P4T

ASUS P4T Scoring
Feature set	A
Performance	A+
Stability	A+
Board Layout	A+

ASUS P4T

Unique board layout

ASUS enters the P4 era with their P4T motherboard in the high-end of the market, and the P4T-M (Micro-ATX) in the value segment. Both motherboards were among the first P4 motherboards available in their class and continue to offer the quality you'd expect from an ASUS product. One thing that really stands out about the P4T is its distinctive board layout. As you can see in the image above, ASUS has implemented a unique design with the P4T.

While all other designs place the CPU socket above the 82850 Memory Controller Hub (MCH), the MCH is located across from the CPU socket on the P4T. In a similar fashion, the RIMM sockets on the P4T are integrated above the CPU socket - in all other designs the RIMMs are located to the right of the CPU interface.

ASUS claims these layout changes results in better performance. Our test results with the P4T confirm this. One aspect you'll have to keep in mind however is installation of your memory modules. With the P4T, end users must alternate RDRAM modules with C-RIMMs (continuity modules) in each RIMM socket. If this configuration isn't used, the P4T won't boot.

To comply with traditional non-ATX 2.03 cases, ASUS includes a metal back plate, rubber pad and all the necessary washers, nuts, and screws to attach the P4T to the base plate (the rubber pad is placed between the two). This is a bit more expensive than the solutions provided by ABIT, Gigabyte, and MSI (who pre-install the P4 heatsink support base to the motherboard using clips or screws) but probably more effective in the long run.

In a similar fashion to ABIT, ASUS uses a non-traditional configuration for the USB ports on the P4T. While two ports are used, the ports themselves are located separately from the serial/parallel ports, leaving a noticeable gap between components. This area would normally be populated with the audio connectors, but since onboard audio isn't provided with the P4T, this space is left unused. Quite frankly we're glad ASUS chose to leave integrated audio off the P4T, anyone willing to spend the money for a P4 motherboard, RDRAM, and processor shouldn't have any problems affording a Sound Blaster Live! Value or equivalent sound card. These cost savings can then be passed on to the consumer.

Like previous ASUS products, the P4T features ASUS's JumperFree technology with bus speed settings of 100, 103, 105, 108, 110, 112, 115, 118, 120, 122, 125, 128, 130, and 133MHz available in BIOS, with additional settings of 136-156MHz in 2MHz increments (with the exception of 146MHz which isn't offered) available via dipswitches. While the PCI and AGP ratios can't be adjusted via BIOS (instead, the motherboard sets them as close to spec as possible) they can be manually manipulated via the dipswitch settings. Multiplier ratios from 10.0x-20.0x are available in 1.0x increments, with CPU voltages ranging from 1.7V-1.85V in 0.025V increments. Finally, the multiplier for the memory bus can be adjusted (with ratios of 3.0x and 4.0x), which comes in handy when running at higher bus speeds. During our overclocking tests, we were able to push our P4T all the way up to 156MHz with complete stability. Due to the nature of the Pentium 4 bus, that's effectively 624MHz folks!

Overall we were pleasantly surprised by the unique layout of the P4T. Spacing between components is fairly good with the ATX12V connector out of the way of the CPU interface, and no IDE/floppy connectors adjacent to any PCI slots. The omission of onboard sound and the accompanying CNR slot is another welcome feature. In performance testing, the P4T consistently came out on top of the other 850 motherboards we tested and was an exceptionally stable product. In short, the P4T continues the ASUS tradition of combining an excellent blend of performance, features, and stability all in one package. We have no doubt that the P4T will be a popular solution amongst many Pentium 4 users.

Familiar ASUS BIOS interface

Several bus speeds to choose from