Nothing But The Best?
What defines a high-end system? Many proclaimed enthusiasts have expressed to us that the LGA 1156 platform simply wouldn't be a suitable starting point for them, simply because it’s not designed to host a large number of high-bandwidth devices, such as graphics cards. And yet, most games don’t need more than a single Radeon HD 5970 to play at super-high settings. Moreover, not every high-end user wants to play games all day, and companies like EVGA and MSI have a workaround for those whose graphics desires exceed what Intel's mid-range platform was really designed to do.
Setting aside the debate over P55's suitability for hosting multiple graphics cards, a few key advantages that could put a shiny new LGA 1156-based processor into the hands of a high-end user include higher efficiency, higher stock performance via improved Intel Turbo Boost ratios, better overclocking, and reduced heat output for those who desire a quiet workstation build (there's a reason Intel came to market with its Xeon 3400-series CPUs, after all).

Today’s contenders for P55 supremacy run the gamut from a $250 gamer's board with advanced overclocking features to a $280 premium model with all the latest interfaces and a $340 product that supports a nearly insane number of up to six graphics cards. Our next page details the features that each motherboard boasts in an effort to overcome the mainstream market stigma associated with P55-based platforms.
| $250+ LGA 1156 Motherboard Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asus Maximus III Formula | Asus P7P55D-E Premium | EVGA P55 Classified 200 | MSI Big Bang Trinergy | |
| PCB Revision | 1.02G | 1.03G | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| Chipset | Intel P55 Express | Intel P55 Express | Intel P55 Express | Intel P55 Express |
| Voltage Regulator | 19 Phases | 35 Phases | 12 Phase Digital | 10 Phases |
| BIOS | 1202 (12/07/2009) | 0608 (12/07/2009) | 080016 (10/23/2009) | V1.1 (11/24/2009) |
| 133.3 MHz BCLK | 133.7 MHz (+0.28%) | 133.7 MHz (+0.28%) | 133.2 MHz (-0.01%) | 133.7 MHz (+0.28%) |
| Clock Generator | ICS 9LPRS140CKLF | ICS 9LPRS140CKLF | ICS 9LPRS139AKLF | MSI LRS4116AL |
| Internal Interfaces | ||||
| PCIe 2.0 x16 | 3 (x16/x1/x4, x8/x8/x4) | 2 (x16/x0, x8/x8) | 6 (1 x16 or 5 x8, 1 x4) | 3 (x16/x16/x0, x16/x8/x8) |
| PCIe x1/x4 | 2/0 | 2/0 | 1/0 | 2/0 |
| Legacy PCI | 2 | 2 | None | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 3 (5-ports) | 2 (4-ports) | 3 (6-ports) | 2 (4-ports) |
| IEEE-1394 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Serial Port | None | 1 | None | None |
| Parallel Port | None | None | None | None |
| Floppy | No | No | No | No |
| Ultra-ATA 133 | None | 1 (2-drives) | None | 1 (2-drives) |
| SATA 3.0 Gb/s | 10 | 9 | 6 | 10 |
| SATA 6.0 Gb/s | None | 2 | None | None |
| 4-Pin Fan | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 3-Pin Fan | None | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| FP-Audio | On Riser Card | Yes | Yes | On Riser Card |
| CD-Audio | On Riser Card | Yes | No | On Riser Card |
| S/PDIF I/O | Output Only (Riser) | Output Only | Both | Output Only (Riser) |
| Power Button | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reset Button | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CLR_CMOS Button | Jumper Only | Jumper Only | Yes | Yes |
| Diagnostics Panel | Pass/Fail LEDs | Pass/Fail LEDs | Numeric | Numeric |
| I/O Panel Connectors | ||||
| P/S 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 9 | 8 (2 Shared w/USB 3.0) | 7 (1 Shared w/eSATA) | 10 (2 Shared w/eSATA) |
| USB 3.0 | None | 2 | None | None |
| IEEE-1394 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Network | Single | Dual (with teaming) | Dual | Dual |
| eSATA | 1 | None | 2 | 2 |
| CLR_CMOS Button | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Digital Audio Out | Optical+Coaxial (Riser) | Optical+Coaxial | Internal Only | Optical+Coaxial (Riser) |
| Digital Audio In | None | None | Internal Only | None |
| Analog Audio | 6 (On Riser Card) | 6 | 6 | 6 (On Riser Card) |
| Mass Storage Controllers | ||||
| Chipset SATA | 6 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s | 6 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s | 6 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s | 6 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s |
| Chipset RAID Modes | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 | 0, 1, 5, 10 |
| Add-In SATA | 2 x JMB363 PCIe 2 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s 1 x eSATA 3.0 Gb/s 1 x SATA to JMB322 JMB322 to 2x SATA | 88SE9123 PCIe 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s | 88SE6121 PCIe 2 x eSATA 3.0 Gb/s | JMB363 PCIe 2 x SATA to 2x JMB322 2 x JMB322 to 4x SATA JMB362 PCIe 2 x eSATA 3.0 Gb/s |
| Add-In Ultra ATA | JMB368 PCIe | None | JMB363 PCIe | |
| IEEE-1394 | VT6308P PCI 2 x 400 Mb/s | VT6308P PCI 2 x 400 Mb/s | TSB43AB22A 2 x 400 Mb/s | VT6315N PCIe 2 x 400 Mb/s |
| Gigabit Ethernet | ||||
| Primary LAN | RTL810SC PCI | RTL8112L PCIe | 88E6057 PCIe | RTL8111DL PCIe |
| Secondary LAN | RTL810SC PCI | 88E6057 PCIe | RTL8111DL PCIe | |
| Audio Codec | ||||
| HD Audio Codec | VIA VT2020 | VIA VT2020 | ALC889 | ALC889 |
Asus’ Republic of Gamers series motherboards have always been the launching point for the firm’s latest overclocker-friendly features, and the Maximus III Formula continues that legacy with an R.O.G. Connect data port that allows enthusiasts to tune their systems from a separate notebook computer. R.O.G. Connect overcomes the limited functionality of a hand-held unit, and a mode switch next to its upright USB port allows the same connector to host standard devices.
The rest of the board is designed to showcase whatever hardware the user might add, while the lack of onboard audio connections and an extra cooling space between the first and second graphics card slots are only two indicators of its “gamer” pedigree.
However, the extra space between slots does come with one drawback, as it forces Asus to put the Maximus III Extreme’s third x16-length slot at the bottom of the board, where only a single-slot card would fit. That shouldn’t be a major concern to most users, since this PCI Express (PCIe) 1.1-speed x4-link connection is not intended to add support for 3-way SLI or CrossFireX arrays. It is fast enough for lower-performance applications, such as a desktop expansion or a GeForce card repurposed as a standalone PhysX processor, and weaker single-slot cards can easily handle both of these applications. The slot’s 1,000 MB/s capability is also suitable for most desktop RAID arrays.
We mentioned the lack of onboard audio connections as a benefit to gamers only because so many still prefer to use discrete cards, but Asus does include an audio riser for those who don’t. The uppermost PCIe x1 slot serves dual functions, while the nearby heat sink is short enough to allow full-length cards to fit.

