Asus LGA1156 P7P55D-E Pro Motherboard Review


Introduction

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.


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