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- Date:
- Tuesday , November 17, 2009
- Author:
- Morry Teitelman
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
GIGABYTE P55M-UD4 Motherboard Review
While this new GIGABYTE may look small, this micro-ATX wonder packs a punch and hits where it counts. The P55M-UD4 performs like the big boys, proving that size truly does not matter...for a motherboard.
BIOS
GIGABYTE chose use a Phoenix AWARD style BIOS template for the P55M-UD4’s BIOS. The BIOS shown and used in testing was version F4h.
The MB Intelligent Tweaker(M.I.T.) menu contains all settings and submenus for manipulating board memory, speed, and voltage related settings. The M.I.T. Current Status submenu shows CPU core specific speed and multiplier statistics as well as memory channel and slot specific statistics.
The Advanced Frequency Settings submenu contains options for all board device speed settings. The CPU Clock Ratio controls the base multiplier for the in use CPU, with the actual values available dictated by the CPU itself. The read-only CPU Frequency option shows the current CPU speed, which is determined by multiplying the Base Clock value by the CPU Clock Ratio value. The QPI Clock Ratio setting configures the speed of the board’s QuickPath Interconnect Link bus, which comprise the data lanes connecting the CPU and Northbridge chipsets. The maximum ratio settable for the QPI bus is 36X. The actual link speed is listed under the setting, with the value shown as the Base Clock value multiplied by the QPI Clock ratio. While the board does not allow for setting of the Uncore Clock Ratio, the Uncore ratio and frequency are listed as read only values underneath the QPI Link Speed. The Uncore clock determines the link speed between the internal CPU memory controller and the system memory. The Uncore bus speed shown is equal to the Base Clock value multiplied by the Uncore Frequency value. The BCLK Frequency(MHz) setting becomes user accessible with the Base Clock(BCLK) Control setting enabled. This option controls the system Base Clock, from which most other board device speeds are derived. The system Base Clock can be set to a maximum value of 1200MHz. The Extreme Memory Profile(X.M.P) option allows for the BIOS to use the manufacturer profile data present on XMP type memory modules for greater overall system memory performance. The System Memory Multiplier (SPD) options controls the physical memory speed thru the use of multipliers, with the highest multiplier available being 10X. The actual memory speed is shown in the Memory Frequency(MHz) option, with the value shown equal to the Base Clock value multiplied by the Memory multiplier value. The PCI Express Frequency(MHz) option controls the PCI bus speed, with a 150MHz maximum settable. The C.I.A.2 (CPU Intelligent Accelerator 2) setting controls GIGABYTE dynamic overclocking BIOS, with the Full Thrust option giving the highest performance. The CPU Clock Drive setting controls the CPU to Northbridge base clock driving control voltage, with a 1000mV maximum allowed. The PCI Express Clock Drive controls the Southbridge to Northbridge base clock driving control voltage, again with a maximum 1000mV allowed. The CPU Clock Skew option sets the CPU base clock delay, with a maximum allowed delay of 750ps.
The Advanced CPU Core Features submenu contains settings for configuring CPU specific internal settings. The configurable CPU specific settings include the following: Turbo Boost, C1E support, C3/C6/C7 halt state support, CPU thermal monitor support, Intel SpeedStep support (CPU EIST Function), and thermal control circuit support (Bi-Directional PROCHOT). The Intel(R) Turbo Boost Tech. option controls an internal CPU based overclocking mechanism, automatically setting the CPU ratio to a max+1 multiplier setting regardless of the CPU Clock Ratio setting selected. The CPU Core Enabled option allows to you disable 1 or more of the processor cores.
The Advanced Memory Settings submenu contains all system memory related timing and speed settings. The System Memory Multiplier (SPD) options controls the physical memory speed thru the use of multipliers, with the highest multiplier available being 10X. The actual memory speed is shown in the Memory Frequency(MHz) option, with the value shown equal to the Base Clock value multiplied by the Memory multiplier value. The Performance Enhance setting controls internal chipset related performance settings, with the Extreme option giving the best overall performance gains. Once the DRAM Timing Selectable setting is set to Expert, all available memory timing related options become user accessible. The top level submenu contains settings for memory Channel and Rank Interleaving.
