ASUS P5E64 WS Pro

As predicted for this year, the dizzying high prices of DDR3 have finally dropped to within reason- even edging into that of DDR2's price point. The reason for such drastic price drops is that chip makers like Micron, Samsung, Hynix, and Qimonda are currently in full swing mass production of DDR3 DRAM - increasing supply and beating demand. This excess in inventory of DDR3 means a steady supply affordable and readily available chips that have helped to spur such rapid market adoption, evident with over fifty different motherboards currently on the market that support this memory standard.

Further DDR3 price drops are expected to continue into the fourth quarter and means many will be looking for quality motherboards suitable for high-speed DDR3. That being the case Benchmark Reviews thought it would be of interest to examine one of the more mature DDR3 based motherboard offerings on the market today; the ASUS P5E64 WS Professional Motherboard based on Intel's 3 series X38 Express Chipset with support for unheard of "Quad" graphics.

ASUS, as is their tradition, has created a unique motherboard in regards to the P5E64 WS Pro, with support for four (4) PCI-e x16 slots (two at x16 full-speed and two at x4 speed). While traditional motherboards built with Intel's 82-X38 Express Memory Controller Hub (MCH) allow for two full-speed PCI-e lanes at x16 directly from the MCH (an additional sixteen lanes compared to the P35 and 975X MCH) and only one x16 (x4) slot from the ICH9R Southbridge. The P5E64 WS Pro adds an additional PCI-e x16 (x4) slot courtesy of an integrated PCI-e bridge-chip for a total of four (4) PCI-e slots. Paired with the X38 Chipset's native support of DDR3 1333MHz and ASUS AI tools clear the way for some impressive overclocking.

Among the top of ASUS' lineup the ASUS P5E64 WS Pro Motherboard is built around Intel's X38 Express chipset. Termed a "workstation" board by ASUS, the P5E64 WS Pro features a base FSB of 667MHz, with native support for DDR3 SDRAM operating in Dual Channel mode at 1333MHz, and is CrossFireX ready with support for up to four (4) PCI Express (PCI-e) based x16 graphics cards - "Quad" CrossFireX. With so many features built into it the P5E64 WS Pro is blatantly a design intended for enthusiasts. However, its innovation and ease of use should make it appealing to even first time buyers.

ASUS establishes the P5E64 WS Pro as a "Workstation" motherboard by offering the following integrated features:

• Support for LGA775 Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo, including 1333/1066/800FSB and 45nm processors
• Supports up to 8GB of dual channel DDR3 800, 1066 and 1333MHz FSB, using four 240-pin, 1.5V DDR3 DIMMs
• Four (4) PCI Express x16 slots (Two Blue = x16, Two Black = x4)
• G.P. Diagnosis Card (POST Code Readout) - Bundled
• ASUS Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) card support
• One PCI Express x1 slot
• Two 32-bit v2.2 Master PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface)
• One IDE port via Marvell 88E8056 IC
• Eight SATA 3Gbps ports supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 or JBOD
• Two e-SATA via Marvell 88E8056 IC
• ADI SoundMax ADI1988B High-Definition audio codec supporting 7.1 channel surround sound up to 32-bit/192KHz
• Two Gigabit Ethernet, one PCI-Express provided by the Marvell 88E8056-NNC1 chipset and another over PCI provided by Marvell 88E8001
• Twelve USB 2.0, six on the rear I/O, four internal via motherboard pin-out
• VIA Fire IIM VT6308P/S 1394 Host Controller IEEE1394a Firewire IC supplying two ports (one on the rear I/O, one through motherboard pin-out)

About the company: ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated (ASUS)

Perhaps best known by enthusiasts for their motherboards, ASUS is a company recognized for high-quality and innovation in the consumer electronics industry. A leading provider of computer components and peripherals, ASUS offers an ever expanding product portfolio hoping to bring their level of expertise to a wide market.

From Wikipedia:

ASUS was founded in 1989 in Taiwan by TH Tung, Ted Hsu, Wayne Hsieh and MT Liao - all four were computer engineers from Acer. The current CEO and Chairman of ASUS, Jonney Shih, joined the company in 1994. According to the ASUS sales manager, Alexander Kim, the name ASUS originated from Pegasus, the winged horse of Greek mythology. The first three letters of the word were dropped to give the resulting name a high position in alphabetical listings.

