High-end and Luxury P45-GIGABYTE P45T EXTREME Air-Cooling 659MHz

The heat sink comes with board
GIGABYTE always use very good quality components compares to the same price level products.
This time uses 100% cooper thermal module which is good looking and better thermal dissipation.


This thermal module is very beautiful design. There is another 2-phase PWM for MCH.


For the water-block built-in module, GIGABYTE provides a special and power thermal kit - Hybird SLENT-PIPE


100% cooper provides the best quality for thermal solution


The Hybird SLENT-PIPE install at the PCI-e slot position.
It also enhances the whole system thermal solution.
(Installing Hybird SLENT-PIPE will occupy 1 PCI-e x1)



Boot up Screen


BIOS Main Menu
This model puts M.I.T as the 1st position without hiding.
It is absolutely designed for OC and performance.


M.I.T. Page
CPU Frequency and ratio
Intel XMP DRAM OC technology is included


DRAM parameters


Providing very wide voltage range
CPU Vcore 0.5000~2.30000V
CPU Terminating 0.800~1.800V
CPU PLL 1.100~2.800V

MCH Core 0.800~1.800V
MCH Reference 0.500~1.045V
ICH I/O 1.000~2.300V
DARM Voltage 1.500~2.500V
DRAM Termination 0.7365~1.440V

Also provides VGA OC by software


C.I.A. 2 and Smart Fan


Voltage, Temperature and FAN speed info


EasyTune6 integrated all necessary features and info into one software. It is very convenient.

MB also has LED to display the DRAM voltage and PWN loading status.


Just mention, this time I also use JETART Nano Diamond thermal pad to replace Y-500



VGA
Using Gigabyte HD4870 DDR5 512MB CorssFire which is the hottest VGA combo at the moment.


Default Colck 750/1100Mhz
3DMARK2003


3DMARK2005


3DMARK2006


2008 most popular game - Crysis


Now, the highest C/P values VGA are 4850 and 4870 for sure.
GIGABYTE HD4870 DDR5 512MB CorssFire is really fast, especially in Crysis it has very high pages ratio even in 1920x1200

Q8200 for Quad Core OC
500Mhz 4 X Super PI 32M


530Mhz Super PI 1M


In Quad Core CPU, it can run stable in 500Mhz and passed 1M at 530Mhz.
It proves the P45T EXTREME is in very high standard for both dual core and quad core system.

The Energy Saving Software from GIGABYTE-DYNAMIC ENERGY SAVER
Later called DES. DES needs C1E to operate.

DES disable, 2700Mhz shows 15.51W


DES Enable, 2700Mhz shows 13.46W(4-phase)
DES Panel provide lots of info, usage duration, power saving watts and CPU current power consumption.


DES Disable,4050Mhz shows 80.07W(12-phase)


DES Enable,4050Mhz shows 45.81W(8-phase)


80.07-45.81=34.86W, the full speed power saving by DES display.
But this is the software come with the product. I have to double check it.

This time I use Seasonic Power Angle as the tool.

All equipments are the same.
DES Disable,4050Mhz system shows 339W(12-phase)


DES Enable,4050Mhz system shows 292W(6-phase)


The all system saving is 339-292=47W.
It’s 35W more than the DES displayed. DES is a good prediction software.



GIGABYTE P45T EXTREME
Strength
1.100% Japan made solid capacitors. Full LED display under system operation. ATI CorssFireX supported
2. Rich applications in OS. They are all powerful function and exquisite interface.
3. BIOS provides wide voltage range and the options are never seen before in GIGABYTE products
4. Dual Core/Quad Core CPU OC are excellent. It let CPU has 20~50Mhz possibility
5. High cost 100% cooper thermal modules. It is hard to see in the other brands boards
6. Debug LED, Power/Reset/Clear CMOS buttons
7.6+6-phase dynamic power saving with Intel latest VRD11.1 PWM design. It combines very well with own DES software for lower power consumption

Weakness
1. The cables are too less. The cables are enough but should be more for hi-end products
2. DRAM voltage is higher than other brands. Also hope the future BIOS can support over DDR3-2000.
3. Clear CMOS battery is under the cooper pipe. Not easy to use.


