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1. Introduction

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We have already reviewed the Asus P5AD2-E Premium for LGA775 socket-type processors. This time we'll take a look at another Asus motherboard also for the 775 socket, the P5GD2 Premium.

 

Asus P5GD2 Premium - Wireless Edition

Just like the P5AD2-E, the P5GD2 is designed on a black PCB. Even though the designs of the two motherboards may at first look similar, there are still a few visual differences which we'll examine later on.

Northbridge/Southbridge

The basic difference between the two motherboards lie beneath the northbridge. The P5GD2 utilizes the Intel 915P chipset whereas the P5AG2 the newer Intel 925XE. Both boards are equipped with the same black fanless heatsinks covering the chipsets.

Asus P5GD2 Premium Northbridge

Both motherboards use the Intel ICH6R as their southbridge chipset. That chipset manages the USB, serial, audio, IDE and ISA I/O.

Asus P5GD2 Premium Southbridge

As part of Asus' noiseless design philosophy, the P5AG2 Premium uses passive cooling so no fans are needed for cooling the chipset.

Packaging

The packaging for the P5GD2 is similar to all other ai Proactive boards. The ai Proactive logo is splashed across the front of the silver and black box.

As you open the box, you will notice one thing: the board ships with a lot of accessories. If you forget how the contents were laid out in the box, you will surely have a hard time putting them back in and then closing the box.

Accessories:
1 x Wireless LAN antenna (optional)
1 x 2-port IEEE1394b / 1-port RJ45 module
10 x Serial ATA cables
1 x SATA Extension module for external devices
4 x 2-port SATA power cable
1 x 2-port USB2.0 / Game module
1 x COM Port module
2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable
1 x IDE cable
1 x FDD cable
1 x I/O Shield
User's manual

Software included:
InterVideo WinDVD Suite (OEM version)
Asus Drivers CD
ASUS PC Probe
ASUS LiveUpdate Utility
Anti-virus software (OEM version)

Warranty:
All Asus motherboards are covered by a 3-year warranty.

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2. Features

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CPU	- LGA775 socket for Intel Pentium 4/Celeron CPU - Compatible with Intel 04B and 04A processors - Intel Hyper-Threading Technology ready
Chipset	Intel 925XE Intel ICH6R
Front Side Bus	800 / 533 MHz
Expansion Slots	1 x PCI Express x16 slot for discrete graphics card 3 x PCI Express x1 2 x PCI
Storage/Raid	IntelR ICH6R South Bridge: *1 x UltraDMA 100/66/33 *4 x Serial ATA with IntelR Matrix Storage Technology with RAID 0, 1 support Silicon ImageR RAID controller: *4 x Serial ATA with JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 10, 5 (RAID 5 software patch available, no WHQL) ITE IDE RAID controller: * 2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 with JBOD, RAID 0, 1, 0+1 support
LAN	Dual Gigait LAN controllers 1 x Marvell PCIe 88E8053 Gigabit LAN controller 1 x Marvell PCI 88E8001 Gigabit LAN controller features AI NET2
Wireless LAN: WiFi-g	54 Mbps IEEE 802.11g and backwards compatible with 11 Mbps 802.11b - Access Point function (under WinXP, 2003) - Bundle an external antenna - One-touch wizard - Wireless bridge, a.k.a. WDS or wireless repeater (under WinXP, 2003)
Audio	- C-Media High Definition Audio 8-channel CODEC - Coaxial, Optical S/PDIF out on back I/O port - Features Dolby Digital Live technology
IEEE 1394b/a	TI 1394b controller supports - 2 x 1394b ports @ 800 Mbps speed - 1 x 1394a ports @ 400 Mbps speed
USB	Max. 8 USB2.0 ports
ASUS AI Proactive Features	AI NOS (Non-delay Overclocking System) AI NET2 network diagnosis before entering OS WiFi-g powered by WiFi@HOME technology Stack Cool patented fanless cooling system
Overclocking Features	- AI NOS (Non-delay Overclocking System) - AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner) - CPU, Memory, and PCIe x16 voltage adjustable - SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection) from 100MHz up to 400MHz at 1MHz increment - Adjustable FSB/DDR ratio. Fixed PCI/PCIe frequencies. - ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)
Other ASUS Special Features	CrashFree BIOS 2 Q-Fan2 Post Reporter Multi-language BIOS MyLogo2
BIOS	8 Mb Flash ROM,AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3
Back Panel I/O Ports	1 x Parallel 1 x WLAN antenna jack (optional) 1 x Optical + 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x RJ45 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 1 x IEEE1394a 8-Channel Audio I/O
Internal I/O Connectors	2 x USB 2.0 connectors supports additional 4 USB 2.0 ports 1 x LAN connector 2 x IEEE1394 connectors 1 x COM connector 1 x GAME/MIDI connector CPU / 2 x Chassis / Power Fan connectors Front panel High Definition Audio connector Chassis Intrusion connector CD audio-in connector 24-pin ATX Power connector 4-pin ATX 12V Power connector
Support CD	Drivers ASUS PC Probe ASUS LiveUpdate Utility Anti-virus software (OEM version)
Accessories	InterVideo® WinDVD Suite (OEM version) 1 x Wireless LAN antenna (optional) 1 x 2-port IEEE1394b / 1-port RJ45 module 10 x Serial ATA cables 1 x SATA Extension module for external devices 4 x 2-port SATA power cable 1 x 2-port USB2.0 / Game module 1 x COM Port module 2 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable 1 x IDE cable 1 x FDD cable 1 x I/O Shield User's manual
Form Factor	ATX Form Factor, 12"x 9.6"(30.5cm x 24.5cm)

