Here's how the ASUS M4A78T-E motherboard stacks up in real life against a couple different motherboards. We have no way of directly measuring motherboard power draw, so PCSTATS measures total system power draw and compares that in CPU-loaded (max value recorded in Prime95) and idle states (at Windows Vista desktop).

An Extech 380803 AC Power Analyzer and A-PFC compliant PC Power and Cooling 750W power supply were used for these tests.

System Power Draw Tests: (PCPower 750W PSU) Desktop Idle (W) Watts Ranking Intel DG45ID (Intel G45 Onboard) 68 ASUS P5Q-EM (Intel G45 GF 8800GTS 320MB) 131 ASUS P5Q-EM (Intel G45 Onboard) 72 ASUS M4A78T-E (AMD 790GX GF 8800GTS 320MB) 143 ASUS M4A78T-E (AMD 790GX onboard HD 3300 video) 77 ASUS M3A78-T (AMD 790GX GF 8800GTS 320MB) 155 ASUS M3A78-T (AMD 790GX onboard HD 3300) 91 Foxconn A7DA-S (AMD 790GX GF 8800GTS 320MB) 131 Foxconn A7DA-S (AMD 790GX onboard HD 3300) 61 Biostar Tpower N750 (NF 750a GF 8800GTS 320MB) 110 Biostar Tpower N750 (NF 750a onboard nF 750a) 45.4 Prime95 Stressed (W) Watts Ranking Intel DG45ID (Intel G45 Onboard G45 ) 121 ASUS P5Q-EM (Intel G45 GF 8800GTS 320MB) 224 ASUS P5Q-EM (Intel G45 Onboard G45 ) 122 ASUS M4A78T-E (AMD 790GX GF 8800GTS 320MB) 188 ASUS M4A78T-E (AMD 790GX onboard HD 3300 video) 122 ASUS M3A78-T (AMD 790GX GF 8800GTS 320MB) 214 ASUS M3A78-T (AMD 790GX onboard HD 3300) 153 Foxconn A7DA-S (AMD 790GX GF 8800GTS 320MB) 192 Foxconn A7DA-S (AMD 790GX onboard HD 3300) 121 Biostar Tpower N750 (NF 750a GF 8800GTS 320MB) 187 Biostar Tpower N750 (NF 750a onboard nF 750a) 127 3DM06 IGP Stressed (W): Watts Ranking Intel DG45ID (Intel G45 Onboard G45 ) 115 ASUS P5Q-EM (Intel G45 F 8800GTS 320MB) 182 ASUS P5Q-EM (Intel G45 nboard G45 ) 119 ASUS M4A78T-E (AMD 790GX GF 8800GTS 320MB) 216 ASUS M4A78T-E (AMD 790GX onboard HD 3300 video) 123 ASUS M3A78-T (AMD 790GX F 8800GTS 320MB) 238 ASUS M3A78-T (AMD 790GX nboard HD 3300 video) 144 Foxconn A7DA-S (AMD 790GX GF 8800GTS 320MB) 223 Foxconn A7DA-S (AMD 790GX onboard HD 3300) 124 Biostar Tpower N750 (NF 750a GF 8800GTS 320MB) 226 Biostar Tpower N750 (NF 750a onboard nF 750a) 118

The Asus M4A78T-E motherboard has managed to tame power consumption, at idle the platform draws just 77W without a discreet videocard installed. When the videocard-less system is stressed under 3Dmark06, peak power consumption is 123W. By comparison when a Geforce 8800GTS is installed in the M4A78T-E that value balloons to 216W! In general the ASUS M4A78T-E draws less power than the DDR2-based M3A78-T system.

Let's look at the M4A78T-E's physical attributes in a little more detail.