Final thoughts, HEXUS.right2reply, HEXUS.where2buy
With a steady number of motherboards starting to trickle through that support Intel's Core 2 Duo, ASUS's P5W DH Deluxe is, we reckon, one of the better ones around.
You'll be hard-pressed to find another board with as many features. All the basics are covered well, with good options for overclocking and tweaking. Small additions like the Q-Connector really add polish to the overall package.
Performance is solid too, and is generally on par with other Core 2 Duo-compatible boards. It does a fine job of keeping the Core 2 Extreme CPU in the lead in most benchmarks.
Scouring the usual band of online retailers we found it to be offered at around £145. That kind of pricing sounds exorbitant but is around average for a fully-loaded i975X motherboard.
We find it relatively easy to recommend
compared to, say, the Gigabyte GA-965P-DQ6, which retails for around £140 but carries no
no Wireless connectivity, no current CrossFire support. For around £5 more, then, it's a no brainer.
We have no doubt that prices will fall somewhat once more competition hits the market. Until then, though, this is our current pick of the i975X bunch.
Regardless of if you're a new user looking to build your first Intel-based
system or you're an experienced overclocker, the ASUS P5W-DH Deluxe needs to be considered if you need a quality motherboard to provide a base for a high-end system.
HEXUS Awards
- ASUSTek P5W DH Deluxe.
