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ASRock P67 Transformer - Small Boon for Upgraders

By Vincent Chang - 18 Apr 2011
Launch SRP: S$215

Conclusion

Conclusion

The benchmark results speak for themselves. The Intel P67 chipset on the ASRock P67 Transformer fulfills its purpose - we saw no performance degradation in USB 3.0 or SATA 6Gbps. This was unlike the Gigabyte P55A-UD6, which was slower than both the ASRock and the ASUS P7P55D-E Premium which came with an additional bridge chip. In that sense, the Transformer works exactly as intended, allowing upgraders the chance to get the full speed from their storage devices without compromise. There's also the matter of having a proper Intel SATA 6Gbps interface rather than third-party implementations that may fall slightly short.

Unfortunately, ASRock is solving the upgrade dilemma of a rather small population. The chipset limitations that restrict the Transformer to supporting only Lynnfield Core processors mean that there are just a handful of compatible processors, those in the Core i5-7xx and Core i7-8xx series. Among these, it's quite likely that those who have gotten the more expensive Core i7-8xx processors may have also acquired a relatively high-end P55 motherboard. One that is perhaps similar to the ASUS P7P55D-E Premium, where the issue of insufficient PCIe lanes have been solved by the manufacturer.

If you fall within this group of users who may actually require such an unique board, the ASRock P67 Transformer is a decent one. We could find little fault with its layout and the features were generally appropriate for its target segment. There's no multi-GPU support, but it's not crucial for most users. Performance seems on par with what you'll expect from a Lynnfield Core processor and you'll get the benefits of having an EFI BIOS on this board too.

At S$215, the ASRock P67 Transformer is not exactly cheap either, with comparable P67 boards going for just a bit more at around $250 to 280. Although it's true that buyers will save on the cost of the processor, they will also miss out on the significant performance boost of going the full Sandy Bridge route. In fact, ASRock's local distributor has informed us that it is not carrying this model anymore in retail channels due to low demand. It seems that the market has spoken, but should you be interested, it's still available in this region from neighboring countries.

 

While the P67 chipset does the job of ensuring SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 speeds are not compromised, the ASRock P67 Transformer is unfortunately too niche for our taste.

 

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7.5
  • Performance 8
  • Features 8
  • Value 6.5
The Good
Interesting, unique attempt to address a niche problem
Decent layout with good mix of features
The Bad
Too costly for a niche solution
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