Asus Blitz Extreme P35 Socket 775 Motherboard
Introduction & Specifications
Published: 16th August 2007 | Source: Asus | Price: |
Introduction & SpecsBack in June Overclock3D was given the opportunity to sample one of Asus' very first Intel P35 chipset based motherboards. Continuing the naming convention of many Asus predecessors, the P5K (DDR2) and P5K3 (DDR3) were both rock solid performers and managed to obtain several awards during our tests. In addition to this, both motherboards gave Asus a good chance to get to grips with Intel's latest chipset and the impending DDR3 technology.
Today we're back again, but this time looking at Asus' latest motherboard in the "Republic of Gamers" (or ROG for short) lineup. Based on the P35 chipset and utilising DDR3, the catchily named "Blitz Extreme" motherboard intends to build on the success of the P5K3 series whilst also adding plenty of extra features and performance tweaks synonymous with the ROG brand. For those of us who haven't made the jump to DDR3 yet, Asus have also created a DDR2 counterpart named the "Blitz Formula" (who thinks of these names??).
Anyway, enough of my ramblings, lets see what Asus have to say about the Blitz on their website:
The Blitz Extreme motherboard provides awesome Overclocking speeds and challenges performance limitations. Equipped with the innovative Crosslinx technology for increased performance, it utilizes the Fusion Block System - an effective 0dB fanless design cooling system with a chipset waterblock that adds onto a power user´s existing watercooling circuit to help keep operations cool. Additionally, SupremeFX II not only increases the sound quality, it also enhances aesthetic value. The Blitz Extreme also adopts the Intel P35/ICH9R chipset and supports cutting-edge DDR3 dual channel memory and CrossFire Technology - making it the Overclocker and Gamer´s first and best choice.
The Republic of Gamers consists only the best of the best. We offer the best hardware engineering, the fastest performance, the most innovating ideas, and we welcome the best gamers to join in. In the Republic of Gamers, mercy rules are only for the weak, and bragging rights means everything. We believe in making statements and we excel in competitions. If your character matches our trait, then join the elite club, make your presence felt, in the Republic of Gamers.
The Republic of Gamers consists only the best of the best. We offer the best hardware engineering, the fastest performance, the most innovating ideas, and we welcome the best gamers to join in. In the Republic of Gamers, mercy rules are only for the weak, and bragging rights means everything. We believe in making statements and we excel in competitions. If your character matches our trait, then join the elite club, make your presence felt, in the Republic of Gamers.
Two main features that seperate the Blitz Extreme board from some of it's P35 based counterparts are Crosslinx and the Fusion Block System. Firstly, Crosslinx is a technology designed by Asus to alleviate the performance issues when running Crossfire (2x ATI cards) on a P35 chipset motherboard. By design the P35 chipset is only able to run the 2nd PCI-E slot on the board at 4x (electrical), thus creating a substantial bottleneck and dramatically reducing the performance of the Crossfire configuration. Crosslinx reconfigures both PCI-E slots to run at 8x (electrical), greatly improving performance and allowing Crossfire to function without any issue.
Next is the Fusion Block System. Essentially a water block placed on the NorthBridge chip, the Fusion system also has the additional benefit of being connected to the SouthBridge, Mosfets and Crosslinx chip via heatpipes. Obviously you'll get a chance to take a look at this yourself later on in the review, but it's good to see Asus implementing new cooling techniques to keep the core parts of the motherboard cool and in turn aid better overclocking.
