P6X58D-E Overclocking and Conclusion
BIOS and Overclocking
The P6X58D-E’s BIOS will be immediately familiar to anyone who has experience with the P6T series. The layout and tweaking options are essentially the same and you get the same array of voltages. If we were being picky we’d prefer finer control over the DRAM voltage than the 0.2V increments provided but our overclocking results will dispel any suspicion of mediocrity, as we were able to hit a fully stable (24 hour prime 95 and linpack) base clock of 220MHz. This is sufficient to take good D0 Core i7 920 to 4.6GHz, which will beyond the capabilities of the chip unless you use a phase change unit. We were incredibly impressed by the robustness of the voltage regulation – this board overclocks like a board costing far more than it does. Our settings for the overclock were as follows;
AI overclockTuner: Manual
CPU Ratio Setting: 19
Intel Speedstep Tech: Enabled
Xtreme Phase Full Power Mode: Auto
DRAM Frequency: 1760MHz
UCLK Frequency: Auto
QPI Link Data Rate: Auto
CPU Voltage Control: Manual
CPU Voltage: 1.325V
CPU PLL Voltage: 1.9V
QPI/DRAM Core Voltage: 1.325V
IOH Voltage: Auto
IOH PCIE Voltage: Auto
ICH Voltage: Auto
ICH PICE Voltage: Auto
DRAM Bus Voltage: 1.66V
As you can see we didn’t have to mess around with many voltages other than those related to the CPU and memory, indicating the board’s ‘Auto’ modes are highly adept at setting the right values when you elevate the base clock. This is extremely refreshing as we have grown used to having to fine tune every value on other boards capable of this kind of overclock. If you are looking for a motherboard to extract the highest possible performance from your Core i7, The P6X58D-E is a superlative choice. Considering the board’s competitive price this performance is even more exceptional.
Other BIOS features of interest
Also within the BIOS is the useful tools section. Here you can save up to 8 individually nameable BIOS profiles in the OC profile menu and back them up to a pen drive. Also in the tools menu is the EZ Flash application that allows you to update the BIOS from virtually any kind of storage medium – your hard drive included. Finally you’ll find the facility to enable or disable the swish Express Gate pre-boot Linux environment in which you can browse the internet, use popular IM software and upload photos should your primary OS develop issues.
Software
The usual bundle of Asus software is included with the handy PC Probe monitoring software and applications to update the BIOS making a welcome return. A special mention is deserved by the new Asus TurboV application which allows novice users to overclock from the familiar Windows environment. Compared to other applications of its type TurboV is slick and easy to use, allowing control over the most important voltages and clock frequencies. What you can’t do is set different memory multipliers and timings from this application so enthusiasts will still want to enter the BIOS for the full array of tweaking options. Nevertheless, we found it handy for making minor tweaks.
Conclusion
All in all the Asus P6X58D-E is exactly what we were looking for in a P6T replacement. Its performance is superb and the overclocking facilities on offer are a match for boards costing far more money. The P6X58D-E owes much of its heritage from the P6X58D Premium but is a better board because of this. Users looking for a fantastic and well-priced next generation X58 motherboard should certainly check this product out – it renders most flagship products from other manufacturers all but redundant.
Ian Jackson
| We Like |
|
Verdict |
Score |
- Well Priced
- Great Performance
- Supreme overclocking
- Outstanding Layout |
|
A truly outstanding high end motherboard that mixes next generation features with near flawless overclocking and stability. If you are looking for high end board for a new Socket 1366 build this should be at the top of your shopping list.
|
95 |
| We Don't Like |
- Finer DRAM voltage timings preferable
|
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