From the ASUS website:

The philosophy of ASUS product development is to do the fundamentals well first before moving forward. Started with computer components such as motherboards, graphic cards, and optical storage devices, ASUS now has now over 16 product lines, including desktop barebone systems, servers, notebooks, handhelds, network devices, broadband communications, LCD monitors, TVs, wireless applications, and CPT (chassis, power supply and thermal) products.

DDR3 Technology Summary:

2008 is to be the year of widespread DDR3 adoption. Starting the trend is the mass production of 1GB chip densities already in full swing. Continuing with 2GB chip density production slated to begin in the first half of this year. As 2GB chip production matures consumers will begin to see 2GB modules become the standard module size replacing current 1GB modules. Following this trend the price of 2GB modules will start dropping off as manufacturers such as Micron move from the current 78nm process to a their more efficient 68nm process later this year.

DDR3, as defined by Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JDEC). "DDR3 SDRAM is a high-speed dynamic random-access memory internally configured as an eight-bank DRAM. The DDR3 SDRAM uses an 8n Prefetch architecture to achieve high-speed operation. The 8n Prefetch architecture is combined with an interface designed to transfer two data words per clock cycle at the I/O pins (double data rate-DDR). With a single read or write operation for the DDR3 SDRAM consisting of a single 8n-bit wide, four clock data transfer at the internal DRAM core and two corresponding n-bit wide, and one-half clock cycle data transfers at the I/O pins."

DDR Comparison Chart

DDR3 by design is the next generation of memory, and the designated successor to DDR2. DDR3 is made to offer greater bandwidth and lower latencies Doing so by increases the Prefetch Buffer size from 4-bits (DDR2) to 8-bits (DDR3), while also increasing the operating frequency; resulting in higher data transfer rates than its predecessors. In addition to the increased data transfer rate, memory voltages have also been dropped from 1.8v to 1.5v, helping offset the heating effects caused by the higher frequency. The performance goal of DDR3 memory, compared to older DRAM, is to increase the Prefetch Buffer size and chip operating frequency, in turn lowering the operational voltage level to compensate for heat. In addition to the higher frequency and lower voltage, DDR3 features a memory reset (Master Reset) option which DDR2 and DDR1 both lack. The memory reset feature allows the memory to be completely cleared via a software reset action. Older memory types (DDR1/DDR2) do not have this feature meaning the memory state is uncertain after a system reboot. The Master Reset feature of DDR3 insures that the memory will be clean (empty) after a reboot allowing for a more stable system.

To best show how DDR's design affects performance requires an understanding of how the Prefetch Buffer works. Modern memory chips operate at extremely high frequencies inside their physical chip structure. Comparably, the frequencies of the individual electronic logic transistors inside the chip operate at a much higher frequency than the outside connections, such as the FBS. To accommodate for this, data is positioned into a buffer located on the memory chip and then waits for the proper time to transfer to the motherboards bus. The entire operation is referred to as the Memory Prefetch (Prefetch Buffer). To describe its value in terms of performance Prefetch is followed by the lower case letter "n" and a number, which represents the number of data bits. For example, DDR1 has a Prefetch of 2n, which means it can store 2-bits of data in each Prefetch Buffer. DDR2 uses a Prefetch 4n or 4-bits to buffer, thus doubling the amount of data transferred from the buffer compared to DDR1. DDR3 for example, uses a Prefetch of 8n which in turn doubles the size of the Prefetch used on DDR2. This increased size of the Prefetch buffer, and the increased memory bus operational frequency lets each generation of DDR increase its overall throughput. However, the rated throughput of the various DDR RAM speed is only a theoretical throughput, and even though DDR3 is expressed as exact values such as 14.9 GB (1866MHz effective), it does not account for other devices using the bus. Therefore, the theoretical speed value is used simply to compare the various DDR RAM types (i.e. DDR1 PC3200) and classifications.

