Tech Island S04 Teaser 2: Captivatingly Tech from Tech Island Cebu on Vimeo.
Techisland is a show for tech geeks & enthusiasts alike. Nowadays, who isn’t? Hosted by our very own, homegrown, tech enthusiast, Ryan Yu, our show takes the audience in & around Cebu for the latest in technology driven news, gadgets and gizmos!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Techisland Tech Forecast: USB 3.0 >>Sunbeam One of the First in Line!
Techisland Tech Forecast: Watch out for the Coming of USB 3.0>> The maximum transfer speed of USB 2.0 is 480Mbps, and USB 3.0 is able to reach 5Gbps.
YES 5GBS PER SECOND.
Many suppliers has presented SuperSpeed USB peripheral devices, such as portable hard disk, motherboard, flash drives and just about anything USB.
We should be seeing more of this on mid this year towards the end of 2010. By 2011 it will be the standard USB slot for almost all Motherboards and Laptops.
Sunbeam, one of the leading peripherals Manufacturer has already released USB 3.0 devices and is one of the first companies to do so.
For those with USB 2.0 Motherboards or PC's, don't fret, USB 3.0 PCI cards will be available for you to add on to your existing system enabling you to now have USB 3.0 and use 3.0 Devices.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Patriot Viper II Sector 5: A New Memory In Town!
We’ve come a long way since DDR3 SDRAM was introduced and yet it’s only been these past few months that the new memory technology has caught up. The fact that the DDR2 was more than enough to cater the needs of the Core 2 architecture hinders DDR3 adoption. But that has changed since Intel introduced its new line of processors with integrated memory controller that forces consumers to use DDR3, DDR2 support was simply abandoned leaving enthusiasts and consumers alike with no choice but to adapt. There really is nothing bad against the new memory, it consumes less power at 1.5 volts compared to 1.8 volts compared to its predecessor and is capable of running to speeds that DDR2 was not possible at a slightly slower latency.
However, I strongly believe that Intel opted to go with DDR3 because of a limitation on its integrated memory controller – low tolerance to voltage coming from the memory modules which puts it 1.65 volts. Anything higher and you kill the IMC (and the processor as a whole) which has been proven with suicide tests performed by extreme overclockers. Higher memory speeds with low latencies require voltage and the limit imposed by Intel is somewhat lot compared to what DDR2 was capable of because the previous chipset did not have such limitation. The last few months saw significant improvements with DDR3. Manufacturers have managed to squeeze every bit of performance from DDR3 memory chips with 1.65 volts as a limit in such a way that even DDR3-2200 speed has been achieved (at a premium price) with low latency. Now that my short history lesson is out of the way, let me discuss shortly how the memory frequency is obtained with the current Intel processors.
Memory frequency is obtained differently when compared to the previous architecture that was based on front-side bus. The FSB architecture determines memory speed via the FSB clock, memory divider (northbridge chipset) and the double data rate of the memory themselves. All these of course varies, from setting to setting and as an example, putting the FSB:DRAM ratio at 1:1 gives you a 200 MHz front-side bus speed and a 200 MHz memory speed (double the data rate and you get 400 MHz) hence, DDR2-400. Apply a different ratio and you get a memory speed that may not be equal to the FSB speed and yet the memory can still run at its rated specification as configured by the memory controller but let’s not dwell too much on the topic since we are here to focus on DDR3. DDR3’s frequency is determined by 2 things, the base clock and the memory multiplier. Each lineup from the LGA1156 has different memory multipliers which puts the memory frequency at standard settings. Below you’ll find a small table with different LGA1156 processors and their respective supported memory speed:
The new processors use a default base clock (BCLK) of 133 MHz this means that if we divide the memory frequency by the BCLK, we get the memory multiplier, for example; 1600 / 133 = 12. Core i7 processors under the LGA1156 socket can use 12 as the highest memory multiplier giving it a memory speed of 1600 MHz. So for 1333, the memory multiplier is 10, 1066 uses 8 and finally 800 uses 6. From the table you’ll also see the limitation of memory speeds supported by the different lineup of processors where 1600 is only available to LGA1156 Core i7. To attain a higher memory speed under the Core i5 processors, one would have to increase the base clock which makes perfect sense. Now that I have explained how the memory speeds are obtained, let’s move on to the memory kit that we will be looking into.
About Patriot Memory
Established in 1985, Patriot Memory builds a full range of memory module and flash memory products, offering a perfect blend of quality and value. Patriot products include Extreme Performance (EP), Signature Lines (SL) and Flash Memory solutions (FM).
We understand the value of designing and responding quickly and intelligently to the rapid changes inherent in the memory module industry. This commitment to R&D enables us to deliver the best quality memory modules powered by the latest innovative technology.
Patriot's development and manufacturing facility are located in Fremont, California USA. Our manufacturing segment is composed of a highly skilled production staff and multiple production lines optimized for modules, giving Patriot the ability and resources necessary to provide a full line of memory module solutions.
