Software:
With everything connected and the BIOS configured properly, Windows Vista Home Premium 32-Bit was installed. Then the latest drivers and utilities were downloaded from the ASUS website and installed in lieu of the files provided on the disk included with the board. The screenshots below are taken from CPU-Z to show the details of the processor, motherboard, and memory (with XMP profile enabled) once booted into Windows.
Now that everything is set up and ready to use, we will take a look at some of the software provided with the P5E64 WS Evolution.
The integrated Analog Devices (ADI 1988B) audio solution offers 8-channel stereo that really sounds good, and the interface looks pretty good, too. The Blackhawk SoundMax control panel is shown below, and the interface is much more interesting than your typical offering. ASUS seems to be paying close attention to this sort of thing, as the interface for their new stand alone sound cards is equally cool.
The main screen offers a good deal of information and control, but several subscreens allow for even greater customization. The images below show the "Speakers" and the "Equalizer" screens where you can do things like control the volume of each speaker and adjust cross over frequencies. On the "Equalizer" screen you may notice that the preset is "Jazz Session". I hope you enjoy this profile, as it is the only one you can use. Despite there being several choices in the drop down menu, I was unable to select any other option.
Despite the equalizer preset issue, the audio solution is really nice, especially for an integrated product. On top of nice sound and a cool interface, the software will auto-detect new connections and walk you through the setup of all speakers.
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