bridge is transferred to the north bridge.

It should be noted that the water block is combined with the massive radiator, which provides a perfect cooling of the chipset using air-driven cooling as well. Such a solution looks much more efficient than the cooling system used on motherboards of the ASUS Blitz series (they used only the water block). At the same time, this radiator takes part in cooling the board's power supply module. Moreover, the additional aluminum radiator is located on the board's rear panel and thus rejects heat outside the CPU housing (some sort of a response to the abit OTES technology).

Therefore, the cooling system of ASUS Maximus Formula SE is pretty intricate and highly efficient at the same time. Moreover, the efficiency can be increased through installation of an additional turbine fan (available in the package bundle) on the radiator of the power supply module.

Under the north bridge, there are four 240-pin DIMM slots for DDR2 memory modules. They are partitioned into two groups, each having two slots. The first two slots refer to the first controller channel, with the other two to the second controller.

The board offers support for DDR2-533/667/800/1066/1200, and the maximum memory capacity makes 8GB. Once voltage is applied to the board, illumination of Power and Reset buttons installed on the left-hand edge of the board lights up.

There are two PCI Express x16 slots onboard (both with latches) which are meant for video cards.

Due to the capabilities of the X38 chipset, 16 bus lanes are allocated for both of the PCI Express x16 slots. Therefore, in using two AMD/ATI video cards they run in the most powerful Crossfire mode. Besides the above listed slots, ASUS Maximus Formula uses two more "regular" PCI slots as well as two PCI Express x1 slots.

Expansion options

ASUS Maximus Formula uses the ICH9R south bridge with a radiator. Therefore, the board supports six SerialATA II ports and allows merging disks into RAID arrays of levels 0,1,5 and 10.

Besides, the motherboard supports one Parallel ATA line with an additional JMB368 controller made by JMicron.

Therefore, as many as 8 hard disks (6 SATA + 2 PATA) altogether can be plugged in to ASUS Maximus Formula. Then, the board offers 12 USB 2.0 ports: six on the rear panel, with 6 more plugged in with brackets (the board comes bundled with 1 bracket for 2 ports).

Besides, the motherboard supports the IEEE1394 ("Firewire"). For that, there is an additional onboard VT6308P controller made by VIA.

Therefore, the board offers support for 2 Firewire ports: one mounted on the rear panel, with the other one connected with a plate (available in the package bundle).

ASUS Maximus also offers 8-channel integrated Intel High Definition Audio, with AD1988B chip used as the codec. Remember that the audio subsystem is implemented on a separate board (available in the package bundle).

Now a few words on the network support: the board uses two high-speed Marvell 88E8056 (Gigabit Ethernet) network controllers connected to the PCI Express (x1) bus,

Both the RJ-45 connectors are brought over to the rear panel which has the following configuration:

Engineers at ASUS have completely given up support for the LPT and COM ports. Missing is also a PS/2 connector to plug in a mouse. On the other hand, USB 2.0 ports are in abundance; there is a Firewire, as well as an optical and coaxial SP-DIF outputs.

Traditionally, here is the diagram of components:

There are no jumpers on ASUS Maximus, and clearing the CMOS is done with a respective button (located on the rear panel). This button can be locked with a special switch:

Besides, ASUS Maximus uses buttons to power on the system and to reset:

Now on to the BIOS settings.

BIOS

The BIOS of ASUS Maximus is based on the AMI BIOS version, and its capacity is 16 Mbit.

All the memory settings are gathered in the overclocking tools section:

There is also a parameter that affects the performance - setting the memory operating frequency.

The choice of available frequencies is in direct dependence of the selected Strap:

There is one more parameter that affects the memory subsystem performance - "Command Rate":

Now move on to the section to do with the system monitoring.

The board displays the current temperatures for the CPU, system, and the chipset (both north and south bridges), rotational speeds of all the fans, as well as voltage levels. Besides, all the plugged in coolers can vary the rotational speeds depending on the CPU and system temperatures and on the temperatures of external thermal sensors. The respective settings are made in the Q-FAN 2 section:

You can keep track of the monitoring parameters from within Windows as well: with either AI Suite (basic set of parameters) or with PC Probe II (extended set).