To meet the growing global demand for its products, Patriot manufactures its Extreme Performance (EP), Dual Channel (DC) and Signature Line (SL) products in its own state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with highly skilled staff in Fremont, California USA.
Patriot is a member of JEDEC. You can feel confident that your Patriot modules are of the highest quality available.
Patriot Memory ensures that every module meets or exceeds industry standards. The manufacturing process begins with high-quality components and ends with rigorous functional testing to ensure each module's reliability and compatibility.
Patriot Memory modules are approved by leading motherboard and system manufacturers such Intel, Tyan, Supermicro and Iwill. Patriot Memory is a member of Apple Developer Connection. Awards from such leading product review sites as XBit Labs, Anandtech, Tom's Hardware and Hot Hardware.com demonstrate Patriot EP and DC+XBLK memory modules set the standard for performance and reliability.
Patriot Viper II Sector 5 – Memory Exclusively for LGA1156 Intel Core i5, i7 Processors
The Patriot Viper II Series, part of the Extreme Performance (EP) line is the ultimate performance memory solution for extreme enthusiasts and PC gamers. Engineered for the highest speeds, lowest latency memory kits, the Viper II Series are built using only the highest quality pre-sorted IC's on the market ensuring both maximum quality and performance. Designed with an extruded aircraft-grade aluminum heat spreader, Viper II Series quickly dissipates heat from the modules that increases both stability and reliability during extreme overclocking conditions. Each module is 100% hand-tested for quality assurance and is backed by a full lifetime warranty and excellent customer service.
Features
The kit includes a free 3DMark Vantage serial key as indicated on the box and is fully secured with its blister pack from the inside which protects the modules from moving around inside during shipping. Once again, there is no 3DMark Vantage CD inside, you’d have to download a trial version and use the CD key in here to activate the installation. There is no mention however, that these are Intel XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile) capable memory modules. Aesthetics-wise, Sector 5 doesn’t disappoint. Black aluminum heatsinks coupled with black PCB is a killer combination. The height unfortunately, may post incompatibilities with low-clearance heatsinks depending on the orientation, it should fit just fine but then again, so are the rest of the performance modules available out there.
For those who are unfamiliar, Intel XP allows one to use higher than standard JEDEC frequencies at low timings without the need to manually tune the memory modules. The settings are embedded into the memory EEPROM and all one needs to do (given a motherboard that supports XMP), selects the profile through the BIOS. In this case, the memory is rated at DDR3-1800 CAS8 at 1.65 volts. Like I said earlier, Intel Core i5 processors has memory multiplier limit at 10 which if the default 133 BCLK is used, puts it at DDR3-1333 MHz. Enabling the XMP profile however, increases the BCLK to 180 and still uses giving it DDR3-1800 speed boost. Voltages for the memory and the integrated memory controller are also automatically adjusted to support low latency at 8-8-8-24 1T.
For some reason, Patriot didn’t include a profile for a standard JEDEC setting of DDR3-1333 MHz. I was curious if these modules can support 1333 MHz at a lower latency so I dropped down the frequencies to their default settings, hard set the voltage at 1.65 volts for the IMC and set the memory controller at 1.35 volts then started lowering down the latency and this is what I got:
Make no mistake; you are looking at DDR3-1333 with an ultra low CAS latency of 5. To put it into perspective, JEDEC standard latency for DDR3-1333 are the following; 7-7-7, 8-8-8, 9-9-9 and 10-10-10. What I have here is way below the standard at 5-5-5-15 and STILL at the maximum memory voltage limit at 1.65 volts which may have been lowered down if I had more time to play with them. This frequency has been tested with 5 runs of memtest86 with no errors! Let’s check out what these babies can do.
It’s obvious from this test the advantage of running the memory using its XMP profile. CAS5 may be a lot lower but if we consider the amount of data CAS8 at 1800 MHz can move, it has the clear advantage on all aspects especially with the memory copy.
These benchmarks all say the same thing; there is no reason for the average user to run this memory at stock speeds or even at DDR3-1333. Simply put, they are enthusiast’s memory and they should be configured at DDR3-1800 either by using the XMP profile for non-overclockers or a manual settings which theoretically, can give 300 MHz on BCLK with a 6 memory multiplier for 1800 at its specific voltage. Now that is very high headroom for your CPU, isn’t it?
The one thing that makes these memory kits stand out is after-market support; Fine Upgrades is the new distributor which means that if by any chance you’ll be having problems with a Patriot Memory kit that you purchased, support service is readily available given Fine Upgrade’s track record. This friends, will be the memory to test how the Asus Maximus Formula III fares. :)
However, I strongly believe that Intel opted to go with DDR3 because of a limitation on its integrated memory controller – low tolerance to voltage coming from the memory modules which puts it 1.65 volts. Anything higher and you kill the IMC (and the processor as a whole) which has been proven with suicide tests performed by extreme overclockers. Higher memory speeds with low latencies require voltage and the limit imposed by Intel is somewhat lot compared to what DDR2 was capable of because the previous chipset did not have such limitation. The last few months saw significant improvements with DDR3. Manufacturers have managed to squeeze every bit of performance from DDR3 memory chips with 1.65 volts as a limit in such a way that even DDR3-2200 speed has been achieved (at a premium price) with low latency. Now that my short history lesson is out of the way, let me discuss shortly how the memory frequency is obtained with the current Intel processors.