The key advantage of DDR3 is its ability to offer twice the data rate 8n (8-bits) on the rising edge, and the falling edge of the digital clock signal as opposed to DDR2's 4n (4-bit) and DDR1's 2n (2-bit). This paired with clock frequencies well and above that attainable by DDR2 allow for a tremendous amount of bandwidth to the MCH eliminating any potential for bottlenecks from the memory subsystem. This in addition to the Master Reset, optional Thermal Sensor, and programmable SPD's should definitely make this an interesting year for DDR3 as it becomes more affordable and competition in the segment heats up.

Note: DDR3 is both electrical and physically incompatible with previous versions of DDR RAM. Physically, DDR3 has 240 pins (the same as DDR2), but the notched key is located in a different position relative to the DIMM socket, thus preventing it's insertion into a motherboard DIMM socket designed for older DDR2.

For further information Benchmark Reviews has pieced together an excellent article: DDR3: System Memory Technology Explained.

Intel X38 Specifications

Intel X38 Block Diagram

As shown the X38 MCH offers nearly all the same amenities of the P35, with the only exception being the lack of 16 PCI-e lanes from the P35's MCH, limiting CrossFireX operation of 16x/4x. In addition, the P35 shares the same support for a 1333MHz front-side bus, and is also compatible with the mainstream 45nm "Penryn". The P35 and X38/48 MCH chips are all built on the same 90nm scale as the older 975/965, as such there is no reduction in the TDP, and in fact it's slightly higher. The higher TDP is likely due to increased operating frequency, well above that of the P35. The same is true for the ICH9R Southbridge IC that is fabricated at 130nm, identical to that on the P35.

ASUS P5E64WS Professional Summary:

ASUS P5E64 Package & Contents

Most of us take for granted a products packaging, that is till the day we receive something that's been damaged in transit due to lack of, or improper packaging. Equally important to protection is proper labeling. For these reasons Benchmark Reviews is always critical of how companies pack their product; making sure the item well labeled, informative, and secure enough to make the punishing journey through shipping. As such, we will always spend some time in reviews on what most people will probably throw away without a second thought.

For their packaging ASUS has utilized a blue double carton box design for the P5E64 WS PRO that has become standard fair for their high-end motherboards, with an attractive outside shell that features a flip up panel to provide further details and specification. In addition to the well labeled box, ASUS has included a convenient built in handle allowing the entire package to be carried as if it were a briefcase.

As for accessories you won't find the P5E64 WS PRO lacking in any way compared to other high-end motherboards. ASUS has included a detachable POST code display unit with Power and Reset switch dubbed the "G.P. Diagnosis card", an exclusive accessory for the P5E64 WS Pro & and it's X48 counterpart the P5E64 WS Evolution (more on this in a bit).

Included in the package:

• Eight red SATA cables, four with 90 degree connectors
• One black IDE cable
• One black floppy cable
• ASUS Q-Connectors
• ASUS G.P. Diagnosis Card
• PCI bracket with one COM port
• Metal rear I/O Shield with padding and EMI (electromagnetic interference) protection
• PCI bracket supporting two USB 2.0 ports and one 6-pin Firewire port
• General motherboard manual, Quickstart Guide and driver DVD
• Two SATA Power Adapters

P5E64 Layout & Features

ASUS has again used their familiar black painted circuit board (PCB) for the P5E64 WS PRO. Using a simple and tasteful color scheme, ASUS has tagged every slot and port a different color for easy location and identification. It is an attractive design with none of the garish color schemes other board makers recently seem fond of, and should mesh seamlessly with most case styles.

As with all of ASUS recent top-of-the-line motherboards, the P5E64 WS PRO is dominated by the extensive heatpipe/heatsink system that links the SB, NB, and Power Management. And although it's seemingly passive, the set-up is dependent on either the CPU heatsink fan, or in the case of water-cooling a dedicated fan.

ASUS has wrapped the entire CPU socket area (with the exception of the Northbridge heatsink made of painted Aluminum) with their pure copper "Heat Pipe". The heatpipes and Fin Arrays presents a bit of a hassle when installing wide aftermarket coolers, such as the one I have chose to use on this review, a Scythe SCNJ-CU1000 NINJA, though it is compatible with the latest LGA775 style coolers on the market, it does make for a tight squeeze. The heatpipes array system ASUS has used ensures an adequate and noise free stock cooling solution, however, it also presents an issue for those wishing to install any aftermarket cooling; i.e. the whole array would have to be removed if one would want better cooling on just the NB chip.

