Intel 945P Motherboards: Going from Hopeless to Enthusiastic
by Gary Key on November 15, 2005 12:02 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Basic Features: Intel 945P from Epox, Foxconn, and Asus
The Asus P5LD2 Deluxe is a member of the AiLife product family and, as such, is a fully featured flagship board targeted towards the PC enthusiast. The board ships with an extensive accessory package along with several dynamic overclocking features such as AI NOSTM (Non-delay dynamic Overclocking System), AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner with preset profiles), ASUS PEG Link (automatic performance tuning for single/dual graphics cards), ASUS HyperPath 3 (BIOS setting to reduce memory latency), and the ASUS Ai Booster Utility Precision Tweaker software that allows control over certain system settings within Windows. The board also features the Stack Cool 2 design to dissipate heat to the opposite side of the motherboard, the optional WiFi-TV package, and an external SATA II port on the back I/O panel.
The Foxconn 945P7AA-8EKRS2 is a member of the Intense product family and, as such, is their featured board targeted towards the PC gamer. The board ships with an accessory package along with several BIOS and software features such as SuperBoot (drastically reduces boot times), SuperRecovery (easy to operate tool designed to back up or recover hard disk data), SuperBIOS-Protect (protection against viruses designed to wipe BIOS information), SuperStep (software based monitoring utility with ability to change FSB settings), SuperUpdate (Windows based BIOS update), and SuperLogo (Windows utility designed to replace and backup the BIOS logo).
The Epox 5LDA+GLI is a featured mainstream board targeted towards the PC home and office user. The board ships with an accessory package along with several BIOS and software features such as Magic Health (BIOS based health reporting system at boot-up), EZ-Boot (ability to choose bootable devices at boot-up), EPTP (EPoX Thunder Probe software based monitoring utility), Magic Flash (Windows based BIOS update program that does not require a DOS flash utility or bootable diskette), and Magic Screen (Windows utility for personal bootup screen design). The board features the Piston V design featuring a 5-phase switching power system, which is designed to dissipate heat and provide cleaner power to the CPU. The board also features a CP80P post port debug LED, digital thermometer capability with a supplied thermo-stick, and power on and reset buttons located on the board.
| Specification | Epox 5LDA+GLI | Foxconn 945P7AA-8EKRS2 | Asus P5LD2 Deluxe |
| CPU Interface | LGA775-based Pentium 4, Pentium 4 EE, Celeron D, and Pentium D processors | LGA775-based Pentium 4, Pentium 4 EE, Celeron D, and Pentium D processors | LGA775-based Pentium 4, Pentium 4 EE, Celeron D, and Pentium D processors |
| Chipset | Intel 945P ICH7R | Intel 945P ICH7R | Intel 945P ICH7R |
| Pentium D Support (Dual-Core) |
820D, 830D, 840D (840EE not supported by 945P Chipset) | 820D, 830D, 840D (840EE not supported by 945P Chipset) | 820D, 830D, 840D(840EE not supported by 945P Chipset) |
| Front Side Bus | 1066 / 800 / 533 MHz | 1066 / 800 / 533 MHz | 1066 / 800 / 533 MHz |
| Front Side Bus Speeds | 200 - 350 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) | 200 - 265 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) | 100 - 450 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) |
| Memory Speeds | Auto, (fsb based dividers), 400, 533, 667 | Auto, 400, 533, 667 | Auto, (fsb based dividers), 400, 533, 600, 667, 800 |
| PCI Express | Default, 100 MHz to 150 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) | Default, 100 MHz to 200 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) | Auto, 90 MHz to 150 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) |
| Dynamic Overclocking | EPoX Real Time Turbo (FSB adjustable overclocking system based on preset values and system load information) | Not Applicable | AI NOSTM (Non-delay Overclocking System); AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner); ASUS PEG Link (Automatically performance tuning for single/dual graphics cards); ASUS HyperPath 3 (memory performance); Precision Tweaker for Windows |
