ASUS P7P55D Premium Review

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The ASUS P7P55D Premium is one of ASUS's most feature-rich P55 Express board's in the market place with the addition of the new SATA 6 Gb/second interface, making it the board of choice for those wanting to go the P55 route.

ASUS has again gone the extra mile with their performance, overclocking, and the inclusion of the TurboV Remote which is a great feature allowing tweaking of the board without going into the BIOS
Meet the ASUS P7P55D Premium.

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Front, inside and rear cover of the packaging that houses the ASUS P7P55D Premium.

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What's in the Box
User's manual
1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x TurboV Remote
2 x Serial ATA 6.0Gb/s cables
4 x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s cables
1 x 2-port USB and eSATA module
ASUS Q-Shield
2 in 1 Q-connector
1 x ASUS SLI bridge connector
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Let's look at what ASUS P7P55D Premium has to offer.
As you can see, the board sports a dark PCB, with some aggressive looking heatsinks on the VRM and chipset, the VRM is made up of low RDS (on) MOSFETs, Ferrite core chokes, and 100% Japanese-made, high quality conductive polymer caps.

For quiet thermal solution, the board uses a fanless design with heat pipe, Fan Xpert also help to cool down by adjusting both CPU and chassis fan speed according to different ambient temperature, the board also uses Stack Cool 3+ effective heat dissipation.
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There is even a heat-plate on the underside.
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The four holes around the CPU socket area are spaced differently to the socket 775 and socket 1366 mounting brackets so your old heat sink won't fit.
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Easy access to the power and reset buttons which are nicely illuminated.
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The ASUS P7P55D Premium has two PCI Express 2.0 x16 video card slots for multi-graphic card's that supports both ATI Quad-GPU CrossfireX and nVidia Quad-GPU SLI, but if duel cards are used this will drop down to x8 Mode, further expansion comes via two PCI Express x1 and 2 x PCI slots, the first two slots are controlled directly by the CPU, which will help to removing some system latency.

There are four dual channel DDR3-1333/1066 memory slots which can accommodate up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM. Memory and can be overclocked to run at DDR3-2133/1600 speeds with compatible module, The memory slots has retention clips on the DIMM slots at one end, Previously we have seen clip's at either end but now there is just one at the top of the motherboard with a small retention clip at the bottom which makes things easy when removing memory modules when large graphics cards are installed.
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The ASUS P7P55D Premium motherboard is well equipped with six 3.0Gb/s SATA connectors that can be
Paired up to make an Intel® Matrix Storage SATA RAID 0,1.5 and 10 on at least six of these SATA connectors.
The P7P55D Premium is the world’s first motherboard to support SATA 6 Gb/second drives (two white)

The SATA ports are set at 90 degrees on the side of the board so as not to interfere with larger PCI-e cards; there are 4 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s (Blue) and 2 x 6.0Gb/s (White) ports next to the IDE Socket.
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The VIA VT6308S controller supports 2 x 1394a
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There are three switches at the top of the board that can provide extra power to the memory, integrated memory controller and the CPU that allow for over voltages to become available in the BIOS.

The default values are CPU 0.85 - 1.75v, IMC max 1.7v, Dram max 2.0v
Switched OV Values are CPU 1.25 - 2.1v, IMC max 1.9v, Dram max 2.5v
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MemOK is a feature that is pretty neat; it is a little red button with the purpose to allow the system to boot through running a number of algorithms in order to ensure the memory is stable enough to boot the system at the set values
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On the rear of the motherboard we have the I/O section which has 1 x PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Combo port , 1 x S/PDIF Out (Coaxial + Optical), 1 x IEEE 1394a, 2 x LAN(RJ45) port, 8 x USB 2.0/1.1, 10 -Channel Audio
The IEEE 1394a interface provides a high speed digital interface for audio/video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices.
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T.Probe is a leading Active Cooling Technology
The P7P55D Premium include an integrated Asus T.Probe chip which detects and balances power phase loads and temperatures in real-time
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There are four sets of LED on the board that illuminate in the boot process to let you know if there are any problems as they will remain illuminated on the device with the problem.
CPU.
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Dram
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.

VGA.
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Final boot device.
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The bios is very nicely laid out with plenty of features' and is not too complicated but offer's full functionality.



Here are some overclocked Bios settings, users are reminded though that overclocking in anyway will invalidate you warranty and I sacha35 will not be responsible for any problems that may arise or happen, so please be aware of the risks involved with overclocking.
 