Here is the Scythe SCNJ-CU1000 NINJA installed, though a tight fit installation wasn't hampered drastically by the heatpipe fins, however, the CPU cooler orientation was limited due to access restrictions created by the Fins.

The P5E64 WS PRO features a total of ten (10) SATA ports. The six blue ports are managed by the ICH9R SATA ACHI RAID controller, with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 (1+0). The black ports and externals SATA (eSATA) ports are managed by the Marvell 88E8056 IC as well as the IDE channels. As with all their current high-end motherboards ASUS has used edge mounted SATA ports for easy access when using long SATA cards such as the ATI/AMD HD4870. Since edge mounted SATA ports are not as much of a feature as they are a logical concept, I feel ASUS should implement them along their entire motherboard line.

Although the SATA ports do not suffer from interference issues the DIMM RAM slots do come into contact with long SATA cards, as well as blocking one of the onboard fan headers.

Board Layout & Features Contd.

The rear I/O panel of the P5E64 WS PRO includes no less than six USB ports, a PS/2 keyboard port (no PS/2 mouse support), optical and RCA digital S/PDIF, six 3.5mm audio jacks that provide the 7.1 (8) channel audio as well as separate microphone and line in ports, two eSATA ports, a 6-pin Firewire socket and two Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports.

The upper Gigabit port is controlled by the Marvell chipset attached to the P35's PCI-Express, whereas the lower Gigabit port is run through the ICH9R PCI-based Marvell 88E8001 IC.

Shown here is the P5E64 WS PRO's DDR3 DIMM slots, each color coded and arranged in a 2-by-2 configuration, with Dual Channel mode enabled by inserting modules in like colored slots. For performance memory (DDR-1600+) ASUS recommends using the Black DIMM slots labeled A2 and B2.

The P5E64 WS PRO allows for a total of four (4) x16 PCI-e cards to be installed simultaneously, making this board rather unique in this fashion. The two blue slots are directly connected to the X38 MCH, making them PCI-e 2.0 compatible, and the best choice for configuring the system in standard CrossFireX operation. The alternately spaced black slots are able to accept x16 cards mechanically, but each only provides x4 link speeds from the installed device to the Southbridge. Placement of the PCI-e slots is rather odd when compared to other X38/48 layouts with the first x4 slot placed directly alongside the blue x16 slot - limiting CrossFireX set-ups to either mid-range offerings or some form of aftermarket cooling due to the typical two-slot cooling solution found on all high-end video cards.

This particular PCI-e expansion method is different than other X38 boards with only one additional PCI-E x16 (x4 electrical) slot connected to the ICH9R Southbridge. ASUS manages this trick on The P5E64 WS Pro courtesy of an integrated PCI-e bridge-chip. Adding a third-party chip provided by PLX (yes the same one on the HD3870 X2) which connects one of the available PCI-e x1 lanes offered by the ICH9R to a x4 electrical lane on the lower black PCI-e slot.

With PCI-e speeds the last PCI-e slot limited to x1 the performance potential of such a setup is arguably marginal at best seeing as the device installed would be seriously bottlenecked by this configuration. Although the slot device is capable of x4 operation, the bridge chip is only able to communicate with the Southbridge at x1 speed. In addition, whatever device installed must contend with all other PCI-e traffic passing through the ICH9R to the X38 MCH over a single x4 link, which in the case of Quad CrossFireX would most likely include another x4 device residing in the first black slot further diminishing throughput. Regardless of the obvious downside for multi-GPU set-ups, there are clear advantages of set-up: x16 devices capable of only stepping down to x8 or x4 links can now take advantage of the previously unused x1 slot - though only at x1 speeds. A solution ideal for disk controller add-in cards.

ASUS G.P. Diagnosis Card

Continuing with their non-traditional approach on the P5E64 WS PRO ASUS has included their G.P. Diagnosis card- a detachable POST card with 7-stage LED POST check readout with power and reset switch.

The G.P. Diagnosis card attaches to the P5E64 WS PRO via a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) interconnect.