Memory frequency is obtained differently when compared to the previous architecture that was based on front-side bus. The FSB architecture determines memory speed via the FSB clock, memory divider (northbridge chipset) and the double data rate of the memory themselves. All these of course varies, from setting to setting and as an example, putting the FSB:DRAM ratio at 1:1 gives you a 200 MHz front-side bus speed and a 200 MHz memory speed (double the data rate and you get 400 MHz) hence, DDR2-400. Apply a different ratio and you get a memory speed that may not be equal to the FSB speed and yet the memory can still run at its rated specification as configured by the memory controller but let’s not dwell too much on the topic since we are here to focus on DDR3. DDR3’s frequency is determined by 2 things, the base clock and the memory multiplier. Each lineup from the LGA1156 has different memory multipliers which puts the memory frequency at standard settings. Below you’ll find a small table with different LGA1156 processors and their respective supported memory speed:
The new processors use a default base clock (BCLK) of 133 MHz this means that if we divide the memory frequency by the BCLK, we get the memory multiplier, for example; 1600 / 133 = 12. Core i7 processors under the LGA1156 socket can use 12 as the highest memory multiplier giving it a memory speed of 1600 MHz. So for 1333, the memory multiplier is 10, 1066 uses 8 and finally 800 uses 6. From the table you’ll also see the limitation of memory speeds supported by the different lineup of processors where 1600 is only available to LGA1156 Core i7. To attain a higher memory speed under the Core i5 processors, one would have to increase the base clock which makes perfect sense. Now that I have explained how the memory speeds are obtained, let’s move on to the memory kit that we will be looking into.
About Patriot Memory
Established in 1985, Patriot Memory builds a full range of memory module and flash memory products, offering a perfect blend of quality and value. Patriot products include Extreme Performance (EP), Signature Lines (SL) and Flash Memory solutions (FM).
We understand the value of designing and responding quickly and intelligently to the rapid changes inherent in the memory module industry. This commitment to R&D enables us to deliver the best quality memory modules powered by the latest innovative technology.
Patriot's development and manufacturing facility are located in Fremont, California USA. Our manufacturing segment is composed of a highly skilled production staff and multiple production lines optimized for modules, giving Patriot the ability and resources necessary to provide a full line of memory module solutions.
To meet the growing global demand for its products, Patriot manufactures its Extreme Performance (EP), Dual Channel (DC) and Signature Line (SL) products in its own state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with highly skilled staff in Fremont, California USA.
Patriot is a member of JEDEC. You can feel confident that your Patriot modules are of the highest quality available.
Patriot Memory ensures that every module meets or exceeds industry standards. The manufacturing process begins with high-quality components and ends with rigorous functional testing to ensure each module's reliability and compatibility.
Patriot Memory modules are approved by leading motherboard and system manufacturers such Intel, Tyan, Supermicro and Iwill. Patriot Memory is a member of Apple Developer Connection. Awards from such leading product review sites as XBit Labs, Anandtech, Tom's Hardware and Hot Hardware.com demonstrate Patriot EP and DC+XBLK memory modules set the standard for performance and reliability.
Patriot Viper II Sector 5 – Memory Exclusively for LGA1156 Intel Core i5, i7 Processors
The Patriot Viper II Series, part of the Extreme Performance (EP) line is the ultimate performance memory solution for extreme enthusiasts and PC gamers. Engineered for the highest speeds, lowest latency memory kits, the Viper II Series are built using only the highest quality pre-sorted IC's on the market ensuring both maximum quality and performance. Designed with an extruded aircraft-grade aluminum heat spreader, Viper II Series quickly dissipates heat from the modules that increases both stability and reliability during extreme overclocking conditions. Each module is 100% hand-tested for quality assurance and is backed by a full lifetime warranty and excellent customer service.
Features
- Extreme Performance PC3-14400 (1800MHz)
- EPP Ready
- Equipped with advance aluminum heat-dispersing shields
- 100% Tested and Verified
- Lifetime Warranty
- RoHS Compliant
The kit includes a free 3DMark Vantage serial key as indicated on the box and is fully secured with its blister pack from the inside which protects the modules from moving around inside during shipping. Once again, there is no 3DMark Vantage CD inside, you’d have to download a trial version and use the CD key in here to activate the installation. There is no mention however, that these are Intel XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile) capable memory modules. Aesthetics-wise, Sector 5 doesn’t disappoint. Black aluminum heatsinks coupled with black PCB is a killer combination. The height unfortunately, may post incompatibilities with low-clearance heatsinks depending on the orientation, it should fit just fine but then again, so are the rest of the performance modules available out there.