With these two main features out of the way, let's take a closer look at some of the more detailed specs:
CPU | LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo / Pentium® Extreme / Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® D Processors Support Intel® next generation 45nm Multi-Core CPU Compatible with Intel® 06/05B/05A processors * Refer to www.asus.com for Intel CPU support list ** Please update the latest BIOS to support Intel 45nm CPU |
Chipset | Intel® P35/ICH9R with Intel® Fast Memory Access Technology |
Front Side Bus | 1333 / 1066 / 800 MHz |
Memory | Dual channel memory architecture 4 x DIMM, max. 8GB, DDR3-1333*/1066/800, non-ECC and un-buffered memory * The chipset officially supports the memory frequency up to DDR3 1066MHz/DDR2 800. Due to the tuning by ASUS exclusive technology, this motherboard natively supports up to DDR3 1333/DDR2 1066MHz. Please refer to www.asus.com or user manual for Memory QVL |
Expansion Slots | 2 x PCI Express x16 slot, support dual graphics solution 3 x PCI Express x1, PCIex1_1 (black) is compatible with audio slot 2 x PCI 2.2 |
CrossFire | Support ATI CrossFire™ graphics cards (both at x8 mode) |
Storage | Southbridge - 6 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports - Intel Matrix Storage Technology supports RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10. JMicron® JMB363 PATA and SATA controller - 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 for up to 2 PATA devices - 2 x External SATA 3.0 Gb/s port (SATA On-the-Go) |
LAN | Dual Gigabit LAN controllers, both featuring AI NET2 |
High Definition Audio | SupremeFX II Audio Card - ADI 1988B 8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC - Noise Filter Coaxial, Optical S/PDIF out at back I/O |
IEEE 1394a | 2 x 1394a ports(1 port at back I/O, 1 port onboard) |
USB | max. 12 USB2.0/1.1 ports(6 ports at mid-board, 6 ports at back panel) |
Overclocking Features | Crosslinx Technology Extreme Tweaker Loadline Calibration Intelligent overclocking tools: - CPU level Up - AI NOS™ (Non-delay Overclocking System) - AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner) - ASUS AI Booster Utility - O.C Profile Overclocking Protection: - COP EX (Component Overheat Protection - EX) - Voltiminder LED - ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall) |
Special Features | Fusion Block System LCD Poster EL I/O Onboard Switches: Power / Reset Q-Connector Q-Fan Plus ASUS EZ Flash2 ASUS CrashFree BIOS3 ASUS MyLogo3 |
Back Panel I/O Ports | 1 x PS/2 Keyboard port(purple) 1 x Optical + 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output 2 x External SATA 2 x LAN (RJ45) port 6 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x IEEE1394a port 1 x Clr CMOS switch |
Internal I/O Connectors | 3 x USB 2.0 connectors supports additional 6 USB 2.0 ports 1 x Floppy disk drive connector 1 x IDE connector for two devices 6 x SATA connectors 8 x Fan connectors: 1 x CPU / 1 x PWR / 4 x Chassis / 2 x Optional 2 x thermal sensor connectors 1 x IEEE1394a connector 1 x S/PDIF output connector 1 x Chassis Intrusion connector 24-pin ATX Power connector 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector 1 x En/Dis-able Clr CMOS 1 x EL I/O Shield Connector |
BIOS | 16Mb AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.4, ACPI2.0a Multi-Language BIOS |
Manageability | WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chasis Intrusion, PXE |
Accessories | Fusion Block System Accessory DIY Pedestal ASUS Optional Fan 3 in 1 ASUS Q-Connector Kit UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable Floppy disk drive cable SATA cables SATA power cables 2-port USB2.0 module IEEE1394a module EL I/O Shield Thermal sensor cables Cable Ties User's manual |
Software | The hottest 3D Game: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Support DVD: Drivers ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update ASUS AI Suite Futuremark ® 3DMark® 06 Advanced Edition Kaspersky® Anti-Virus |
Form Factor | ATX Form Factor, 12"x 9.6" (30.5cm x 24.5cm) |
There's no denying that the Blitz Extreme is a fully loaded motherboard aimed at overclockers and gamers with features such as OC Profile (for saving settings), Voltminder LED (for displaying voltage status) and Asus C.P.R (for recovering after bad overclock) all integrated into the board and BIOS. Asus certainly haven't skimped on I/O ports either with a total of 12 USB ports, 2 eSATA ports, 2 NIC's, 6x SATA ports and a SupremeFX II High Definition add-in sound card.
Most Recent Comments
they've taken there previous motherboards, and just tweaked them to make them slightly better, added a higher pricetag, and shoved it on the market, genious really 
oh, and great review
very....extensiveQuote
oh, and great review
very....extensiveQuote
I think ASUS fans will like this especially, for the reasons ionicle states. Though it does imply that this latest tweak will allow u to get that much more % of an oc.
Outside of this review, I`d like to see a study where some1 takes 1 set of a full pc hardware install, and install the OS on it a large number of times. Each time take the benchmarks like XMS has used, and find out how much a difference u get in terms of a % each time. It`ll be small, I`d think, but it would add proof to my thinking that one board beating another in a finite benchmark doesn`t necessarily mean anything, unless it goes over a %.
