Asus P5Q3 Review

Configuration:

After installing the motherboard and loading the operating system, dig through the bundle and locate the motherboard disc. The disc contains the necessary drivers to get your system running at an optimum level. Insert the CD into your disc drive and the installation interface appears with several tabs. The first menu lists the drivers needed for the motherboard. The second tab lists the utility programs to help increase your productivity. I've listed the contents below.  

Drivers

• Intel Chipset
• Realtek Audio
• Realtek LAN Driver
• JMicron Controller Driver
• Asus EPU-Six Engine

Utilities

• Asus Update
• Asus PC Probe II
• Asus AI Suite
• Asus AI Direct Link
• Asus Express Gate
• Adobe Acrobat Reader 8
• Ulead Burn Now
• Corel MediaOne Starter
• CyberLink PowerBackup
• Ulead PhotoImpact 12 SE
• WinZip 11
• Drive Xpert
• Anti-Virus Utility 

EPU Six-Engine:

An energy efficient tool that satisfies different computing needs, Asus has created this power saving 'engine' that detects current PC loads and provides real time moderating. With auto phase switching for components such as the CPU, VGA, RAM, chipset, drives and system fan, EPU automatically provides the most appropriate power usage via intelligent acceleration and overclocking. The utility provides four modes that you can select to enhance system performance or save power. Selecting Auto mode will have the system shift modes automatically according to current system status. You can also customize each mode by configuring settings like CPU frequency, vCore voltage, and Fan Control. 

 

AI Suite:

Asus provides this all-in-one utility which allows you to launch AI Booster, AI Nap, and Fan Xpert utilities easily. AI Booster is an application that lets you overclock the CPU speed from your desktop without having to enter the BIOS. AI Nap allows you to minimize the power consumption of your computer whenever you are away. It assigns minimum power consumption and provides a quieter computing environment. Fan Xpert intelligently allows you to adjust both the CPU and chassis fan speeds according to different ambient temperatures caused by different climate conditions. The built in profiles offer flexible controls of fan speeds.  

     

Asus Update:

This utility lets you save, manage, and update the BIOS in a Windows environment. It provides options such as saving the current BIOS file, downloading the latest BIOS, updating the BIOS, and viewing the current version. I found this utility to be easier and faster than entering the BIOS and using EZ Flash 2.  

 

PC Probe II:

You can monitor the computer's vital components using PC Probe II. It detects and alerts you of any problems as it senses fan rotations, CPU temperature, and system voltages. Because PC Probe II is software based, you can start monitoring the computer easily and rest assured that it is always at a healthy operating condition.