How to Compare Asus P5q Motherboards
If you're considering purchasing an Asus P5Q motherboard, you may be confused by all of the different features each P5Q motherboard offers. A motherboard is one of the most important components of a computer; everything that makes the computer run must be compatible with the motherboard. Before you buy any other component for your computer, you must first buy the motherboard, and it's important to compare the wide variety of Asus P5Q motherboards so you make the right purchase.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Consider the supported processors. Multiple-core processors have surpassed single-core processors, and all modern motherboards should support them, but if you're building an inexpensive computer, then you may consider using a single-core processor. Not all Asus motherboards support single-core processors. For example, the Asus P5Q Deluxe supports the Pentium 4 processor, while the Asus P5Q Pro does not. Also look at whether the Asus motherboard supports Intel or AMD processors; the motherboard will support one or the other, but not both.
-
2
Examine the maximum amount of memory the motherboard supports. If you run several resource-heavy applications at once, you're probably going to want a lot of memory. The lower end Asus motherboards can typically only support up to 8 GB of memory, while the higher-end ones can support up to 16 GB.
-
-
3
Compare the power-saving features. If saving money for the long term is on your mind, then you may want to consider which Asus motherboards are the most power efficient. Asus made an effort to make its entire P5Q line of motherboards power efficient, but certain motherboards are more efficient than others. For example, the P5Q Deluxe uses intelligent power usage by providing the most appropriate power, rather than full power to everything. The P5Q Pro does not utilize this feature.
-
4
Look at the number of available expansion slots. Expansion slots can support expansion cards, such as video cards, sound cards and TV tuner cards. If you're planning on installing more than two cards, then you're going to want more than two slots. Most Asus P5Q motherboards offer at least three expansion slots, with some that include up to six. Take note of the type of expansion slots as well: A PCI express slot means that the slot only supports PCI express cards, while a PCI slot only supports PCI cards.
-
5
Assess the number of available USB slots. Many modern accessories, such as a mouse, keyboard, external hard drives and external disc drives utilize USB technology. If you're an avid user of USB products, then you're going to want quite a few so you can use all of your accessories. Most Asus motherboards include at least six USB slots, but the higher-end motherboards include more than 10.
-
6
Consider the overclocking features. Overclocking means running a computer component at a higher speed than it was originally designed for. Some PQ5 motherboards allows you to overclock nearly all of your computer components, while other motherboards allow you to overclock certain components, such as the CPU and PCI slots. Look for Asus motherboards that feature overclocking protection, which limits the maximum overclocking speed to a safe threshold designated by Asus.
-
1