Based on the VT2020 audio codec by VIA, Asus’ newest SupremeFX X-Fi audio riser looks nearly identical to its previous ADI-based solution save for the order in which logos appear at the lower edge of its face cover. Just like the old version, it also boasts a lighted logo on the upper edge.
Placing the front-panel audio connectors on a riser card allows Asus to get rid of the onboard connector, but the company instead puts its IEEE-1394 header in the same bottom rear-corner location. Since most high-end cases still have a FireWire port, the potential cable installation issue remains. Users who rarely need this interface could use the I/O panel port when required, and eschew the internal connection for build simplicity.
Less obvious to tuners is the tiny Go button next to the 24-pin power connector, a place where we’d normally find a MemOK button on other Asus products. This button serves the same purpose as MemOK if activated prior to boot, telling the system to use slower-than-detected memory speeds or timings to stabilize improperly-programmed memory long enough for users to enter the BIOS and program it manually. The new function of this button is that it, if activated after boot, allows the system to jump to a user-programmed overclocking profile on-the-fly.
More difficult to spot is a row of voltage detection points in front of the 24-pin connector that allow direct connections to CPU PLL, PCH, DRAM, VTT (IMC), and CPU core voltage rails. Called “ProbeIt" by Asus, these points allow extreme overclockers to easily detect actual voltage levels, rather than rely on notoriously inaccurate software monitoring.
The Maximus III Extreme has no Ultra ATA connectors, a fact that causes us to question Asus’ use of JMicron’s JMB363 combination controllers rather than smaller SATA-only parts. Each 2.5Gb PCIe controller supports two 3.0 Gb/s SATA ports, and one of the ports is further split to support two more 3.0 Gb/s drives via JMicron’s JMB322 port multiplier. This combination of controllers and port multipliers adds one external and four internal drive interfaces. Though this could be a recipe for an I/O bottleneck if you're using fast-enough SSDs across the port multipliers, most users are unlikely to experience any issues, particularly if you attach mechanical disk drives.
Perhaps a more questionable move in the minds of throughput-hungry gamers is Asus’ reliance on the P55 PCH’s legacy PCI interface for the motherboard’s single gigabit Ethernet controller. Legacy PCI provides around one gigabit of combined bandwidth rather than a gigabit in each direction, although Asus has enhanced the controller with its GameFirst packet-prioritization technology. Latency reduction is far more beneficial than increased bandwidth in most titles, so this combination of design elements is likely well suited for the Maximus III Formula’s intended market.
BIOS
The Maximus III Formula uses Asus’ familiar AMI BIOS implementation, but like many other R.O.G. series motherboards, the overclocking menu is moved to the first position.
Asus’ top P55 motherboards all include a useful automatic overclocking utility, although it’s a little less aggressive than the settings we chose. Just as easy for inexperienced overclockers are the CPU Level Up and Memory Level Up built-in overclocking profiles.
A few extra signal amplitude and reference voltage controls separate the Maximus III Formula’s BIOS from Asus’ lower-cost boards, and Asus also copies over the O.C. Profile access link from its Tools menu.
Accessed from either the Extreme Tweaker or Tools menu, OC Profile allows you to save up to eight custom-BIOS configurations on-board or to export them to a drive. EZ Flash 2 also adds drive access for flashing the BIOS without a need for bootable media, while the Go Button menu provides a single overclocking profile that can be accessed on-the-fly via a button on the motherboard’s front edge.
Accessories
Asus provides a second eSATA port via a breakout bracket but offers only six internal SATA cables for this 10-port motherboard.

