ASUS P6X58D-Premium Motherboard Review

ASUS has been a longtime partner to Intel, and both companies have been made better because of their relationship. But when it comes to new technology, sometimes Intel takes a little too long to implement change while ASUS prefers to offer their faithful consumers the options right away. Intel's tick-tock plan doesn't coincide with the technical improvements made to areas outside of processor development, such as SuperSpeed USB-3.0 or Revision 3.x SATA 6.0-Gbps (aka SATA-III) controllers. Most hardware enthusiasts agree that it's awkward to see Intel's "Enthusiast" branded X58-Express chipset paired to older standards while "Mainstream" P55 motherboards enjoy the better and faster new ones. ASUS feels the same way, and now offers their P6X58D-Premium motherboard to forward-thinking enthusiasts who might not want to wait for the launch of Intel's X68-Express platform. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests several X58-based motherboard against the ASUS P6X58D-Premium in head-to-head graphics, processor, memory, and SSD storage performance.

SuperSpeed USB-3.0 is an appropriately named technology, and several file transfer tests during the 2010 CES demonstrated the impressive 5Gbps signaling rate. Although USB3 devices won't compete with third-generation SATA6G interface in terms of operational file transfers, SuperSpeed USB easily beats bandwidth performance from the older second-generation SATA-3Gbps controllers. This is precisely why ASUS has incorporated the NEC D720200F1 SuperSpeed USB-3.0 chip on their P6X58D-Premium X58-Express motherboard.

Revision 3.x SATA 6Gb/s (SATA-III) has also been added onto the X58-Express platform, allowing enthusiasts to enjoy faster top-end bandwidth speeds from capable Solid State Drive storage devices. Instead of waiting for Intel to add SATA-6G support into their upcoming X68-Express platform planned for 2011, ASUS includes support on the P6X58D-Premium X58 motherboard right now by utilizing the Marvell 88SE9123-NAA2 SATA 6Gb/s controller.

Generally speaking, system performance should not change between X58-Express platform motherboards. Individual graphics, memory, processor, and storage performance should each deliver results approximately equal to tests on each brand and model of X58 motherboard... unless the manufacturer has introduced technology or changes that might penalize the pipeline performance. This project compares three X58-Express motherboards: the original Gigabyte X58-series against their new X58A-series, and the ASUS P6X58D Premium. This article will concentrate on the differences that exist between video card, processor, system memory, and SSD performance.

About ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

ASUS comes from the last four letters of Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology that represents the inspiration of art and learning. ASUS embodies the strength, creative spirit and purity symbolized by this regal and agile mythical creature, soaring to new heights of quality and innovation with each product it introduces to the market.

ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era, with an extensive product portfolio that includes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home, office and person. ASUS won 3,056 awards in 2008, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company's revenue for 2008 was 8.1 billion U.S. dollars. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek's InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc., also known as ASUS, a technology-oriented company blessed with one of the world's top R&D teams, is well known for high-quality and innovative technology. As a leading provider of 3C (computers, communications and consumer electronics) total solutions, ASUS offers a complete product portfolio to compete in the new millennium.

To succeed in this ultra-competitive industry, great products need to be complimented by speed-to-market, cost and service. That's why all 100,000 over employees of ASUS strive for the "ASUS Way of Total Quality Management" to offer the best quality without compromising cost and time-to-market while providing maximum value to all customers through world-class services.

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