ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula, Intel's P45 chipset

**mascaras** · 05-09-2008, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by Scooby

SOURCE: hardspell.com

As expected of a highend motherboard like this, ASUS has set the bar very high to create an even better board than the prior one. The board features a 16-phase power connection for the processor, three for the Northbridge, and two for the DDR2 memory. According to ASUS this ensures a very reliable solution that allows excellent performance under all circumstances.
SOURCE: www.hardware.info

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=187159

**[XC] NetburstXE** · 05-09-2008, 06:45 AM

**Johnny Bravo** · 05-09-2008, 06:50 AM

What is it with the massive number of phases all of a sudden?

**massman** · 05-09-2008, 06:55 AM

Marketing strategy.

At CeBit, Asus told us that they were stunned by the way Gigabyte was using the term "phase" to promote their mainboards as apparently their 8-phase design was just a 4-phase design x 2. I reckon Asus is now doing the same thing.

**Kai Robinson** · 05-09-2008, 07:21 AM

I *WANT* this board if i can afford it! Looks EVIL - and i will always purchase something evil looking, over something thats all frilly and froo-froo....

I'm guessing that theres a PCIe switch under that very retro, max headroom-esque heatsink....all that for just the southbridge would be a little OTT!

If its two PCIe 2.0 x16, i'll sell my soul for it. Anyone got Satans phonenumber on standby?

**Dan_c** · 05-09-2008, 07:21 AM

the board looks amazing! the CPU area is verry interesting, to say the least... and the NB and SB cooling...
just might convince me to return to ATX

**G.Foyle** · 05-09-2008, 07:26 AM

Layout sucks, especialy PCI-E 16x slots. Whats up with video cards slowly moving away from CPU recently?

**Quadwing** · 05-09-2008, 07:29 AM

release date/price??

**Kai Robinson** · 05-09-2008, 07:35 AM

Originally Posted by xoqolatl

Layout sucks, especialy PCI-E 16x slots. Whats up with video cards slowly moving away from CPU recently?

I think the layout is brilliant...theres plenty of space between the slots for an airgap if you have a double slot card setup, and theres plenty of space for mounting STUPIDLY HUGE aircoolers or watercooling setups.

**Silver Bullet** · 05-09-2008, 07:36 AM

Thats a really nice looking board .. too bad it be pretty much pointless in less than 6mths.

**LuckyNV** · 05-09-2008, 07:38 AM

Originally Posted by xoqolatl

Layout sucks, especialy PCI-E 16x slots. Whats up with video cards slowly moving away from CPU recently?

Its mostly just Asus I think. Gigabyte layout still has the top PCI-E 16x near the CPU area.

**Dan_c** · 05-09-2008, 08:10 AM

bad layouts drove me away from ATX! this on the otherhand, is mutch beter...
lots of room, good expantion abillity, no cursing while mounting, and I see it still on top by this time next year...
It's one bad-ass board!

**MpG** · 05-09-2008, 08:16 AM

Call me crazy, but when their "Maximus Formula" is an X38 chipset, you'd think their Maximus II Formula might at least be an X48 chipset? Weird. (Even as Nvidia claims they're going to make their own naming scheme make more sense)

I don't think 2x PCI-E 16x is even possible on the P45 is it? At best, they could provide a more even 2x PCI-E 2.0 8x, instead of the more standard 16x/4x split. Whatever's under that giant SB heatsink is probably similar to what the Maximus Extreme uses to to split the second and third PCI-E slots.

Still, looks pretty sharp, I'll admit. Since it's got screws instead of clip on the heatsinks, I wonder if that means it's actually got backing plates under the mosfets too? It's also nice to see them using the entire back panel, instead of leaving it half empty for the sake of a whiny little fan.

**Leeghoofd** · 05-09-2008, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by xoqolatl

Layout sucks, especialy PCI-E 16x slots. Whats up with video cards slowly moving away from CPU recently?

Well I kinda like the idea, to move my soundcard to the top and have 2 crossfire cards with dual slot coolers...

