Asus LGA1156 P7P55D-E Pro Motherboard Review

When we published our comprehensive P55 motherboard roundup back in early April, one of the boards we discussed and really liked was the Asus P7P55D Deluxe. At $220, that particular board was priced significantly higher than some of the other LGA1156 options we considered. Fast forward a few months and we've got the LGA1156-based P7P55D-E Pro on the table. Its MSRP is considerably lower than the P7P55D Deluxe's ($179.99 vs. $219), and it offers features like USB 3.0 and SATA 6G, both of which aren't available on the other board. The P7P55D-E Pro's features and price make it an attractive option, but does it stand up against the newer LGA1156 boards from other manufacturers? Let's find out...


ASUS P7P55D-E Pro

ASUS P7P55D-E Pro
Specifications & Features

Processor Support 
LGA1156 Socket for Intel Core i7/i5/i3 Processors
Supports Intel TurboBoost Technology

Chipset
 Intel® P55 Express Chipset
   
Memory 
4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR3 2200(OC) 16/1333/ 1066MHz Non-ECC, Unbuffered RAM
Dual Channel memory architecture
   
Expansion Slots 
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (single max @ x16,dual @ x8 speed)
3 x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots (2 at 5GT/s [blue]; 1 at 2.5GT/s [gray])
2 x PCI Slots
 
Multi-GPU Support:
Supports  NVIDIA Quad-GPU SLI Technology
Suports ATI Quad-GPU CrossFireX Technology

Storage
Intel P55 Express Chipset
6 xSATA 3 Gb/s ports
Intel Matrix Storage Technology Support RAID 0,1,5,10

JMicron® JMB363 PATA and SATA controller
1 xUltraDMA 133/100/66/33 for up to 2 PATA devices
1 xExternal SATA 3.0 Gb/s port
1 xSATA 3.0 Gb/s port

Marvell PCIe SATA 6.0Gb/s Controller
2 x SATA 6.0 GB/s ports (gray)
 
Audio
VIA VT1828S 8-channel HD Audio CODEC
Absolute Pitch BD192/94
DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC
Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-streaming, and Front Panel Jack-Retasking
Coaxial/Optical S/PDIF out

LAN
Realtek 8112L Gigabit LAN Controller 

USB
12 USB 2.0 ports (6 ports at back I/O, 6 ports onboard)
2 x USB 3.0 ports (blue)
Unique PCIe x4 Bridge Chip for Ultra Performance
True USB 3.0 Support
True SATA 6.0 Gb/s

IEEE-1394
2 x 1394a ports (1 port at back I/O, 1 port onboard)


Back Panel I/O Ports
1 x PS/2 keyboard port (purple)
1 x PS/2 mouse port (green)
1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Out
1 x Optical S/PDIF Out
1 x IEEE 1394a port
1 x External SATA port
1 x LAN RJ-45
2 x USB 3.0 / 2.0 ports
6 x USB 2.0 / 1.1 ports
8-channel Audio I/O ports
 
Internal I/O Connectors
3 x USB connectors supports additional 6 USB 2.0 ports
7 x SATA 3.0 connectors (blue / black)
2 x SATA 6.0 connectors (gray)
1 x IDE connector for two devices
4 x Fan connectors: 1 x CPU / 2 x Chassis / 1 x power fan
Front panel audio connector
System Panel connector
1 x IEEE1394a connector
Front panel audio connector
1 x S/PDIF Out Header
24-pin ATX Power connector
8-pin EATX 12V Power connector
1 x MemOK! button
 
BIOS
16 Mb Flash ROM
AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI2.0a Multi-Language BIOS 

Overclocking Features
Precision Tweaker 2
SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection)
Overclocking Protection

Form Factor
ATX Form Factor
12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30 cm x 24.4 cm )

   

Asus' bundle contains the company's documentation, a single USB2 external backplate, two SATA cables, a CrossFire connector, the motherboard's I/O plate, and a pair of headers that simplify attaching the various activity lights and power switches. There's nothing extraordinary here, but all of the basics are included with the P7P55D-E Pro to help users get the board set up and running easily and without the need to purchase additional cabling.


Related content