ASUS Maximus II Gene Motherboard

3DMark06's built-in CPU test is a multi-threaded DirectX gaming metric that's useful for comparing relative performance between similarly equipped systems. This test consists of two different 3D scenes that are processed with a software renderer that is dependent on the host CPU's performance. Calculations that are normally reserved for your 3D accelerator are instead sent to the CPU for processing and rendering. The frame-rate generated in each test is used to determine the final score.

Where we felt that it was somewhat unjust to label the Maximus II Gene as a top performer or bottom feeder based on the PCMark Vantage results, we are less in the dark with 3DMark's CPU Performance Module.  Here, the ASUS board is placed in dead last, 5 points behind the G45-based board from Intel. 

In our custom LAME MT MP3 encoding test, we convert a large WAV file to the MP3 format, which is a popular scenario that many end users work with on a day-to-day basis to provide portability and storage of their digital audio content. LAME is an open-source mid to high bit-rate and VBR (variable bit rate) MP3 audio encoder that is used widely around the world in a multitude of third party applications.  We created our own 223MB WAV file and converted it to the MP3 format using the multi-thread capable LAME MT application in both single and multi-threaded modes. Processing times are recorded below, listed in seconds. Shorter times equate to better performance.

We don't often see much of a difference when it comes to encoding MP3s with LAME and our most recent attempts using a trio of P45 boards and a single G45 proved to be equally dull.  When paired with the same CPU - a Core 2 Duo E6550 - and 2GB of RAM, each of our board posted the exact same completion times: exactly one minute when using a single core and almost half that, 38 seconds when using both of the CPU cores.