Intel X38 Express Chipset Debuts

Name: Intel X38 Express Chipset Debuts - Page 2
Brand: Intel

by Marco Chiappetta — Wednesday, October 10, 2007, 12:01 AM EDT

To coincide with the launch of the Intel X38 Express chipset, we received a pair of enthusiast class motherboards, the Asus P5E3 Deluxe and the Gigabyte X38-DQ6. The Asus P5E3 Deluxe is an ultra high-end motherboard that supports DDR3 memory, 802.11n wireless networking, and it even features an embedded Linux-based operating system that can be loaded in a matter of seconds. The Gigabyte X38-DQ6 is also a high-end offering, but it supports more affordable DDR2 memory.

Asus P5E3 Deluxe

Features & Specifications

Processor

Support for LGA775 Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo
1333/1066/800MHz FSBs along with future 45nm processors

Chipset

Intel X38 Northbridge
Intel ICH9R Southbridge

Memory

Up to 8GB DDR3 800/1066/1333MHz memory in dual channel mode

Expansion

Two PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (both x16 bandwidth) with support for ATI CrossFire
Two PCI Express x1 slots
Two 32-bit v2.3 Master PCI bus slots (support 3.3v/5v PCI bus interface)

Extras

Asus Lifestyle Features including AI Gear 3

I/O

One IDE port
Six SATA 3Gbps ports supporting RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 or JBOD
ADI SoundMax ADI1988B High-Definition audio codec supporting 7.1 channel surround sound up to 32-bit/192KHz
Two Gigabit Ethernet provided by the PCI-Express Marvell 88E8056-NNC1 chipset and another on PCI provided by the Realtek RTL8110SC chipset
Agere IEEE1394a Firewire chipset
JMB363 chipset supplying one PATA port and two 3Gbps eSATA devices
Ralink RT2770F 802.11 Draft-n Wireless

Package Contents

6 x SATA cables
1 x Molex to dual SATA power cable
1 x Floppy cable
1 x IDE cable
1 x Asus Q-Connector
1 X Asus Q-Shield
2 x WiFi Antennaa
1 x PCI bracket with 2 USB ports and 1 Firewire port
2 x Optional Fans
Manuals, Quick Start Guide and Driver DVD

As you’ve probably come to expect from Asus, the P5E3 Deluxe ships with an over-the-top assortment of bundled accessories and software. The Asus P5E3 Deluxe’s bundle includes detailed user’s manuals for the board and its integrated 802.11n WiFi NIC / AP, and a multi-language quick-start guide to help get the board installed as quickly and painlessly as possible. Also included with the board is a driver DVD, six SATA cables, a 4-Pin Molex to dual-SATA power adapter, a pair of optional cooling fans, a package of Q-Connectors, black IDE and Floppy cables, a case bracket with USB and Firewire ports, and finally a pair of WiFi antennas. You can also see a custom I/O shield above, which interestingly enough is somewhat unique. With this I/O shield, Asus has done away with the sharp metal tabs common to virtually all other shields and has replaced them with an insulated foam. The foam adapts to the shape of the board and helps prevent accidental cuts and vibration.

Tags: Intel, Chipset, Pre, X3, Chip, XP, chips, IPS, express, IP, BU

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com