Unique to the Maximus III Formula is a non-powered USB type A-to-A link cable for use with the motherboard’s R.O.G. Connect feature. Because of the small voltage differences between various systems, third-party cables used for the same purpose must be modified to defeat the power connection.
Less visually exciting, but with a broader appeal than its R.O.G. product line, is Asus’ Premium series, and the P7P55D-E Premium is no exception. Asus packs it with over twice the number of power regulator phases and several more connectors compared to its gaming motherboard, adding new features such as SATA 6.0 Gb/s and the USB 3.0 controller previously reviewed here.
Only one of the P7P55D-E Premium’s network interfaces is limited to PCI bandwidth, since the primary controller is a PCIe part. The chipset’s remaining seven PCIe lanes go to the motherboard’s two x1 slots, a JMB368 Ultra ATA controller, and the PLX PCIe bridge. The bridge is required to convert four 2.5 GT/s lanes to two 5 Gb/s links used by the USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0 Gb/s controllers.
As the first Premium series motherboard we’ve recently tested, the P7P55D-E Premium is also the first in recent months to include Asus’ Express Gate flash drive, as less expensive models now rely on a hard drive to store the included Splashtop OS. Boot times of as little as five seconds can quickly launch important applications such as a Web browser or Skype client.
The Express Gate flash drive consumes two USB ports, limiting the P7P55D-E Premium to two twin-port headers. Two rows of empty solder points remain where the third header is placed on the less-expensive P7P55D-E Deluxe.
With all eight of the P55’s PCIe lanes dedicated to devices and x1 slots, Asus had no room to add the x4 slot found on many competing products. The P7P55D-E Premium still includes two x16-length slots and a set of lane switches that allow these to share the processor’s 16 lanes in x8/x8 mode, which happens whenever the second slot is occupied.
Like most of Asus’ current products, a MemOK button next to the 24-pin power connector eases the use of improperly-programmed memory, slowing speed and/or timings to more easily allow the system to enter BIOS where such modules can be configured manually.
Our two major layout complaints focus on the P7P55D-E Premium’s bottom-rear corner, where both the front-panel audio and IEEE-1394 breakout connections are found. Most high-end cases now have these ports near the top front corner, making cable installation extremely difficult, if not impossible. Remaining cable headers are so conveniently placed that only these two problems stand out, although there is a surprising scarcity of fan connectors given the motherboard’s high-end market.
Asus mixes up the SATA connectors, placing two of the chipset’s six ports along the P7P55D-E Premium’s bottom edge. Two SATA 6.0 Gb/s connections above the other four forward-facing ports are intended for internal drive use, and the mixed placement allows easier access to the chipset’s ports for an included single-port eSATA breakout plate. No eSATA is available through the I/O panel.