For those who are unfamiliar, Intel XP allows one to use higher than standard JEDEC frequencies at low timings without the need to manually tune the memory modules. The settings are embedded into the memory EEPROM and all one needs to do (given a motherboard that supports XMP), selects the profile through the BIOS. In this case, the memory is rated at DDR3-1800 CAS8 at 1.65 volts. Like I said earlier, Intel Core i5 processors has memory multiplier limit at 10 which if the default 133 BCLK is used, puts it at DDR3-1333 MHz. Enabling the XMP profile however, increases the BCLK to 180 and still uses giving it DDR3-1800 speed boost. Voltages for the memory and the integrated memory controller are also automatically adjusted to support low latency at 8-8-8-24 1T.
For some reason, Patriot didn’t include a profile for a standard JEDEC setting of DDR3-1333 MHz. I was curious if these modules can support 1333 MHz at a lower latency so I dropped down the frequencies to their default settings, hard set the voltage at 1.65 volts for the IMC and set the memory controller at 1.35 volts then started lowering down the latency and this is what I got:
Make no mistake; you are looking at DDR3-1333 with an ultra low CAS latency of 5. To put it into perspective, JEDEC standard latency for DDR3-1333 are the following; 7-7-7, 8-8-8, 9-9-9 and 10-10-10. What I have here is way below the standard at 5-5-5-15 and STILL at the maximum memory voltage limit at 1.65 volts which may have been lowered down if I had more time to play with them. This frequency has been tested with 5 runs of memtest86 with no errors! Let’s check out what these babies can do.
It’s obvious from this test the advantage of running the memory using its XMP profile. CAS5 may be a lot lower but if we consider the amount of data CAS8 at 1800 MHz can move, it has the clear advantage on all aspects especially with the memory copy.
These benchmarks all say the same thing; there is no reason for the average user to run this memory at stock speeds or even at DDR3-1333. Simply put, they are enthusiast’s memory and they should be configured at DDR3-1800 either by using the XMP profile for non-overclockers or a manual settings which theoretically, can give 300 MHz on BCLK with a 6 memory multiplier for 1800 at its specific voltage. Now that is very high headroom for your CPU, isn’t it?
The one thing that makes these memory kits stand out is after-market support; Fine Upgrades is the new distributor which means that if by any chance you’ll be having problems with a Patriot Memory kit that you purchased, support service is readily available given Fine Upgrade’s track record. This friends, will be the memory to test how the Asus Maximus Formula III fares. :)
Saturday, January 2, 2010
ASUS Motherboard Mayhem
Here's to you folks who have ran out of websites to surf; ASUS Motherboard Mayhem. ASUS is giving away several motherboards from its P7P55D series while you're having fun. The P7P55D series is nothing to scoff at, they are performance motherboards for Intel's LGA1156 platform. The last one I reviewed was the Deluxe version and it not only gave solid performance but awesome aesthetics as well.
Before you head on to the link, I'll give you some pointers and heads-up on what you need to do. If you played tower defense before which started out in WarCraft scenarios and eventually became popularized in flash games, then this is a walk in the park. For those who haven't, the objective is simple; You are to destroy the elements that will go into your base through the use of different bots (tower). Each bot has its own specialization and it is important that you make use of how its specialized to succeed.
Before you head on to the link, I'll give you some pointers and heads-up on what you need to do. If you played tower defense before which started out in WarCraft scenarios and eventually became popularized in flash games, then this is a walk in the park. For those who haven't, the objective is simple; You are to destroy the elements that will go into your base through the use of different bots (tower). Each bot has its own specialization and it is important that you make use of how its specialized to succeed.
The left most bot fires rapidly at ground only with low damage and a pretty limited range. The second bot, slows down ground critters with average damage and again, a low range. Third one fires at both air and ground. If it is upgraded, there is a splash effect where the surrounding critters will be damaged as well. This bot has a huge area of coverage once upgraded fully. The fourth bot fires to both air and ground with heaving damage but somewhat limited range. The last bot can fire multiple targets at the same time with splash damage and an insane range.
There are 4 upgrades available. Turbo V Evo provides faster response to incoming enemy. Hybrid Phase improves the rate of fire. Express Gate allows a broader range and SATA 6GB/USB 3.0 increases damage and splash-effect. The upgrades are available only when you make kills as you earn points for upgrading with each kill and the points vary depending on the enemy that was killed.
Your base can also be upgraded to be resistant to the incoming attacks. Once your base is destroyed, the game is over. Your score is calculated on the number of kills made, time between the waves of enemies and the level. For the prizes, you'll have the chance to win any of the following:
- 1st Prize - 3 pieces Asus P7P55D-E Premium
- 1st Runner's Up - 7 pieces Asus P7P55D-E Pro
- 2nd Runner's Up - 10 pieces Asus P7P55D-E LE
As for me, highest score I ever got was 750,693 points with all the levels completed. Its nothing to brag about since I ranked 1000+ among the players but I'm looking for ways to win that premium board :).
