ASUS P5E3 Premium (Intel X48)
Author:
Date: 02.06.2008 |
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ASUS P5E3 Premium
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| Chipset |
Intel X48 |
| CPU |
LGA775 Pentium 4 FSB 1333/1066/800/533 MHz
Celeron Conroe/Prescott FSB 800/533 MHz
Dual-Core Pentium4 Smithfield/Presler
Quad-Core (Yorkfield/Kentsfield), Dual-Core (Wolfdale/Conroe) FSB 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz
HyperThreading |
| Memory |
DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600 |
| HDD |
1x UltraDMA/133
8x SerialATA II(2xRAID)
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| Extras |
2 IEEE-1394a
Audio Intel HDA
10 USB 2.0
2x Gigabit Ethernet
WiFi-n |
| Price: |
~$400 (Price.ru) |
We have already tested a number of X48-based motherboards and not found any fundamental improvements as compared to products based on Intel X38. Today, we are reviewing another motherboard based on a new chipset, this time one made by ASUS, namely, the P5E3 Premium. Evidently, engineers at ASUS are well aware of the dubious attraction of X48, so have implemented a number of quite interesting features in this product. In particular, P5E3 Premium offers an improved WiFi-n wireless communication module. Nice thing, albeit a trifle. However, the more interesting is the latest Express Gate technology which provides access to Internet without having to load the Windows operating system. The thing is, this board offers an integrated, quite a cut-down Linux version which anyway offers a web browser, as well as the Skype!
ASUS P5E3 Premium Specifications
| ASUS P5E3 Premium |
| CPU |
- Intel Pentium 4 (Prescott (2M)/Gallatin/CedarMill) with the bus speeds 1066/800/533 MHz
- Dual-core Intel Pentium D / EE (Smithfield/Presler) with the bus speeds 1066/800 MHz
- Intel Celeron-D (Prescott/Conroe-L) with the bus speeds 800/533 MHz
- Support for Intel Core 2 (Kentsfield (4 cores), Conroe (2 cores)) with the bus speeds 1333/1066/800 MHz
- Support for Intel Yorkfield, Wolfdale with the bus speeds 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz
- Socket LGA775
- Support for HyperThreading |
| Chipset |
- North bridge Intel X48 (MCH)
- South bridge Intel ICH9R
- Interbridge communication: DMI |
| System memory |
- Four 240-pin slots for DDR3 SDRAM DIMM
- Maximum memory capacity 8GB
- Supported memory DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600
- Dual-channel memory access
- Power indicator |
| Graphics |
- Three PCI Express x16 slots |
| Expansion options |
- Two 32-bit PCI Bus Master slots
- Two PCI Express x1 slots
- Ten USB 2.0 (6 integrated + 4 additional) ports
- Two IEEE1394 ports (Firewire; 1 integrated + 1 additional)
- High Definition Audio 7.1
- Two Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers
- Wi-Fi (802.11n) controller |
| Overclocking options |
- FSB adjustable within 200 to 800 MHz in 1 MHz increments; multiplier adjustable
- Adjustable voltages on the CPU, memory, FSB, and the chipset (MCH+ICH)
- ASUS AiSuite |
| Disk subsystem |
- 1 UltraDMA133/100/66/33 Bus Master IDE link (JMB363; with support for up to 2 ATAPI devices)
- Support for SerialATA II (6 links - ICH9R, with support for RAID)
- Support for SerialATA II (2 links - JMB363, with support for RAID 0,1, JBOD)
- Support for LS-120 / ZIP / ATAPI CD-ROM |
| BIOS |
- 16 Mbit Flash ROM
- AMI BIOS with support for Enhanced ACPI, DMI, Green, PnP Features
- ASUS EZ Flash 2
- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
- ASUS MyLogo 3
- Multi-languages BIOS; |
| Misc |
- One port for FDD, one serial port, a port for PS/2 keyboard
- Onboard power indicator
- STR (Suspend to RAM)
- SPDIF Out
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| Power management |
- Wake-up on modem, mouse, keyboard, LAN, timer, and USB
- Main 24-pin ATX power connector
- Additional 8-pin power connector |
| Monitoring |
- Monitoring the temperatures of the CPU, system, voltages, rotational speeds of the five fans
- ASUS Q-Fan 2
- ASUS AI Gear 2, AI Nap
- ASUS PC Probe II |
| Dimensions |
- ATX form factor, 245x305 mm (9.63" x 12") |
Package
The box with the ASUS P5E3 Premium 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.
Package bundle:
- motherboard;
- User's Manual in English;
- 1x software & drivers DVD;
- one ATA-133 cable, one 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;
- two additional fans;
- two aerials.
Lately, a bad trend has been displayed: no matter what class a motherboards falls within and no matter how much it costs - its package bundle is explicitly scarce. As regards ASUS P5E3 Premium, its price starts with $400 (which is quite expensive), and the package bundle meets the capabilities only if a modern housing is used, where there are two USB 2.0 ports, with the PSU unit having four connectors to plug in four connectors to plug in SATA devices.
If the housing is old, the motherboard's owner will have to buy the required adapters and a bracket for ports.
We were able to estimate the master user's guide only with the *.pdf file downloaded from ASUS' web site and found no shortcomings. The thing is, the test board comes bundled with a user's manual for testers only (without description of the BIOS settings).
Note that 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.
Lastly, you can find two additional fans in the box which are installed on the radiators of the power supply module. The package bundle also has two Wi-Fi aerials.
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