Overclockers won’t need access to a notebook computer to tune the P7P55D-E Premium externally, as Asus includes its TurboV Remote with this model. The big differences are more convenience and fewer features. It's up to the enthusiast to decide which is the more rewarding path to tuning his or her machine.
BIOS
Asus' Ai Tweaker menu contains both manual and automatic overclock settings, including CPU Level Up to approximate a faster processor’s settings and OC Tuner to automatically increase and stability test BCLK and RAM settings.
Asus adds Clock Skew and reference voltage controls to its enthusiast-level motherboards, and Load-Line Calibration reduces Intel’s designed-in core voltage fluctuation to improve overclocking stability.
The P7P55D-E Premium has a full list of DRAM timing controls to assist even the most aggressive performance seekers. The board also supports flashing from non-bootable media via its EZ Flash 2 interface.
Up to eight custom BIOS configurations can be saved as user profiles or exported to a drive.
Accessories

A relatively basic installation kit includes four SATA 3.0 Gb/s and two SATA 6.0 Gb/s cables, an Ultra ATA cable, and an SLI bridge. Included but not shown is a breakout plate featuring two USB 2.0 ports and a single eSATA port.
EVGA’s approach to high-end gaming is completely different from Asus,' as the company endows its P55 Classified 200 with dual-gigabit network controllers, dual eSATA ports, and an impressive six x16-length PCIe slots.
How is EVGA able to supply so many high-bandwidth slots when the CPU supports only 16 lanes? The “dirty little secret” is that only the top x16 slot is able to access all those lanes, and only when a single card is installed. The other four red slots share eight of the processor’s lanes via Nvidia’s NF200-SLI-A3 bridge. We knew most readers would find this bit of information incredible, so we took a photo that clearly shows the top slot’s eight fixed and eight flexible pathways, with four two-lane electronic switches that enable the nForce 200 PCIe bridge whenever more than one card is installed.

The black x16-length slot is limited to four 2.5 GT/s lanes by its P55 Express PCH connection, but will likely be useless in most builds, since it’s only a single space beneath the processor-driven x16 slot. The uppermost PCIe x1 slot, which is the only other independent slot, supports full-length cards thanks to a cut-away portion on the nearby nForce 200 heat sink.
At 10.375” wide, EVGA’s P55 Classified 200 is slightly larger than the 9.625” full ATX standard. That’s something users building a luggable system need to consider when choosing a case. But more importantly, it puts the forward-facing SATA ports even closer to any hard drive cage that could potentially prevent cable insertion.
Part of that added space is used for EVGA’s built-in “Show-Volt” volt meter, which is a particularly handy feature. Rather than being connected directly from various rails, it allows tuners to take their own measurements using an included cable at various points, such as the row of rail-detection points (VCORE, VTT, DIMM, PCH, and PLL) along the motherboard’s top edge. Potential buyers who would like to visually see “how much” bigger the P55 Classified 200 is than a standard board can also refer to the longer white line around the “Show-Volt” meter to see where a standard-sized PCB would end.
Layout strengths include the absence of any front panel connectors in the bottom rear corner and every power connector is placed where we prefer to see them, give or take an inch. One unusual strength is the dual eight-pin CPU power connectors used to support an all-digital voltage regulator with up to 600W of power. With that much power available to the CPU, it’s probably a good thing EVGA chose to use gold plating of three times the normal thickness to protect its LGA 1156 pins.
EVGA understands that most gamers don’t have more than six internal drives, and it instead uses the chipset’s three remaining lanes to provide a bi-directional 2.5Gb interface with one eSATA and two Gigabit Ethernet controllers. While many of EVGA’s competitors use a legacy PCI interface to address at least one of those three functions, the only place such a connection is found on the P55 Classified 200 is for its legacy FireWire controller.

EVGA also includes its ECP V2 controller to extend several onboard functions away from the motherboard itself, which is particularly handy when parts such as the onboard Port 80 display and Power/Rest/CLR_CMOS buttons are covered up by graphics cards. However, it’s unfortunate that this device is only really useful when the motherboard is outside the case, since EVGA makes no provisions for mounting it into an external drive bay.
Users who want even more external control over the P55 Classified 200’s overclocking features will find an EVGA EVbot connector on the I/O panel, although the handheld controller for that function must be purchased separately.
BIOS
EVGA’s Frequency/Voltage Control menu contains the most frequently used overclocking controls, plus DIMM reference and PWM frequency settings. The company even provides separate boot and operational controls for CPU Core and Uncore (VTT) voltage, helping tuners overcome cold-boot issues.
The P55 Classified 200 stores up to four custom BIOS configurations as user profiles, a feature that is especially useful on a board that can be somewhat tricky to overclock. Fortunately, EVGA provides overclocking guides in its community forum that can help tuners find a moderately high starting point.
The DRAM Timings menu has a full list of basic and advanced timing controls, with Auto functions that not only simplify basic adjustments but also show detected values.
Accessories

In addition to the expected items, EVGA provides a voltmeter cable and two different 3-way SLI bridges, each with different slot spacing, in its P55 Classified 200 installation kit.
MSI’s Big Bang Trinergy approaches the extreme gaming market differently than either Asus or EVGA, but with a little of both approaches mixed in. Three x16-length slots are available, like they are on the Maximus III Formula, but MSI uses the same nForce 200 PCIe bridge as the P55 Classified 200 to distribute bandwidth.
I/O panel ports are similar to EVGA’s, but with a second PS/2 port added for those who really like their older peripherals. The panel even features a connector for a tuning device controller, but unlike its competition from EVGA, the Trinergy actually includes one.