The P5GD2 Premium is a total solution for the Intel 915P chipset. Create a wireless home network, build servers and workstations with triple RAID data security and enjoy dual-Gbit Ethernet high data throughput with this all-new motherboard. It also supports LGA 775 CPU, dual-channel DDR 2, PCI Express x16 graphics, Serial ATA and IEEE 1394b.

 

 

Some of the P5AD2-Premium's features deserve a little more attention:

	DDR2 711 Native Support Although Intel's 925XE chipsets claimed to only support DDR2 400/533, ASUS engineers successfully unleashed their true potential. This model offers native DDR2 711, eliminating the bottleneck when overclocking both the CPU and memory. With current processors supporting 1066MHz FSB, ASUS motherboards, the only solutions with native DDR2 711, will provide superior performance for the most demanding applications.
	Hyper Path2 - Shorten Memory Latency The innovative ASUS Hyper Path2 significantly shortens the latency time between the CPU and memory on 925XE chipsets and improves memory performance without sacrificing stability. Enabling both Hyper Path2 and Intel PAT (Performance Acceleration Technology) on the ASUS 925XE based motherboards, delivers powerful computing never seen before.
	Intel 925XE chipset The Intel 925XE Express chipset is a new breed of Intel's state-of-the-art desktop chipsets. It supports the latest PC technologies such as LGA775 Pentium 4 CPU, dual-channel DDR2 memory architecture, and PCI Express x16 graphics card interface. Its PAT (performance acceleration technology) function boosts the system performance without sacrificing any system stability. Companioned with the ICH6R Southbridge chip to provide integrated 4-port SATA RAID controller, PCI Express x1 interfaces and 8 high-speed USB 2.0 ports, the Intel 925XE chipset is the best solution for high-end desktop system.
	Intel LGA775 Pentium 4 CPU This motherboard supports the latest Pentium 4 CPU from Intel in LGA775 package. With 800MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 cache, Hyper-Threading Technology and core-speeds up to 3.6GHz and beyond, Intel's LGA775 Pentium 4 is one of the fastest desktop processors to date.
	Intel PAT The Intel Performance Acceleration Technology (Intel PAT) delivers additional system-level performance by optimizing memory access between CPU and system memory, and allows increased performance at standard operating specifications.
	PCI Express Architecture PCI Express is the latest I/O interconnect technology that will replace the existing PCI. With a bus bandwidth 4 times higher than that of AGP 8X interface, PCI Express x16 bus performs much better than AGP 8X in applications such as 3D gaming. PCI Express x1 also outperforms PCI interface with its exceptional high bandwidth up to 500MB/s. The high speed PCI Express interface creates new usages on desktop PCs e.g., Gigabit LAN, 1394b, and high-speed RAID systems.
	Cooler Overclocking and Quieter Operation! Heat causes instability and shortens system lifecycle, and motherboard power circuitry is a major thermal source. The patented Stack Cool™ technology utilizes a mini PCB stacked against the main PCB to conduct heat away from power components, resulting in a 10° Celsius reduction. And voila! Cooler overclocking, quieter fan operation, greater stability and longer system life without you doing a thing.
