Details on the P5K-E/WIFI-AP

[mikeyikeey]

Hey everyone,

Frys currently has a deal on the P5K-E/WIFI-AP, but sadly there are no reviews anywhere for this board. I know its new, but with an attractive price like that, I am almost willing to run with it.

The sale ends TOMORROW ( Tuesday, July 10th ) at 9PM ( closing time ). I'm hoping for a RUSH of replies!

So I am here to ask the experts for advice. ASUS specifications for the board are located here. And the only article I found on it was here. The P5k-E is mentioned about halfway down the page.

My other two choices for a motherboard were the ASUS P5K DELUXE/WIFI-AP or the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DQ6.

As for the rest of the parts I have picked out, well here they are.

Case: Antec Nine Hundred
Motherboard: Help me out here.
Processor: E6850 when it is released.
Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce 8800GTX 768MB
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2GB
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
Power Supply: CORSAIR 620W
CPU Aftermarket Cooling: Scythe SCNJ-1100P
Memory Aftermarket Cooling: CORSAIR CMXAF1 Fans
Monitor: SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22"

As you can see, everything else is kind of set up. I just don't know what to do with the motherboard! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[kevman]

I beleive they are pretty much the same Board minus the Exta GigE port on the P5k-E.

I think you oughta go for it

 

[mikeyikeey]

Yeah, thats what its looking like..
I can't really pinpoint what else is different. Of course, my technical skill is not as high as some of those who roam these forums, I'm sure

So we've got one yes!

 

[drextremeops007]

hey there. I also got myself the P5k-e last saturday at Fry's. Couldn't resist the price and I thought I could buy it and return it within 2 weeks if needed. Not sure on how good the board is. I havent build my system yet as well. I am going to probably use the Antec 900 as well (unless I can get a deal on a P180/182). There are other threads on this board that mention the SATA issue on this board. Also, some said RAID doesnt do well either. Your build does resemble my planned build as well (but with a E6750 and a GeForce 8500, medium-priced RAM and probably the corsair 520W PSU). Still undecided on the HSF yet but I might go with the AC7. Depending on the rest of the price, I will get the Samsung 225BW (not really a gamer, so I dont need that very low ms). Hopefully we will have more people with the P5k-E mobo so we can know their performance and issues.

EDIT:: this is the link that talks about the SATA issues. http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=29&threadid=2069703
Though the original OP is using the P5K deluxe, but I assume its pretty similar.

 

[mikeyikeey]

Yeah, I've heard about these issues. I'm hoping there will either 1) be a solution or 2) I'll just keep my fingers crossed. Fry's does have a nice return policy!

/edit
I almost forgot, let me know how the new build goes! Sounds like we've almost got the same thing going, only I'm too into gaming.

 

[renethx]

The only difference between P5K-E and P5K Deluxe is the number of Gb LAN (1 vs. 2) and the cooling solution. (Maybe there are less options in the BIOS setting.) Considering the current price $220 of P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP, $190 is reasonable, but hardly a great deal. Eventually every retailer will sell it at the price range of $190-$200.

P5K Deluxe/P5K-E is ultimately for hardcore overclockers. The Deluxe is suffering from SATA and RAID issues, non-support for RAID 10/5 and much higher heat output than the other P35 boards and you can expect the same problems with P5K-E. IMO abit or Gigabyte is a better option for the rest of folks.

 

[mikeyikeey]

This all sounds good, but how long do I want to wait to buy a motherboard?

The SATA problem post got updated. The guy said he just restarted and magically it worked. Also, I hear its the SATA cables they send that are bad.. Also, updating the BIOS fixed a few problems. The whole SATA thing is a hassle though.

I was thinking of going with the P35-DQ6 previous to this ad. But now I just don't know. I thought this board would work fine for me.

 

[renethx]

Fry's is cleverer than customers. Recent exampls is Q6600 + ECS for $299. Q6600 will be $266 soon and almost nobody uses the crappy ECS board.

 

[mikeyikeey]

Heh, those sneaky bastards.

I think I've come to a decision. I want to go with the P5K Deluxe. So I guess I can toss the deal aside. Or should I go for it? I don't need the dual LAN crap!