My theory being, u build a setup and install u`r OS fully and u`ll get 1 result. Next time around, wipe the drive, and re-install everything and u`r result will be off by a few %.Quote
Outside of this review, I`d like to see a study where some1 takes 1 set of a full pc hardware install, and install the OS on it a large number of times. Each time take the benchmarks like XMS has used, and find out how much a difference u get in terms of a % each time. It`ll be small, I`d think, but it would add proof to my thinking that one board beating another in a finite benchmark doesn`t necessarily mean anything, unless it goes over a %.
My theory being, u build a setup and install u`r OS fully and u`ll get 1 result. Next time around, wipe the drive, and re-install everything and u`r result will be off by a few %.Quote
No generally that's not the case actually as I have done that a couple of times for varying reasons. You get a score almost exactly identical, shown especially by the benchmarks on these three boards that are exactly the sameQuote
great review, I enjoyed reading it.Quote
Worth getting over the p5k premium?Quote
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Ham'
Big question:
Is it better than the IP35 Pro  |
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Azreil_2'
Worth getting over the p5k premium?
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Mate, that was a review and a half, probably one of the best on this site.
The mobo looks quality, a friend of mine Alex has £2K for an air cooled PC, this would have been a good coice if it did not require water on the NB
The tiny voltage increments is a god send, although can you imagine how long it would take to tune down to the sweet spot?
P.S Link to forum from front page not workyQuote
The mobo looks quality, a friend of mine Alex has £2K for an air cooled PC, this would have been a good coice if it did not require water on the NB
The tiny voltage increments is a god send, although can you imagine how long it would take to tune down to the sweet spot?
P.S Link to forum from front page not workyQuote
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Kempez'
No generally that's not the case actually as I have done that a couple of times for varying reasons. You get a score almost exactly identical, shown especially by the benchmarks on these three boards that are exactly the same
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Think I`m edging towards the likes of 3dmark, big number value outputers, where I`ve witnessed myself a +/-100, which on the face of it doesn`t look much, but comparing boards it can make one look better than the other. Think tho it`s wildly accepted that u can get a different mark score everytime u run it, so maybe a % acceptance should be assumed. One board beating another by a couple of hundred marks may look good, but not necessarily be that accurate - I think is what I`m saying. Imo the 06 marks should be divided by 100, with no decimal places, or something.
ABit vS ASUS playoff would be interesting.Quote
I see where you're coming from Rasta, and yes 3DMark05 scores are a little more prone to variation (3DMark06 is actually very reproducible). Running the tests 3 times does help to average out any fluke results, but I think our accuracy is as good, if not better than other review sites.
One thing that does annoy me is when graphs are set to a small scale so that minor differences in results look like massive. I try to avoid this as much as possible - if something is 1.111 and the other is 1.112, then you shouldn't even be able to see the difference on a graph imo.
Cheers dude. It took a little while to complete (to say the least).
I was a bit miffed about the w/c requirement too, but I guess there's no way around it really.
I'm actually considering buying one to replace my beloved command...and I'll probably be sticking a Swiftech NB cooler and some heatsinks on SB/Crosslinx to avoid messing up my water loop.Quote
One thing that does annoy me is when graphs are set to a small scale so that minor differences in results look like massive. I try to avoid this as much as possible - if something is 1.111 and the other is 1.112, then you shouldn't even be able to see the difference on a graph imo.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Mr. Smith'
Mate, that was a review and a half, probably one of the best on this site.
The mobo looks quality, a friend of mine Alex has £2K for an air cooled PC, this would have been a good coice if it did not require water on the NB The tiny voltage increments is a god send, although can you imagine how long it would take to tune down to the sweet spot? P.S Link to forum from front page not worky |
I was a bit miffed about the w/c requirement too, but I guess there's no way around it really.
I'm actually considering buying one to replace my beloved command...and I'll probably be sticking a Swiftech NB cooler and some heatsinks on SB/Crosslinx to avoid messing up my water loop.Quote
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Mr. Smith'
Mate, that was a review and a half, probably one of the best on this site.
The mobo looks quality, a friend of mine Alex has £2K for an air cooled PC, this would have been a good coice if it did not require water on the NB The tiny voltage increments is a god send, although can you imagine how long it would take to tune down to the sweet spot? P.S Link to forum from front page not worky |
I was a bit miffed about the w/c requirement too, but I guess there's no way around it really.
I'm actually considering buying one to replace my beloved command.Quote
Stats can be very finicky, averaging is often u`r best friend in that sense.
