Which chipset works better with your brand new 45nm Core2Quad processor? That's the question we will try to answer today with a comparison of four motherboard based on different chipsets: Intel P35, X38, X48 and Nvidia's 790o SLi.

From that comparison we skipped P965 chipset, since the 45nm Quad processors are not supported.

All motherboards for this test were kindly offered by Asustek company. These are the Asus P5E3 Premium, the Asus Striker II Extreme, the Asus Maximus Extreme and the Asus Blitz Extreme. The last two models have been already presented in previous reviews, so they are just included for comparison.

Let's begin presenting the newly introduced motherboards, the Asus P5E3 Premium and Asus Striker II Extreme, all based at DDR3 memory.

- Asus P5E3 Premium WiFi@n

The P5E3 Premium/WiFi-AP@n is an "improved" version of the popular P5E3 Deluxe Wifi, carrying the Intel X48 chipset. However, the difference between the X38 and X48 is minimal and mostly noticed when coupled with a 1600FSB processor.

The X48 motherboard combines performance with energy efficiency; and supports DDR3 2000MHz dual-channel memory architecture and Dual PCI Express 2.0 x16 lanes. It also comes with ASUS EPU (Energy Processing Unit), allowing the CPU power supply to be digitally monitored and fine-tuned with improved VRM efficiency in heavy or light loadings – attaining the best possible power efficiency and energy savings. The P5E3 Premium/WiFi-AP@n also supports 802.11n WiFi specifications onboard for faster data transfers, and ASUS Express Gate – an optional Linux OS bootup for instant access to the Internet in just 5 seconds.

AI Lifestyle Series of motherboards provide you better system performance to enjoy graphic-intensive games and applications. The audio feature enhances the quality of voice signal. Thoughtful design allows you to set up your system easily. To create a peaceful environment, several new and improved innovations are included to reduce noise and temperature.

	LGA775 Intel® Core™2 Processor Ready This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™2 processors in LGA775 package. It also can support Intel® next generation 45nm Multi-Core CPU. With new Intel® Core™ microarchitecture technology and 1600 / 1333 / 1066 / 800 MHz FSB, Intel® Core™2 processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPU in the world.
	PCIe 2.0 Double Speed; Double Bandwidth This motherboard supports the latest PCIe 2.0 devices for double speed and bandwidth which enhances system performance.
	Dual-Channel DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1800(O.C.)/1600 The motherboard supports DDR3 memory that features data transfer rates of 2000(O.C.)/1800(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066/800 MHz to meet the higher bandwidth requirements of the latest operation system, 3D graphics, multimedia, and Internet applications. The dual-channel DDR3 architecture doubles the bandwidth of your system memory to boost system performance, eliminating bottlenecks with peak bandwidths of up to 28.8 GB/s. Furthermore, the supply voltage for the memory is reduced from 1.8 V for DDR2 to just 1.5 V for DDR3. This voltage reduction limits the power consumption and heat generation of DDR3 which makes it an ideal memory solution.
	ASUS EPU: Enables the Most Energy Efficient Motherboard in the World Enables the Most Energy Efficient Motherboard in the World The ASUS EPU utilizes innovative technology to digitally monitor and tune the CPU power supply with improved VR responses in heavy or light loadings. It automatically provides power for higher performance or improve efficiency by 50% when the PC is running low intensity applications. Working together with AI Gear 3+, this can help you attain the best possible power efficiency and energy savings up to 80.23% to help save the environment.
	ASUS Express Gate: Surf the Internet in 5-second-boot time without entering Windows With a fast bootup speed of only 5 seconds, the ASUS Express Gate offers an optional Linux OS bootup that allows you to enjoy instant access to commonly used functions like accessing the Internet, VoIP, and Web emailing without entering the OS.

In order to get familiar with the full features of the Asus P5E3 Premium WiFi@n visit the Asus website.

- Full specifications