ASUS Maximus II Formula (Intel P45)
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Date: 26.09.2008 |
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Performance tests
When determining the starting FSB speed, it turned out that the board overstated it by 0.3 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
Tests of application software
Video encoding (DivX, Xvid) was measured in seconds, i.e. the less the better.
Data compression (WinRAR) was measured in KB/sec, i.e. the more, the better.
Final Words
As it turned out, it is quite hard to formulate conclusions regarding ASUS Maximus II Formula. From the viewpoint of the buyer who purchases a motherboard with a regular cooling system, this product has absolutely nothing to complain about: it offers superb expansion options, powerful overclocking tools, and a fantastic overclocking capability. However, if the user happens to get a motherboard with a fault in the cooling system, then all the advantages of Maximus II Formula immediately come to naught: the system is unable to run stably. Therefore, we make a conclusion that this motherboard itself is aimed solely at computer enthusiasts who have enough time and drive for making the cooling system perfect or for repeated visits to the shop.
But that’s not all. If we assume that from a certain point all the ASUS Maximus II Formula boards will be warranted against any issues with the cooling system, even in that case we can't recommend this product. ASUS in its assortment offers also the Rampage board based on the Intel X48 chipset, whose retail price is quite close to that of the Maximus II. We'll provide a detailed comparative overview of these boards closer to the end of the year, but for now we have to point out that due to the X48 the Rampage board offers a better implementation of the CrossFire technology, and its package bundle is somehow more abundant.
Regarding the package bundle of Maximus II Formula, we have to say that the marketing people at ASUS switched to really aggressive saving: apart from external thermal sensors, they no longer put a modern 3D game into the box. But the board is part of the Republic of Gamers series, so a popular game would come in handy.
Conclusion
Pros:
- High stability and performance;
- 8-phase CPU power scheme;
- 3-phase power scheme for the north bridge, and 2-phase for the memory;
- Two PCI Express x16 v2.0 slots;
- Support for SerialATA II/RAID (9 links; ICH10R+88SE6121+Sil5723);
- Support for one P-ATA link (88SE6121);
- 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, BIOS Flashback, MyLogo 3, Fan Xpert, etc.);
- Additional set of AI Proactive technologies (AI Overclock, OC Profile, AI Net 2, etc.);
- Passive/active system for cooling the chipset and the power supply module;
- Power and Reset buttons; a button to reset the CMOS;
Cons:
- The package bundle does not match the level of a high-end product;
- The cooling system may have a serious flaw;
The board's specific features:
- 8-channel audio subsystem is on the SupremeFX X-Fi board;
- No LPT and COM ports on the rear panel, no PS/2 for the mouse;
- Discuss the material in the conference
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