**Monkeywoman** · 05-09-2008, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by Leeghoofd

Well I kinda like the idea, to move my soundcard to the top and have 2 crossfire cards with dual slot coolers...

i dont think you have to man, check this out! if this is for real, and mobo can take DDR2 then i'm getting this babe.

**~~emoners~~** · 05-09-2008, 08:52 AM

interesting heatsinks...what's that wire on the NB near the rear I/O ports doing?

**[XC] gomeler** · 05-09-2008, 08:52 AM

Not bad at all, just swap the USB headers with the reset buttons so large video card coolers don't cover the buttons. My 2-slot GPU pots would cover them, same mistake Gigabyte made.

Originally Posted by massman

Marketing strategy.

At CeBit, Asus told us that they were stunned by the way Gigabyte was using the term "phase" to promote their mainboards as apparently their 8-phase design was just a 4-phase design x 2. I reckon Asus is now doing the same thing.

Isn't Gigabyte a 6-phase controller with each phase doubled up for "12" phases? Pretty certain that's what was up for the DQ-6 with the DS-4/5 having 1 choke/cap per phase.

Originally Posted by emoners

interesting heatsinks...what's that wire on the NB near the rear I/O ports doing?

I believe that's for the illuminated ROG decal.

**Budwise** · 05-09-2008, 09:06 AM

damn nice board.

**~~emoners~~** · 05-09-2008, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by [XC] gomeler

Not bad at all, just swap the USB headers with the reset buttons so large video card coolers don't cover the buttons. My 2-slot GPU pots would cover them, same mistake Gigabyte made.

Isn't Gigabyte a 6-phase controller with each phase doubled up for "12" phases? Pretty certain that's what was up for the DQ-6 with the DS-4/5 having 1 choke/cap per phase.

I believe that's for the illuminated ROG decal.

thanks for the reply...more bling i guess.

START button at the bottom? no LED Post Code display?

**Kai Robinson** · 05-09-2008, 09:17 AM

Well, other manufacturers are using IDT PCIe switch chips to get two x16's on their boards, although even if it is two x8's, as its PCIe 2.0, its equivalent to a pair of x16's in PCIe 1.1 mode...

Look at how large the heatsink is that covers the southbridge, and the position of it - too large for just the ICH10R, there has to be something else under there!

**cadaveca** · 05-09-2008, 10:04 AM

I do have one comment...16-phase cpu power, but just 10 caps. so 16 phases feeding 10 caps? does that not seem mis-balanced?

**junkun13** · 05-09-2008, 10:31 AM

pretty looking motherboard

**CERO** · 05-09-2008, 11:21 AM

whats the release date of this board?

**L1m1t.NL** · 05-09-2008, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by MpG

I don't think 2x PCI-E 16x is even possible on the P45 is it? At best, they could provide a more even 2x PCI-E 2.0 8x, instead of the more standard 16x/4x split. Whatever's under that giant SB heatsink is probably similar to what the Maximus Extreme uses to to split the second and third PCI-E slots.

If they would make it 16x/16x 2.0, it would eat up Asus ROG Rampage Formula/Extreme (if it ever comes) sales, so it will likely not happen. My guess is it's gonna be 8/8 PCI-E 2.0.
MSI will do the same with their boards, I heard that while watching Hexus.tv during Cebit '08.

However, it will probably overclock (slightly) better than the Rampage because of it's 16-phase PWM, the phases on the chipset and memory and the 65nm process of the P45.

**BulldogPO** · 05-09-2008, 01:19 PM

Not bad looking board, not long tim ewait to see how it performs.

Originally Posted by Dan_c

the board looks amazing! the CPU area is verry interesting, to say the least... and the NB and SB cooling...
just might convince me to return to ATX

You are using that G33M, masterpiece of mATX boards(but that damn droop)?

Thread: ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula, Intel's P45 chipset

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Rate This Thread

Display

ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula, Intel's P45 chipset

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions