First Thoughts-
Our initial test results indicate that except for official 1600FSB support, there are not any real performance differences between the X38 and X48 chipsets at stock or mildly overclocked settings. This does not surprise us, as Intel's chipset guidance outline has not indicated anything differently. It was not until we started pushing both boards that we could tell a difference, even then it was minor for the most part. The X48 based Premium board did allow us to reduce CPU and MCH voltages when compared to the Deluxe board. This could be a combination of factors ranging from BIOS and board design to improvements in the X48 chipset. In early testing, it is proving difficult to isolate the specific differences. We believe it is a combination of BIOS design and the X48 chipset. However, it appears on the DDR3 boards that the user will not be able to take advantage of these minor differences unless they are really pushing the board. This will be important for some but for the majority of users it will not matter which chipset is used.
We cannot provide benchmark results with the upcoming 3.2GHz QX9770 quad-core processor that features a native 8x400FSB setting at this time. We can say in preliminary testing that both ASUS boards generated almost identical benchmark results at stock settings with the X38 Deluxe board having no problems with the native 400FSB setting. However, the X48 Premium board provided minor improvements in memory performance when overclocking past the 1800MHz level.
Overall, we can state that with the latest BIOS releases the X38 boards are maturing quickly and the transition to the X48 will be seamless for the manufacturers and potential users. We are being told that the X48 will command a price premium (average $30~$50) over the X38 boards. In our early testing, that premium only seems justified for those who extract 98%+ out of their boards or for those who want the security of knowing their 1600MHz FSB capable processors will operate properly without the supplier having to guarantee 1600MHz compatibility on the X38 product. The latter statement is one that we have not experienced yet with any X38 board. Our only open question at this time is if DDR2 performance has improved with the X48 as rumor says it will. We will answer that question shortly with the GA-X48-DQ6 board from Gigabyte.
In regards to the ASUS P5E3 Premium board, it appears to us that ASUS fixed our few qualms with the BIOS design and options on the Deluxe board. Both boards pack a tremendous number of features on-board and provide excellent, if not class leading performance, provided you make the jump to DDR3. Although they are expensive, we believe both boards set the standard in the DDR3 arena. We look forward to providing final test results shortly with both boards. For now, it appears the hype surrounding the X48 chipset was overblown. While it is an improvement in certain cases, we have not seen it clearly outperforming the X38 yet. Maybe some additional octane from the upcoming Penryn lineup will provide additional horsepower, but for now, we have two almost equal performing engines under the hood.
Our initial test results indicate that except for official 1600FSB support, there are not any real performance differences between the X38 and X48 chipsets at stock or mildly overclocked settings. This does not surprise us, as Intel's chipset guidance outline has not indicated anything differently. It was not until we started pushing both boards that we could tell a difference, even then it was minor for the most part. The X48 based Premium board did allow us to reduce CPU and MCH voltages when compared to the Deluxe board. This could be a combination of factors ranging from BIOS and board design to improvements in the X48 chipset. In early testing, it is proving difficult to isolate the specific differences. We believe it is a combination of BIOS design and the X48 chipset. However, it appears on the DDR3 boards that the user will not be able to take advantage of these minor differences unless they are really pushing the board. This will be important for some but for the majority of users it will not matter which chipset is used.
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We cannot provide benchmark results with the upcoming 3.2GHz QX9770 quad-core processor that features a native 8x400FSB setting at this time. We can say in preliminary testing that both ASUS boards generated almost identical benchmark results at stock settings with the X38 Deluxe board having no problems with the native 400FSB setting. However, the X48 Premium board provided minor improvements in memory performance when overclocking past the 1800MHz level.
Overall, we can state that with the latest BIOS releases the X38 boards are maturing quickly and the transition to the X48 will be seamless for the manufacturers and potential users. We are being told that the X48 will command a price premium (average $30~$50) over the X38 boards. In our early testing, that premium only seems justified for those who extract 98%+ out of their boards or for those who want the security of knowing their 1600MHz FSB capable processors will operate properly without the supplier having to guarantee 1600MHz compatibility on the X38 product. The latter statement is one that we have not experienced yet with any X38 board. Our only open question at this time is if DDR2 performance has improved with the X48 as rumor says it will. We will answer that question shortly with the GA-X48-DQ6 board from Gigabyte.
In regards to the ASUS P5E3 Premium board, it appears to us that ASUS fixed our few qualms with the BIOS design and options on the Deluxe board. Both boards pack a tremendous number of features on-board and provide excellent, if not class leading performance, provided you make the jump to DDR3. Although they are expensive, we believe both boards set the standard in the DDR3 arena. We look forward to providing final test results shortly with both boards. For now, it appears the hype surrounding the X48 chipset was overblown. While it is an improvement in certain cases, we have not seen it clearly outperforming the X38 yet. Maybe some additional octane from the upcoming Penryn lineup will provide additional horsepower, but for now, we have two almost equal performing engines under the hood.
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Kougar - Saturday, November 17, 2007 - link
Ah, you are correct. G45 will be the GMA X4500 with DX10 and HD playblack offloading support, if the wiki is anything to go by. At least they seem to understand Intel's nomenclature! But that makes two of the three G31, G33, and G35 pretty superfluous, since they supposedly use mostly similar or different variations of the same G965 design that G45 will then supersede? I had thought G35 was released, but you are also correct it has not. G45 is due at the same time as the rest of the 45 chipset launches in 2Q'08, so what is the point of launching G35 just for one quarter except to help push more parts?Sadly this does not explain P45 or X48... both of which only offer a higher official FSB rating. Suffice to say if X48 doesn't offer any improvement over X38, then why would P45 offer the same over P35. X38 is nothing more than a P35 with extra PCIe lanes, which is fine, but it makes P45 and X48 rather moot points. The goal of a business is to turn a profit, but forcing a steady stream of superfluous rebadged "new" hardware down the industry's throat is not a good thing.
ninjit - Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - link
Personally I really wish they dropped PS/2 altogether from new motherboards, but I find it a little odd that they included a PS/2 Keyboard port, but no mouse one.
I thought it might be a typo, but the board picture only seems to show the purple keyboard ps/2 port as well.
Gholam - Sunday, November 18, 2007 - link
Intel DP35DP has a nice little bug where you get locked out of the system after doing a BIOS upgrade. All "USB Root Hub" devices fail to start; you have to delete and redetect them - but since the only way to connect mouse and keyboard is via USB, they don't work, and the only way to resolve it is to use a remote connection via LAN.Likewise, on Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R, a Logitech G15 keyboard connected via USB doesn't function with Vista x64 boot loader - the "F8" part. A PS/2 keyboard must be used to access startup options.
TA152H - Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - link
I'd rather they drop an additional USB ports and keep the PS/2 ports.Why would anyone want to connect their mouse and keyboard to a USB port? It does not function better, and has higher overhead. It's kind of funny how much importance people place into ringing that last cpu cycle out of their machine, and then the nitwits put in a USB keyboard and mouse.
Guess who invented USB? Intel maybe? Why do you think Intel would want this lousy technology? Because it made people want faster CPUs. Why do we need something other than PS/2 ports for a mouse or keyboard? They don't do the job properly, and efficiently? Or wait, if we have USB ports, we can use them for something else in case we don't need to use a keyboard or mouse. Yes, that must be it! Except, how often don't you need a keyboard or mouse on a desktop machine and desperately need an extra USB port or two? Hmmmm, I'm thinking next to never.
USB is a bad, inefficient technology. For things that don't matter like cameras, it doesn't matter (naturally). For anything else, you've made a compromise you probably shouldn't have made. It sucks for hard disks, it sucks for mice and keyboards, although it's good for powering portable refrigerators ( http://usb.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=0...">http://usb.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=0... ). Maybe that's what it should be used for. Everything else pretty much has a better choice of an existing interface.
jonp - Thursday, November 15, 2007 - link
Yes, let's keep the PS/2 keyboard and mouse connections. I have a KVM that I don't want to replace and a mix of systems across time. The latest edition is a MB with PS/2 keyboard but no mouse. The first PS/2 to USB converter was trash. The 2nd one works better but still the mouse hangs up without warning at the darndest times.At slightly off the topic, it seems that Intels dropping of IDE/PATA was a bit premature as all the MB manufacturers have to add back a JMicron (or someone elses) chip for IDE hard and CD/DVD drives....
takumsawsherman - Thursday, November 15, 2007 - link
Absolutely. There's nothing worse than having the Mobo not like your choice of USB keyboard and refuse to recogize F-Keys or Del upon boot. PS/2 is reliable, and has no disadvantages over USB that I can think of for keyboards. I think I heard something about precision mice that seemed to favor USB, but I've never had an issue with using my PS/2 connector with my USB mouse (till the adapter broke due to leverage issues). My mouse is now plugged in via USB and I don't feel any more precise or that my mousing has improved.USB is a hellspawn of a standard, and I wish that Firewire would have taken off instead. Some will blame Apple for the licensing garbage, and maybe that is true, but Apple's first iMac had USB and no Firewire. That is when USB really took off. Meanwhile, much like PS/2, ADB (the bus used for keyboards and mice on old Macs) was a better standard, and many complained about the USB keyboards not keeping up with typing, and of course the old keyboard combinations did not work as well, due to a lack of hardware interrupt, I think. No more rebooting from the keyboard when locked up, force quit didn't always come up. Lots of issues.
Back to this board, I see they put FW400 on it, but felt that for $230, the customer should pay for their own FW800, even though it has been out for 4 years. Some premium.
leexgx - Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - link
rants aside, keeping the PS/2 keyboard connector is an good idea as it allways works as with windows that is an slight chance that the usb kayboard may not not of been detected yet or you mate be stuck with the found new hardware box but unable to press enter hehi still use an ps/2 keyboard and an usb mouse so works well as it is
PLaYaHaTeD - Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - link
Double paragraph on the first page,On Test Setup, memory is "Corsair GARY FIX THIS"
Raja Gill - Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - link
oops sorry was posted during final edit, it's all fixed now...