AHH I'm losing my MIND!

P5K Deluxe or P5K-E.. here we are again.

I think I'm going to wait until the 22nd for another deal from Fry's. That works for me.

 

[yehuda]

Originally posted by: renethx
P5K Deluxe/P5K-E is ultimately for hardcore overclockers. The Deluxe is suffering from SATA and RAID issues, non-support for RAID 10/5 and much higher heat output than the other P35 boards and you can expect the same problems with P5K-E. IMO abit or Gigabyte is a better option for the rest of folks.

I'm not sure about Gigabyte. I don't think I can recommend their P35 boards after reading this:

• On P35-DS3R: "First, the audio is horribly noisy, especially with headphones. Hard drive access makes it worse. I have read about this issue on other Gigabyte P35 motherboards, but was hoping I'd get lucky with this model. Of course now I see a Newegg reviewer agrees too, but excuses it as typical motherboard audio."
  
• On P35-DS4: "I'm gettin huge noise on the ALC889a codec that comes with the board."

In both cases it seems to be a serious issue to the point it becomes a deal breaker. What's your take on it?

 

[renethx]

Originally posted by: yehuda
I'm not sure about Gigabyte. I don't think I can recommend their P35 boards after reading this:

• On P35-DS3R: "First, the audio is horribly noisy, especially with headphones. Hard drive access makes it worse. I have read about this issue on other Gigabyte P35 motherboards, but was hoping I'd get lucky with this model. Of course now I see a Newegg reviewer agrees too, but excuses it as typical motherboard audio."
  
• On P35-DS4: "I'm gettin huge noise on the ALC889a codec that comes with the board."

In both cases it seems to be a serious issue to the point it becomes a deal breaker. What's your take on it?

There are contradictory user reports.

Customer Reviews for GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P

"The ALC889A is REALTEK's newest chipset and delivers @ 109DB. It really delivers GREAT SOUND for music or gaming via the SPDIF or ANALOG 7.1 ports." (my comment: it's 106dB)

"astounding audio quality"

Customer Reviews for GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R

"The onboard audio is also some of the cleanest sound I've heard since my old Soundstorm MB"

I am not sure how many GA-P35 boards have this audio problem.

 

[drextremeops007]

Hmm, I know. since we are not building till at least the 22nd, we dont need to decide on the mobo yet. I am going to return my P5K-E when I am in the area. I am sure I can get a quite similar deal on the same mobo in a few weeks time.

 

[mikeyikeey]

I was thinking of picking up the P5K-E today and just waiting.
If I happen to find a bad review, I'll go and return it. Or if there is a better motherboard deal on / around the 22nd, I will still be able to return mine for cash.

I think thats my plan! Thank you for getting info on the P35 boards though!
I could still use some information on the P5K-E if anyone happens to know.. anything! Thanks alot everyone!

 

[drakore]

You don't need 2 x Gigabit lan for your usage, also i don't have any audio problems with my GA-P35-DQ6... aka the god of all boards lol...

 

[imported_IronPlasma]