Express Gate acts as a mini operating system, offering the user access to mini-games, their photos, instant messenger programs, Skype, the Web, and more, within 5 seconds of powering on their PC



A quick look at the ASUS bundled software that has been installed


Specifications
CPU
Intel® Socket 1156 Core™ i7 Processor/Core™ i5 Processor
Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology Supports Intel Turbo Boost Technology

Chipset
Intel P55 Express Chipset
Memory
4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)*/1600/1333/1066 Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel memory architecture
Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
*Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs. Some hyper DIMMs only support one DIMM per channel. Please refer to Memory QVL for details.
Refer to www.asus.com or this user manual for the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists)

Expansion Slots
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode)
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 (2.5GT/s)
2 x PCI
Multi-GPU Support
Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology
Supports ATI® Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
Storage
6 xSATA 3.0 Gb/s ports
Intel Matrix Storage Technology Support RAID 0,1,5,10
JMicron® JMB368 PATA controller
1 xUltraDMA 133/100/66 for up to 2 PATA devices
Marvell® 88SE9123 SATA controller:
2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (gray)
LAN
Dual Gigabit LAN controllers Realtek® 8112L / 8110SC Gigabit LAN controller featuring AI NET2 and Teaming
Audio
VIA® VT2020 10-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
Absolute Pitch BD192/24 featuring ENVY HD
DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC
Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-Retasking
Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF out ports at back I/O
IEEE 1394
VIA® 6308P controller supports 2 x 1394a ports (one at mid-board; one at back panel)


USB
12 USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 ports at mid-board, 8 ports at back panel)
ASUS Unique Features
ASUS Hybrid Processor - TurboV EVO
Auto Tuning, TurboV and Turbo Key
TurboV Remote
ASUS 48 Hybrid Phase*
T.Probe Technology for Active Cooling
32+3 Phase Power Design
100% Ultra Long Life Japan-Made Solid Capacitors
48 Hybrid Phase = 32+3 Phase x T.Probe
ASUS Hybrid OS - Express Gate SSD
ASUS Xtreme Design
ASUS Exclusive Features
MemOK!
ASUS EPU
ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution
ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe solution
ASUS Fanless Design: Stack Cool 3+
ASUS Fan Xpert
ASUS Crystal Sound
ASUS Noise Filter
ASUS EZ DIY
ASUS Q-Shield
ASUS Q-Connector
ASUS O.C. Profile
ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
ASUS EZ Flash 2
ASUS MyLogo 2
Multi-language BIOS
ASUS Q-Design
ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)
ASUS Q-Slot
ASUS Q-DIMM

Overclocking Features
Precision Tweaker 2
vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.00625V increment
vIMC: Adjustable IMC voltage at 0.00625V increment
vDRAM Bus: 81-step DRAM voltage control
vPCH: 2-step chipset voltage control
vCPU_PLL: 4-step reference voltage control
SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)
PCI Express frequency tuning from 100MHz up to 200MHz at 1MHz increment
Internal Base Clock tuning from 80MHz up to 500MHz at 1MHz increment
Overclocking Protection
ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)

Back Panel I/O Ports
1 x IEEE 1394a
2 x LAN(RJ45) port
8 x USB 2.0/1.1
10 -Channel Audio I/O
1 x PS/2 Keyboard port (Purple)
1 x PS/2 mouse port (Green)
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output
1 x Optical S/PDIF Output
1 x Clear CMOS switch
Internal Connectors
2 x USB connectors support additional 4 USB ports
1 x IDE connector
1 x TPM connector
1 x IEEE 1394a connector
1 x CPU Fan connector
1 x Power Fan connector
1 x COM connector
6 x SATA 3.0Gb/s connectors (blue)
2 x SATA 6.0Gb/s connectors (gray)
2 x Chassis Fan connector (1x4-pin, 1x3-pin)
Front panel audio connector
1 x S/PDIF Out Header
1 x CD audio in
1 x 24-pin ATX Power connector
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector
System Panel(Q-Connector)
1 x TURBO_CON header (for TurboV Remote)
1 x MemOK! button
1 x Power on switch
1 x Reset switch

BIOS
16 Mb Flash ROM , AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
WfM 2.0,DMI 2.0,WOL by PME,WOR by PME,PXE
Accessories
User's manual
1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x TurboV Remote
2 x Serial ATA 6.0Gb/s cables
4 x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s cables
1 x 2-port USB and eSATA module
ASUS Q-Shield
2 in 1 Q-connector
1 x ASUS SLI bridge connector
Support Disc
Drivers
ASUS Update
ASUS Utilities
Anti-virus software (OEM version)

Form Factor
ATX Form Factor
12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )
 
Test System
ASUS P7P55D Premium
Retail Intel I7 860 CPU
Akasa Nero
Kingston KHX1600C8D3K2/GX 4GB 1600MHz DDR3
1 X XFX GTX295 default settings.
1 X Intel SSDSA2SH64G 1GC 2.5 3GB/s SATA Drive
Corsair HX 1000W PSU
Windows 7 32-bit stock install.