The card also comes with a detachable 90 degree connector for out-of-case configuration. Though mostly useless in everyday set-ups the cards readouts do provide limited error reporting, and at the least shows if the BIOS has passed the memory test, though I think the lack of the display showing is a better indicator.

G.P. Diagnosis Card Codes

ASUS Special Components

Located adjacent to the LGA775 socket is the EPU chip. In the recent trend of "Green" computing ASUS has decided to include what they term the Energy Processing Unit (EPU) onto the P5E64 WS PRO. The EPU is tasked with monitoring and regulating the power phases on the motherboard with the ability to automatically shut off half of the eight power phases without any user input - reducing power draw from the CPU and essentially saving on electric costs and reducing the impact on the environment one watt at a time.

The EPU function is not directly user controlled and is only active in a non-overclocked system. The readout for the EPU sits in the Windows system tray next to the clock and displays the CPU's current watts with a balloon tip when the mouse cursor is over it. Aside from the sometimes annoying balloon tip there is no other readout of the CPU's watts.

The adjoining energy saving software component dubbed "AI Suite" has several user adjustable features: from fan control to direct tweaking of the CPU ratio, FSB frequency, and several pre-defined settings - all which require a reboot. Sadly the AI Suite and all its features are again only accessible in a non-overclocked system similar to the restrictions on Gigabyte's Dynamic Energy Saver featured on the GA-X48T-DQ6 X48 motherboard.

Using the AI Suite feature AI Gear 3, users can select from five different pre-defined settings which automatically set the FSB speed and CPU voltage. The above chart shows each settings effect on the system and subsequent power usage.

American Megatrends BIOS

As usual for their BIOS design ASUS has used American Megatrends, Inc. (AMI). The P5E64 WS PRO does not use any hidden menus and everything in their BIOS is straight-forward with navigation and setting values both easy and intuitive.

P5E64 WS PRO BIOS Slideshow:

ASUSTek EZ Flash 2 BIOS ROM Utility

ASUS has for some time now added the ability to update and backup BIOSs with their EZ Flash utility. EZ Flash 2 adds the ability to read and write to a USB flash drive in addition to the standard Floppy and CD-Rom.

Similar to the EZ Flash utility the O.C. Profile does just what its name implies with the ability to backup and load CMOS BIOS settings from the same media as EZ Flash.

AI Tweaker Settings Summary:

Performance BIOS Settings

To get right to the heart of the P5E64 WS PRO tweaking we start at the AI Tweaker tab. For this article we are going to look at the Performance options within the AI Tweaker menu.

As with most of ASUS latest mid-range to high-end motherboards, they have included and Auto-Overclocking feature, termed "AI Overclocking Tuner". When set to Auto this feature dynamically adjusts CPU ratios and voltages and with its software counterpart that runs within Windows, allowing the user some limited control over voltages FSB Frequencies and CPU Ratios.

In addition to the AUTO settings, users can select Manual (for hands on tuning) and Xtreme Memory Profile (X.M.P.). X.M.P. is Intels version of NVIDIA's E.P.P. that stores settings in addition to the SPD information on the RAM that dictate what speed and voltage to run when used on a motherboard with X.M.P. support. When testing a X.M.P. memory kit I found that none of the extended profiles (DDR3 1600/1800MHz) were stable.

For RAM without X.M.P. profiles the P5E64 WS PRO gives the user the ability to choose DDR3 1600 and 1800, with the board making it's best guess as to timings and voltages. Again when testing these settings the board would fail at POST.

P5E64 WS PRO: BIOS Tweaking

A new concept motherboard twaking is Clock Skew adjustments. Clock Skew is either positive or negative and happens when the electrical clock signal reaches different components at different times.

For motherboards the main issue occures with the placement of the different memory channels spaced further and closer to the MCH. Adjusting either the advance or delay of each channel syncronizes the clock signal for both channels. The increments are measured in picoseconds (one millionth of one millionth of a second) so changes here won't effect any but a very highly overclocked system.

AI Clock Twister is another proprietary name from ASUS that essentially tightens or loosens secondary memory timings namly Static Read delay for negligable memory perfomance gains.

