Choosing a motherboard is always a very difficult matter. And choosing a budget motherboard is a hundred times more difficult. There are many factors to consider. The main one is the ability to connect all modern devices. The type of processors supported is also extremely important. In this regard, the motherboard ASUS P5B Plus looks very attractive. Let's analyze this product in more detail.
What is this fee?
Motherboard ASUS P5B Plus Xeon - a budget solution for weak computers. This board came out back in 2007 and has already managed to become obsolete. A sign of the “old age” of the product is the presence of a special IDE connector for a floppy disk, which no one has been using for twenty years. Nevertheless, this motherboard is quite suitable for creating a computer with good multimedia capabilities. But for games such a solution does not fit. Only the earliest versions can be launched.
Specifications
ASUS P5B Plus is based on the LGA 775 socket . The chip used is Intel P965. This means that it quietly supports processors such as Core 2 Duo. But the newfangled Core is not available to her. The "chip" of this motherboard is in a very high-quality sound chip. Typically, manufacturers supply boards with an inexpensive and not very high-quality chip from Realtek. It also has a more advanced chipset from Analog Devices, which features high-quality sound. The motherboard supports it in standard 7.1.
Let's move on to a deeper analysis of the ASUS P5B Plus. The characteristics of this board are as follows: the supported processors are the Duo family from Intel, some models from AMD, the system bus frequency is 1066 MHz, the memory type is DDR2, and the Ethernet data transfer speed is 1000 Mbps. Features are pretty standard for 2007. Such options were common for inexpensive motherboards. Some of them are relevant in our time.
Interfaces & Connectors
Everything here is not as good as we would like. ASUS P5B Plus is equipped with four USB 2.0 connectors. There can be no question of any “troika”. There are PCI Express expansion slots and other necessary connectors (including SATA and IDE). By the way, the presence of a rudimentary IDE is another indication that the motherboard is really rare. But you never know what? Suddenly, and he still come in handy? Suppose someone has an old hard drive with the necessary information.
Other connectors include SPIDF (optical and coaxial), connectors for connecting individual components of the 7.1 speaker system, PS2 connectors for connecting a mouse and keyboard (another indication of the “antiquity” of the board) and other connectors (for example, LTP). This set is standard for motherboards. Moreover, even modern models have such a "wealth." So, this motherboard is still relevant. By the way, she has one intriguing feature: support for FireWire and eSATA technologies. Not every modern motherboard can boast of this. And therefore, this component is preferable to even many relevant options.
Board Reviews
We turn to the reviews of the owners of ASUS P5B Plus. Everyone who bought this motherboard notes the fast and reliable operation of all elements of the system. For the most part, users mount it in office computers designed for work and some not-so-heavy games. Nobody tried to disperse it. Yes, and what's the point? All the same, for modern samples, it does not hijack in performance.
However, there were also those who believe that the motherboard is working badly, since it does not pull modern RAM. It’s hard to count on more: this is a 2007 product. What kind of support for DDR 3 can we talk about? Do not demand from the motherboard that it is not designed. And she copes with her work perfectly. What makes some users particularly happy is the high-quality sound (the merit of the chipset from Analog Devices) and the acceptable quality of the chips installed on the south and north bridges. Work for a long time without any problems.
Conclusion
The ASUS P5B Plus motherboard , which we reviewed here, is an excellent budget solution for office computers or home multimedia centers. This board cannot boast of special performance. But it works perfectly and is unmatched in reliability. And in our time, such a successful combination is a rarity. Most modern motherboards are disposable. Therefore, it makes sense to pay attention to this particular option if you need something inexpensive and reliable. This motherboard copes with its tasks one hundred percent.