Intel has just launched Sandy Bridge CPUs and two new motherboard chipsets on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The combination of the replacement for the LGA-1156 CPUs, the Sandy Bridge CPU integrates the graphics chip onto the processor chip itself, rather than on the same die but separate from the CPU. The LGA-1155 CPUs consist of three families the Core i7 with four cores and Hyper-Threading, the Core i5 with four cores and no Hyper-Threading and the i3 with two cores and Hyper-Threading.
The P67 chipset is the top of the line for Intel Sandy Bridge CPU support at the moment. This adds support for SATA 6 Gb/second per second ports, and more to the Intel motherboard line. The H67 chipset on the other hand, is designed to work with the integrated graphics on the Sandy Bridge CPUs and provide a tightly integrated system that only requires the keyboard, mouse, drives and memory besides the CPU and motherboard to make a full system perfect for HTPCs and casual gamers not wanting to buy external video cards.
ASUS of course is the number one manufacturer of motherboards in the world. With every new chipset from manufacturers like AMD and Intel and have done motherboards from others in the past like NVIDIA and VIA. With the launch of the P67 and H67 chipsets ASUS has gone into it full bore with a full lineup of both motherboards for different markets. Their 6 series chipsets have over 16 different models with different segments. Today’s review is of the ASUS P8P67 Pro motherboard designed to be a mainstream board.
- P67 Express Platform Controller Hub
- Dual Channel DDR3 Support
- DDR3 2200 (OC) SUPPORT
- Integrated Memory Controller
- Intel Turbo Boost 2.0
- Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM
- EPU
- TPU
- Auto Tuning
- OC Tuner
- ASUS BT GO!
- EFI BIOS featuring EZ Mode
- Dual Front and Rear true USB 3.0 support
- Quad SATA 6Gb/second with dual RAID support
- AI Suite II
- HyperDuo support
- Q-Fan
- Fan Xpert
The new interface has 1155 pins compared to the 1156 on the LGA-1156 Socket. Unlike their AMD counterparts, the LGA-1156 processors will not work on the LGA-1155 interface. Enter Sandy Bridge. Intel is launching a wide array of Sandy Bridge CPUs to work with the LGA-1155 interface on the P67 chipset. While the older LGA-1156 processors will not work, the CPU coolers will as the footprint for the coolers is the same.
The P67 Express Platform Controller Hub is the newest chipset from Intel. This features native support for up to 2 SATA 6Gb/second controllers, and four SATA 3Gb/second controllers. The P67 chipset offers discrete graphics options only, with no support for the GMA 3000 graphics on the Sandy Bridge CPUs (that is provided by the H67 Express chipset.) The memory controller is on the CPU as well as the PCI Express controller, meaning that the need for a Southbridge chipset is alleviated.
The Sandy Bridge CPU has 16 PCI Express lanes available to it. When used in conjunction with the P67 Express chipset, this can be split into two x8 lanes for SLI or Crossfire, both of which are supported by this platform. The P8P67 Pro has three PCI Express x16 slots for this purpose. Two of the PCI Express x16 slots operate in either x16 or x8 mode, depending on whether one or two cards are installed, and the third operates at x4 mode. I’ll discuss this more in the layout section of the review.
ASUS has moved to a Digital VRM+ with Dual Intelligent processors with their P8 series of motherboards. As you know they have been using the EPU to control the energy saving functions of their motherboards. They have also used a TPU (Turbo EVO Processing Unit) to control overclocking. These are separate chips which don’t use CPU resources. So let’s take a look at each processor independently, as they form key components of the overclocking capability and energy saving of the new boards.
DIGI+ VRM is a programmable micro-processor that can accurately match multiple PWM signals without any power transfer loss and thus lower total power dissipation rather than a conventional analog VRM. It offers high system stability, increase OC possibility, most precise adjustment, high power efficiency, and active cooling micro-processor. The result is more consistent power to the system and higher overclocking ability.
The EPU is connected directly to the CPU to detect the exact CPU loading and control active power phase, voltage and multiplier in real time. It is also connected to the chipset and DRAM power circuit to make direct control of the active phase of these two circuits to optimize the power efficiency. The EPU Technology delivers power saving across the CPU, VGA, Chipsets, DRAM, Fan and HDD. The EPU can manage the voltage of the CPU, VGA, Chipset and fan according to the load. The number of active power phases in each power circuit is also intelligently managed with the EPU.
