Choosing a motherboard is always a very tricky business. And choosing a budget motherboard is a hundred times more difficult. Many factors need to be taken into account. The main one is the ability to connect all modern devices. The type of processors supported is also extremely important. In this regard, the ASUS P5B Plus motherboard looks very attractive. Let's analyze this product in more detail.
What is this fee?
The ASUS P5B Plus Xeon motherboard is a budget solution for weak computers. This board was released back in 2007 and has already become obsolete. A sign of the product's "old age" 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, this solution does not fit. Only the earliest versions will be able to run.
Specifications
ASUS P5B Plus is based on LGA 775 socket. Used chip is Intel P965. This means that it quietly supports processors such as Core 2 Duo. But the newfangled Core is not available for her. The "chip" of this motherboard is in a very high-quality sound chip. Usuallymanufacturers supply motherboards with an inexpensive and not very high-quality chip from Re altek. A more advanced chipset from Analog Devices is also installed here, which is distinguished by high-quality sound. The motherboard supports it in the 7.1 standard.
Let's move on to a deeper analysis of the ASUS P5B Plus. The characteristics of this board are as follows: supported processors - Duo family from Intel, some models from AMD, system bus frequency - 1066 MHz, memory type - DDR2, Ethernet data transfer rate - 1000 Mbps. Specifications are pretty standard for 2007. Such parameters were common for inexpensive motherboards. Some of them are still relevant today.
Interfaces and Connectors
Here things are not as good as we would like. ASUS P5B Plus is equipped with four USB 2.0 connectors. There can be no talk 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 is it enough? Would he still be useful? Let's say someone has an old hard drive with the right information.
Other connectors include SPIDF (optical and coaxial), connectors for connecting individual components of a 7.1 standard speaker system, PS2 connectors for connecting a mouse and keyboard (another indication of the "antiquity" of the board) and other connectors (to e.g. LTP). Such a setstandard on motherboards. Moreover, even modern models have such "we alth". So, this motherboard is still relevant. By the way, it has one intriguing feature: support for FireWire and eSATA technologies. Not every modern motherboard can boast of this. And therefore, this component is preferable even to many current options.
Feedback about the board
Let's move on to the reviews of ASUS P5B Plus owners. Everyone who bought this motherboard notes the fast and trouble-free 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 overclock it. Yes, and what's the point? All the same, it will not keep up with modern samples in performance.
However, there were also those who believe that the motherboard does not work well, because it does not pull modern RAM. It is difficult to count on more: before you is a product of 2007. What support for DDR 3 can we talk about? Do not demand from the motherboard what it is not designed for. And she is excellent at her job. What makes some users especially happy is the high-quality sound (a credit to 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 reviewed here is an excellent budget solution for office computers orhome multimedia centers. This board cannot boast of special performance. But it works flawlessly and is distinguished by unsurpassed 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 option if you need something inexpensive and reliable. This motherboard copes with its tasks one hundred percent.