The BIOS version can be updated in a number of ways. First, make use of the AFUDOS (DOS) and ASUS Update (Windows) utilities, and in the latter case the POST image can be recorded into the BIOS (for that, there is the MyLogo 3 feature). Secondly, the user can resort to the EZ Flash 2 utility integrated into the BIOS. The file with a new firmware can be located not only on a regular 3" floppy but also on a hard disk or a USB flash drive.

Finally, the board offers support for the CrashFree BIOS 3 (restoring the damaged BIOS firmware with a CD or a flash disk).

Traditionally for motherboards made by ASUS, the BIOS supports display of the settings in multiple languages (Multilanguages BIOS).

The BIOS also gives access to tuning all the features of modern processors:

In conclusion, we note the OC Profile technology which allows saving all the BIOS settings into memory and loading them on demand. ASUS Maximus Formula supports two independent profiles:

We also note the option to control the external POST screen where either the current time of a user-defined line can be displayed:

But, to be frank, we were not impressed by the device; especially once we tested the optional device ASUS ScreenDUO.

BIOS

The BIOS of ASUS Maximus is based on the AMI BIOS version, and its capacity is 16 Mbit.

All the memory settings are gathered in the overclocking tools section:

There is also a parameter that affects the performance - setting the memory operating frequency.

The choice of available frequencies is in direct dependence of the selected Strap:

There is one more parameter that affects the memory subsystem performance - "Command Rate":

Now move on to the section to do with the system monitoring.

The board displays the current temperatures for the CPU, system, and the chipset (both north and south bridges), rotational speeds of all the fans, as well as voltage levels. Besides, all the plugged in coolers can vary the rotational speeds depending on the CPU and system temperatures and on the temperatures of external thermal sensors. The respective settings are made in the Q-FAN 2 section:

You can keep track of the monitoring parameters from within Windows as well: with either AI Suite (basic set of parameters) or with PC Probe II (extended set).

The BIOS version can be updated in a number of ways. First, make use of the AFUDOS (DOS) and ASUS Update (Windows) utilities, and in the latter case the POST image can be recorded into the BIOS (for that, there is the MyLogo 3 feature). Secondly, the user can resort to the EZ Flash 2 utility integrated into the BIOS. The file with a new firmware can be located not only on a regular 3" floppy but also on a hard disk or a USB flash drive.

Finally, the board offers support for the CrashFree BIOS 3 (restoring the damaged BIOS firmware with a CD or a flash disk).

Traditionally for motherboards made by ASUS, the BIOS supports display of the settings in multiple languages (Multilanguages BIOS).

The BIOS also gives access to tuning all the features of modern processors:

In conclusion, we note the OC Profile technology which allows saving all the BIOS settings into memory and loading them on demand. ASUS Maximus Formula supports two independent profiles:

We also note the option to control the external POST screen where either the current time of a user-defined line can be displayed:

But, to be frank, we were not impressed by the device; especially once we tested the optional device ASUS ScreenDUO.

Overclocking and stability

Prior to moving to overclocking, let's look into the power converter. It uses a 8-phase power scheme in which there are two 271 mkF and eleven 561 mkF capacitors.

Note that engineers at ASUS have introduced the new technology Energy Processing Unit (or, the EPU). The idea behind it is that in the idle mode or under small load the power supply module operates following the 4-phase scheme. Under the full CPU load, the converter operates following the 8-phase scheme. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the overall power consumption level of the CPU.

In fact, this idea is not unique: some Chrysler motor cars use V-shaped 8-cylinder HEMI engines which under small load disengage four cylinders and thus save the expensive fuel. Similar examples can be found in the IT industry: in particular, a couple of years ago Gigabyte had the Dual Power System. The idea of that technology (briefly, the DPS) is in that near the 4-phase power converter there was a slot where the user could install a special board to make the converter run following the 8-phase scheme.

To facilitate the thermal mode of the power supply module, as well as for active cooling of the north bridge, the user can fit an additional fan (available in the bundle).

Now on to the overclocking features.

We note straight off that the board lacks the dynamic overclocking (ASUS calls this technology as NOS). Instead of that, there is support for Super MemProfile and CPU Level UP.