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Asus P7P55D Deluxe Review
The P55 chipset (codenamed Lynnfield) has been released for quite some time now, and as promised, this chipset is the answer to mainstream users due to overwhelming prices of the X58 and its LGA1366 socket processors. These components from now on will cater to the individuals with deep pockets and future proofing. For the rest of us, we need not fear that motherboards released with the P55 will be deemed mainstream as Asus releases another board which will accommodate enthusiasts with slightly stretched budget – the Asus P7P55D Deluxe. Once again, I am here to examine just how much innovation they added into this motherboard which sells for not so mainstream.
For those of you who are not familiar with the current technology, the P55 chipset and the LGA1156 socket processors follow the LGA1366 where the memory controller has been integrated into the processor itself. Through this method, Intel has somewhat improved the memory latency while freeing motherboard real-estate as manufacturers start to cramp components into the PCB. Besides that, the PCIE controller which normally resides in the once northbridge chipset has been integrated as well – so you have low latency on memory as well as graphics performance. This pretty much explains the P55 chipset and the LGA1156 processors. We are going to check out Asus’ offering though as to how they designed the P7P55D Deluxe to stand out from the rest.
Before we dig in, let us examine how the block diagram of the P55 chipset and Intel’s current processor compare to the previous technology, the LGA775.
As you can see from the diagram, Intel got rid of the aging front-side bus and replaces it with DMI which basically connects what used to be known as the I/O controller (Southbridge chipset), is now known as the Platform Controller Hub. This chip is where the rest of the peripherals are connected. Once again, your memory is directly connected to the on-chip memory controller in the processor as well as the PCIE 2.0 graphics solution. However, if you look closer, you’ll find that there is a bit of limitation with the current setup; the PCIE 2.0 lanes can only be split to 8x when used in Crossfire or SLI mode. This may be a limitation later on should you be using high-end graphics cards where the ideal move would be to move up to the x58, but when you do so, it basically is no longer mid-end. Anyway, enough yakking about the P55 chipset so let’s move on to see what Asus has to offer with the P7P55D Deluxe.
Features
The P7P55D represents the high-end class of this mainstream chipset; it doesn’t skimp on the components as well as the connectivity provided. The tables below show the plethora of specifications and further below are the highlights of Asus’ offering – features that make it stand out.
We have the signature Asus’ packaging here similar to the likes of the Republic of Gamers brand where a flip-top box style is created sans the window which showcases the board. The right image shows the accessories. The accessories are more than enough to get you up and running – I especially liked the PCI bracket expansion as it provides more connectivity without having to buy anything.
To begin with, the processor socket area where it is surrounded by awesome-looking aluminum heatsinks painted blue with gray accents on top of them. These things basically cool the FETS under them that switches the 12-volt voltage provided by the power supply down to minute power required by the processor. Yes, there are 19 ferrite chokes and most of you might be thinking, it’s a 19-phase power supply however, it’s not. Three of this is exclusively for the memory controller or what we’ve known before was the northbridge chipset. What this means is that even if you start cranking up the voltage for the power supply as you overclock, the memory controller has its separate dials.
Beside one of the heatsinks, you’ll find the slot for the TurboV remote connector of which in my opinion, is not in an ideal location. The cable length between the connector and the I/O shield is way too short that the connector cannot reach the slot if the motherboard is already mounted on your chassis. Unfortunately, I tested the motherboard installed in a chassis which means, I wasn’t able to use it.
I ran into a bit of problem during my installation. You see, I assumed that the black slots where channel A for the memory but they weren’t. Without the help of the on-board diagnostic LEDs (which stays lit red if something’s wrong), I wouldn’t have known that the blue ones are channel A and the black ones were B. On top of the memory slots you’ll find the over volt switches which provide additional voltage to CPU, IMC or your RAM. It’s pretty useful for hardcore enthusiasts but definitely not for the average Joe. Another feature that makes a comeback on this board is the MemOK which allows the system to automatically detect and configure memory frequency and latency.
The P55 chipset is covered by an oversized low profile heatsink which is a bit of overkill since the TDP is only 4.5 watts more than twice the previous P45 (22-watts). This clearly is designed for aesthetics rather than functionality. As for connectivity, there are 6 angled SATA ports which make cable management a little bit easier and the hard-to-kill IDE port which is powered by the JMicron chipset as Intel already stopped supporting IDE with the P55. The bottom two SATA ports are powered by the same JMicron chipset which in turn, provides Asus DriveXpert Technology for backing up those important data.
Asus once again includes thee power and reset buttons on-board which makes it a lot easier to test the board before mounting it on the chassis, so there is no need for you to short jumpers. Lastly, you have the expansion slots for the graphics card (blue and white). PCIE runs at x16 when only 1 graphics card is utilized but automatically switches to x8 when both are used. If you happen to have dual-slot graphics cards, the second x4 PCIE is still usable for your soundcard. The third PCIE x 16 slot is connected via the P55 chipset which is suitable for your other PCIE devices. That pretty much sums up our tour on the motherboard, it is not only stunning but the design is superb, there are only few minor issues encountered.
BIOS and Software Features
Asus EPU-6 Engine
This utility provides power management features for your computer. There are 5 settings available ranging from the least power consumption to maximum performance. There’s also a picture representation at the top which provides an idea which component is utilizing the power management feature as configured by the utility. Most enthusiasts would rather always have the setting it at Maximum Performance, though.
