11-Way P45 Motherboard Shootout

Features
By Thomas Soderstrom
published

P45T-A Onboard Devices

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NorthbridgeIntel P45 Express
SouthbridgeIntel ICH10R
Voltage RegulatorFour Phases
BIOS080015 (07/22/2008)
333.3 MHz (FSB1333)332.9 MHz (-0.13%)
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 Floppy
1x Ultra ATA (2 drives)
6x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s
1x Front Panel Audio
1x CD-Audio In
2x Fan 4 pins (CPU)
1x Fan 3 pins (Chassis)
1x Internal Power Button
1x Internal Reset Button
IO panel2x PS2 (keyboard + mouse )
1x Serial Communications Port
1x External SATA
6x USB 2.0
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)
JMicron JMB361 PCI-E1x Ultra ATA-133 (2-drives)
1x External SATA 3.0Gb/s
Network
Atheros AR8121 PCI-EGigabit LAN Connection
Audio
Realtek ALC883 HD Audio Codec7.1 + 2 channel Multi-Streaming Output

Like the Biostar TP45 HP, the ECS P45T-A uses only four of the chipset’s six PCI Express lanes to support two onboard controllers and two x1 slots. ECS chooses the RAID-capable ICH10R however, getting another leg up on at least one competitor.

ECS’s single eSATA port gives it a lead over Biostar and ASRock products, but lacks the IEEE-1394 FireWire controller and digital audio connectors offered by ASRock. The legacy serial communications port of the P45T-A is out-of-place on any modern motherboard, but the six analog audio connections are still viable.

JMicron’s JMB361 controls the Ultra ATA 133 and eSATA ports, using a PCI Express interface to support up to 250MB/s bi-directionally.

The tiny Atheros AR8121 Gigabit Network controller also uses PCI Express for peak performance.

Realtek’s ALC883 is rated at a reasonable 95db signal-to-noise ratio, and we’ll try to confirm that rating in our audio quality tests.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
55 Comments Comment from the forums
  • 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