| Core Voltage | Default, -0.100V - +0.250V (in 0.1V increments) | Default, +0.0125 - +0.1875 (in 0.0125V increments) | Auto, 1.25V - 1.70V (in 0.0125V increments) |
| DRAM Voltage | Default, 1.80V - 2.15V (in 0.05V increments) | Default, +.03, +.06, +.10 | Auto, 1.80V - 2.3V (in 0.05V to 0.10V increments) |
| Other Voltage | MCH - Default, 1.50V - 1.80V (in 0.10V increments) | MCH - Default, +.03,+.06, +.10 | MCH - Auto, 1.50V - 1.65V (in 0.05V increments) ICH - Auto, 1.05V, 1.20V FSB - Auto, 1.2V, 1.3V, 1.4V |
| Memory Slots | (4) x DIMM, max. 8GB, DDR2 667/533/400, non-ECC, un-buffered memory | (4) x DIMM, max. 4GB, DDR2 667/533/400, non-ECC, un-buffered memory | (4) x DIMM, max. 4GB, DDR2 667/533/400, non-ECC, un-buffered memory. |
| Expansion Slots | (1) x PCI-E x16 (1) x PCI-E x16 Universal Slot (1) x PCI-E x1 (3) x PCI 2.3 |
(1) x PCI-E x16 (2) x PCI-E x1 (3) x PCI 2.3 |
(1) x PCI-E x16 (1) x PCI-E x16 Universal Slot (1) x PCI-E x1 (3) x PCI 2.3 |
| Onboard SATA | Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II | Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II | Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II Silicon Image 3132: (1) x Internal SATA II and (1) x External SATA II |
| Onboard IDE | Intel ICH7R: (1) x UltraDMA 100/66/33 |
Intel ICH7R: (1) x UltraDMA 100/66/33 ITE 8211F: (2) x UltraDMA 133/100/66 |
Intel ICH7R: (1) x UltraDMA 100/66/33 ITE 8211F: (2) x UltraDMA 133/100/66 |
| SATA/IDE RAID | Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and Intel Matrix Storage technology | Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and Intel Matrix Storage technology ITE 8211F: (2) x UltraDMA 133/100/66, RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 1 + 0 |
Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and Intel Matrix Storage technology Silicon Image 3132: (1) x Internal SATA and (1) x External SATA RAID 0, RAID 1, JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 with Additional Port Multiplier |
| Onboard USB2.0 IEEE-1394 |
(8) USB2.0 ports (2)VIA-1394a ports |
(8) USB2.0 ports (2)TI-1394a ports |
(8) USB2.0 ports (2)TI-1394a ports |
| Onboard LAN | Marvell 88E8053 PCI-E Gb LAN | Broadcom 5789 PCI-E Gb LAN, Broadcom 5788 PCI Gb LAN | Marvell 88E8053 PCI-E Gb LAN |
| Onboard Audio | Realtek ALC880, 8-channel High-Definition Audio CODEC, Jack Sensing and Universal Audio Jack, (1) x Coaxial S/PDIF out port (1) x Optical S/PDIF out port |
Realtek ALC880, 8-channel High-Definition Audio CODEC, Jack Sensing and Universal Audio Jack, (1) x Coaxial S/PDIF out port | Realtek ALC882M, 8-channel High-Definition Audio CODEC, Dolby® Master Studio, Jack Sensing and Universal Audio Jack, (1) x Coaxial S/PDIF out port (1) x Optical S/PDIF out port |
| Power Connectors | 24-pin ATX 4-pin ATX 12V |
24-pin ATX 4-pin ATX 12V |
24-pin ATX 4-pin EZ Plug 8-pin EATX 12V |
| Back Panel I/O Ports | 1 x Parallel 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Audio I/O 1 x Serial Port 1 x RJ45 2 x S/PDIF Out (Coaxial+Optical) 4 x USB |
1 x Parallel 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Audio I/O 1 x Serial Port 2 x RJ45 1 x S/PDIF Out (Coaxial) 4 x USB 1 x IEEE1394 |
1 x Parallel 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Audio I/O 1 x External SATA 1 x RJ45 2 x S/PDIF Out (Coaxial+Optical) 4 x USB 1 x IEEE1394 |
| Other Features | EPTP - (EPoX Thunder Probe) for system hardware monitoring Magic Flash - for BIOS update without requiring DOS flash utility and bootable diskette Magic Screen - for personal bootup screen design |
SuperUtilities Suite - SuperBoot SuperBIOS-Protect SuperRecovery SuperSpeed SuperStep SuperLogo SuperUpdate |
ASUS WiFi-TV (optional) -Digital TV (DVB-T only), Analog TV, FM -WiFi@home 802.11a/b/g. ASUS AI Quiet ASUS Stack Cool 2 ASUS "SATA on the Go" External SATA connector |
| BIOS | Award 5lda5B11 | Award 515F1P29 | AMI 0312 |