The ASUS Super MemProfile technology means support for the Intel XMP (Extended Memory Profiles). This is some sort of an analog to the NVIDIA EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles) technology whose idea is in the additional information written in the SPD of the memory modules, where guaranteed stable memory operation parameters are listed. Each set includes information on the memory frequency, voltage, respective latency timings, and most importantly, the sub-timings. Therefore, overclocking with the Super MemProfile is performed based on the memory capabilities: the memory frequency is set to the maximum possible and then, with the available multipliers, the FSB (and thus the CPU clock speed) is set.

The second feature - CPU Level UP - is somehow simpler and easier: the Maximus board offers a fixed set of FSB/MEM frequency values, and for better perception each set meets the specifications of an Intel processor.

In particular, we set an E6550 on board and set the "CPU Level UP" equal to "E6700" (we remind it that the CPU offers the multiplier = 10, FSB = 266 MHz and, therefore, the clock speed 2.66 GHz). In the end, the board set the FSB to 380 MHz and left the multiplier unchanged (i.e. = 7). Therefore, we attained the clock speed of the CPU as 2.66 GHz. Also, the nice thing is that the board was aware that the memory as well could be overclocked and, using the multiplier 6/5, it set the memory frequency to 456 MHz (which is equivalent to DDR2-912).

Anyway, confirmed overclockers prefer tuning all the settings on their own. So, let's list all the respective features in sequence. First off, ASUS Maximus allows adjusting the system bus speed within 200 to 800 MHz in 1 MHz increments. Of convenience is that you can enter the desired FSB value from the keyboard. Secondly, there is a feature for adjusting the multiplier. In any case, it will be of use for owners of extreme 4-core Intel processors.

Thirdly, ASUS Maximus allows adjusting the Vcore voltage within very wide ranges: within 1.1 V to 2.4 V in 0.00625-0.025 V increments.

Besides, the user gets the features for adjusting the "CPU Voltage Reference" and "CPU PLL Voltage".

The advanced user can raise the Vmem from the nominal 1.8V to 3.4V (in 0.02V increments).

At the same time, the user can fine-tune voltage levels to the memory controller and to each of the memory channels:

Besides, we get a feature for raising voltage on the chipset on both the north bridge (within 1.25 V to 1.85V in 0.02V increments),

and on the south bridge.

The adjustment range is within 1.05 V to 1.225 V in 0.025 V. Besides, it is possible to raise voltage on the FSB from 1.2 V to 2.0 V in 0.02 V increments:

There is another parameter that allows adjusting the supply voltage of the north bridge. This is the "North Bridge Voltage Reference":

It is also possible to adjust the PCI Express bus speed within 100 MHz to 180 MHz.

Now let's try the overclocking features in practice. To start with, ASUS Maximus showed fantastic results: a stable operation at FSB=544 MHz with a Conroe processor.

This frequency was attained without change in the voltages on the north bridge and the FSB. As was the case with P5E3, we came across the situation when a slight change in these voltages (primarily, the Vdd) resulted in the failure of the system to start up. But after a detailed investigation into the board's behavior we found that it is able adjusting the above voltages on its own. In the end, the forced Vdd happens to be insufficient for a stable start and functioning of the system. Therefore, if we change voltage on the north bridge, that should be done with some margin. That was just the way we did and raised the Vdd to 1.8 V. We note it straight that such level is not recommended for air-driven cooling systems (especially, under long-term load). So we plugged in the Poseidon water-powered cooling system (we recently used that for tests of Blitz series motherboards):

In the end, we attained the maximum possible FSB = 560 MHz, but long tests for stability showed that 100% operational stability is attained only at FSB = 558 MHz.

The hindrance to further overclocking is just the test specimen of CPU E6550 whose FSB Wall is right within 556 – 560 MHz. But the overclocking capability of ASUS Maximus is much higher!

However, the BIOS of the board is not yet fully polished, and the Maximus board still has certain flaws in terms of overclocking. In particular, the system won't start within the FSB range from ~500 to ~530 MHz, at the same settings which are used in 3DMark at 558 MHz.

Apart from the listed parameters, the BIOS offers two undocumented features like "Transaction Booster"

and "AI Clock Twister":

The maximum what we were able to find out: "Transaction Booster" and "AI Clock Twister" are able adjusting secondary latency timings and settings. In a word, they can be used for some slight performance gain but only once all the other means have failed, because raise of FSB by 1 - 2 MHz (i.e. increase in the CPU and memory frequencies by 10 MHz) gives a grater speed boost than the mentioned features.

