ASUS P4R800-V Deluxe

We typically like to run FutureMark's 3DMark03 CPU module to gauge a motherboard's performance.  As the module's name implies, this test focuses on a motherboard's CPU performance.

While running the test with the integrated IGP, the system fell behind the i875 comparison test systems by almost a third.  When we installed the 5700 Ultra, the scores evened out, narrowing the deficit to 5% on average, offering competitive performance.

We also tested the two motherboards with a couple of games.  The first test we ran was Novalogic's Comanche 4, a popular test with motherboards due to its heavy CPU utilization.  We followed this test with a run of UT2003 at 640x480.  The low resolution virtually negates the effects of the video card on the results, focusing on CPU performance.

The performance with the integrated IGP was fair, reaching modest scores with both tests.  While it's safe to say that the Radeon 9100 isn't going to offer high end gaming performance, the processor's performance was much better than one would expect with other integrated graphics solutions.  When we ran the same tests with the video card installed, the scores balanced out, coming very close to those achieved with the two i875 based test beds.  The Comanche 4 results were roughly one point short of the next system in the test while the UT2003 scores were within 10 frames of the same reference board.

With our last round of tests we ran both Content Creation Winstone 2004 and Business Winstone 2004.  Each application gauges a system's overall performance with workstation and multimedia applications.  Content Creation 2004 tests multimedia intensive applications, while Business Winstone 2004 compares performance with common workstation applications.  Below is a list of the programs each test uses to calculate its final score.

The Winstone results show a similar pattern as we saw with previous tests.  The P4R800-V Deluxe was competitive with the comparison boards, staying a slight step behind the two i875 comparison boards when running the tests with the integrated IGP enabled.  When we inserted the AGP card into the mix, the test scores increased nominally, allowing the ASUS board to virtually tie the Foxconn model with Content Creation Winstone and pull ahead of the Albatron model with Business Winstone 2004.

The P4R800-V Deluxe is the latest motherboard to come our way from ASUS, built on ATi's debut Radeon IGP 9100 chipset.  The motherboard is a feature rich board that offers top-notch performance while delivering a solid on-board video solution.  The integrated Radeon 9100 graphics is miles ahead of traditional Intel and SiS integrated solutions, offering nominal gaming performance and fully functional 2D capabilities. The board offers a lot of versatility, covering all of the bases with its integrated components while maintaining competitive performance.  With overclocking, the results could have been better, but we still managed to increase clock speeds by over 11% without a problem.  The Instant Music was an interesting feature that ASUS intends to included on a number of their performance boards.

The P4R800-V Deluxe is a highly capable motherboard that has a lot to offer.  With its complete lineup of features including onboard audio, USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire and a Radeon 9100 IGP, this board can fill virtually any need.  Whether you are looking to build a high-performance gaming machine or a custom PC to integrate into a home entertainment system, the P4R800-V Deluxe has what it takes.  When it is completed, SurroundView should prove to be an excellent feature for setting up a triple-monitor experience.  In the end, the P4R800-V Deluxe doesn't offer best-of-class performance, but it should prove to be a wise choice no matter its intended use. 

We give the ASUS P4R800-V Deluxe a HotHardware Heat Meter Rating of an 8.5

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