ASUS has improved the EPU with the P8 series of motherboards. Previously, you had to install the AiSuite II to switch between the different modes of the EPU. With the P8 series, ASUS allows the user to change modes with a physical switch or in the BIOS, giving the user much more flexibility with the Sandy Bridge processors. The new EPU control panel allows for one click changes to happen from High Performance to Max Power saving. ASUS has a 16+2 Phase Power system on their P8P67 Deluxe board.
The TPU is the second processor of the DIP (Dual Intelligent Processors) group on the P8P67 Deluxe. This processor provides support for MemOK! Auto Tuning, OC Tuner, Precision Tweaker 2 and the TurboV EVO interface. MemOK! Is a memory compatibility tool that allows the user to set the memory settings to a default setting when it has memory issues on this board. Auto Tuning will automatically tune the system either in Fast Tuning mode or an Extreme Tuning mode. Fast Tuning will tune the system to a high performance but stable state. Extreme Tuning will set the system to the highest level stable during a stress test. OC Tuner will overclock the system automatically by simply clicking OK in the BIOS configuration to automatically auto Tune the system after a few resets. The TPU Switch will overclock the system with the flick of a switch when it is off. Simply power on the computer and the TPU will automatically overclock the system. For those wanting more advanced features, Precision Tweaker 2 will give the TPU the ability to tweak the voltages, the frequencies manually giving the user the ultimate control over overclocking.
BT GO! Is ASUS’s term for their software package to support their Bluetooth 2.1 receiver on the P8P67 Deluxe board. BT to NET will allow the motherboard to connect the portable device to the Internet via Bluetooth. Shot and Send will allow you to save a screenshot and send it to the desired device via Bluetooth when the hotkey is pressed. BT Transfer allows you to transfer files to friends via Bluetooth. Folder Sync can allow users to sync a folder from a Bluetooth device with storage capability. Personal Manager synchronizes your contacts and schedules with your mobile phone. The iPhone App Store has an app called BT Turbo Remote which allows you to use your iPhone as an overclock tool.
- ASUS P8P67 Pro motherboard
- 4 SATA 6Gb/second cables
- SLI bridge
- ASUS Q-Connector kit
- DIGI+ VRM/BT GO! User Guide
- Motherboard User Guide
- USB 3.0 bracket
The back of the box has the main features explained in detail along with a picture of the board and the specifications of the board. Opening the box we find that ASUS has put the board inside a cardboard box and an anti-static bag. Below the box are the accessories, the Driver DVD and the manuals. ASUS has included four SATA 6Gb/second cables for use with the four SATA 6Gb ports on the board, , an SLI bridge, the ASUS Q-Connector kit and the USB 3.0 bracket offering two USB 3.0 ports . The FP USB 3.0 bracket adds two USB 3.0 ports that connect to the motherboard’s USB 3.0 headers.
The P8P67 Pro is a full-sized ATX motherboard designed to work in cases that can fit motherboards of that size. The ASUS P8P67 Deluxe board is a full-sized ATX motherboard with an all-black coloring. The upper right hand corner of the board is where the 8-pin power connector is located. ASUS has put purple heatsinks over the MOSFETs and the DIGI+ VRMs.
The CPU area is clear of obstacles with only solid capacitors surrounding the LGA-1155 Socket. Below the CPU Socket are four DIMM slots. These can take up to 32GB of DDR3 2200 (OC) memory. Sandy Bridge processors have the memory controller on the CPU with up to DDR3-1600MHz supported out of the box. If you enable the XMP (eXtreme Memory Profiles) and overclock the CPU you can extend the memory frequency to up to DDR3-2200 if it supports it.
The bottom of the board is where the EPU switch is located that is thrown when you want the board to automatically save power. Next to that EPU is where the MemOK! button is located. This button is to enable the MemOK! function, which sets the memory settings to a default setting that allows memory that is incompatible with the board to function.
There are eight SATA 6Gb/second ports on this board. Four of these are of the SATA 6Gb/second variety in White and Purple. The P67 Express chipset supports two SATA 6Gb/second ports natively with the other two controlled by a Marvell chip. Four SATA 3Gb/second ports are also included (Blue). The left side of the board has the FP I/O headers, followed by the POST LED, two fan headers, two USB 2.0 headers, the Power and Reset buttons, the Firewire header and the AAFP header.
