Motherboards are the heart and soul of a computer, providing a means of communication between all the different components. Having a good board could then be likened to that one guy who seems to be able to talk to everyone. Upgrading your Motherboard in this analogy would be like taking a public speaking course. Recently Asus has released a new communication course for us, in the form of the P8P67 Pro Revision 3 motherboard. This new addition to a strong line of boards for the new Sandy Bridge CPU family is a welcome addition. Will it be worth the time or the money? Let’s open the box and get to testing:
Provided by: Asus
Price: $174.99
Closer Look:
Features and Specifications:
Digital Power Design: The New Standard The digital architecture delivers twice the precision power, intelligently adjusting PWM voltage and frequency modulation with minimal power loss through BIOS tuning and an exclusive user interface to increase the board’s overclocking range while performance reaches its full potential. It also adjusts VRM frequencies dynamically, cutting radiation interference by half and decreasing Vcore power noise for CPU to enhance system stability through enabling VRM spread spectrum. ASUS DIGI+ VRM digital power design empowers users with superior flexibility and perfect precision to ensure optimized performance, extreme system stability and greater power efficiency. DIGI+ VRMHerald the Arrival of a New Digital Power Design Era ASUS DIGI+ VRM design features a digital programmable microprocessor onboard and upgrades motherboard power delivery to a digital standard. The 16+2 digital architecture delivers twice the precision power, intelligently adjusting PWM voltage and frequency modulation with minimal power loss through BIOS tuning and exclusive user interface to increase over-clocking range while performance reaches its full potential. It also adjusts frequencies dynamically, cutting radiation interference by half to enhance system stability through enabling spread spectrum. The DIGI+ VRM digital power design empowers users with superior flexibility and perfect precision to ensure optimized performance. extreme system stability, and greater power efficiency. Advantages of ASUS DIGI+ VRM Digital Power Design
Active Cooling for Extreme Durability- Super Cool VRM TPU
EPU
ASUS Exclusive FeaturesBT GO!
EFI BIOS (EZ Mode)
Supports Hard Drives over 2.2TB
ASUS EFI BIOS natively supports hard drives larger than 2.2TB in 64-bit, with full storage space utilization, helping deliver far more exciting computing than traditional BIOS versions! Exclusive ASUS Interface
![]() AI Suite II
Latest Transfer TechnologyComplete USB 3.0 IntegrationDouble USB Access, Double Convenience ASUS Front Panel USB 3.0 Box
Industry StandardDual Gigabit LAN Support (with One Intel LAN)
ASUS Crystal SoundDTS
CPU, Chipset and Graphics features
Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX Support!
P8P67 Deluxe
LGA1155 socket for Intel® Second Generation Core™ i7/ Core™ i5/ Core™ i3 Processors
Intel® P67 Express Chipset
GreenASUS and ErP Ready
P8P67 Deluxe Product Overview
|
CPU | Intel® Socket 1155 for Intel® 2nd Generation Core™ i7 Processor/Core™ i5 Processor/Core™ i3 Processor/ Support Intel® 32nm CPU Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 * The Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types. * Refer to www.asus.com for Intel CPU support list |
Chipset | Intel® P67(B3) Express Chipset |