Asus TurboV EVO
TurboV EVO is Asus’ redesigned utility for Overclocking. There are 3 settings available; Easy, Auto and Manual. Easy provides only the basic options for adjusting the base clock (BCLK) and voltages of the processor, memory and IMC. For Auto, you can configure the utility to use a fixed voltage or a flexible voltage (I did not have the chance though to verify if flexible voltage uses within safe limits) and as for Manual, you will have access to the PLL and PCH voltages. Need I say more?
Asus P7P55D Deluxe BIOS Screenshot
As for the BIOS options, the System Performance Settings is where any enthusiast would spend most of his time after disabling the non-essential components and settings. This is where records are made and maximum overclock is found. One thing worth noting though is that when using MemOK on first boot up; make sure to check the DRAM voltage as the system configures it higher than what the integrated memory controller can handle. I was very much surprised to see the system configured it at 1.8 volts which is way more than 1.65 as per Intel’s recommendation.
Installation and Testing
The Core i5 and i7 (LGA 1156) series has just been introduced in the Philippines, and because of this, I currently do not have heatsink brackets for the LGA1156 as well as the processor itself. However, Asus was kind enough to supply us with Intel’s Core i5 750 while Jeremy of Fine Upgrades was quick to supply an OCZ Reaper 1 x 1GB DDR3 1333 rams for testing. The following specification is used on the testing:
As you can see, I am pretty much limited to the stock heatsink and fan that comes with the processor, so this means that I didn’t had the chance to overclock the i5-750 much because the thermal specifications are at its limits. However, I managed to run benchmark tests on the system to see what it’s capable of, even with the limited resources. Before we dig in to the test, this is how the system looked like when fully assembled. The motherboard, CPU and graphics card’s blue accent has pretty much blended everything.
Maximum overclock that the Intel stock heatsink fan cooler has achieved was a measly 2.7 GHz (12 %). This was because of thermal limitations. Ambient temperature at the time of testing was 32 degrees Celsius which basically puts the processor into a much higher temperature, any voltage adjustments would basically cause the clockspeed to be throttled down or the system would just restart due to insufficient voltage at a given frequency. This however, did not prevent me from running benchmarks with PCMark Vantage and the results are below:
From the table above, you can clearly see that the system is optimized for gaming even with its meager specs and limited components used. I am absolutely sure that this board has so much to offer when partnered with the right components but nevertheless, the graph that you are looking at basically represents the simplest configuration and yet it pulled away with decent scores, regardless.
Conclusion
The Asus P7P55D Deluxe when given to the right hands will break records, it already has proven that. Even with the average user, one can simply use the automatic Overclocking utility to get more out of their system, be it stock configuration or with top of the line components. The price may be a little steep but the features, build quality, layout and bundled accessories really makes up for the price. This may not be the Republic of Gamers brand but it certainly is in place with them albeit with a few minor issues – then again, nothing is really perfect.
Pros:
* Excellent color scheme, layout and features
* Very nice automatic utility for overclocking
* Awesome performance even with limited set of parts
Cons:
* Price(?)
Before we dig in, let us examine how the block diagram of the P55 chipset and Intel’s current processor compare to the previous technology, the LGA775.
As you can see from the diagram, Intel got rid of the aging front-side bus and replaces it with DMI which basically connects what used to be known as the I/O controller (Southbridge chipset), is now known as the Platform Controller Hub. This chip is where the rest of the peripherals are connected. Once again, your memory is directly connected to the on-chip memory controller in the processor as well as the PCIE 2.0 graphics solution. However, if you look closer, you’ll find that there is a bit of limitation with the current setup; the PCIE 2.0 lanes can only be split to 8x when used in Crossfire or SLI mode. This may be a limitation later on should you be using high-end graphics cards where the ideal move would be to move up to the x58, but when you do so, it basically is no longer mid-end. Anyway, enough yakking about the P55 chipset so let’s move on to see what Asus has to offer with the P7P55D Deluxe.
Features
The P7P55D represents the high-end class of this mainstream chipset; it doesn’t skimp on the components as well as the connectivity provided. The tables below show the plethora of specifications and further below are the highlights of Asus’ offering – features that make it stand out.
Yes, you’re reading it correctly. The P7P55D Deluxe motherboard has support for both Nvidia’s SLI and ATI’s Crossfire multi-GPU configuration at x8. Don’t let the x8 configuration bother you much though as this is PCIE 2.0 which effectively doubles the bandwidth so as it would seem that two x8s would be like two x16 with PCIE 1.1. Before Asus sent a sample for review, I’ve already been keeping track of this board’s progress and it doesn’t disappoint. The DDR3 2200 speed you see there is not marketing hype. In fact, this is the first board with respect to its current generation that reached those speeds. Of course you’ve heard of CPU Level Up, but here’s something new; the Asus TurboV Remote which basically is a peripheral that allows you to overclock with a controller – real-time. The same principle with the OC station I reviewed recently but this one is much, much simpler. Being a BIOS guy, I didn’t get the chance to test this one thoroughly and there’s a bit of an issue with the sample that I received, cable was too short to connect on the motherboard to the I/O back plate…bummer. Another new feature here, the T. Probe technology which supposedly balances the load and temperature but there’s no way for me to test or find out. Low RDS(on) MOSFETS, Ferrite chokes and Japanese-made capacitors sound familiar, though (wink) but nevertheless, I’m still glad Asus adopted the technology.
