Futuremark 3DMark06 1.0.2	Source: FutureMark

3DMark06 is the worldwide standard in advanced 3D game performance benchmarking. A fundamental tool for every company in the PC industry as well as PC users and gamers, 3DMark06 uses advanced real-time 3D game workloads to measure PC performance using a suite of DirectX 9 3D graphics tests, CPU tests, and 3D feature tests. 3DMark06 tests include all new HDR/SM3.0 graphics tests, SM2.0 graphics tests, AI and physics driven single and multiple cores or processor CPU tests and a collection of comprehensive feature tests t reliably measure next generation gaming performance today.

Futuremark 3DMark06 1.1.0 Overall: Points Ranking MSI X58 Platinum (X58 133/1066) 15134 MSI Eclipse Plus (X58 133/1066) 15127 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 14880 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 14877 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 (P55 133/1333) 15089 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P (P55 133/1333) 14929 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R (P55 133/1333) 14916 ASUS P7P55D Deluxe (P55 133/1333) 14942 ASUS P7P55D Premium (P55 133/1333) 14891 Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P (790FX 200/1066) 15082 MSI 785GM-E65 (785G 200/1066) 14995 ASUS M4A785TD-V Evo (785G 200/1066) 14998 Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H (785G 200/1066) 14983 Gigabyte GA-MA785G-UD3H (785G 200/1066) 14964 CPU: Points Ranking MSI X58 Platinum (X58 133/1066) 4658 MSI Eclipse Plus (X58 133/1066) 4594 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 4135 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 4155 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 (P55 133/1333) 4289 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P (P55 133/1333) 4240 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R (P55 133/1333) 4162 ASUS P7P55D Deluxe (P55 133/1333) 4169 ASUS P7P55D Premium (P55 133/1333) 4150 Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P (790FX 200/1066) 4455 MSI 785GM-E65 (785G 200/1066) 4374 ASUS M4A785TD-V Evo (785G 200/1066) 4386 Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H (785G 200/1066) 4327 Gigabyte GA-MA785G-UD3H (785G 200/1066) 4317

3DMark06 shows no noticable differences between any of the Intel P55 Express-based motherboards, as expected.

Futuremark 3DMark Vantage 1.0.1	Source: FutureMark

3DMark06 is the worldwide standard in advanced 3D game performance benchmarking. A fundamental tool for every company in the PC industry as well as PC users and gamers, 3DMark06 uses advanced real-time 3D game workloads to measure PC performance using a suite of DirectX 9 3D graphics tests, CPU tests, and 3D feature tests. 3DMark06 tests include all new HDR/SM3.0 graphics tests, SM2.0 graphics tests, AI and physics driven single and multiple cores or processor CPU tests and a collection of comprehensive feature tests to reliably measure next generation gaming performance today.

Futuremark 3DMark Vantage 1.0.1 Performance Overall: (P) Points Ranking MSI X58 Platinum (X58 133/1066) 7782 MSI Eclipse Plus (X58 133/1066) 7744 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 7523 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 7499 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 (P55 133/1333) 6552 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P (P55 133/1333) 7516 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R (P55 133/1333) 7522 ASUS P7P55D Deluxe (P55 133/1333) 7545 ASUS P7P55D Premium (P55 133/1333) 7537 Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P (790FX 200/1066) 7363 MSI 785GM-E65 (785G 200/1066) 7308 ASUS M4A785TD-V Evo (785G 200/1066) 7299 Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H (785G 200/1066) 7318 Gigabyte GA-MA785G-UD3H (785G 200/1066) 7280 CPU score: Points Ranking MSI X58 Platinum (X58 133/1066) 16399 MSI Eclipse Plus (X58 133/1066) 16579 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 12287 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 12153 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 (P55 133/1333) 12707 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P (P55 133/1333) 12360 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R (P55 133/1333) 12363 ASUS P7P55D Deluxe (P55 133/1333) 12475 ASUS P7P55D Premium (P55 133/1333) 12458 Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P (790FX 200/1066) 11011 MSI 785GM-E65 (785G 200/1066) 10994 ASUS M4A785TD-V Evo (785G 200/1066) 10982 Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H (785G 200/1066) 11129 Gigabyte GA-MA785G-UD3H (785G 200/1066) 10881

3DMark Vantage shows a lot of the traits as 3DMark06, with the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P motherboard again in the middle of the pack.

Sierra FEAR 1.08	Source: Sierra

FEAR is Sierra's latest first person shooter which relies heavily on DirectX 9 features. With its "Soft Shadows" feature enabled, even the fastest videocards run at a crawl, FEAR is definitely the new benchmark for future FPS games to follow.

Sierra FEAR 1.08 Minimum 640x480: Points Ranking MSI X58 Platinum (X58 133/1066) 646 MSI Eclipse Plus (X58 133/1066) 646 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 628 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 635 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 (P55 133/1333) 656 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P (P55 133/1333) 636 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R (P55 133/1333) 637 ASUS P7P55D Deluxe (P55 133/1333) 636 ASUS P7P55D Premium (P55 133/1333) 644 Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P (790FX 200/1066) 656 MSI 785GM-E65 (785G 200/1066) 572 ASUS M4A785TD-V Evo (785G 200/1066) 580 Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H (785G 200/1066) 577 Gigabyte GA-MA785G-UD3H (785G 200/1066) 598 Maximum 1024x768: Points Ranking MSI X58 Platinum (X58 133/1066) 172 MSI Eclipse Plus (X58 133/1066) 174 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 171 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD6 (P55 133/1333) 173 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD5 (P55 133/1333) 172 Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P (P55 133/1333) 173 Gigabyte GA-P55-UD3R (P55 133/1333) 175 ASUS P7P55D Deluxe (P55 133/1333) 174 ASUS P7P55D Premium (P55 133/1333) 174 Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P (790FX 200/1066) 172 MSI 785GM-E65 (785G 200/1066) 171 ASUS M4A785TD-V Evo (785G 200/1066) 172 Gigabyte GA-MA785GMT-UD2H (785G 200/1066) 171 Gigabyte GA-MA785G-UD3H (785G 200/1066) 168

And again, no real change in performance here with the Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P motherboard compared to the other P55 systems. Bottom line, the features on an Intel P55 motherboard are what differentiates it from the competition, the chipset has basically leveled the playing field in all other respects.

Let's wrap this review up, is Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P motherboard worth your hard earned cash with all its features and USB3/SATAIII?