Unlike previous chipsets there are no longer the penalties associated with using a higher FSB strap. With the ability to manually configure the Static Read Control Delay (tRD), termed Performance Level by the industry and "Transaction Booster" by ASUS, overclockers are freed from FSB Strap limitations on memory bandwidth. For example; increasing the Transaction Booster Level in BIOS, which in turn lowers the actual tRD value, translates into higher memory performance while at a lower FSB. Additionally, tRD gives users the option of higher FSB Straps for stable operation at higher FSB speeds without loss of performance.

MemSet

MemSet is a tweaking tool which allows to some changing of memory timings under Windows. Users can read principal and secondary timings, and even change these timings values. Using MemSet, it's possible read and adjust the performance level setting from within Windows.

As a precautionary measure ASUS has built into the BIOS a color coding scheme that warns users if they are adjusting voltages too high - yellow for higher that suggested, and red for potentially damaging voltages.

P5E64 WS PRO: Motherboard Testing

Testing Methodology:

For testing we used an Intel E8500 as our base processor as it's a CPU that reflects a vast majority of Core 2 Duo systems at the present. With its wide range of multipliers (6x-9.5x) the E8500 can easily remain within its stable clock range of 4.351GHz while simultaneously allowing for a very high FSB. All results were taken running memory ratios of 2:1 for final DRAM speeds of DDR-1333 @ 6-6-6-18, DDR-1600 @ 7-7-7-20, and DDR-1800 @ 8-8-8-24 respectively

For our operating system (OS) we chose a fresh install of Windows XP with Service Pack 3 RC1 (SP3). Microsoft's Service Pack 3 rolls out some new features; however, it is essentially a cumulative update for all of Microsoft's hotfixes and updates. Although we had the option to test on a newer OS, we wanted the results to reflect better with real-world users, and according to a recent survey more than 80% of users still run Windows XP.

To minimize the effect of GPU bottlenecks, all of the game tests were ran at 1280x1024 resolutions with medium settings and AA/AF disabled; better demonstrating potential CPU and Memory related gains. All benchmarks tests were repeated three times to gain an average reproducible result.

Test Setup:

• Motherboard: ASUS P5E64 WS Pro (BIOS 1103 Dated 6/26/2008)
• Processor: Intel E8500 Core 2 Duo 3.16GHz ~1.3v (9.5x333/9x400/9x450 MHz FSB) 3.16/3.6/4.05GHz
• Cooling: Scythe SCNJ-CU1000 NINJA all Copper Anniversary Edt. w/ Noctua NF-P12 120mm Fan
• Memory: 2 GB (1,024 MB x2 modules) Patriot PC3-15000 DDR3 @ 1333Mhz/1600/1800Mhz
• Video: Sapphire Radeon HD4870 512MB GDDR5 @ Stock w/ ATI Catalyst v8.7
• Audio: Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Music
• Hard Disks: Drive #1 - WDC WD5000AACS-00ZUB (465 GB), Drive #2 - WDC WD740ADFD-00NLR1 (69 GB), Drive #3 - WDC WD4000AAJS-00YFA (372 GB)
• Optical Drive: SONY DVD RW DRU-830A SCSI Cd-Rom Device, HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDRH10N (16x/48x DVD-ROM)
• Enclosure: Ultra m998 Aluminum Mid-Tower ATX Case ULT40069
• PSU: Ultra X3 1000 watt modular cables
• Operating System: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3, with IE7 (OS Version 5.1.2600 WinXP Retail)

BIOS 450 FSB OC Settings:

• Ai Overclocking - [Manual]
• CPU Ratio Control - [Manual]
• Ratio CMOS Setting - [9]
• FSB Strap to North Bridge - [333]
• FSB Frequency - [450]
• PCIE Frequency - [100]
• DRAM Frequency - [DDR3-1801MHz]
• DRAM Command Rate - [2T]
• DRAM Timing Control - [Manual]
• CAS# Latency - [8 DRAM Clocks]
• RAS# to CAS# Delay - [8 DRAM Clocks]
• RAS# Precharge - [8 DRAM Clocks]
• RAS# Activate to Precharge - [24 DRAM Clocks]
• tWR - [Auto]
• tRFC - [Auto]
• tWTR - [Auto]
• tRRD - [Auto]
• tRTP - [Auto]
• DRAM Static Read Control - [Disabled]
• DRAM Dynamic Write Control - [Disabled]
• AI Clock Twister - [Strong]
• Transaction Booster - [Enable 0]
• Clock Over-Charging Mode - [Auto]
• CPU Spread Spectrum - [Disabled]
• PCIE Spread Spectrum - [Disabled]
• CPU Voltage - [1.3v]
• CPU Voltage Ref - [Auto]
• Load-Line Calibration - [Enable]
• CPU PLL Voltage - [Auto]
• DRAM Voltage - [2.00v]
• FSB Termination Voltage - [Auto]
• North Bridge Voltage - [Auto]
• North Bridge Voltage Reference - [Auto]
• South Bridge Voltage - [Auto]

P5E64 Special Settings

CPU-Z Setting Confirmation:

EVEREST Ultimate Edition is an industry leading system diagnostics and benchmarking solution for enthusiasts PC users, based on the award-winning EVEREST Technology. During system optimizations and tweaking it provides essential system and overclock information, advanced hardware monitoring and diagnostics capabilities to check the effects of the applied settings. CPU, FPU and memory benchmarks are available to measure the actual system performance and compare it to previous states or other systems. Furthermore, complete software, operating system and security information makes EVEREST Ultimate Edition a comprehensive system diagnostics tool that offers a total of 100 pages of information about your PC.

9.5x333

9x400

9x450

In the EVEREST Memory bandwith the P5E64 WS shows an impressive lead over it's P35 counterpart the P5K3 at 450 FSB speeds, though lower settings place the P35 ahead by a margin. A limiting issue on the P5E64 WS Pro was the boards inability to run 1N Command Rate at higher with RAM at higher than DDR-1600 no matter what voltages were thrown at it or what memory kits were used. This is a minor disadvantage however, as 1N typically only gives an average 3% boost over 2N and in synthetic tests only.

P5E64WS Test Results

The synthetic tests suite just, as EVEREST, favors the X38 at high FSB begging the question of what the P5E64 WS PRO is capable at even Higher FSB speeds. However, at lower speeds again the P35 dominates the X38 posing the question of: what gives the X38 such a lead at higher FSB?

Test Results Part 2

In the encoding and file compression tests the favor swings to that of the P35, with SuperPi the only test to favor the X38. SuperPI being the only tests that is greatly effected by memory perhaps how the X38 P5E64 WS PRO handles memory at high FSB has a greater significants.

Gaming Benchmarks

Gaming on the P5E64 WS PRO is superb. The average frames per second (FPS) of the X38 P5E64 WS Pro leading by about 1.2%, while minimun FPS in World in Conflict show an amazing 29.4% gain at 450 FSB over the P35.

Systems Test & Power Usage

Though both the P5K3 and the P5E64 WS Pro use the same ICH9R SATA host controller write speeds favor the P35 possible due to less traffic over the system bus since the P5K3 lacks the bridge chip. Write caching is enabled on the drive (Western Digital Raptor 74GB) something both the Marvell and JMicron controllers seem oblivious to as evident by the less than stellar performance when compared to the ICH9R.

Using RightMark's Audio Analyzer and a trusty audio cross over cable it was possible to measure the performace of the ADI AD1988B onboard audio chip. When tested against the tried and trusted X-Fi Extreme Music the intergrated audio falls flat. Subjective listening tests were alos in favor of the X-Fi that delivered richer audio and crisper tones.

Here is a graphed comparison of the Total Harmonic Distortion test between the onboard ADI AD1988B sound chip and X-Fi Extreme Music. Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is the measure is a sum of all audio distortion compared to the original signal. The lower the THD the lesser the distortion and the closer to the original sound the device is able to reproduce. Without getting into too much detail, THD is what makes a piano note sound like a piano when played back, and not a violin.

For our power usage tests both systems were set to default configuration and Total system power draw measured from the wall with our trusty Kill A Watt. To induce a "worse case" peak power draw we used Orthos, a utility that runs two instances of prime95 insuring 100% CPU usage. To stress the video and guarantee no power fluctuation from the video card we ran the stability test from the increasingly popular OpenGL Fur Rendering Benchmark. Idle power draw was measured at ten minutes after Windows boot ensuring all processes had finished loading.