Memory | 4 x DIMM, Max. 32 GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)*/2133(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory Dual Channel memory architecture Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) * According to Intel® SPEC, the Max. 32GB memory capacity can be supported with DIMMs of 8GB (or above). ASUS will update QVL once the DIMMs are available on the market. * Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs. Some hyper DIMMs only support one DIMM per channel. Please refer to Memory QVL for details. * Due to CPU behavior, DDR3 2200/2000/1800 MHz memory module will run at DDR3 2133/1866/1600 MHz frequency as default. * Please refer to www.asus.com or user manual for Memory QVL. |
Expansion Slots | 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 [Black] (at x4 mode, compatible with PCIe x1 and x4 devices) 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 2 x PCI |
Multi-GPU Support | Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology Supports ATI® Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology |
Storage | Intel® P67(B3) Express Chipset 2 xSATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (gray) 4 xSATA 3.0 Gb/s ports (blue) Intel® Rapid Storage Technology Support RAID 0,1,5,10 Marvell® PCIe 9128 SATA 6Gb/s controller with HyperDuo function* 2 xSATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (navy blue) JMicron® JMB362 SATA controller* 2 xExternal SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports (1 x Power eSATA) * These SATA ports are for data hard drives only. ATAPI devices are not supported. |
LAN | Dual Gigabit LAN controllers- 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) appliance Intel® 82579 Gigabit LAN- Dual interconnect between the Integrated LAN controller and Physical Layer (PHY) Realtek® 8111E Gigabit LAN controller |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR ASUS BT GO! Utility |
Audio | Realtek® ALC889 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC – Absolute Pitch 192khz/24bit True BD Lossless Sound – BD Audio Layer Content Protection – DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC – Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-streaming and Front Panel Jack-Retasking – Coaxial / Optical S/PDIF out ports at back I/O |
IEEE 1394 | VIA® 6315N controller supports 2 x 1394a port(s) (one at mid-board; one at back panel) |
USB | NEC USB 3.0 controllers – 4 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (2 ports at mid-board for front panel support, 2 ports at back panel [blue]) Intel® P67(B3) Express Chipset – 12 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (4 ports at mid-board, 8 ports at back panel) |
ASUS Unique Features | ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM: ASUS EPU – EPU, EPU switch ASUS TPU – Auto Tuning, TurboV, TPU switch ASUS Digital Power Design – Industry leading Digital 16+2 Phase Power Design – ASUS DIGI+ VRM Utility ASUS BT GO! (Bluetooth) – Folder Sync, BT Transfer, Shot & Send, BT to Net, Music Player, Personal Manager, BT Turbo Remote ASUS Exclusive Features – MemOK! – AI Suite II – AI Charger – Anti Surge – ASUS EFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution – ASUS Fanless Design: Heat-pipe solution – ASUS Fan Xpert ASUS EZ DIY – ASUS Q-Shield – ASUS Q-Connector – ASUS O.C. Tuner – ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 – ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Q-Design – ASUS Q-Code – ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED) – ASUS Q-Slot – ASUS Q-DIMM |
Overclocking Features | Precision Tweaker 2 – vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.005V increment – vCCIO: Adjustable I/O voltage at 0.00625V increment – vCCSA: 144-step system agent voltage control – vDRAM Bus: 160-step Memory voltage control – vPCH: 90-step Chipset voltage control – vCPU_PLL: 160-step CPU & PCH PLL voltage control SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection) – BCLK/PEG frequency tuning from 80MHz up to 300MHz at 0.1MHz increment Overclocking Protection – ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall) |