MSI connects its nForce 200 PCIe bridge differently than EVGA, directing all 16 of the processor's PCIe 2.0 lanes through the bridge to allow identical bandwidth to all three cards, regardless of any restrictions on the bridge's north end.

MSI’s OC Dashboard might not be as complex as the one offered by EVGA, but the big advantage to MSI customers is that this one doesn’t have to be purchased separately. Although its cables are a little short, MSI OC Dashboard can be connected and disconnected from the rear panel, unlike Asus’ TurboV remote. Notice we said cables in the plural form, as the OC Dashboard relies on a separate USB cable for power.
MSI uses the biggest single heat pipe we’ve seen on a motherboard to keep its nForce 200 bridge and both banks of voltage regulators at a similar temperature, spreading the cooling effect of directional fans. MSI claims a decrease in temperature of 50 degrees Celsius compared to its competitors, but it can’t mean Celsius since we haven’t seen a VRM even reach 50 degrees over ambient temperatures in a very long time. Also unique to the Big Bang series are the flat, rectangular Hi-C capacitors--we would have thought Hi-C would come in a can.
Jokes aside, the Trinergy motherboard does have a few of its competitors' idiosyncrasies, such as a third PCIe slot that’s too low on the board to allow for the installation of a graphics card with a double-slot cooler in a standard case, which is a potential issue with the Maximus III Formula. Yet, this is a much bigger problem for the Trinergy, since the Maximus III Formula’s third slot is nearly useless for triple-card graphics arrays by virtue of where it gets its PCIe connectivity.
MSI uses not one, but two JMB322 SATA port multipliers to allow its two-port JMB363 controller to support four drives. All of these drives, plus any Ultra ATA drives also controlled by the JMB363, must communicate with the rest of the system over a single 2.5 Gb/s PCIe link. On a more positive note, the two eSATA ports connected directly to a JMB362 controller are interfaced by the P55 PCH, with nothing beyond the PCIe interface to create additional bottlenecks.
MSI places a row of voltage checking points across the front edge of its Trinergy to allow easy volt-meter access to CPU core, VTT (Uncore), DDR, and PCH voltage rails. MSI doesn’t include the onboard volt meter like EVGA does, but the Trinergy’s detection pins are surrounded by a plastic shell that’s actually capable of holding the voltage probes of most meters in place.
Audio functions on a riser card allow the Trinergy, like the competing Maximus III Formula, to get rid of the dreaded bottom-rear-corner, front-panel audio-header placement issue. MSI’s riser card supports EAX Advanced HD 5.0 (compared to Asus’ version 4.0), and the motherboard itself beats Asus in front-panel cable management by moving its IEEE-1394 connector three inches forward along the bottom edge.

One small problem we did notice concerning MSI’s audio card is that its shield is in contact with several live motherboard circuits, leading to the two paint chips seen above. MSI knows of the issue and plans to modify the design prior to new shipments, but anyone who has purchased a Trinergy from its current U.S. source (ZipZoomFly) should visually check this before starting the system and remove the metal cover if necessary.
BIOS
The Trinergy Cell Menu contains most of the voltage and frequency settings needed by most overclockers, plus DRAM reference voltage and VDroop controls.
The only motherboard in today’s comparison to offer per-channel timing control, the Trinergy complicates the configuration process by not providing a setting to tie both channels together. System tuners must remember to scroll through the menu settings and set their timings twice to address both channels.

MSI M-Flash allows updating BIOS from non-bootable media and saving BIOS to a drive.
The Trinergy has enough extra room on its ROM to store up to six custom BIOS configurations as user profiles.
Accessories
MSI packs its Trinergy box with so many separate manuals and pamphlets that we had to splice two photos together simply to include accessories in the same image. This is likely done to maximize the visual impact of the support kit, since most of this documentation could have been combined.