Outside of spending a month benching 1 mobo, I`m not sure what else u could do. Point in fact, the way u`r doing it is obviously tried and tested and does very well tbh.
I`d just h8 to think some1 would look at a bunch of really close results for a group of items and bank on a small % win for 1 item as it spanking the others.
Meh, something to think about maybe whilst people read a review rather than for a reviewer to compensate for.Quote
Outside of spending a month benching 1 mobo, I`m not sure what else u could do. Point in fact, the way u`r doing it is obviously tried and tested and does very well tbh.
I`d just h8 to think some1 would look at a bunch of really close results for a group of items and bank on a small % win for 1 item as it spanking the others.
Meh, something to think about maybe whilst people read a review rather than for a reviewer to compensate for.Quote
that is a review and a half for sure,good work.
the price doesnt seem all that bad either.
Raging.Quote
the price doesnt seem all that bad either.
Raging.Quote
Jim, are you getting the Extreme (ddr3) or the Formula (ddr2)?Quote
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Mr. Smith'
Jim, are you getting the Extreme (ddr3) or the Formula (ddr2)?
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QuoteGuys , sorry but i'm confused a little bit , this motherboard have 4 ram slots
2x blue color the other 2 are in white ,
does that mean i can run ddr2 (OR) ddr3 ram individually , coz i want to buy it now but i can't afford buying 2GIG Ram module at the same time, instead i want to use my ddr2 ram for the moment.. advise pleaseQuote
2x blue color the other 2 are in white ,
does that mean i can run ddr2 (OR) ddr3 ram individually , coz i want to buy it now but i can't afford buying 2GIG Ram module at the same time, instead i want to use my ddr2 ram for the moment.. advise please
QuoteHi mate and welcome to OC3D The Blitz Extreme is a DDR3 motherboard, where the Blitz Formula is DDR2. This is not a review of a hybrid board. If you want to run your DDR2 then you'll need to get yourself the Blitz Formula.Quote
The Blitz Extreme is a DDR3 motherboard, where the Blitz Formula is DDR2. This is not a review of a hybrid board. If you want to run your DDR2 then you'll need to get yourself the Blitz Formula.QuoteThe Diffrent Colours are somthing to do with Dual Channel i belive , and as PV said they are two diffrent Boards;
Blitz Extreme = DDR 3
Blitz Formula = DDR 2Quote
, and as PV said they are two diffrent Boards;Blitz Extreme = DDR 3
Blitz Formula = DDR 2Quote
hi there all (my first post ) i have what i assume will be a stupid question but i wanted to know if the "Crosslinx" has any relation to an SLI GPU setting (makes it better worse or no different) i assume it does not have any relation but just making sure and also if i have an SLI configuration on this MoBo do i need to worry about cooling it (the crosslinx chip that is)
thanks for helping a noob in this Quote
thanks for helping a noob in this Quote
This board uses the "P35" chipset, which can NOT run SLI. If you want SLI you will need to get a board with a Nvidia chipset.
The Crosslink allows you to run a CROSSFIRE setup (ATI/AMD) using two 8x/8x lanes to your graphics cards hope that helps, and that im not mistaken on anything lolQuote
The Crosslink allows you to run a CROSSFIRE setup (ATI/AMD) using two 8x/8x lanes to your graphics cards
hope that helps, and that im not mistaken on anything lolQuotei was not aware of this (damn all my computer build planing need to be redone) ........
is there a DDR3 MoBo out there that support SLI (i already have 2 8800 Ultra GPUs that i wold hate to pass down to my brother if i can help it and also for the fact that as far as i know ATI has not made a GPU that can compete with NVidia (am i right??)
__________________________________________________ ____
soon to buy it :-)
Motherboard
1x Asus Blitz Extreme(??)
Power supply
Memory
4x OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 FlexXLC Edition(??)
GPU
2x Asus EN8800ULTRA/G/HTDP/768M(have)
HDD
4x Western Digital's Raptor 150GB(each.)(have)
Screen
1x HP LP3065(??)
Keyboard & Mouse
Case
Cooling
Mods
Misc
__________________________________________________ __Quote
is there a DDR3 MoBo out there that support SLI (i already have 2 8800 Ultra GPUs that i wold hate to pass down to my brother if i can help it and also for the fact that as far as i know ATI has not made a GPU that can compete with NVidia (am i right??)
__________________________________________________ ____
soon to buy it :-)
Motherboard
1x Asus Blitz Extreme(??)
Power supply
Memory
4x OCZ DDR3 PC3-12800 FlexXLC Edition(??)
GPU
2x Asus EN8800ULTRA/G/HTDP/768M(have)
HDD
4x Western Digital's Raptor 150GB(each.)(have)
Screen
1x HP LP3065(??)
Keyboard & Mouse
Case
Cooling
Mods
Misc
__________________________________________________ __Quote
Erm, Well tbh i'v never looked at SLI compatable motherboards, i just know the p35 chipset dosnt support it ^^, im sure somone will post some more helpful advice later today, but might be better to post a thread in the Motorboard section, will catch more attention i belive. Oh and Welcome to the forums Quote
QuoteThanks and i will :-)Quote
Thanks Elderbree, i will think again after your question , i already have 2 asus 8800 gtx and it would be very dissapointement if i bought this motherboard without sli, i think i can wait for now till something new like blitz BUT with SLI Support, Thanks guys all of you for replying fast & 4 the helpQuote
XMS - does the blitz come with adaptors for the NB? Long story short - I'm craming alot into a small case so the rad will overlap the bottom pci slot, pci-e slot, crosslinxchip/sb chip.
No room for heatsinks have to w/c NB. Not having a window so I guess looks don't matter anymore :/
Getting a refund on the q6600, e6850 ftw.
I'm ordering from our in house boys so let me know asapQuote
No room for heatsinks have to w/c NB. Not having a window so I guess looks don't matter anymore :/
Getting a refund on the q6600, e6850 ftw.
I'm ordering from our in house boys so let me know asapQuote
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Mr. Smith'
XMS - does the blitz come with adaptors for the NB? Long story short - I'm craming alot into a small case so the rad will overlap the bottom pci slot, pci-e slot, crosslinxchip/sb chip.
No room for heatsinks have to w/c NB. Not having a window so I guess looks don't matter anymore :/ Getting a refund on the q6600, e6850 ftw. I'm ordering from our in house boys so let me know asap |
You seem like a e6850 man to me, I reckon it'll make u more happy than a quad.Quote
Case is tight, I need the flexibility of the 7/16" tubing...
I think I'll be happier with the e6850... I was thinking I'd get more than 3.5 stable from the q6600 (especially as it was tested to 3.6 on relativly low volts).
I want 4.0ghz from the 6850 on water! More would be nice
Case is sorted too
Off topic - Jim, I have that hiper for sale but I also have a load of other things, rads, pelt, etc etc... Can you change the title if I add things to it tonight?Quote
I think I'll be happier with the e6850... I was thinking I'd get more than 3.5 stable from the q6600 (especially as it was tested to 3.6 on relativly low volts).
I want 4.0ghz from the 6850 on water! More would be nice
Case is sorted too
Off topic - Jim, I have that hiper for sale but I also have a load of other things, rads, pelt, etc etc... Can you change the title if I add things to it tonight?Quote
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Mr. Smith'
Case is tight, I need the flexibility of the 7/16" tubing...
|
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Mr. Smith'
I think I'll be happier with the e6850... I was thinking I'd get more than 3.5 stable from the q6600 (especially as it was tested to 3.6 on relativly low volts). I want 4.0ghz from the 6850 on water! More would be nice |
A new OC3D server being built soon will have a Quad in it tho
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Mr. Smith'
Off topic - Jim, I have that hiper for sale but I also have a load of other things, rads, pelt, etc etc... Can you change the title if I add things to it tonight? |
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='XMS'
Its what I'll be getting when F40 gets sold off. For my rig I can't justify the need for Quad - especially not at the moment.
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='XMS'
A new OC3D server being built soon will have a Quad in it tho
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QuoteQuote:
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Originally Posted by name='PV5150'
Hi mate and welcome to OC3D
The Blitz Extreme is a DDR3 motherboard, where the Blitz Formula is DDR2. This is not a review of a hybrid board. If you want to run your DDR2 then you'll need to get yourself the Blitz Formula. |
The Blitz Formula SE and Blitz Extreme use the same NB chipset (P35) and subsequently the same Fusion water block. I have never tried my Formula without water-cooling so I can't comment there, but if you remove the thermal paste that ASUS uses for their chipset cooling and apply AS Ceramique then you possibly could. If you aren't looking to overclock then the Fusion block should be ok as is, but I would recommend applying a better thermal paste anyway. Failing that, you could always go and get yourself some better NB/SB cooling and replace ASUS' heat-pipes altogetherQuote
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