Asus P5Q Deluxe

Powerful foundation for PCs with one video card




THE $209 ASUS P5Q DELUXE is one of the first motherboards to use Intel's new P45 chipset. Similar to the P35 it replaces, this midrange chipset is built on 65-nanometer (nm) process, which reduces heat and power consumption while supporting a 1,600MHz front-side bus and the latest 45nm processors. It makes a good basis for a solid motherboard that's a full-featured, fine performer but isn't overly blinged out.
Though the PSQ Deluxe includes the P45, it still relies on DDR2 memory, supporting DDR2 speeds up to DDR2-1200. This makes it an attracive choice if you're bringing over components from an earlier PC or trying to save cash.
Asus's Six Engine Power Saving technology, which features five power-consumption modes, significantly cuts the P5Q Deluxe's power usage-at the expense of some performance-making the PSQ an excellent choice for home theater PCs, home media servers, and other systems that are always on.
The board has three PCI Express (PCIe) slots with x16 connectors that support multiple ATI graphics cards using CrossFireX technology. Note, however, that if you install two video cards, each slot drop to x8 mode, and the third slot only runs in x4 mode. Motherboards using Intel's X48 chipset card on the first two slots in x16 mode, which offers a performance increase in some games and makes the X49 a better choice for CrossFireX users.

The P5Q deluxe's BIOS is loaded with overclocking features, allowing users to tweak processor and memory speed-as well as voltages-with exacting detail; its 16-phase power promises extra system stability. And though full-lengh graphics cards will block one of the Serial ATA (SATA) connectors, the overall board layout is good. - Denny Atkin
source: Computer Shopper October 2008.
company website: www.asus.com