In addition to the pure essentials, the Trinergy includes the previously-mentioned OC Dashboard device and associated cables, plus a SATA-to-eSATA breakout plate and associated cables. MSI includes three SLI bridges to address both two- and three-way configurations, and adds a slightly longer-than-normal CrossFire bridge, too.
| Test System Configuration | |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-870 (2.93 GHz, 8MB Shared L3 Cache) |
| CPU Cooler | Thermalright MUX-120 |
| RAM | Kingston KHX2133C9D3T1K2/4GX (4GB) DDR3-2133 at DDR3-1600 CAS 8-8-8-24 |
| Graphics | XFX GeForce GTX 285 XXX Edition 670 MHz GPU, GDDR3-2500 |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital Velociraptor WD3000HLFS, 300GB 10,000 RPM, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB cache |
| Sound | Integrated HD Audio |
| Network | Integrated Gigabit Networking |
| Power | Corsair CMPSU-850HX 850W Modular ATX12V v2.2, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold |
| Software | |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate x64 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 190.62 WHQL |
| Chipset | Intel INF 9.1.1.1014 |
Intel’s Core i7-870 processor reaches beyond 4.0 GHz at 1.45V, allowing us to test each motherboard with nothing more than a large heat sink and fan.

Thermalright’s MUX-120 provides just enough cooling to prevent thermal throttling during our overclocking stability tests at full CPU load.
Kingston’s DDR3-2133 enables our 1.65V DRAM overclocking stability tests and is also capable of running our normal benchmarks at DDR3-1600 using the default voltage.
Now certified by the 80 PLUS organization to meet its Gold efficiency standard, Corsair CMPSU-850HX gives our test rig superb stability under every conceivable load.
| Benchmark Configuration | |
|---|---|
| 3D Games | |
| Crysis | Patch 1.2.1, DirectX 10, 64-bit executable, benchmark tool Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Very High Quality, 8x AA |
| Far Cry 2 | Patch 1.03, DirectX 10, in-game benchmark Test Set 1: High Quality, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra High Quality, 8x AA |
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky | Clear Sky Benchmark version Test Set 1: High Preset, DX10 EFDL, No AA Test Set 2: Ultra Preset, DX10 EFDL, 4x MSAA |
| World in Conflict | Patch 1009, DirectX 10, timedemo Test 1: High Details, No AA / No AF Test 2: Very High Details 4x AA / 16x AF |
| Audio and Video Encoding | |
| iTunes | Version: 8.2.1.6 x64 Audio CD ("Terminator II" SE), 53 min. Default format AAC |
| Lame MP3 | Version: 3.98.2, wave to MP3 Audio CD "Terminator II," 53 min |
| TMPEGEnc 4.0 Express | Version: 4.7.3.292 Import File: "Terminator 2" SE DVD (5 Minutes) Resolution: 720x576 (PAL) 16:9 |
| DivX 6.8.5 | Encoding mode: Insane Quality Enhanced multithreading enabled using SSE4 Quarter-pixel search |
| XviD 1.2.2 | Display encoding status = off |
| MainConcept Reference 1.6.1 Reference H.264 Plugin Pro 1.5.1 | MPEG2 to MPEG2 (H.264), MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG2), Audio: MPEG2 (44.1 KHz, 2 Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kbp/s), Mode: PAL (25 FPS) |
| Productivity | |
| Adobe Photoshop CS4 | Version: 11.0 x64, Filter 15.7MB TIF Image Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates |
| Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 | Version: 11.0 x64, Rendering Dragon Image at 1920x1080 (HDTV) |
| Grisoft AVG Anti-Virus 8.5 | Version: 8.5.287, Virus base: 270.12.16/2094, Benchmark: Scan 334MB Folder of ZIP/RAR compressed files |
| WinRAR 3.90 | Version x64 3.90, Dictionary = 4,096KB, Benchmark: THG-Workload (334MB) |
| WinZip 12 | Version 12.1, WinZip Command Line Version 3.0 Compression = Best, Benchmark: THG-Workload (334MB) |
| Synthetic Benchmarks | |
| 3DMark Vantage | Version: 1.0.1, GPU and CPU scores |
| PCMark Vantage | Version: 1.00 x64, System, Memory, Hard Disk Drive benchmarks, Windows Media Player 10.00.00.3646 |
| SiSoftware Sandra 2009 SP4a | Version 2009.9.15.130, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / MultiMedia, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark |
Already several years old, we have yet to build a system that can overcome Crysis’ system demands at 2560x1600 and 8x anti-aliasing (AA). That makes this outdated game a solid benchmark application.


Asus and MSI have similar base clocks at 133.7 MHz, yet MSI falls to the bottom of our Crysis comparison at the CPU-dependent lower resolutions. This could be a system overhead issue or it could be caused by differences in the automatic configuration of advanced memory timings between different motherboard brands.


