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Thursday, 26 November 2009

Asus SaberTooth 55i motherboard - A complete Review

ASUS has long been the leader in providing innovative motherboard solutions. Once again it has taken the lead by launching today the first "TUF" (The Ultimate Force) Series of motherboard called the SABERTOOTH 55i. As the name suggests the TUF Series has been specially developed for the heavy computing of geeks and also perform very well under extreme conditions (read - over-clocking).

Geeks have always had a desire for high-quality motherboard components and also the need for very stable computing platforms, and this seems to have achieved uncompromising stability with the new TUF Series motherboards.
Asus has claimed that the SaberTooth 55i motherboards have even passed the most demanding military-style testing and yet even in the harshest operating conditions they have been able to deliver robust performance.

The SaberTooth 55i motherboard is designed around what is known as a "Marine Cool" concept which incorporates the Intel® P55 chipset and also the all new "tough" features to give users a supremely solid and stable computing platform.
SaberTooth 55i motherboard employs What is known as the unique CeraM!X microfin coating and also military level tested capacitors and VRM MOSFETs to give users increased operational stability.

More about the unique Ultimate Heatsink Cooling system with CeraM!X Microfin Coating
SaberTooth 55i motherboard comes with the new CeraM!X heatsink which easily delivers exceptional cooling to active components and also gives uncompromising system stability even under intense operating conditions. SaberTooth 55i motherboard's advanced ceramics-based composition is something that is commonly used in the aerospace industry for heat insulation. This new heatsink dissipates heat rapidly to achieve ultimate cooling. Ceramics have replaced the traditional anti-oxidant compounds to create a microfin surface texture for enhanced cooling. This rough surface offers an expanded area for heat induction into the surrounding air. As a result, more heat is rapidly conducted away from the active system-allowing users to enjoy previously unattainable levels of stability.

Direct Memory Cooling with Affordable CoolMem! Fan Frame SaberTooth 55i motherboard realises the need for an optimal memory operation - which squarely relies on good cooling. SaberTooth 55i motherboardhas the CoolMem! Fan Frame that can easily enclose most standard 40mm or 50mm computer fans and also fits them directly over the memory module. So you can gain an affordable cooling solution that significantly stabilizes memory operation.

Resilient Performance from Military-certified Capacitors and MOSFETs
SaberTooth 55i motherboard ensures users to experience uncompromising performance by incorporating only high-grade, rigorously-tested components. These perform robustly even under the most demanding conditions. Take for example, all its capacitors have undergone thermal shock tests to ensure continuous, stable operations during rapid temperature changes in the 60°C range. In fact, all its capacitors and VRM MOSFETs have been certified for military-level use through stringent testing.

Optimized Power Use with E.S.P.
SaberTooth 55i motherboard delivers E.S.P. (Efficient Switching Power) to all major components for superb system efficiency. Besides delivering efficient power to the CPU and memory, the power design also applies the same level of efficient power to the PCIex16 expansion slots and IC. This improves overall power efficiency and reduces the amount of heat generated-resulting in cooler and more reliable operations. Additionally, the E.S.P. converts power at 90% efficiency compared to a conventional linear design that is only about 60% efficient. Built for robust performance, the SABERTOOTH 55i-and ASUS TUF Series motherboards as a whole-incorporates the latest breakthroughs in heatsink composition and high-grade, military-tested components to enable users to build their DIY systems around one of the most solid and stable motherboards ever created.

Here are the detailed Specifications of SaberTooth 55i motherboard
  • CPU - LGA1156 socket for Intel® Core™ i7/Core™ i5 Processors
  • Chipset - Intel® P55 Express (Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology)
  • Memory - 4 x DIMM, max. 16GB, DDR3 2000/1800/1600/1333/1066MHz, non-ECC, unbuffered memory Dual channel memory architecture. Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
  • Expansion slots - 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode)
    - 3 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 (2.5GT/s)

    - 2 x PCI
  • Multi-GPU - Supports both NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology and ATI® Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
  • Storage - Intel® P55 Express Chipset
    - 6 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports (black)

    - Intel Matrix Storage Technology supports RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10

    JMicron® JMB363 SATA & PATA controller: - 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66 for up to 2 PATA devices

    - 1 x External SATA 3Gb/s port (SATA On-the-Go)

    JMicron® JMB322 (DriveXpert Technology) : - 2 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports (orange and white )

    - Supports EZ Backup and SuperSpeed functions
  • LAN - Realtek® 8112L PCIe Gigabit LAN controller featuring AI NET2
  • Audio - VIA® VT2020 10-channel High Definition Audio CODEC
    - Absolute Pitch BD192/24 featuring ENVY HD

    - DTS Surround Sensation UltraPC

    - Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking

    - Optical S/PDIF out port at back I/O

    - ASUS Noise Filter
  • USB / IEEE1394a - 14 x USB 2.0 ports (6 ports at mid-board, 8 ports at back panel) VIA® 6308P controller supports 2 x IEEE 1394a ports (one at mid-board; one at back panel)
TUF Exclusive Features
Power Design 12-phase CPU Power, 2-phase Memory Power, 2-phase VTT_CPU Power, Efficient Switching Power Design for 3VSB/1.8V/1.05V, TUF Capacitors and MOSFETs (certified military-standard)

Thermal Solution CeraM!X Heatsink Coating Tech, CoolMem! Fan Frame, T.Probe Technology, ASUS Fan Xpert

Guardian feature MemOK!, DriveXpert, ESD Guards, EMI Eliminator

Form Factor - ATX Form Factor, 12 inches x 9.6 inches ( 30.5cm x 24.4cm ). It's also a Windows 7 certified MotherBoard - now don't ask me what that means.

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