Figured I would throw my 2 cents into the mix since I was in the same situation as you guys. I wanted a P35 mobo. The P5K Deluxe was just a little on the high side of my price range at $225... I felt like it was a bit overpriced. And besides I didn't need dual-lan or WiFi. Then I saw the P5K-E at Fry's for $189. Since it only has the 2nd LAN port missing and a slightly downgraded cooling solution I thought it was a much better deal. Was on the verge of going to get it when I did some more research. Also did some more price hunting. Found the P5K Deluxe at Buy.com for $225, with a 7% off coupon, bringing it down to $209 with free shipping. Now at Fry's, with the P5K-E, after tax on the $190 it would have cost around $205. Add in the cost of gas, and the fact I don't have to pay tax at Buy.com... and the Deluxe was a no brainer better deal. Basically gettin the upgrade to Deluxe for free. Anyway I almost bought it, had it in my cart. Decided to research a lil more. Read about the SATA issues. And another fact that annoyed me about the P5K Deluxe is that yes it had better cooling on the mosfets on the front side of the board, but like half of the mosfets are on the back side of the motherboard, which seems like a stupid design decision to me. The board already runs hotter than most other P35 boards. What's the point of cooling half the mosfets with heatsinks when the other half have no sinks and can't even get any airflow whatsoever? heh I just figured that for me, $209 was still too much to pay for a board with "issues" like these. Especially since I wouldn't be making much use of the extra networking ports. So I researched some more and finally bought the Gigabyte P35-DS3P for $149 + ship (no tax) from Newegg. Has almost all the features of the P5K-E at a price that's easier for me to swallow. It doesn't have heatsinks on the mosfets but it supposedly has cooler running mosfets than the P5K and they are all on the front of the motherboard so they can all get some airflow from the CPU fan. It still has dual graphics card slots, RAID, Firewire, eSATA bracket, etc. Just overall a much better value in my opinion. Any P35 is bound to have a few quirks, but I feel better paying $150 for a board with a few quirks than paying $210+ for one that seems like it has even more quirks. heh Anyway, good luck in your decisions. One word of advice is that if you can wait, just wait. Unless you find an absolute amazing deal, only good can come of waiting to buy a motherboard if you don't need it right now. Waiting gets you cheaper prices on the current boards, options for newer boards you may have not had before, more stable bioses, and reliability feedback on boards you're interested in. If I hadn't of waited a month or so, i'd be stuck with a P965 board instead of this new P35 board for almost the same price.

 

[mikeyikeey]

Now that.. was educational.
Thanks for pointing out all sorts of things about the board. I still think I'm going to roll with it, since I've already purchased it, but if more bad reviews like this come up I'll be sure to return it.

 

[drextremeops007]

o, mikey. you already bought it?? hehe. I hasn't been around Fry's for few days. I am giving myself till this weekend to decide whether to return mine.

 

[mikeyikeey]

Yeah, I've already bought it. I'll return it if bad reviews pop up or anything. Its sitting on top of my Antec 900, which I got for $70 from Fry's! Good stuff.. hahah.

 

[drextremeops007]

haha.. we r exact twins. I have the 900 below the Asus mobo as well. WHats your current PC specs btw?? Mine is a p4 3.0c that I built almost 4 years ago.

 

[mikeyikeey]

Hahah, thats cool man. Great minds think alike!
Right now all I've got is my HP Pavilion dv2000t. In other words, nothing special. The computer I plan to build will be the destroyer of worlds, though!

 

[kevman]

So what did you pick ? I was thinking of going ultra economical and go with the plain jane P5k, but the SATA thing bugs me a little. I have only gone with Abit/Asus boards for all my builds. Gigabyte would be a big leap of faith for me.

 

[mikeyikeey]

Hey kevman,
I actually bought the P5K-E. I haven't built my system yet though, and I probably won't build it for a little while. But it was on sale, so I leaped for it.
I've personally heard good things about Gigabyte. I heard they used to be so-so, but now their products are getting a lot better. Especially motherboards like the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DQ6 which was what I was going to get. Well to be honest, I couldn't decide between a few motherboards.. so this sale made the decision for me!

 

[mikeyikeey]

Hey, does anyone have any good links for the P5K-E yet? I didn't find much, and July 22nd is on its way. Maybe someone else has had luck with finding articles on the board.

Well, let me know!

 

[yehuda]

Originally posted by: renethx
There are contradictory user reports.

Customer Reviews for GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P

"The ALC889A is REALTEK's newest chipset and delivers @ 109DB. It really delivers GREAT SOUND for music or gaming via the SPDIF or ANALOG 7.1 ports." (my comment: it's 106dB)

"astounding audio quality"

Ok, I can add to the list of positive user reports.

"I recently installed the Gigabyte P35-DS3P, which has the Realtek ALC889A [...] But, this is by far the best sounding onboard sound I've experienced."

"Gigabyte Realtek ALC889A has no static and no hiss when a movie or mp3 is paused. Very clear sound. "

Both from a thread titled Onboard Sound Quality? at HardForum.

 

[mikeyikeey]

Well thats good news, if I were going with the P35-DS3P!
Of course, I might still return my current one. Hopefully, its not too bad though. Thanks for the link though!
Hope someone else has some useful links!