Back Panel I/O Ports | 1 x PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Combo port 1 x Bluetooth module 2 x External SATA (1 x Power eSATA) 1 x IEEE 1394a 2 x LAN(RJ45) port(s) (1 x Intel® LAN) 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 (blue) 8 x USB 2.0/1.1 2 x S/PDIF Out (1 for Coaxial, 1 for Optical) 8 -Channel Audio I/O 1 x Clr CMOS switch |
Internal I/O Connectors | 1 x USB 3.0/2.0 connector(s) supports additional 2 USB ports (19-pin) 2 x USB 2.0/1.1 connector(s) support additional 4 USB ports 1 x MemOK! Button 4 x SATA 6.0Gb/s connectors (2 x gray; 2 x navy blue) 4 x SATA 3.0Gb/s connectors (blue) 1 x IEEE 1394a connector 1 x CPU Fan connector(s) (4-pin) 2 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (1 x 4-pin; 1 x 3-pin) 2 x Power Fan connector(s) (2 x 3-pin) 1 x TPU switch 1 x EPU switch 1 x Power-on switch 1 x Reset switch 1 x S/PDIF Out connector 24-pin EATX Power connector 8-pin EATX 12V Power connector Front panel audio connector System Panel (Q-Connector) |
BIOS | 32 Mb Flash ROM , EFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 |
Manageability | WfM 2.0,DMI 2.0,WOL by PME,WOR by PME,PXE |
Accessories | User’s manual 2 x SATA 3.0Gb/s cables 4 x SATA 6.0Gb/s cables 2 in 1 Q-connector ASUS Q-Shield 1 x ASUS Front Panel USB 3.0 Box 1 x ASUS SLI bridge connector |
Support Disc | Drivers Anti-virus software (OEM version) ASUS Update ASUS Utilities |
Form Factor | ATX Form Factor 12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm ) |
Testing Setup:
- Intel i7 1155 2600
- Sabetooth P67 1155 Motherboard
- Crucial Ballistix BX DDR3-1866 Active Cooling DDR3 4GB Memory Kit
- Intel 160GB X25 SSD
- NZXT Hale 750W PSU
- Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit
Testing:
Arithmetic |
Dhrystone (GIPS) |
Whetstone (GLOPS) |
Sabertooth P67 |
138 |
83 |
Sabertooth P67 OC |
156 |
122 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
138 |
83 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 OC |
157 |
93 |
Multicore |
Bandwidth (GB/s) |
Latency (ms) |
Sabertooth P67 |
21 |
42 |
Sabertooth P67 OC |
24 |
39 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
22 |
41 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 OC |
24 |
37 |
Memory Bandwidth |
Integer (GB/s |
Float (GB/s) |
Sabertooth P67 |
17.44 |
17.46 |
Sabertooth P67 OC |
17.7 |
17.7 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
17.7 |
17.7 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 OC |
17.7 |
17.7 |
Memory Latency |
Nanoseconds |
|
Sabertooth P67 |
74 |
|
Sabertooth P67 OC |
69 |
|
P8P67 ProRevision 3 |
72 |
|
P8P67 ProRevision 3 OC |
69.8 |
|
Cache & Memory |
GB/s |
|
Sabertooth P67 |
98 |
|
Sabertooth P67 OC |
106 |
|
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
98 |
|
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 OC |
105 |
|
File Systems |
Drive (MB/s) |
Random Access (ms) |
Sabertooth P67 |
197 |
1 |
Sabertooth P67 OC |
197 |
0.9 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
210 |
1 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 OC |
211 |
1 |
Physical Disk |
Index (MB/s) |
Random Access (us) |
Sabertooth P67 |
238 |
80 |
Sabertooth P67 OC |
238 |
80 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
254 |
68 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 OC |
256 |
49 |
Power Management Efficiency |
GIPS |
|
Sabertooth P67 |
16.2 |
|
Sabertooth P67 OC |
15.8 |
|
P8P67 ProRevision 3 |
16.3 |
|
P8P67 ProRevision 3 OC |
15.6 |
Aida 64 Cache & Memory
Sabertooth P67 |
Read (MB/s) |
Write (MB/s) |
Copy (MB/s) |
