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Intel has changed the way their chipsets work with the P55 chipset. In previous chipsets there would be a Northbridge and a Southbridge (Intel X58+ ICH10R on the Core i7). With the advent of the P55 chipset, the Northbridge tasks are now handled by the CPU and the Southbridge tasks is handled by a chip called the P55 Express PCH (Platform Controller Hub). The ASUS P7P55D Deluxe will support SLI and Crossfire. With 16 PCI Express lanes on the Core i5 CPU, this means that two graphics cards will each have x8 lanes. ASUS has come to realize that their naming scheme can be a bit confusing to the customer. For myself, I have never had an issue with their naming scheme for example the P5Q is an Intel (P) chipset LGA 775 (5). With the launch of the P55 chipset, ASUS has decided to make it very clear what motherboard chipset the board is using. In this case P for Intel is still there, 7 for the LGA-1165 Socket, and P55 for the chipset. One of the big pushes with the new P7P55D Deluxe board and all P55 boards from ASUS are something called Xtreme Design. There are three main components to Xtreme Design which are common to all P55 motherboards but some of the features will also reach other motherboards in ASUS’s lineup in upcoming months: Number one in Performance, Number 1 in Safety and Number 1 in Reliability. First up is Performance. Express Gate is ASUS’s Linux-based Operating System that was first introduced with the P5 series of motherboards. Express Gate on the P7P55D Deluxe is going to take a new form in the form of a memory chip on every P55 board that ASUS makes. The onboard memory acts much like a SSD drive you choose whether to boot to the Express Gate after POST. Express Gate allows you to boot into the OS after a few seconds and offers Chat, Internet browsing and more. The P7P55D Deluxe motherboard is a True 16-Phase Power design that ASUS calls the Xtreme Phase. Xtreme Phase has true hardware power regulation. During times of heavy CPU usage such as a 3D game, the intelligent power design automatically switches to a high number of phases. During low CPU usage such as browsing the Internet, or using a Word Document, a lower phase count is enabled raising VRM efficiency. This result in lower power draw, lower temperatures and excellent performance. This also allows for better stability and better cooling. Hybrid Phase combines Xtreme Phase+ T-Probe. T-Probe is ASUS’s onboard microprocessor for phase management, offering real-time load balancing with auto switching to allow for the best performance with best efficiency and best temperatures. Power phase management is a concern to conserve power when the load is light and to give the maximum performance when load is heavy. The T-Probe detects the VRM-area temperature, adjusts loading for every phase and optimizes temperature and performance. To go along with Hybrid Phase ASUS introduces Stack Cool 3+ which optimizes the Xtreme Design philosophy with 2oz Copper as well. ASUS has introduced Turbo Key with some of their P6 motherboards earlier this year. Turbo Key automatically overclocks the system by 5% (default setting) by a push of the Power button (by default). TurboV EVO is a hardware based overclocking processor that is included on the P55 boards from ASUS. This chip automatically runs a stability program when you push the TurboV button on the interface. The overclocking process can take anywhere from 5 minutes to half an hour by which time you will have a stable overclocked system. If you remember the ASUS P6 launch at the time of the X58 launch, the most high end board at the time, the board had something called the OC Palm. This was a bit of a clunky device. ASUS has decided to ship the P7P55D Deluxe with something called a TurboV Remote. There are three buttons on the Remote that are pushed for three overclock profiles you can set up in the TurboV application. Two further buttons on the Remote raise and lower the BCLK speed. The Auto mode button sets the EPU without launching the TurboV application. Q-Design is a new branding for ASUS’s design work on the motherboard for Do It Yourselfers. Earlier, ASUS motherboards had features like Q-Connector which allowed the user to install the FP I/O at one time with one device, and Q-Shield which had no corners on the rear I/O shield, thus preventing cuts due to the I/O shield. New innovations include Q-DIMM, Q-s;pt, Overvoltage switch, and Q-LED. Q-DIMM allows you to install the memory without levers, making for easy installation without interfering with the graphics card installation or removal. Q-slot allows for easy removal of the graphics card which is welcome for anyone that has had issues with removing a graphics card due to the card blocking the lock from opening. Simply use a pen or pencil to push down on the lock releasing the graphics card. The PCI Express lock is larger than normal, meaning that there will be some overhang when a card is installed. Q-LED monitors the DRAM, CPU, VGA and Boot Device for device failure. If something is wrong a red light turns on indicating the likely issue with the system. Contents:
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