The memory timing settings are shown on a per channel basis via the Channel A Timing Settings and Channel B Timing Settings submenus, with all submenus showing channel specific cloned settings. The memory timing settings available include the following: CAS latency; RAS to CAS delay (tRCD); RAS precharge delay (tRP); active to precharge delay (tRAS); row cycle time (tRC); RAS to RAS delay (tRRD); write to read delay (tWTR); write recovery time (tWR); write to precharge delay (tWTP); write latency (tWL); row refresh cycle delay (tRFC); read to precharge delay (tRTP); four active window delay (tFAW); command rate; Back to Back CAS Delay; and asynchronous latency (Round Trip Latency).
The channel turnaround settings, which control read and write delay settings across DIMMs, are broken down on a per channel basis via the Channel A Turnaround Settings and Channel B Turnaround Settings submenus. As with the channel specific timings menus, all channel specific turnaround settings submenus contain cloned settings. While individual settings are not listed, you do have the option of tweaking the Read to Read and Write to Write delays over three categories: different DIMM modules (Different DIMMs); different memory chip placement between modules (Different Ranks); and same memory chip placement between modules (On The Same Rank).
The Advanced Voltage Settings submenu contains all available voltage related settings. The Load-Line Calibration setting configures the CPU vDROOP value, with the vDROOP voltage handled directly by the BIOS with this setting enabled. The CPU Vcore setting controls the board CPU voltage, with a 1.90V maximum. The QPI/Vtt Voltage option controls the QuickPath Link and Uncore clock voltage, with a 1.99V maximum available. The chipset voltage is determined thru the PCH Core setting, with a 2.00V maximum. The CPU PLL Voltage setting controls the voltage for the CPU power regulation circuitry, with an upper limit available of 2.54V. The DRAM voltage is set via the DRAM Voltage option, with a maximum of 2.60V allowed. The DRAM Termination option controls the memory termination voltage with a 1.705V maximum settable. The DRAM Data VRef. and DRAM Address VRef. options control the DRAM reference voltage settings for the board on a per channel basis, all settings having a 2.06V maximum.
The Hard Disk Boot Priority submenu, accessed from a link within the Advanced BIOS Features menu, displays all hard drive devices connected to the system at system boot time including properly detected USB 2.0 type devices.
The Integrated Peripherals menu contains numerous settings and submenus for configuring the board’s various integrated devices including the Intel P55 RAID controller, the GIGABYTE RAID controller, the Realtek GigE LAN controllers, the IEEE 1394 ports, the USB 2.0 ports, and the Realtek HD audio subsystem. The eXtreme Hard Disk (XHD) option forces the Intel P55 controller in to RAID mode, disabling the PCH SATA Control Mode setting. The PCH SATA Control Mode and SATA Port0-3 Native Mode settings control the P55’s SATA port configuration, with the Intel boot BIOS showing with the PCH SATA Control Mode option set to RAID(XHD) and an active SATA device connected to one of the onboard ports. The Onboard SATA/IDE Device and Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode settings configure the GIGABYTE controller based ports. The GIGABYTE RAID Boot BIOS shows on system startup with the Onboard SATA/IDE Ctrl Mode option set to RAID/IDE.
The PC Health Status submenu displays real-time status on all BIOS monitored voltages, temperatures, and fan speeds. There are also rudimentary options for configuring device warnings based on temperature and fan speed, as well as a temperature based CPU fan controller configured through the CPU Smart FAN settings.
The BIOS contains an in built flash utility named Q-Flash, which is accessible from the main menu by pressing the F8 key. The Q-Flash utility allows you to load and save BIOS images from/to a local hard drive, floppy or USB 2.0 device.
The BIOS also has profile saving and load capabilities. The BIOS profile save menu is accessed by pressing the F11 key from the main menu, with the option of creating up to 8 profiles as well as the capability to save to an attached drive device. The BIOS profile load menu is accessed by pressing the F12 key from the main menu. The load menu allows for loading of any previously saved BIOS profiles, as well as loading a profile from an attached drive device including a USB 2.0 drive.