The Asus P5LD2 Deluxe is a member of the AiLife product family and, as such, is a fully featured flagship board targeted towards the PC enthusiast. The board ships with an extensive accessory package along with several dynamic overclocking features such as AI NOSTM (Non-delay dynamic Overclocking System), AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner with preset profiles), ASUS PEG Link (automatic performance tuning for single/dual graphics cards), ASUS HyperPath 3 (BIOS setting to reduce memory latency), and the ASUS Ai Booster Utility Precision Tweaker software that allows control over certain system settings within Windows. The board also features the Stack Cool 2 design to dissipate heat to the opposite side of the motherboard, the optional WiFi-TV package, and an external SATA II port on the back I/O panel.
The Foxconn 945P7AA-8EKRS2 is a member of the Intense product family and, as such, is their featured board targeted towards the PC gamer. The board ships with an accessory package along with several BIOS and software features such as SuperBoot (drastically reduces boot times), SuperRecovery (easy to operate tool designed to back up or recover hard disk data), SuperBIOS-Protect (protection against viruses designed to wipe BIOS information), SuperStep (software based monitoring utility with ability to change FSB settings), SuperUpdate (Windows based BIOS update), and SuperLogo (Windows utility designed to replace and backup the BIOS logo).
The Epox 5LDA+GLI is a featured mainstream board targeted towards the PC home and office user. The board ships with an accessory package along with several BIOS and software features such as Magic Health (BIOS based health reporting system at boot-up), EZ-Boot (ability to choose bootable devices at boot-up), EPTP (EPoX Thunder Probe software based monitoring utility), Magic Flash (Windows based BIOS update program that does not require a DOS flash utility or bootable diskette), and Magic Screen (Windows utility for personal bootup screen design). The board features the Piston V design featuring a 5-phase switching power system, which is designed to dissipate heat and provide cleaner power to the CPU. The board also features a CP80P post port debug LED, digital thermometer capability with a supplied thermo-stick, and power on and reset buttons located on the board.
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Houdani - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link
My approach is not backwards in the least. It's mainstream. And I do support the status quo because it's not broken. Your argument is that you want to see how sound affects gameplay ... period. For that, you should go read soundcard reviews.If you are arguing that CardB will suffer more than CardA due to the sound solution, then clearly I've missed something significant!
yacoub - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link
No, not "period". At all. I want to see real world tests of GPUs so I can see how ALL expected impacts during gaming affect the latest and greatests GPUs, especially in light of conclusions in many reviews pointing out that "buy the best GPU you can afford" is the answer for gamers and GPUs are the most expensive piece of equipment in most cases since $200 CPUs can are enough for most cases.
It's necessary to know if, in light of the real world impacts like sound processing, that X800XL that looks like it can push enough fps in the GPU-exclusive testing done on it, actually falls beneath a playable threshhold in your machine at the games/resolutions/graphical settings the review showed to be fine. A 15fps difference is clearly HUGE (especially when most cards reviewed are pushing 30-50fps in most tests) and can EASILY push a seemingly sufficient card into the slideshow/stuttering realm of "holy crap that review screwed me big time. I should have sacrificed the extra $50 to jump up to CardB". If anything these dick-waving reviews are HARMFUL to actual consumers concerned with upgrading their gaming rigs as opposed to techies simply interested in reading about the latest GPU, because many of them don't even mention that sound is off and why that can have a big impact on the actual gaming performance of the card. They might waste time and money on an upgrade because the review data was worthless compared to how it actually performed in their system.
