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Intel’s new Clarkdale processors – like the Core i5-661 and Core i3-530 – have integrated graphics chips. This is a new approach, replacing the traditional integrated graphics chipsets used to date. The combined chips are more power efficient, and cheaper to produce, than two separate ones. However, you’ll still need to buy a compatible motherboard with video outputs to make use of the processor’s onboard graphics capabilities, officially referred to as Intel HD Graphics.
Asus’s catchily named P7H57D-V EVO is the first motherboard we’ve seen to support Intel HD Graphics. On the rear are HDMI, DVI-D and VGA outputs, of which you can use any two simultaneously. The graphics chips are capable, but not particularly noteworthy in their features, as you can see from our Core i3-530 and Core i5-661 reviews.
This motherboard uses the H57 Express chipset, which has a couple more features than the cheaper H55 Express chipset – most notably a RAID controller – though both are very well equipped. It supports all LGA1156 Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 processors; although you’ll need to add a separate graphics card if you use a processor that doesn’t have Intel HD Graphics.
In other respects the H57 chipset isn’t that different from the P55 ones we’ve been reviewing recently. There’s no northbridge chip, with the processor having a built in memory controller to run the four DDR3 slots. You can install up to 16GB of RAM and the processor’s graphics chip can access up to 1.7GB of this if required. Asus provides ample overclocking support for faster memory, with speeds as high as 2,133MHz. Testing with our reference Core i5-750 processor, and 4GB of DDR3 1333MHz memory, gave typical results for a P55 board.
The processor also controls the two PCI-Express x16 slots, though you’re unlikely to need these if you’re building your PC to make use of the integrated graphics capabilities. Should you wish to upgrade later, though, there’s support for both SLI and CrossFire – both slots then run at x8 but this is easily sufficient for modern cards. In addition there are three PCI-Express x1 slots and two PCI slots, so there’s plenty of space for upgrades.
The removal of graphics processing from the board also splits the audio output. There’s a Realtek audio chip to handle analogue audio output, with up to 7.1 discrete channels, an optical S/PDIF and DTS Surround Sensation for virtual surround. In addition you can stream audio via the HDMI output, with the graphics processor doing the work here, and providing support for HD audio formats, such as Dolby True HD – something not support by previous motherboards with HDMI outputs.
The H57 chipset has six SATA 300 ports for connecting storage devices. These share a controller, which supports RAID modes 0,1, 5 and 10. More interestingly, a second controller chip support up to two SATAIII disks. This new standard should provide far faster access to your data, but you’ll need to invest in an SSD to see the benefits.
In addition, this board also supports USB3, with two ports on the rear for fast external storage devices (such as the Buffalo DriveStation USB 3.0 1TB). There are also four standard USB ports, plus eSATA and FireWire interfaces.
Asus has loaded the BIOS with overclocking options, should Intel’s own Turbo Boost technology be a little tame for your liking. There are also plenty of Windows-based gadgets to get the most form the board, like the EPU-6 Engine, which turns off unneeded hardware to save power, and the GPU Boost driver for tweaking the onboard graphics performance.
For most people looking to build a new Intel PC with integrated graphics, this board will be overkill. However, if you want all the latest storage technologies, support for HD audio formats and plenty of space for expanding later, then it’s worth the high price.
