Intel P35 Motherboard Roundup

Review Pages

1. Introduction
2. Asus P5K Premium WiFi - Overview
3. Asus P5K Premium WiFi - The Package
4. Asus P5K Premium WiFi - BIOS and Installation
5. Asus P5K3 Deluxe WiFi - Overview
6. Asus P5K3 Deluxe WiFi - The Package
7. Asus P5K3 Deluxe WiFi - BIOS and Installation
8. Gigabyte P35-DQ6 - Overview
9. Gigabyte P35-DQ6 - The Package
10. Gigabyte P35-DQ6 - BIOS and Installation
11. Test Configuration
12. Everest Ultimate Edition 2006 - SiSoft Sandra
13. PCMARK - 3DMARK
14. Science Mark - PovRay - Nero Digital
15. CINEBENCH -SuperPI
16. Overclocking
17. Conclusion

- Introduction

Intel this year introduced a new series of chipsets, starting with the P35 Express. The new chipset is the direct successor to the Intel P965 and we have already tested the first ever motherboard supporting it, the Asus P5K Deluxe. By now, other manufacturers have released several implementations with this chipset with either DDR2 or DDR3 memory. In this roundup, we will take a look at several P35 enabled motherboards, examining their main features, performance, and hopefully try and come up with a winner. First, let's take a look at the basic features of the Intel P35 chipset.

- Features and Benefits

The Intel P35 Express Chipset supports new technologies such as 1333 MHz System Bus speed, next-generation 45nm dual- and quad-core processors, and DDR3 memory to deliver increased system bandwidth and improved performance. With built-in design headroom, Intel® Fast Memory Access (Intel® FMA) and Intel® Turbo Memory, platforms based on the Intel P35 Express Chipset enable best-of-class performance and offer the best value for performance desktop computing.

Supports Intel® Viiv™ Processor Technology∇	Intel Viiv processor technology is a set of PC technologies designed for the enjoyment of digital entertainment in the home. The Intel P35 Express Chipset has support for Intel Viiv processor technology with either the ICH9R or ICH9DH SKUs.
1333/1066/800 MHz System Bus	Supports the Intel® Core™2 Duo and Intel® Core™2 Quad processors with Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT)±, Dual-Core Intel® Pentium® processor, and Intel® Celeron® processor.
*PCI Express Interface**	The PCI Express x16 graphics interface supports the latest high-performance graphics cards. The PCI Express x1 I/O ports offer up to 3.5X the bandwidth over traditional PCI architecture, delivering faster access to peripheral I/O devices.
Intel® Fast Memory Access	Updated Memory Controller Hub (MCH) backbone architecture that improves system performance by optimizing the use of available memory bandwidth and reducing the latency of the memory accesses.
Dual-Channel DDR3 Memory Support	Delivers up to 17 GB/s of bandwidth and 8 GB memory addressability for faster system responsiveness and support of 64-bit computing.
Intel® High Definition Audio (Intel® HD Audio)	Integrated audio support enables premium digital sound and delivers advanced features, such as multiple audio streams and jack re-tasking. The Dolby PC Entertainment Experience* is available exclusively on systems with Intel High Definition Audio.
Intel® Matrix Storage Technology (Intel® MST)	With a second hard drive added, provides quicker access to digital photo, video and data files with RAID 0, 5, and 10, and greater data protection against a hard disk drive failure with RAID 1, 5, and 10. Support for external SATA* (eSATA) enables the full SATA interface speed outside the chassis, up to 3 Gb/s.
Serial ATA (SATA) 3 Gbp/s	High-speed storage interface supports faster transfer rate for improved data access.
*USB Port Disable**	Enables individual USB ports to be enabled or disabled as needed. This feature provides added protection of data by preventing malicious removal or insertion of data through USB ports.
Intel® Quiet System Technology (Intel® QST)	Intelligent system fan speed control algorithms use operating temperature ranges more efficiently to reduce perceived system noise by minimizing fan speed changes.