	Wireless setup made affordable and easy! WEP? SSID? Building a home WLAN used to be a hassle with confusing acronyms and cryptic menus. With WiFi-g™ and its one-touch setup wizard, high-speed wireless network is just a few clicks away. WiFi-g™ serves as the access point of your network or if you already have an access point, it is also a wireless adapter for PCs to access existing WLAN. (WiFi-g™ compliant to IEEE 802.11g 54 Mbps data transfer)
	Boost performance when you need it the most! Applications such as 3D games and video editing demand a huge chunk of system resource. Inject "nitrous oxide" into your CPU! The patented AI NOS™ (Non-delay Overclocking System) technology intelligently detects system load and automatically boosts performance for the most demanding tasks. Unlike other dynamic overclocking techniques, AI NOS™ reacts much faster to satisfy your unending need for speeds.
	Diagnose LAN connection before entering OS! Network problems are often caused by bad cable connection. AI NET2 remotely detects cable connection the second you turn on the system, and any faulty connections are reported back up to 100 meters at 1 meter accuracy.
	High Definition Audio  Enjoy high-end sound system on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD audio (High Definition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality 192KHz/24-bit audio output, jack-sensing feature, retasking functions and multi-streaming technology that simultaneously sends different audio streams to different destinations. You can now talk to your partners on the headphone while playing a multi-channel network games. All of these are done on one computer. The Dolby Digital Live technology from Dolby Lab encodes the multi-channel audio source into AC-3 bit-stream and outputs it to S/PDIF port in real time.

Stack Cool

Dual Gigabit LAN
The integrated dual Gigabit LAN design allows a PC to serve as a network bridge for managing traffic between two separate networks. This capability ensures rapid transfer of data from WAN to LAN without any added arbitration or latency. No more bottleneck to handle large amounts of data such as video, audio, and voice.

IEEE 1394b/a
1394b (FireWire 800) - with its higher bandwidth up to 800 Mbps, longer distances and much higher-powered bus - is more suitable for bandwidth-intensive applications like digital video (DV), professional audio, hard drives, which often consume hundreds or even thousands of megabytes of data per file. With backwards compatibility with 1394a, this motherboard provides 1 x 1394a and 2 x 1394b ports.

Serial ATA & IDE RAID
The onboard Silicon Image Sil3114R and ITE 8212F RAID controllers plus the Intel ICH6R southbridge provide the best solution to your RAID requirements on different storage standards. The Intel ICH6R supports RAID 0, 1 and Intel Matrix RAID Technology on 4 Serial ATA ports. The Silicon Image Sil3114R controller offers four additional SATA interfaces and allows RAID 0, 1, 10, JBOD, and a RAID software patch to support RAID 5. For IDE hard disk drives, the ITE 8212F controller provides RAID 0, 1 , 0+1 functionality for two ATA133 channels.

