11-Way P45 Motherboard Shootout

Maximus II Formula Software And Accessories

In addition to several system management and maintenance utilities, Asus includes its AI Suite, PC Probe II and Six Engine Tuner overclocking, monitoring, and power saving solutions.

The PC Probe II menu allows customized settings for fan speed and voltage warnings.

Several gauges appear by default in a single column on the left side of the screen, and gauge placement can be arranged in whatever fashion the user finds most convenient.

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AI Suite hasn’t changed noticeably since we last saw it in our X48 comparison, and still includes modes for increased performance, reduced power consumption, and reduced noise.

AI Suite’s AI Tweaker menus allow adjustment of CPU FSB, CPU Multiplier, DRAM Voltage, DRAM ratio, and PCI Express clock rate.

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Asus Six Engine puts a new face on settings previously found in AI Tweaker, with a few advanced controls.

Various performance modes allow frequency to be altered and/or voltage to be decreased, but core voltage increases must be made through BIOS. The settings that are available do work, but extreme overclockers must plan ahead in their BIOS settings.

Additional utilities and software include Asus Update for updating BIOS from within windows, Asus Direct Link file transfer optimizer, Sound Blaster X-Fi applications, the “Asus Speeding HDD” control interface for the motherboard’s Sil5723 “SteelVine” SATA port multiplier, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, 3D Mark 2006 Advanced Edition, and several software trials.

Asus includes all the cables most users will need to assemble a high-end configuration, plus a sound module, supplemental chipset cooling fan for fanless water-cooled systems, and an external LCD POST code display.