Asus P5WDG2-WS: Intel 975X goes to Work
by Gary Key on December 6, 2005 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Basic Features: Intel 975X from Asus and Gigabyte
The Gigabyte GA-G1 975X is a member of the G1-Turbo product family, and as such, is a fully featured flagship board targeted towards the serious PC enthusiast. The board ships with an extensive accessory package along with several overclocking features such as Robust Graphics Booster (dynamic video card overclocking system), C.I.A.2 (dynamic front side bus overclocking system with 5 presets), and M.I.B.2 (memory performance system based upon chipset types). The preview of the Gigabyte GA-G1 975X features can be found here.
The Asus P5WDG2-WS is a member of the new Main Station product family, and as such, is a fully featured board targeted towards the Workstation user. The board ships with an extensive accessory package along with several dynamic overclocking features such as AI NOS (Non-delay dynamic Overclocking System), AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner with preset profiles), ASUS PEG Link (automatic performance tuning for single/dual graphics cards), ASUS HyperPath 3 (BIOS setting to reduce memory latency), and the ASUS Ai Booster Utility Precision Tweaker software that allows control over certain system settings within Windows. The board also features the Stack Cool 2 design to dissipate heat to the opposite side of the motherboard and a fanless heat dissipation system.
We will be comparing the thermal characteristics of both solutions in our next article. Asus and Gigabyte have shown significant reductions in board temperatures with their respective solutions in laboratory testing.
| Specification | Asus P5WDG2-WS | Gigabyte GA-G1 975x |
| CPU Interface | LGA775-based Pentium 4, Pentium 4 XE, Celeron D, and Pentium D processors | LGA775-based Pentium 4, Pentium 4 XE, Celeron D, and Pentium D processors |
| Chipset | Intel 975X ICH7R | Intel 975X ICH7R |
| Pentium D Support (Dual-Core) |
820D, 830D, 840D, 840EE, (Presler Support Present) | 820D, 830D, 840D, 840EE, (Presler Support Present) |
| Front Side Bus | 1066 / 800 MHz | 1066 / 800 MHz |
| Front Side Bus Speeds | 100 - 450 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) | 100 - 600 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) |
| Memory Speeds | Auto, DDR-2 400, 533, 667, 800, 711, 889, and 1067MHz | Auto, 1.50, 2.00, 2.0+, 2.50, 2.66, 3.00, 3.33, 4.00 |
| PCI Bus Speeds | Auto, To CPU, 33.33MHz | Auto, 33.3, 34.2, 35.2, 36.3, and 37.5MHz |
| PCI Express Bus Speeds | Auto, 90 MHz to 150 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) | Auto, 90 MHz to 150 MHz (in 1 MHz increments) |
| Dynamic Overclocking | AI Overclocking - Auto, Manual, AI NOS, and Overclock Profiles up to 30% Hyper Path 3- Auto, Enabled, Disabled PEG Link Mode |
Robust Graphics Booster - Auto, Fast, Turbo C.I.A.2 - Disabled, Cruise, Sports, Racing, Turbo, Full Thrust M.I.B.2 - Auto, Enabled |
| Core Voltage | Auto, 1.2875V to 1.70000V (in 0.0125V increments) | Normal, 0.8375V to 1.6000V (in 0.0125V increments), 1.6500V, 1.7000V, 1.7500V |
| DRAM Voltage | Auto, 1.80V, 1.90V, 1.95V, 2.00V, 2.10V, 2.15V, 2.20V, 2.30V | Normal, +0.1V, +0.2V, +0.3V, +0.4V, +0.5V, +0.6V, +0.7V |
| PCI- E Voltage | Auto | Normal, +0.10V, +0.20V, +0.30V, +0.40V, +0.50V, +0.60V, +0.70V |
| FSB Overvoltage Control | Auto, 1.20V, 1.30V, 1.40V, 1.50V | Normal, +0.05V, +0.10V, +0.15V, +0.20V, +0.25V, +0.30V, +0.35V |
| Memory Slots | (4) x DIMM, max. 8GB, DDR2 667/533/400, non-ECC, ECC, un-buffered memory | (4) x DIMM, max. 8GB, DDR2 667/533/400, non-ECC, un-buffered memory |
| Expansion Slots | (2) x PCI-E x16 (2) x PCI-X (2) x PCI 2.3 |
(2) x PCI-E x16 (2) x PCI-E x4 (2) x PCI 2.3 |
| Onboard SATA | Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II | Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II |
| Onboard IDE | Intel ICH7R: (1) x UltraDMA 100/66/33 100/66/33 |
Intel ICH7R: (1) x UltraDMA 100/66/33 100/66/33 ITE 8211F: (1) x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33 |
| SATA/IDE RAID | Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and Intel Matrix Storage technology Marvell 88SE6141: (4) x SATA II RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10, and JBOD configuration |
Intel ICH7R: (4) x SATA II RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, and Intel Matrix Storage technology |
| Onboard USB2.0 IEEE-1394 |
(8) USB2.0 ports (2) IEEE 1394a FireWire Ports by TI TSB43AB22 |
(8) USB2.0 ports (3) IEEE 1394a FireWire Ports by TI TSB43AB23 |
| Onboard LAN | Marvell 88E8062 Dual PCI-E x4 Gb LAN | Broadcom 5789KFB PCI-E Gb LAN |
| Onboard Audio | RealTek ALC882, 8-channel + 2-channel multi-streaming capable HD Audio codec Optical/Coaxial S/PDIF Out |