Food for thought.
MadAd - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link
This is a mobo review and OB sound is on mobos so it has a place being tested here, not on GFX cards.In the context of current reviews, you want a change to the established way of doing things so that some finite aspect of sound card performance can be included, thats your opinion and fair enough you can have it. However rather than argue that the (perfectly good for most) system should be changed, instead why dont you ask the AT reviewers for a comparitive system review including sound?
If its worthwhile doing im sure one of the reviewers would agree, perhaps a few other readers would back you up if they think it would make a difference however I'm in the 'keep the status quo' camp so am biassed thinking its really not worth the time when it can be predicted from seperate reviews.
yacoub - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link
Here's a vague comparison: Measuring automobile horsepower at the crank instead of the wheels - it ignores drivetrain loss and isn't as accurate a measurement. This is why the industry recently mandated a revised rating system. Yes, most cars will now market a must lower (but more accurate) number for their horsepower rating.The GPU review industry needs to start doing the same thing. Give more accurate numbers so the consumer is better infomred and can actually use the reviews to make a solid purchase decision. After all, that's what reviews started out to do years ago - help consumers understand the features of new hardware AND how they actually performed playing the games people played, so people could decide what the best upgrade strategy would be for their system based on worthwhile data.
TheInvincibleMustard - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link
I saw that graph with min/max/average framerates! Woohoo! Convince others to implement that as well, especially in video card reviews (*cough*7800 GTX 512*cough*) :DIt's a shame that the Foxconn only goes up to 1.9v, as everything else about the board seems really decent ... is there word from Foxconn that this might be possible to fix in a future BIOS upgrade, or is it a hardware-specific issue?
-TIM
Gary Key - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link
The board is very solid, has an excellent price point, and we are hoping Foxconn will implement further changes in their bios in the near future. I will update the article if we receive a new one.
Furen - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link
You know you don't have to throw a long quote at the beginning of each article, right? I mean, it seems a bit excessive... like you're trying too hard to link the article to the grand scope of human life. We all appreciate an article's technical merits (this is a tech site, after all) but reading a piece of philosophy or literature at the heading kind of grows old after one or two times (dare I say, it reminds me of Omid at THG and his latin-infused writings so many years ago). I'm not complaining about the article, by the way, maybe I'm just being anal...Kensei - Friday, November 18, 2005 - link
I'm way late to this party but here goes anyway. I couldn't disagree more. It makes for much more interesting reading and the linkages to literature are a very minor part of each article. As I've said before, Gary is an extremely talented writer and others should be learning from his example. I strongly feel that people with strong technical interests need to spend time in other pursuits to make them more well rounded persons. I could write a book on the people I've met who possess great technical knowledge but it does them little good because they lack the interpersonal and communication skills to convey it to any other carbon-based life form.So dust off that copy of Jane Austin's Pride & Predjudice in your sister's room and see how the other half lives..... OK.... just go see the movie.
Kensei
Gary Key - Saturday, November 19, 2005 - link
I appreciate your comments and you made my evening. My sister was named after Elizabeth although she acts more like Mr. Darcy in real life. I might just pull out the 1996 BBC rendition (reminds me of my Rendition Verite based Reactor 3D card I found recently) and view it over the holidays. :) :) :) :)
Gary Key - Tuesday, November 15, 2005 - link
I appreciate the feedback. I flip flop at times about the quotes myself but figured it would provide a difference in the article besides starting out with same, "Intel introduces the 945P, a chipset that is very good, and is in three boards today....", syndrome. However, I can see your point where it can grow old after a few times also so maybe we should mix it up at various times. ;->