11-Way P45 Motherboard Shootout

TPower i45 Onboard Devices

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NorthbridgeIntel P45 Express
SouthbridgeIntel ICH10R
Voltage RegulatorFour Phases
BIOSP45AA710 (07/10/2008)
333.3 MHz (FSB1333)333.7 MHz (+0.11%)
Clock GeneratorIC2 9LPRS926EGLF
Connectors and Interfaces
Onboard2x PCIe 2.0 x16 (Modes : One x16 or Two x8)
2x PCIe x1
2x PCI
3x USB 2.0 (2 ports per connector)
1x Serial Port header
1x Floppy
1x Ultra ATA (2 drives)
6x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s
1x Front Panel Audio
1x CD-Audio In
2x S/P-DIF Out
1x S/P-DIF In
1x Fan 4 pins (CPU)
2x Fan 3 pins (Chassis)
1x Internal Power Button
1x Internal Reset Button
1x Digital Temperature Display
IO panel2x PS2 (keyboard + mouse )
6x USB 2.0
2x External SATA
1x RJ-45 Network
6x Analog Audio Jacks (8-ch out, Mic+Line In)
Mass Storage Controllers
Intel ICH10R6x SATA 3.0Gb/s (RAID 0,1,5,10)
Marvell 88SE6121-NAA1 PCI-E1x Ultra ATA-133 (2-drives)
2x External SATA 3.0Gb/s
Network
Realtek RTL8111C PCI-EGigabit LAN Connection
Audio
Realtek ALC888S HD Audio Codec7.1 + 2 channel Multi-Streaming Output

As with its TP45 HP, Biostar’s TPower i45 uses two of the ICH10R’s six PCI Express lanes for onboard controllers and two for PCI Express x1 slots, leaving two pathways unused. But unlike the TP45 HP, the TPower i45’s third-party ATA controller provides eSATA ports on the I/O panel.

Even on this better-featured model, Biostar provides no digital audio connections on the port panel, instead including a break-out cable for internal connections in its installation kit.

Marvell’s 88SE6121 ATA controller sits beside the Ultra ATA connector, supporting two Ultra ATA drives and two eSATA ports.

A Realtek RTL8111C Gigabit Ethernet controller gets all the bandwidth it needs from a PCI Express connection.

Similar to the ACL888 found on Biostar’s less expensive motherboard, the ALC888S provides the same 97db signal-to-noise ratio but with dual, rather than single, digital outputs.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
  • nickchalk
    Where are the lower price P45 M/B ?
    Asus P5Q pro is out for €110 and P5Q deluxe for €165 the price difference is about 70$ in Greece.
    Reply
  • nihility
    51 pages... You won't be upset if I read just the last 3 pages right?
    Reply
  • Proximon
    I suppose I can get some good from having read this. Did you get paid by the word? Maybe next time you could just put together a complete features chart so that we can have some convenient comparison? You know, so someone could go to a chart and see at a glance which boards had eSATA or firewire, or 8 USB.

    Reply
  • JPForums
    I'd rather have the overabundance of information than a lack of information. Presentation could use a little refining (I.E. comparison charts and the likes), but having the relevant information available at least is a good thing.
    Reply
  • the introduction and specifics are nice, the comparision isn't. so, why don't you test with an 8500 or qx9650? 6850 are outdated... and a mobo handling a c2d doesn't mean it can handle a quad too, see P5K for example (it stinks when it comes to a q6600).
    Reply
  • Crashman
    procithe introduction and specifics are nice, the comparision isn't. so, why don't you test with an 8500 or qx9650? 6850 are outdated... and a mobo handling a c2d doesn't mean it can handle a quad too, see P5K for example (it stinks when it comes to a q6600).
    Tom's Hardware wants the performance of current articles to reflect that of recent articles, so a "standard test platform" was chosen a while ago. It will get updated, but probably not before the new socket becomes widely available.
    Reply
  • zenmaster
    I would have liked to see something such as a P35 and an X48 as controls to help analyze the P45 Performance.

    In otherwords, What is the P45 Gaining me over the older P35.
    What would I gain by going to the X48. (Or Lose)
    Reply
  • Crashman
    zenmasterI would have liked to see something such as a P35 and an X48 as controls to help analyze the P45 Performance.In otherwords, What is the P45 Gaining me over the older P35.What would I gain by going to the X48. (Or Lose)http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-p45-chipset,1961.html
    Reply
  • johnbilicki
    The first 17 pages were filled with nothing but junk from ASUS. Do us a favor: don't even bother featuring or *MENTIONING* anything for any reason from a company that refuses to RMA 200-400 dollar brand new motherboards with anything other then used and usually broken junk. It destroyed my enthusiasm for the article.
    Reply
  • dobby
    nickchalkWhere are the lower price P45 M/B ?Asus P5Q pro is out for €110 and P5Q deluxe for €165 the price difference is about 70$ in Greece.
    the p5q PRo is a p43 board, i should know i have one
    Reply