The motherboard with the slowest CPU base clock of 133.2 MHz, EVGA’s P55 Classified 200 still climbs to the top of the charts in Far Cry 2. Meanwhile, MSI’s Trinergy begins to set a trend by being around 2% slower than its competitors thus far.
MSI edges above EVGA at our lowest Clear Sky setting, while both Asus boards hold a top position by around 2%.


Increasing the detail levels allows EVGA to edge out MSI at our medium resolution, while Asus continues its small lead with both motherboards. Up to this point, it appears that the power-user-friendly P7P55D-E Premium provides better gaming performance than the “gamer’s choice” Maximum III Formula.


The P55 Classified 200 edges past the Maximus III Formula at our lower World in Conflict settings, while the P7P55D-E Premium keeps its lead across through the majority of tests.
Arranging our charts by performance first, then alphabetically, always does a little injustice to MSI when there’s a tie. The Maximus III Formula merely matches the Big Bang Trinergy in iTunes audio conversion.


The Maximus III Formula edges out MSI in Lame, while MSI edges out the remaining models of today’s comparison.

The Trinergy takes another win in TMPGEnc, cutting DivX encoding by a single second compared to its closest competitor.

MainConcept shows both Asus products leading MSI, then EVGA.
Adobe Photoshop shows all four motherboards performing identically, which is something we’d hoped to see earlier.


The MSI Trinergy motherboard is the first to trim a second off our 3ds Max test, although the difference before rounding could be much smaller.

Opposite of MSI’s previous one-second lead in 3ds Max is EVGA’s one-second loss in AVG virus scan.

Asus’ Maximus III Formula trims one second off both our file-compression benchmarks compared to second-place MSI.
EVGA’s lead in 3DMark is far smaller than the difference between consecutive runs, so we can consider this gaming-oriented motherboard essentially matched with Asus’ more broadly-focused part.


EVGA takes a more noteworthy lead in PCMark Vantage.


Only clock speed differences could differentiate motherboards in Sandra’s CPU tests, so it’s no surprise that the three boards with a 133.7 MHz base clock edge out the one with a 133.2 MHz base clock. Overclockers can disregard these results, since clock-for-clock performance is unaffected.

Asus appears to use slightly more aggressive advanced memory timings than MSI. We only set the basic four (tCAS-tRP-tRCD-tRAS), plus the DRAM-command rate manually.
The following is a list of settings each motherboard is capable of providing for your overclocking demands.
| BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asus Maximus III Formula | Asus P7P55D-E Premium | EVGA P55 Classified 200 | MSI Big Bang-Trinergy | |
| CPU Base Clock | 80-500 MHz (1 MHz) | 80-500 MHz (1 MHz) | 133-300 MHz (1 MHz) | 100-600 MHz (1 MHz) |
| CPU Multiplier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DRAM Data Rates | BCLK x6 - x12 (x2) | BCLK x6 - x12 (x2) | BCLK x6 - x12 (x2) | BCLK x6 - x12 (x2) |
| PCIe Clock | 100-200 MHz (1 MHz) | 100-200 MHz (1 MHz) | 80-200 MHz (1 MHz) | 90-190 MHz (1 MHz) |
| CPU Vcore | 0.85-2.10V (6.25mV) | 0.85-2.10V (6.25mV) | 1.00-2.30V (6.25mV) | 0.90-2.10 (6.25mV) |
| Uncore Voltage | 1.01-2.00V (13.25mV) | 1.10-1.90V (6.25mV) | 1.05-2.00V (25mV) | 0.48-2.09V (16mV) |
| PCH Core | 1.01-1.35V 13.25mV) | 1.05V, 1.15V | 1.05-2.625V (25mV) | 0.45-1.95V (15mV) |
| DRAM Voltage | 1.21-2.50V (13.25mV) | 1.20-2.50V (12.5mV) | 1.20-2.60V (10mV) | 0.93-2.43V (15mV) |
| CAS Latency | 3-11 Cycles | 3-11 Cycles | 3-15 Cycles | 4-15 Cycles |
| tRCD | 3-15 Cycles | 3-15 Cycles | 3-15 Cycles | 3-15 Cycles |
| tRP | 3-15 Cycles | 3-15 Cycles | 3-15 Cycles | 3-15 Cycles |
| tRAS | 3-31 Cycles | 3-31 Cycles | 9-63 Cycles | 9-31 Cycles |
While all of today’s motherboards offer fairly aggressive voltage levels, we keep ours consistently moderate to prevent CPU damage.