The P8P67 Pro has three PCI Express Generation x16 slots. Two of these, the purple and white ones support x16 speed. When two video cards are installed they operate at x8 speed. The third slot operates at x4 speed. Two PCI Express x1 slots and two regular PCI slots are also included on the P8P67 Deluxe. Onboard audio is provided by the Realtek ALC889 CODEC. The Rear I/O on the board consists of a PS/2 mouse, a PS/2 keyboard port, S/PDIF ports, BT GO! module, six USB 2.0 ports two USB 3.0 ports, Intel Gigabit LAN and jacks for 7.1 audio.
US has implemented the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface with their P8 series of motherboards. This is the replacement for the BIOS that motherboards have been using for many years and brings support for large (Above 2.2TB) HDDs to the computer. Before the advent of UEFI, you were required to have a controller card to use drives of that size.
EZ Mode is the default mode of the BIOS Setup screen. The upper left hand corner has the System Time. To the right of that is where the name of the board, the BIOS version, the CPU type, and the Total memory on the system. To the right of that is the Build Date and clock speed of the CPU. Below that are readings for the CPU and M/B Temperature, voltage and fan speeds. Below that is the mode whether Energy Saving, Quiet or Performance. Boot device Priority is.
The Advanced Mode is where the Tweakers will want to be as it will give them the most flexibility to tweak the board. The menu bar on top gives you one click access to the Main, Ai Tweaker, Advanced, Monitor, Boot, Tool and Exit menus. The Main menu provides an overview of the basic system information and allows you to set the date, time language and security settings. The Ai Tweaker menu is where you set the overclocking settings. Here’s a chart with the included settings. I was able to overclock the 2600K CPU to over 4.6GHz without issue:
| Setting | Range |
| Ai Overclock Tuner | Auto, Manual XMP |
| BCLK/PEG Frequency | 80-300 |
| Memory Frequency | Dependent on BCLK/PEG Frequency |
| OC Tuner | Disabled/Enabled |
| EPU Power Saving MODE | Enabled/Disabled |
| EPU setting | Auto, Light Power Saving Mode, Medium Power Setting Mode, Max Power Saving mode |
| CPU Ratio | Varies according to CPU |
| EIST | Disabled/Enabled |
| Turbo Mode | Disabled/Enabled |
| Turbo Ratio | Dependent on CPU |
| Load-line Calibration | Auto, Regular, Medium, High, Ultra High, Extreme |
| VRM Fixed Frequency | 300KHz-500KHz (10KHz interval) |
| Duty Control | T.Probe, Extreme |
| CPU Current Capability | 100%, 110%, 120%, 130%, 140% |
| CPU Offset voltage | 0.005v-0.635v with 0.005v interval |
| CPU Manual Voltage | 0.800v-1.990v with a 0.005v interval |
| DRAM Voltage | 1.20v-2.20v with a 0.00625v interval |
| VCCSA Voltage | 0.80v-1.70v with a 0.00625v interval |
| VCCIO Voltage | 0.80v-1.70v with a 0.00625v interval |
| 1.8FSR voltage | 1.20v-2.20v with a 0.00625v interval |
| PCH Voltage | 0.80v-1.70v with a 0.01v interval |
| VTTDDR Voltage | 0.75v-0.80v with a 0.05v interval |
| DRAM DATA Ref voltage on CHA/B | 0.395x-0.630x with a 0.05x interval |
| DRAM CTRL REF Voltage on CHA/B | 0.395x-0.630x with a 0.05x interval |
ASUS has really done a good job with their new P8P67 Pro motherboard. This board is priced lower than the Deluxe and higher than the P8P67 boards, offering a few less features than the Deluxe and more features than the P8P67. In terms of performance this board is slightly higher performing than the other boards I’ve tested with the 2600K CPU. Overclocking options abound on the UEFI BIOS and I was able to get the multiplier above 46 on air giving a 4.6GHz overclock without much issue. If you’re looking for a solid board in this price range for your new Sandy Bridge Rig, the P8P67 Pro is a choice you won’t go wrong with. It's a solid Hot Product here on motherboards.org.
( Editor's Note: Intel May Be Doing A Recall On All Sandy Bridge Chipset Motherboards Due To Chipset Flaw.)
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