Overview of asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8
The asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 Turbo is an ATX motherboard based on the Intel P45 chipset, designed for LGA 775 processors. The asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 belongs to the widely popular asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 series, known for its robustness, reliability, and extensive overclocking options. The P45 chipset, which was launched by Intel in 2008, supports a wide range of processors, including Intel’s Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, and some Pentium and Celeron models.
Key Features of asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8
Support for LGA 775 Socket CPUs: The P5Q Pro Turbo supports various LGA 775 processors, including the Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad series. The Q9550 is a standout processor in this category due to its balance of performance and overclocking potential.
Phase Power Design:
asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 equipped this motherboard with an 8-phase power design, which provides stable power delivery, particularly when overclocking. This feature ensures that the CPU and other components receive consistent power even under heavy loads.
DDR2 RAM Support:
The asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 supports up to 16 GB of DDR2 RAM, with speeds of 1200 MHz (OC) or 1066/800 MHz by default. This may seem underwhelming by today’s standards, but during its prime, DDR2 was still in widespread use, and the option to overclock the memory was appreciated by enthusiasts.
Dual PCI Express 2.0 Slots:The motherboard offers two PCIe 2.0 x16 slots, supporting CrossFireX, which allows users to install multiple AMD (then ATI) graphics cards for improved gaming performance. However, it’s worth noting that when both slots are used, the configuration runs at x8/x8 speed, not full x16.
Storage and Connectivity:
The board includes 6 SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports and supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10. While modern systems benefit from SATA 6.0 Gb/s and NVMe drives, the 3.0 Gb/s ports were sufficient for typical SSDs and mechanical drives at the time.
TurboV Technology:
asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 introduced TurboV, a utility that enables users to tweak system performance easily. This software allowed on-the-fly overclocking within the Windows environment, which made it more user-friendly compared to manually adjusting settings in the BIOS.
AI Nap and AI Gear 3
asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 also added features like AI Nap and AI Gear 3, which allow users to control power consumption. AI Nap minimizes power consumption when the system is idle, while AI Gear 3 provides different performance modes to adjust CPU power consumption based on user needs.
The Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Processor
The Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 is part of Intel’s Core 2 Quad series, based on the 45nm Yorkfield architecture. It has four physical cores, a clock speed of 2.83 GHz (stock), and a total of 12 MB L2 cache, which was impressive at the time. The Q9550 was highly praised for its multitasking capabilities, making it suitable for gaming, video editing, and other CPU-intensive tasks.
Key Features of Q9550
Quad-Core Design: With four cores, the Q9550 offers better multitasking and performance in applications designed to take advantage of multiple cores. It was a leap forward from the dual-core processors that preceded it, offering significantly better performance in workloads like video encoding and rendering.
12 MB L2 Cache: The large L2 cache helps improve performance by reducing the time the CPU spends fetching data from memory. This is particularly beneficial in gaming, video editing, and other data-heavy applications.
Overclocking Potential: The Q9550 has excellent overclocking potential, with many enthusiasts pushing it beyond 3.8 GHz. Its base clock multiplier is set at 8.5x, making it highly responsive to overclocking adjustments, provided that the motherboard and cooling setup can support the increased power and heat.
Thermal Design Power (TDP) of 95W: Despite its powerful performance, the Q9550’s TDP is relatively manageable at 95 watts, making it easier to cool compared to modern high-end processors.
Overclocking the asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8
Overclocking is a common practice among enthusiasts to boost the performance of their system, and the combination of the Q9550 with the asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 is well-suited for this. The P45 chipset provides the flexibility needed for overclocking, and the Q9550, with its 45nm architecture, remains stable under significant clock increases.
Step-by-Step Overclocking Guide
Preparation:
Cooling: Ensure that your system is equipped with proper cooling. Stock coolers are insufficient for a significant overclock. A high-quality aftermarket air cooler or an all-in-one liquid cooler is recommended.
Power Supply: Overclocking requires more power, so ensure that your PSU can handle the increased demand. A 500W PSU should suffice for most builds, but if you’re running multiple GPUs or a power-hungry setup, consider a higher-rated PSU.
BIOS Settings:
Access the BIOS by pressing the Delete key during boot.
Navigate to the AI Tweaker menu. Set AI Overclock Tuner to Manual.
Adjust the FSB Frequency (Front Side Bus). The Q9550 runs at 333 MHz stock. To achieve a 3.8 GHz overclock, increase the FSB to around 450 MHz (450 MHz FSB x 8.5 multiplier = 3825 MHz or 3.825 GHz).
Memory Frequency: Keep your memory within its rated speed by adjusting the DRAM frequency or using a divider to maintain stability.
Voltage Adjustments:
Gradually increase the CPU Voltage (vCore) to support the higher clock speeds. Start by increasing it by small increments, keeping it within a safe range (typically around 1.30V-1.36V).
FSB Termination Voltage and Northbridge Voltage might also need slight increases to maintain stability at higher FSB speeds. Be cautious with these settings to avoid overheating.
Stability Testing:
After making adjustments, boot into your operating system and run stress tests to ensure stability. Prime95 and IntelBurnTest are popular choices for CPU stress testing.
Monitor temperatures using software like HWMonitor or CoreTemp to ensure the CPU stays within safe temperature limits. For the Q9550, try to keep the temperatures below 70-75°C under load.
Fine-Tuning:
If your system crashes or becomes unstable, either increase the voltage slightly or dial back the overclock. Stability is crucial for daily use, so it’s important to find a balance between performance and reliability.
Performance and Usability
With a stable 3.8 GHz overclock, the Q9550 performs exceptionally well in both gaming and productivity tasks, even by today’s standards in some cases. Tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and multitasking see noticeable improvements with the extra clock speed. Gaming performance will depend largely on the GPU used, but the overclocked Q9550 should handle games released through the mid-2010s with ease, and some modern titles at lower settings.
Conclusion for asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8
The combination of the asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 and Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 is a testament to the longevity and flexibility of well-designed hardware. While these components are no longer cutting-edge, they remain a viable option for enthusiasts looking to build or maintain older systems. Overclocking the Q9550 to 3.8 GHz is a popular goal that can extend the system’s usefulness and provide a rewarding performance boost. With proper cooling, voltage adjustments, and patience, the asus p5q pro turbo q9550 3.8 and Q9550 deliver a robust, stable, and fast computing experience, even by today’s standards.