Intel P965 Shoot-Out: Asus P5B-E vs. MSI P965 Platinum

ASUS P5B-E

The P5B-E motherboard supports Intel Core 2 processors. It features the Intel P965 chipset and supports DDR2 800MHz dual-channel memory.  With its 8 GB max capacity DDR2 800 dual channel memory system architecture, PCI-E X16 graphic card slot, six expansion slots (3 x PCI-E X1 + 3 x PCI), and nine ATA connectors (8 x SATA + 1 x PATA), it is an excellent option for a mid-range gaming platform, with extreme flexibility and room for a lot of power.  ASUS' exclusive innovative tools – AI NOS™, AI Gear and AI Nap – allow users to adjust operation speed according to their specific needs, creating a cool and stable platform that delivers extreme performance, minimum noise and maximum power saving.  The motherboard and its packaging comply with the European Union's Restriction on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This is in line with the ASUS vision of creating environment-friendly and recyclable products and packaging to safeguard consumers' health while minimizing the impact on the environment.

ASUS P5B-E Specifications Looks aren't everything

Keeping with the relatively spartan outlook for the Asus P5B-E, the bundle is a bit on the short side.  A single User Guide with accompanying driver/utilities CD provides the necessary information and software used to get a system running, although a RAID setup will require a driver disk that is not included.  Four SATA cables and two SATA power cables (with two connections each) as well as single ribbon-type IDE and floppy cables provide the means to connect various drives.  A single bracket with two USB 2.0 ports and I/O shield are the only item installed on the backplane.  Something called the Q-Connector as well as two other headers are the only non-standard items present in the bundle.  The Q-connector is a handy little tool that creates a bridge between the front panel pins on the motherboard and the cables.  The other two headers are used for USB and FireWire connections, but they prove to be much less useful as their orientation is already set.