ASUS Q-Fan2
ASUS Q-Fan2 technology intelligently adjusts both CPU fan and chassis fan speeds according to system loading to ensure quiet, cool and efficient operation.

S/PDIF-out on Back I/O Port
This motherboard provides convenient connectivity to external home theatre audio systems via an optical or coaxial S/PDIF-out (SONY-PHILIPS Digital Interface) jack. It allows to transfer digital audio without converting to analog format and keeps the best signal quality.

Max. 8 USB 2.0 ports support
USB 2.0 is the latest connectivity standard for next generation components and peripherals. Backwards compatible with current USB 1.1 peripherals, USB 2.0 delivers transfer speeds up to 40 times faster at 480Mb/s, for easy connectivity and ultra-fast data transfers.

Multi-language BIOS
The multi-language BIOS allows you to select the language of your choice from the available options. The localized BIOS setup menu helps you configure your system easier and faster.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS2
The CrashFree BIOS2 feature now includes the BIOS auto-recovery function in a support CD. Users can reboot their system through the support CD when a bootable disk is not available, and go through the simple BIOS auto-recovery process.
ASUS motherboards now enable users to enjoy this protection feature without the need to pay for an optional ROM.

C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)
When the system hangs due to overclocking failure, there is no need to open the case to clear CMOS data. Just simply restart the system, the BIOS would show the previous setting and then users can amend the CPU setting again.

WinDVD Suite (On Retail Version Only)
ASUS motherboards, intensifying leadership in the IT industry, now bundle the versatile InterVideo WinDVD Suite. This multifaceted software set includes the latest multimedia software (OEM version), bringing forth the multimedia features of ASUS motherboards to the best!

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3. Board Layout

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CPU Socket

In the socket 775 architecture, the pins have moved from the processor and onto the motherboard socket. This way, breaking one of the pins no longer results in a destroyed processor but a destroyed motherboard, which is easier and cheaper to replace.

Memory Banks

The mainboard supports Symmetric and Asymmetric Dual Channel mode and of course Single Channel access to the memory. Asymmetric Dual Channel mode is activated when two opposite channels (two yellow or two black) are populated by different capacity memories. However even Intel has admitted it offers no performance increase over Single Channel mode.

 

Back Panel

The rear panel input/output provides the following connections:

From left to right and top to bottom:

• parallel connection
• the mouse PS/2 female connection
• the keyboard connection
• two SPDIF ports
• one firewire IEEE 1394a and two USB 2.0 ports
• one gigabyte lan port and two USB 2.0
• Rear/Side/Center Speaker Out
• Line In/Line Out/Mic In
• Wireless LAN led and Antenna connection

One thing to notice here is the lack of a serial COM port. However, if you are really in need of such a port, you can construct it yourself using a serial COM cable from an older computer and connecting it on the available pins located at the southeast corner of the motherboard.

 

Drive Connectors

The P5GD2 motherboard features 3 connectors for IDE and 8 for Serial ATA drives. The primary connector is coloured blue and is located on the edge of the motherboard.

As with the P5AD2-E, there's no distinct secondary controller on the motherboard. Instead the RAID controller should be used to install any extra devices..

The RAID controller consists of two red connectors which can be seen in the picture below and can be set up to form RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 0+1 disk arrays or even be used as a secondary IDE.

The SATA connectors are divided into two sets of four. The first set is controlled by a Silicon Image chip and supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10 and software RAID 5.

The second set, being controlled by the ICH6 chipset on the southbridge, is only capable of supporting RAID 0 and RAID 1 disk arrays.

Slots

Here's another point where the P5GD2 differs from the P5AD2-E. The P5GD2 has one more PCI-Express x1 slot located in the strangest position just above the x16 PCI-E, but one less regular PCI slot.

As currently there are no PCI-E x1 compatible hardware on the market, having only two PCI slots might seem a problem. However, as the P5GD2 is a very rich in features motherboard, it is very unlikely you'll need to use a third slot.