Latency (ns) |
Memory |
16278 |
18423 |
18330 |
53 |
L1 Cache |
118728 |
59353 |
118689 |
1 |
L2 Cache |
67185 |
59093 |
56704 |
3.2 |
L3 Cache |
31439 |
24102 |
28578 |
5.5 |
Sabertooth P67 OC |
Read (MB/s) |
Write (MB/s) |
Copy (MB/s) |
Latency (ns) |
Memory |
16707 |
19481 |
18456 |
52.6 |
L1 Cache |
127941 |
63955 |
127892 |
1 |
L2 Cache |
72484 |
38352 |
61154 |
3 |
L3 Cache |
38354 |
28283 |
35329 |
4.9 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
Read (MB/s) |
Write (MB/s) |
Copy (MB/s) |
Latency (ns) |
Memory |
16588 |
18735 |
18436 |
52.6 |
L1 Cache |
118725 |
60095 |
118665 |
1 |
L2 Cache |
67751 |
36257 |
57091 |
3.3 |
L3 Cache |
34884 |
25969 |
33001 |
5.1 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 OC |
Read (MB/s) |
Write (MB/s) |
Copy (MB/s) |
Latency (ns) |
Memory |
11617 |
19496 |
18549 |
52.3 |
L1 Cache |
127933 |
63957 |
127892 |
1 |
L2 Cache |
72480 |
38366 |
61045 |
3 |
L3 Cache |
37746 |
27416 |
36036 |
4.8 |
POV Ray |
PPS (Pixels Per Second) |
Sabertooth P67 |
1189 |
OC |
1562 |
POV Ray |
PPS (Pixels Per Second) |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
1211 |
OC |
1370 |
PC Mark Vantage |
Score |
Sabertooth P67 |
18347 |
Sabertooth P67 OC |
20581 |
PC Mark Vantage |
Score |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
17383 |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 OC |
21435 |
Super Pi |
Seconds |
Sabertooth P67 |
10.48 |
OC |
9.31 |
Super Pi |
Seconds |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
9.9 |
OC |
9.3 |
Sabertooth P67 |
Pass 1 |
Pass 2 |
Run 1/4 |
encoded 1442 frames, 141.40 fps, 3911.63 kb/s |
encoded 1442 frames, 35.84 fps, 3959.17 kb/s |
Run 2/4 |
encoded 1442 frames, 141.85 fps, 3911.63 kb/s |
encoded 1442 frames, 35.85 fps, 3960.06 kb/s |
Run 3/4 |
encoded 1442 frames, 144.20 fps, 3911.63 kb/s |
encoded 1442 frames, 35.88 fps, 3958.45 kb/s |
Run 4/4 |
encoded 1442 frames, 144.71 fps, 3911.63 kb/s |
encoded 1442 frames, 35.85 fps, 3958.77 kb/s |
P8P67 Pro Revision 3 |
Pass 1 |
Pass 2 |
Run 1/4 |
encoded 1442 frames, 146.25 fps, 3911.63 kb/s |
encoded 1442 frames, 36.36 fps, 3958.83 kb/s |
Run 2/4 |
encoded 1442 frames, 146.26 fps, 3911.63 kb/s |
encoded 1442 frames, 36.32 fps, 3960.31 kb/s |
Run 3/4 |
encoded 1442 frames, 144.20 fps, 3911.63 kb/s |
encoded 1442 frames, 36.33 fps, 3959.78 kb/s |
Run 4/4 |
encoded 1442 frames, 146.95 fps, 3911.63 kb/s |
encoded 1442 frames, 36.28 fps, 3959.47 kb/s |
Conclusion:
As I said in my Sabertooth P67 review I quite enjoy the new BIOS. The overclocking is something I forgot to mention before so I will say it now, just a few clicks is all you need and the overclocking is ready and rearing to go. Some of the other great things on the board is the triple SLI capability and the many USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports. The solid state capacitors was a nice plus for me too as it adds some longevity to the board. I also appreciated the blue design on the board, it may be a small thing but aesthetics can be a deciding factor when making a purchase even when it comes to a motherboard that you would really see once it is installed.
The Sabertooth did come pretty close in the testing. Well for the difference there you get pretty much every feature you could want on a motherboard plus some and though the tests were relativity close the P8P67 did come up ahead on every test.
Would I recommend it? Yes, it is a great motherboard for enthusiasts offering a multitude of features and includes many ports and slots which will work for newer and older equipment.
Pros:
- Easy Overclocking
- Multitude of features
- Triple SLI capable
- backwards and forwards compatible
- Plenty of I/O ports
Cons:
- None