Performance tests

When determining the starting FSB speed, it turned out that the board overstated it by as much as 1.3 MHz.

In our test setup, we used the following hardware:

Let's first take a look at the results of synthetic benchmarks.

Now on to the gaming benchmarks.

Final Words

ASUS Maximus Formula is another model of the Republic of Gamers series, one of the best. Products of this series are aimed solely at computer enthusiasts willing to spend more for various proprietary technologies by ASUS. At the same time, the quality of the boards are at the highest level, which makes it possible to recommend this series also for users who prefer high operational stability (for this category of users, ASUS offers motherboards of the Professional series). The only "scabbed sheep" in the herd of the Republic of Gamers was the Commando (P965) motherboard which cost $100 more than ASUS P5B Deluxe WiFi, and instead of the powerful expansion options it offered a lot of blinking LEDs.

The next generation of Republic of Gamers was represented by the two Blitz models: one with support for DDR2 (Formula), with the other one - for DDR3 (Extreme). Again, these two boards cost more than their rivals (among the other ASUS boards), although the difference is merely ~$30. But at the same time, along with the LEDs, the user got a number of unique features and capabilities inaccessible to users of other motherboards. In particular, that is an integrated system of water-powered cooling of the chipset (the water block on the north bridge). Secondly, the extended ranges of voltage adjustment, with a more precise increment. Thirdly, it is the Crosslinx technology which provides a symmetrical distribution of PCI Express bus lanes between the two video cards (owing to the additional video chip). Fourthly, the 2-phase power converter for the power supply of the memory. Therefore, we absolutely safely recommended these boards for purchase (to be more precise, only one which supports DDR2).

Finally, we now move on to Republic of Gamers based on X38. While developing motherboards of the Maximus series, engineers at ASUS used the most recent developments (e.g., the 2-phase power converter for memory modules), and some others even managed to improve (the water block is combined with a really massive radiator). Therefore, the board almost has no shortcomings (except the package bundle) and even the price is at quite an acceptable level.

Now, regarding the price. Due to the novelty and high cost ($50) of the X38 chipset, motherboards by almost all of the manufacturers are priced at about $300. In the end, ASUS Maximus Formula (SE) motherboards priced at 300 - 320 USD look quite attractive. And we recommend just the Special Edition version with the integrated water block, since the massive radiator on the chipset provides a superb cooling level even without a water-powered cooling system. And that will let overclock the system immediately after purchasing the board. Then you can choose the right water-powered cooling system without haste and overclock the board to the full.

In conclusion, we note that the marketing people at ASUS have ceased pulling the users by the leg: now motherboards with powerful expansion options cost higher. These are primarily the models Maximus Extreme (with three PCI Express x16 slots) and P5E3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP (3? PCI-E x16 + support for WiFi) that cost about 350 - 400 USD. Since these two boards support solely the DDR3 memory, they can be of interest to well-off users only. The most balanced and affordable of ASUS boards is the ASUS Maximus Formula (Special Edition) model.

Conclusion

• high stability and performance;
• 8-phase CPU power scheme;
• 2-phase memory power scheme;
• two PCI Express x16 v2.0 slots;
• support for SerialATA II/RAID ( 6 lines; ICH9R);
• support for one P-ATA link (JMB363);
• two LAN controllers (Gigabit Ethernet);
• support for USB2.0 (12 ports) and IEEE-1394 (Firewire, 2 ports);
• a wide selection of ASUS' proprietary technologies (PC Probe II, EZ Flash 2, CrashFree BIOS 3, MyLogo2, Q-Fan 2, etc.);
• additional set of AI Proactive technologies (AI Overclock, OC Profile, AI Net 2, etc.);
• fluid passive/active system for cooling the chipset and the power supply module;
• Power and Reset buttons;
• reasonable price.

• the package bundle does not match the high-end level of the product;
• flaws in the overclocking part.

• 8-channel audio subsystem is on the SupremeFX II board;
• on the rear panel, there are six USB 2.0 ports and a button to clear the CMOS; no LPT and COM ports, no PS/2 for the mouse;