Review of Asustek P4PE Motherboard
Written: May 21 '03 (Updated May 21 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Supports up to 3Ghz, DDR333 memory, Q-Fan technology, Reliable, Software bundle
Cons: Manual
The Bottom Line: The Asustek P4PE motherboard is a quality motherboard that is loaded with the latest technology and offers room to grow. I highly recommend it.
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| ghicker's Full Review: ASUS P4PE Motherboard |
Why I bought the Asus P4PE
First, I decided to build my own computer, because I knew I could get more for my money and exactly what I wanted. I knew I wanted a reliable and fast motherboard. After doing a lot of research, it appeared that Asus was clearly a leader in the motherboard industry. At the time I bought the P4PE, it was one of the few motherboards that supported the next generation of Intel P4 processors. I also wanted support for the faster DDR333 memory.
Installation and Set Up
I bought my Asus P4PE with a processor, heatsink, fan, and memory bundle. So I cannot speak to the installation for those components. I did hook up several fans, DVD, CD Rom, Front USB Ports, Firewire ports, Hard Drive, 3.5 floppy drive, and an AGP video card to the motherboard. As well as the power supply and attaching it to my case. Most of the items connected easily and were straight forward. I did have to switch a few of the case light wires around to get them working properly.
The manual offered quite a bit of detail about most of the important items (power, hard drives, USB and Firewire connections). However, some of the pictures lacked the clarity and details to clearly understand what they were trying to tell you. Some parts of the manual were so vague, they told you if it didn't work to flip the wires around and try it again. With all of the hype about the Q-Fan technology, I was a little disappointed to find very little information about the fan connections.
The installation went relatively smooth, but I did run into some challenges. Mostly in the areas where the manual was not as detailed (fan connections, case light connections, and polarity of some of the connectors).
Software Bundle
The Asus P4PE comes with the following software:
- Trend Micro PC-Cillin 2002 anti-virus program
- Asus PC Probe for system monitoring
- InterVideo WinCinema
I have been very impressed with the PC-Cillin 2002 anti-virus software. It has performed better on my PC than McAfee's anti-virus software. I do not recommend buying a motherboard because of the software that comes with it, but this is definitely a nice bonus.
I also like the PC Probe software. It basically monitors the temperature of the motherboard and CPU, fan speeds, and voltage. It also provides some nice information about your hard drive, memory, and offers a DMI explorer.
My Experience
I have been using my Asus P4PE for about six months with no problems. My system is very fast and I have room to grow. I think some of the designs on the motherboard are very nice. Specifically, the AGP warning light can be used to protect your motherboard from damage, should you plug in the wrong card by mistake. I also found the power plug configuration to be very easy to work with (fool proof). The voice reporter during the post process was neat at first, but I'm not so sure about it anymore.
Conclusion
Overall, my experiences have been very positive and I am very pleased with my Asus P4PE motherboard. It supports the faster DDR 333 memory, which was important for me...because I like speed. When I bought mine, it supported features and items that were still a little in the future (which gives you room to grow into it). I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to buy an Intel P4 motherboard.
Note on Price
I think I paid about $150 for just the motherboard. I upgraded to a bundle which included a 2.6 Ghz Intel processor, Thermaltake heatsink and fan for $420.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130
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Epinions.com ID:
ghicker
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Location: St. Louis, MO
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Professional in the computer industry and semi-professional photographer
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