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4. 3DMark03

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3D Mark is a widely used and accepted benchmark that stresses the DirectX performance of a VGA card. A very strong point of 3DMark is that it's VGA card measuring is does not require any CPU power. So the resulting fps are a good reference a VGA card's rendering performance. For testing the performance of each card we used the 4 game benchmarks 3DMark has.

3Dmark03 also includes sound and CPU tests as well as some other feature tests.

- Game Test 1 - Wings of Fury (DX7)

This test is a combat flight simulator written for older hardware (DirectX 7). Particles are used a lot in this test - smoke and vapor trails, flak and gunfire, and explosions are produced using point sprites and quads.

- Game Test 2 - Battle of Proxycon (DX8)

This test is a simulation of first person shooter game types. 1.1 and 1.4 Vertex shaders are widely used since all character models are skinned using vertex shaders.This makes this test a good vertex shader comparison for VGA cards.

- Game Test 3 - Trolls' Lair (DX8)

This test should be the favorite of all RPG lovers. It is a cut scene of a female warrior facing two malicious trolls. Again the same vertex and pixel processing is used as in game test 2.

This test also uses post-processing effects, such as Depth of Field and Bloom effects which are widely used in today's game cut scene sequences.

- Game Test 4 - Mother Nature (DX9)

Mother nature represents the level of effects and realism that are possible using 2.0 vertex and pixel shaders, plus some other features that DirectX 9 offers.

In the first game test where the fps are much higher than the rest, you have a clearer view of the rankings. However, in all the game tests, the P5GD2 seems to outshine the two other motherboards, bringing the best out of our Powercolor X600XT.

- 3DMark Official score

If you test your machine with 3DMark, you can post the results at 3DMark's online result browser. For more information visit futuremark.com.

The final scores for 3DMark03 are a good example of the importance of choosing the right motherboard. With the Asus P5GD2 Premium we were able to achieve 500 more 3dmarks than with MSI's 915G which is a little more than a 10% difference.

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5. Performance Part 2

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6. Half Life 2

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7. Ground Control II

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Ground Control 2 is an action-oriented game of tactics and warfare. As Captain Jacob Angelus of the Northern Star Alliance, you will command squads of infantry, artillery, and airpower against the might of the Empire of Terra. Base building and resource-collecting are replaced with unit control and combat tactics where your knowledge of the battlefield maneuvers will make the difference in your fight against a ruthless enemy. Position your troops on hilltops for better aim or inside buildings and forests for protection as you'll need to use every inch of terrain to your advantage. Call in air strikes or assault pods to bring the battle behind enemy lines. Send out scouts to locate the enemy and use spotters for your artillery with the 360° free-roaming camera. Experience the total immersion of futuristic warfare as you lead your forces to victory!

For our benchmarks, we used the highest possible settings on the first mission of the single player game.

Ground Control II offers really impressive graphics without requiring much GPU power. Click on the picture above to view a screenshot from the game. Check out these excellent water effects!

Ground control being a strategy game is quite dependent on the CPU and motherboard performance. Once more here, the P5GD2 leads the race with the P5AD2-E following and last trying to catch up, is the 915G from MSI.

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8. Bios & Overclocking

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9. Bundled Software

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The included CD-ROM, apart from the drivers, also contains some applications and other software:

- PC Probe utility

ASUS PC Probe is a very simple utility that monitors vital information in the computer such as fan rototation speed, voltages and temperature. It also gives system information about hard disk space, memory usage, CPU type and processor speed. It resides in the taskbar and provides audio warnings (through the PC speakers) if certain thresholds such as temperature and voltage have been exceeded. If your system is overclocked, remember to raise the appropriate warning limits or face frequent warning pop-ups.

- Asus Update utility

This is also a very simple utility for updating the BIOS on your board with the options presented below.

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10. Conclusion

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