A Closer Look at the Asus P7P55D Deluxe
A Closer Look at the Asus P7P55D Deluxe
We have the signature Asus’ packaging here similar to the likes of the Republic of Gamers brand where a flip-top box style is created sans the window which showcases the board. The right image shows the accessories. The accessories are more than enough to get you up and running – I especially liked the PCI bracket expansion as it provides more connectivity without having to buy anything.
To begin with, the processor socket area where it is surrounded by awesome-looking aluminum heatsinks painted blue with gray accents on top of them. These things basically cool the FETS under them that switches the 12-volt voltage provided by the power supply down to minute power required by the processor. Yes, there are 19 ferrite chokes and most of you might be thinking, it’s a 19-phase power supply however, it’s not. Three of this is exclusively for the memory controller or what we’ve known before was the northbridge chipset. What this means is that even if you start cranking up the voltage for the power supply as you overclock, the memory controller has its separate dials.
Beside one of the heatsinks, you’ll find the slot for the TurboV remote connector of which in my opinion, is not in an ideal location. The cable length between the connector and the I/O shield is way too short that the connector cannot reach the slot if the motherboard is already mounted on your chassis. Unfortunately, I tested the motherboard installed in a chassis which means, I wasn’t able to use it.
I ran into a bit of problem during my installation. You see, I assumed that the black slots where channel A for the memory but they weren’t. Without the help of the on-board diagnostic LEDs (which stays lit red if something’s wrong), I wouldn’t have known that the blue ones are channel A and the black ones were B. On top of the memory slots you’ll find the over volt switches which provide additional voltage to CPU, IMC or your RAM. It’s pretty useful for hardcore enthusiasts but definitely not for the average Joe. Another feature that makes a comeback on this board is the MemOK which allows the system to automatically detect and configure memory frequency and latency.
The P55 chipset is covered by an oversized low profile heatsink which is a bit of overkill since the TDP is only 4.5 watts more than twice the previous P45 (22-watts). This clearly is designed for aesthetics rather than functionality. As for connectivity, there are 6 angled SATA ports which make cable management a little bit easier and the hard-to-kill IDE port which is powered by the JMicron chipset as Intel already stopped supporting IDE with the P55. The bottom two SATA ports are powered by the same JMicron chipset which in turn, provides Asus DriveXpert Technology for backing up those important data.
Asus once again includes thee power and reset buttons on-board which makes it a lot easier to test the board before mounting it on the chassis, so there is no need for you to short jumpers. Lastly, you have the expansion slots for the graphics card (blue and white). PCIE runs at x16 when only 1 graphics card is utilized but automatically switches to x8 when both are used. If you happen to have dual-slot graphics cards, the second x4 PCIE is still usable for your soundcard. The third PCIE x 16 slot is connected via the P55 chipset which is suitable for your other PCIE devices. That pretty much sums up our tour on the motherboard, it is not only stunning but the design is superb, there are only few minor issues encountered.
BIOS and Software Features
Asus EPU-6 Engine
This utility provides power management features for your computer. There are 5 settings available ranging from the least power consumption to maximum performance. There’s also a picture representation at the top which provides an idea which component is utilizing the power management feature as configured by the utility. Most enthusiasts would rather always have the setting it at Maximum Performance, though.
Asus TurboV EVO
TurboV EVO is Asus’ redesigned utility for Overclocking. There are 3 settings available; Easy, Auto and Manual. Easy provides only the basic options for adjusting the base clock (BCLK) and voltages of the processor, memory and IMC. For Auto, you can configure the utility to use a fixed voltage or a flexible voltage (I did not have the chance though to verify if flexible voltage uses within safe limits) and as for Manual, you will have access to the PLL and PCH voltages. Need I say more?
Asus P7P55D Deluxe BIOS Screenshot
As for the BIOS options, the System Performance Settings is where any enthusiast would spend most of his time after disabling the non-essential components and settings. This is where records are made and maximum overclock is found. One thing worth noting though is that when using MemOK on first boot up; make sure to check the DRAM voltage as the system configures it higher than what the integrated memory controller can handle. I was very much surprised to see the system configured it at 1.8 volts which is way more than 1.65 as per Intel’s recommendation.
