Conclusions

I can't actually think of the last occasion where Intel launched a new motherboard chipset to anything other than praise, so impeccable has their delivery of such products become.  Today's P55 launch is really no different in that respect, doing everything required of it whilst boasting rock-solid stability into the bargain.

Similarly typical is the way that ASUS have built their products around this chipset - Right across their P55 product range there are still a wealth of features to be enjoyed, with the subject of today's review featuring everything from ExpressGate (giving you a quick and easy, stripped-down Linux OS to boot into) through to automated overclocking from within Windows and onwards to MemOK to help avoid memory compatibility problems.  While these might not be features you ever use on a personal basis, it's hard to argue their inclusion here.

Away from such additions, the basic specification of the P7P55D is everything that most users will need it to be - It isn't overflowing with expansion slots or SATA ports, but it does give you more than enough room for the average user to utilise such devices.  Similarly, performance is what you would expect from this level of motherboard and system; no more, no less.  While it might not be aimed at the high-end enthusiasts like ASUS' Republic of Gamers parts, the P7P55D also proves to be very much at home when overclocking, with a decent range of options on hand which easily allowed us to reach 4GHz with our particular Core i5 750 sample - Indeed, reaching that point is one of the easiest overclocking experiences I've had in a long, long time, and ASUS can take at least some of the kudos for that even before delving into their automated overclocking abilities (which no doubt most true enthusiasts will continue to avoid in preference of tweaking everything themselves).

Finally, I have to profess my love for the P7P55D's overall aesthetic - As much as anyone can love a motherboard's colour scheme and design, I'm really impressed with the look and layout of this particular offering.  Not only is it easy to use when it comes to adding and removing components, it's also really quite pretty in its own motherboard-y way.

It's difficult to know what to say beyond that in all honesty - The P7P55D "just works", and it works well, with a not insubstantial handful of bells and whistles for anyone looking for gadgets above and beyond the bare basics.  It looks good, it's well designed, it performs as expected, overclocks exceedingly well and it's very, very stable - Really, is there anything more you could ask for of any motherboard that sits just above the £100 price point?  I certainly can't think of anything.

Product information

ASUS P7P55D

- Vendor web site
- Vendor product information

Retail pricing and availability: TBC

Thanks to ASUS for providing the sample for this review

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