Performance ★★★★★★★★★☆
Components ★★★★★★★★★★
Outlook ★★★★★★★★★☆
C/P ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

GIGABYTE EXTREME series is really for Enthusiasts.

For the scoring system, I am always very strict for it.
This is the 1st product I ever score 10 stars.
It is because GIGABYTE really puts a lot of effort in components.

7 stars in C/P, because 330USD price is too high even with very great OC and components.
The hi-end board C/P is always very low. It’s coming with DDR3, so I minus 1 star from 8 to 7.

I’ve been testing many P45 boards, the good OC board should run stable at dual core 600Mhz and quad core 500Mhz.
DRAM must reach DDR2 1200 and DDR3 1800 CL7.
The 9 stars are scored by this standard.
I still have to mention, I hope P45T EXTREME DDR3 OC ability can be improved by future fine tuning BIOS to reach 2000.

No matter what product range, 330USD is still also very high C/P value with GIGABYTE P45T EXTREME.
Mid-end P45 has Biostar which are between 130~160 USD and hi-end OC P45 has GIGABYTE P45T EXTREME.
If you cannot find any points to upgrade from P35 to P45, you can wait and see for awhile.
However, for personal view, the P45 runs stable at 600MHz is improved quite much than P35 in OC capability.

GIGABYTE launched P45T EXTREME(DDR3) and P45 EXTREME(DDR2) make the more choices for Enthusiast market.

Windwithme reviews all take much time and effort.
Normally, it takes1 to 3 weeks to complete the article.

If you think my review is good for product info and buying guide, please reply my post.

Your reply push me go forward. Thanks….

Nice review. Very detailed, good job!

To the other poster, if you get the ddr2 version, it's pretty simple to determine what RAM you will need.

The CPU Multiplier x the FSB = the CPU speed. Yours will be 8.5. Stock uses 333 x 8.5 for your stock speed.

And since the FSB will decide your higher over clocks, your RAM will need to at least be near this.

To get from 2.83 to 3612 Mhz, you'll need a FSB of 425. So in sync mode, the RAM will be at 850 Mhz.

While in sync mode, its FSB x 2 = RAM speed. Pretty easy.

So basically, if you want 3.6 Ghz, most name brand decent 800 Mhz stocks can maintain their stock timings and stuff at about 425 FSB or 850 Mhz.

My reaper x starts to loose its 4-4-3-15 timings near there as well.

If you want to over clock any higher, all you will need is 1066 RAM.

Since to get 1000 Mhz you'd have the processor at 8.5 x 500 = 4250 Mhz.

So there you have it!

800 Mhz will work for 3.6 Ghz or lower, and keep their same timings. (Some you could loosen from 4-4-4-12 to 5-4-4-15 and get a bit more speed at the cost of timings.) So could over clock a bit higher on, if you wanted to, or needed to.

For over 3.6, 1000 Mhz or 1066 will suffice until the chip explodes!



I think i will pick up one of the better P45 boards, too. Dunno the brand yet, but they get the good FSBs!

Thanks for the review, the only drawback, x8-x8-x4? Wonder how that effects the powerful video cards performance! Isn't that a bit low on lanes?

--Lupi

Would i be correct to say i could run RAM with the intel Q9550 2.8ghz multiplyer 8.5 and get these results?

+ 1066mhz ram - at FSB 500mhz = 4250mhz cpu

or 1200mhz ram - at FSB 600mhz = 5100mhz cpu

I read in the over clocking forum "how to overclock" that with a FSB above 400 you would have to start pushing your Voltage above 1.4v and chances are above that limit and you'll fry your CPU is 600mhz possible as you've stated windwithme ????

I have a new Gigabyte P45 and it is great, I find no need for anything over 400(1600 FSB) which give me400x9.5=3800 or 3.8Ghz on my E8500 which is rock solid with mem@1:1 800 5-4-4-12 seems to be the best performance thats on xmp extreme settings.