Installation and Testing
The Core i5 and i7 (LGA 1156) series has just been introduced in the Philippines, and because of this, I currently do not have heatsink brackets for the LGA1156 as well as the processor itself. However, Asus was kind enough to supply us with Intel’s Core i5 750 while Jeremy of Fine Upgrades was quick to supply an OCZ Reaper 1 x 1GB DDR3 1333 rams for testing. The following specification is used on the testing:
As you can see, I am pretty much limited to the stock heatsink and fan that comes with the processor, so this means that I didn’t had the chance to overclock the i5-750 much because the thermal specifications are at its limits. However, I managed to run benchmark tests on the system to see what it’s capable of, even with the limited resources. Before we dig in to the test, this is how the system looked like when fully assembled. The motherboard, CPU and graphics card’s blue accent has pretty much blended everything.
Maximum overclock that the Intel stock heatsink fan cooler has achieved was a measly 2.7 GHz (12 %). This was because of thermal limitations. Ambient temperature at the time of testing was 32 degrees Celsius which basically puts the processor into a much higher temperature, any voltage adjustments would basically cause the clockspeed to be throttled down or the system would just restart due to insufficient voltage at a given frequency. This however, did not prevent me from running benchmarks with PCMark Vantage and the results are below:
From the table above, you can clearly see that the system is optimized for gaming even with its meager specs and limited components used. I am absolutely sure that this board has so much to offer when partnered with the right components but nevertheless, the graph that you are looking at basically represents the simplest configuration and yet it pulled away with decent scores, regardless.
Conclusion
The Asus P7P55D Deluxe when given to the right hands will break records, it already has proven that. Even with the average user, one can simply use the automatic Overclocking utility to get more out of their system, be it stock configuration or with top of the line components. The price may be a little steep but the features, build quality, layout and bundled accessories really makes up for the price. This may not be the Republic of Gamers brand but it certainly is in place with them albeit with a few minor issues – then again, nothing is really perfect.
Pros:
* Excellent color scheme, layout and features
* Very nice automatic utility for overclocking
* Awesome performance even with limited set of parts
Cons:
* Price(?)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Iphone 3GS essential disadvantages
I have been using the Iphone for almost 5 Months now. In fact, it has now become my main phone and I am loving it. I am just writing this because these are the daily functions I wish the Iphone had so it can really be a useful business tool.
- Can Receive Business Card (No notifiaction or anything at all. Can Send one VIA MMS only. Third party aps are available for Sending Business Cards Normally BUT none available for RECEIVING.
-Can't Manage and Send/Receive Files Manually when within the Iphone.(Documents. photos and Videos)
-Todo's Don't sync with outlook
-Contact Fields are a mess. (eg. Normally outlook has work1 and work2 fields, but iphone only identitfies them as work, so you will have two work numbers, a mess when you add the numbers on the iphone and then sync to outlook)
-Its Awesome and fast Search function does not include searching SMS messages.
-The search tab within the contacts ap disappears when you scroll down, I wish it would just always be visible.
- Option to set default Number on contacts for quick calling would be of great help.
- No option to choose what to SYNC with itunes. So Syncing always takes so long.
- No easy way to reject call from lock screen. (Slide to end would be very much welcomed, as to the double click of the lock switch)
- Making your own ringtones is such a hassle for ordinary non techie users.
-Silent Mode switch does work for all aps, meaning, sound still comes out on other aps even with the silent mode switch is on.
- Bluetooth does not allow you to send files to and from other devices, although there are third party aps, hasul kaayo. If I want to send a photo to another device, the only native way to do it is via email or MMS.
- Bluetooth handling of audio is also bad. If you connect to a bluetooth stereo headset, dili mu work ang A2DP. Dili ka ka control sa tracks from the headset.
- Camera walay Digital Zoom
- Walay front Camera
- No Java or Direct Flash Support
Peace :-D
- Can Receive Business Card (No notifiaction or anything at all. Can Send one VIA MMS only. Third party aps are available for Sending Business Cards Normally BUT none available for RECEIVING.
-Can't Manage and Send/Receive Files Manually when within the Iphone.(Documents. photos and Videos)
-Todo's Don't sync with outlook
-Contact Fields are a mess. (eg. Normally outlook has work1 and work2 fields, but iphone only identitfies them as work, so you will have two work numbers, a mess when you add the numbers on the iphone and then sync to outlook)
-Its Awesome and fast Search function does not include searching SMS messages.
-The search tab within the contacts ap disappears when you scroll down, I wish it would just always be visible.
- Option to set default Number on contacts for quick calling would be of great help.
- No option to choose what to SYNC with itunes. So Syncing always takes so long.
- No easy way to reject call from lock screen. (Slide to end would be very much welcomed, as to the double click of the lock switch)
- Making your own ringtones is such a hassle for ordinary non techie users.
-Silent Mode switch does work for all aps, meaning, sound still comes out on other aps even with the silent mode switch is on.
- Bluetooth does not allow you to send files to and from other devices, although there are third party aps, hasul kaayo. If I want to send a photo to another device, the only native way to do it is via email or MMS.
- Bluetooth handling of audio is also bad. If you connect to a bluetooth stereo headset, dili mu work ang A2DP. Dili ka ka control sa tracks from the headset.
- Camera walay Digital Zoom
- Walay front Camera
- No Java or Direct Flash Support
Peace :-D
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