With a Total Design Power of 26.5W on the X38 P5E64 WS PRO and only 14.5W on the P35 P5K3 it's interesting that both boards consumed nearly identical watts in the torture test. However, thanks to the EPU onboard the X38 idle power draw is less than 2.5% compared to the lower powered P35.

ASUS X38 Final Thoughts

As affordable DDR3 pricing is finally being realized the door is wide open to buyers looking to take advantage of the abundant DDR3 motherboards on the market. Of the many available DDR3 supporting boards, the ASUS P5E64 WS Pro makes its mark by supporting four PCI-Express x16 devices - with some limitations. ASUS labels the P5E64 WS PRO as a workstation board, with the obvious emphasis placed on its support for octo (8) displays. We certainly have our reservations about quad-CrossfireX as all the PCI-Express lanes do not run at full speed and the obvious layout issues. However, the addition of another x16 slot does fit the bill of a workstation - example: if one would choose to populate the additional slot with a SAS controller card not compatible with x1 PCI-Express physically but again not needing the 16GB/s bandwidth of the full speed slots that would be wasted.

The inclusion of the G.P. Diagnosis card is a bit of a puzzle here. Despite the immediate question of usefulness, the Card is also blocked when using all but an open-air setup by the last PCI-Express when a device is installed. Placing the POST readout power and reset switch onboard would have been the more logical choice without the risk of misplacing the card.

Despite being a workstation board the P5E64 WS PRO has all the overclocking features of a top-of-the-line enthusiast board, notably a little odd. At default configuration the board offered rock-solid stable performance, however, stable overclocking was more of a challenge than this reviewer was custom to. We loved the hands on ability to tweak endlessly though many BIOS settings have little to no effect on performance or stability and tweaking options offered dangerously high voltage ranges. For all these reasons the title of a workstation board seems a little at odds with actual motherboard itself.

ASUS P5E64 WS PRO Conclusion

ASUS has loaded their familiar retail box with all the relevant motherboard information. Clearly showing the P5E64 WS Pro's features and supported technologies. The box is not overly large or awkward, none-the-less there is a sturdy plastic handle built right into the top of it for easy briefcase style transportation.

Regarding layout, the P5E64 WS PRO has a clean well laid design. Its aesthetic leaves little to be desired with a tasteful color scheme that also serves to help quickly identify each port and socket. However, the design is not without flaws as there are minor interference issues related to PCI-Express slot placement that limit the use of the G.P. Diagnosis card and Quad-CrossFireX to single slot coolers.

The P5E64 WS PRO uses high grade components such as all-solid capacitors and a sturdy 6 layered PCB. The sample I reviewed had zero noticeable defects; a testament to ASUS high level of quality control.

As one of ASUS' top motherboards it's expected the P5E64 WS PRO will perform well. And perform well it does - Reaching DDR3-1800 speeds at 450 FSB.

With a quick search the P5E64 WS PRO can be found for at major e-tailors for $269.99 - a bargain keeping in mind all the features that come built into the design, such as integrated 8-channel audio, dual eSATA, and dual GB LAN.

To sum it up, ASUS has developed and maintained a board that offers superb stability and performance with many levels of flexibility and an extensive feature set. Paired with high-speed DDR3 the P5E64 WS PRO is out of the box performance with unique features that set it apart from the now crowded DDR3 market.

Pros:

+ Rock Solid Stability
+ Out of box Performance
+ Maintenance Free Stock Cooling
+ Rich Onboard feature set
+ Respectable Overclocking Capability
+ Support for Intel 45nm CPU's
+ Built in Overclocking Support Features
+ Onboard EPU Energy Saver

Cons:

- Poor Placement of PCI-Express slots
- PCI-Express 4th slot limited to x1 speeds
- Complicated BIOS Overclocking
- Limited Aftermarket Chipset Cooling Options
- Heatpipe complicates CPU cooler installation

Ratings:

• Presentation: 9.0
• Appearance: 8.75
• Construction: 9.25
• Functionality: 9.0
• Value: 8.5

Final Score: 8.9 out of 10.

Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.

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