The top-three motherboards provide identical overclocking capabilities, proving the maturity and consistent quality of these high-end products. Any difference of less than 22 MHz is nothing more than a “rounding error” when a 22x multiplier is used.

Moderate voltage levels don’t lend themselves to record-breaking base clocks, but the EVGA P55 Classified 200 still stands out by achieving good results from our modest effort.

MSI surprised us with a super-high DRAM data rate at mild 1.65V DIMM and 1.30V Uncore settings. Increasing the configuration to four modules handed the average lead back to Asus.
MSI surprised us again by having the lowest full-load power consumption, in spite of its added PCIe bridge. EVGA’s P55 Classified 200, which was the other motherboard with Nvidia’s PCIe bridge, had the highest power consumption.

MSI also has the lowest voltage-regulator temperature, although EVGA’s voltage regulator was also surprisingly cool for an all-digital part. Smaller, more decorative heat sinks let the Maximus III Formula get a few degrees warmer.

Dividing average game and application performance of each motherboard by its average power consumption gives us an efficiency value for each.

Higher power consumption hurt EVGA’s efficiency, although most gamers will likely consider the board’s enhanced graphics support as an overbearing factor in their purchase decision, rather than a couple percentage points on efficiency.
We noticed quite a bit of position-swapping in today’s performance charts, but a quick compilation of those scores should help us find the balance.

With a default overclock on the top three motherboards, the clock-for-clock performance difference between the first and last place finishers is actually less than 1%. That’s especially important for overclockers to remember, since even the most cautious among them will no longer rely on the alterations various manufacturers have made to default settings. Since all four premium P55 motherboards also offered similar overclocking capabilities, the best way of choosing a favorite is by examining features.
The P7P55D-E Premium targets traditional power users by supporting the latest USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0 Gb/s high-bandwidth interfaces, dual network controllers, and even any carried-over Ultra ATA devices. It’s the only recent board we’ve compared from Asus to include the company’s built-on Splashtop OS-loaded Express Gate dual-port USB 2.0 flash drive and it even supports two graphics cards for SLI or CrossFire configurations. The Swiss Army knife of motherboards, its biggest problem is that many of its potential buyers might instead be waiting for LGA 1366-based Gulftown processors. Not entirely a bad problem to have.
The Maximus III Formula targets high-end gamers, at least in name. But its most unique feature is a data link that allows overclockers to control its basic functions from another system. That is to say the Maximus III Formula is actually an overclocking competition board made to visually impress gamers, although the spacing of its two high-bandwidth slots is also suitable from a functionality standpoint.
MSI Trinergy attempts to satisfy an even higher-priced gaming market by adding a third high-bandwidth slot via Nvidia’s PCIe bridge, using a slot layout identical to the competing Maximus III Formula. But the Trinergy’s chief competitor isn’t designed to address 3-way SLI or triple CrossFire support, and we’re loath to suggest that positioning alone could make MSI’s high-bandwidth bottom slot as unappealing as the lower-bandwidth slot of the Maximus III Formula. Because the Trinergy has the extra bandwidth needed to make adding that third card worthwhile, it’s probably worth the added effort of finding a suitable card and case combination.
The only motherboard to feature “Hi-C” capacitors, the Trinergy also beats both Asus motherboards in network bandwidth by using two PCIe controllers rather than PCI versions. A combination of advanced features and legacy interfaces could make this the perfect product for the gamer who want the best of what’s old and new, but isn’t too concerned yet about emerging standards, such as USB 3.0 and SATA 3.0 Gb/s.
Buyers who prefer to rid their system of “useless” legacy interfaces and add 3-way SLI or CrossFireX capability have one choice from today’s contenders, EVGA’s P55 Classified 200. Using the same nForce 200 bridge as MSI to enable three additional x16-length slots with up to x8 bandwidth, the P55 Classified 200 is also the only product in today’s lineup to properly support those three double-slot cards within the confines of a standard seven-slot case. EVGA adds a second eight-pin power connector and supersized digital voltage regulator to support CPU overclocking levels that would set many competing products on fire, adds extra gold to the LGA pins to slow the oxidization that’s sure to come with increased heat, and even provides an onboard volt meter and cable to ease voltage measurement of any component along the board’s surface. Intel’s LGA 1156 processors are its greatest limitation, and an oversized PCB its only challenge to builders.
Two leaders in the race for P55 supremacy have emerged today, the Asus P7P55D-E Premium for work and the EVGA P55 Classified 200 for play. MSI’s attempt to satisfy both markets is unfortunately diminished by the Trinergy’s difficultly-placed third graphics card slot, though determined builders can find eight to ten slot cases or use liquid-cooled cards to overcome this challenge.


