For testing I used a number of Real and synthetic benchmarks running at default, 4000MHz CPU with 1600 Cas7 memory and 4000MHz CPU 2000Cas8 memory.

I had chosen these speeds to show the stock performance of the P7P55D Premium and what benefit would bring in running higher MHz from the CPU and different memory speeds.

Super Pi 1M Stock settings 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



Super Pi 32M Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



PIfast Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



Wprime Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



Cinebench Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



Hyper Pi 32M Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



Everest Cache and Memory Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8
 
PCmark 05 Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



PCmark Vantage Stock settings 12854 PCMarks
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?pcmv=249824

PCmark Vantage CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7, 15842 PCMarks
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?pcmv=249825

PCmark Vantage CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8, 15663 PCMarks
http://service.futuremark.com/compare?pcmv=249826



3Dmark 03 Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



3Dmark 05 Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



3Dmark 06 Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



3Dmark Vantage Stock settings CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



The aim of this exercises was to show the benefits' of running this motherboard with different configurations showing what sort of performance gains can be had together with the current draw impact it would have from your mains socket.


As you can see in these screen shots we can see the effects on temperature.

Stock CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7 CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8



On my test bed setup I was able to recorded both CPU and total system wattage, of course we have to take into consideration switching factors and of course variance losses so these will not be 100% correct but as the test items were used thought all of these tests we can make a compare.


Stock settings
Unloaded Lowest watts recorded total system 132.2
loaded Highest watts From the total system 298.3
unloaded CPU 0.2 Amps
Loaded CPU 5.7 Amps


CPU 4000MHz 1600Mem cas7
Unloaded Lowest watts recorded total system 194.8
loaded Highest watts From the total system 363.4
Loaded CPU 13.5Amps


CPU 4000MHz 2000Mem cas8
Unloaded Lowest watts recorded total system 196.1
loaded Highest watts From the total system 376.6
Loaded CPU 13.8Amps


Just for fun I wanted to see what this CPU could do when cold, unfortunately is has a cold boot and bug problem which stopped me from going any colder than -10c which is very difficult to control when you have a -130c cascade so to say the least this was not easy but I did manage to see how far I could raise the Bclock and the maximum MHz from the CPU, for this I used the Corsair 2200 memory kit as I did not want anything to get in the way of seeing how high this motherboard would clock the CPU.

Maximum Bclock 246
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=858575


Maximum MHz 5177
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=858575


I am 100% sure this motherboard would offer much more in the right hands and with a good CPU.



Conclusion.

The ASUS P7P55D Premium motherboard is an impressive option for users looking to take the plunge into the world of Intel's Lynnfield CPUs and Obviously the inclusion of SATA 6G will be a big point but other features like overclocking support and the improved power phase design also make the Premium offering from ASUS a sought-after motherboard.
I was very impressed with how low a Vcore and IMC voltage that I had to use at the given speeds, this of course has a lot to do with the CPU but regardles of this the motherboard has to be able to deliver stable voltage to these points.
Express gate is something that I have always been a big fan off and grown to love so having this on any motherboard is a must for me as for general use it is so easy and fast to be on the web in seconds.

ASUS has done a good job with the ASUS P7P55D Premium; it is nicely laid out and has a bundle of software and accessories with the added bonus of good overclocking features.

The downside I can see from this motherboard is that it has now been superseded by the ASUS P7P55D-E Premium which offers both SATA 6Gb/s and the addition of USB 3 support, which has made this board a little redundant, the ASUS P7P55D Premium cost around £169.33 so the price point is not to bad for a motherboard that is full of features and is ease of overclocking but for a few extra $ its big brother the ASUS P7P55D-E Premium board looks to have ticked all the right boxes, but if USB 3 is not your thing then the ASUS P7P55D Premium has to be a strong contestant for users looking to go the P55 route with price taken into consideration.
 
.. another excellent review .... um do you ever go outside ? ;)



Thanks DirtyJester, na don't get time to do much at the moment just a full on workload, anyway as said I have put some settings up for you guys to try at your own risk which have been shown in the overclocking bios pics, cooling is the main thing though with these CPU's as the one I have shown here gets very hot even with very low vCore and IMC voltage.
 
Where were you when Asus Rampage II Extreme came out?:D

Well, I'd say "Touche" for the review Sacha. Nice one.;)

Hi Reygjable, I was about but just so busy it is very hard to get time to show some how to get the best from there setups, I will make a point of showing from now on what I review on what sort of settings to aim for, this of course will not work all the time as every CPU is different but it will be within ballpark range so at least it will give you guys some info.
 
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