Creative Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit (CA0106-DAT LF), 8-channel capable, and DTS enabled codec. S/PDIF in/out port connectors included |
| Power Connectors | 24-pin ATX 4-pin 12V Plug 8-pin EATX 12V |
24-pin ATX 4-pin 12V Plug 8-pin EATX 12V |
| Back Panel I/O Ports | 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Parallel 1 x Audio I/O 1 x IEEE 1394a 2 x RJ45 4 x USB |
1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Audio I/O 1 x RJ45 2 x USB |
| Other Features | AI Net2 CPU Lock Free Stack Cool 2 |
Turbojet Cooling Technology Multi-View Output C.R.S. - CMOS Reload Switch |
| BIOS | AMI 0109 (11/09/05) | AWARD F1 (11/18/05) |
The Gigabyte GA-G1 975X is a member of the G1-Turbo product family, and as such, is a fully featured flagship board targeted towards the serious PC enthusiast. The board ships with an extensive accessory package along with several overclocking features such as Robust Graphics Booster (dynamic video card overclocking system), C.I.A.2 (dynamic front side bus overclocking system with 5 presets), and M.I.B.2 (memory performance system based upon chipset types). The preview of the Gigabyte GA-G1 975X features can be found here.
The Asus P5WDG2-WS is a member of the new Main Station product family, and as such, is a fully featured board targeted towards the Workstation user. The board ships with an extensive accessory package along with several dynamic overclocking features such as AI NOS (Non-delay dynamic Overclocking System), AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner with preset profiles), ASUS PEG Link (automatic performance tuning for single/dual graphics cards), ASUS HyperPath 3 (BIOS setting to reduce memory latency), and the ASUS Ai Booster Utility Precision Tweaker software that allows control over certain system settings within Windows. The board also features the Stack Cool 2 design to dissipate heat to the opposite side of the motherboard and a fanless heat dissipation system.
We will be comparing the thermal characteristics of both solutions in our next article. Asus and Gigabyte have shown significant reductions in board temperatures with their respective solutions in laboratory testing.
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31 Comments
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Tujan - Wednesday, December 7, 2005 - link
Can you tell us what power supply was used on this Asus multi-layered board ? What kind of power muscle did get used. ? [ ]Thanks.Didn't see it right off in table of 'Setup.
Gary Key - Wednesday, December 7, 2005 - link
We used the OCZ Power Stream 520. It is our standard power supply for testing. I have listed in the overclocking setup but not in the regular test setup. I will add that line in the next article.Thank you.
Kensei - Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - link
Cool quote from the man often referred to as the first US psychologist. The psychology building at Harvard, where he was a professor, is also named after him. And I'm pretty sure he got that honor without giving them a ton of money.Kensei
Saist - Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - link
just wondering how the board would compare using the Via Envy HT-S sound chip...Gary Key - Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - link
Would a Chaintech AV710 satisfy your question? ;->Hikari - Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - link
I have some horrible 945G board (don't ask, I use a 7800GT lol), and I can't even run PC2-6400 over 667, nor will the computer not crash if I put the bus over 205. :(So when are the 975x boards supposed to come out? I see some of the Intel boxes listed now in froogle (not usually in stock though), but not from Gigabyte, Asus, or anyone else yet. :) I'd be happy if it is before the 21st (my birthday). This Asus board looks like it'll be exceedingly expensive, though.
rrcn - Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - link
Boards featuring the 975X chipset should hit retail stores sometime this week. We'll see...Gary Key - Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - link
The 975x boards should be shipping in volume by the end of the year. We expect to see a small sampling of boards in the retail channel as early as next week but as always that could change.IntelUser2000 - Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - link
Right... I am gonna overclock my workstation system by 30%...."I'll overclock my server by 20% when 4 million people depend on it NOT TO CRASH!!"
Gary Key - Wednesday, December 7, 2005 - link
:->I know the overclock testing was a bit much for a "workstation" board but it does give an indication to the quality of the components used on the board.