Asus anticipates selling nearly half a million P55 motherboards by the end of the year. If this is the case, it will mean that P55 products alone will have accounted for 10% of the annual motherboard shipments for the Taiwanese manufacturer.

In other words, there is quite a bit on the line for both Asus and its competitors. In an effort to meet the diverse demand expected for P55 products, Asus released a total of nine P55-based motherboards on the platform's launch day, ranging in price from $135 for the basic P7P55D LE to ~$250 for the Maximus III Formula and P7P55 WS SuperComputer.

The P7P55D series sits at the center of Asus' P55 line-up, and the $220 P7P55D Deluxe we are reviewing today is meant to be your no-nonsense choice if you are looking for an integral P55 solution. Then the obvious question has to be what exactly makes this motherboard special?