Intel's latest series of processors, the Penryn-based models, are going to bring some new light into the world of desktop and server computing, being the first processor models in the world to be manufactured on the 45nm manufacturing process. But these processors aren't yet available for the masses as Intel is scrambling to make deadlines and bring them on the market by the second half of the year.

But for these processors, some modifications on the existing motherboards are necessary, as the Voltage Regulator Modules (VRM) need to supply another voltage, apparently much lower than the one needed by the processors from the Core architecture. So until a new set of motherboards becomes available with the modified specifications that match the processors' new voltage requirements, VoldMods have been applied to current versions of the motherboards to support the new processors. The main model that got the "upgrade" was Intel's flagship motherboard, the D975XBX2 BadAxe2 model, and everybody who wants to test a new Penryn processor, would use that mobo.

That is up until now, because, even though motherboards based on Intel's x3x series of chipsets won't be available until the third quarter of 2007, to match the mass availability of the Penryn processors, a model based on the P35 chipset from ASUS made its way in. It's called ASUS P5K3 Deluxe, and uses DDR3 memory. The PCB is also filled with solid capacitors, a feature ASUS started using since their joint venture with Gigabyte. You can also see two PCI-Express x16 slots, 3xPCIs, 2xPCI-Express x1, 6 x Serial ATA ports, external HDMI connections, 7.1 channel sound channels from an integrated sound card, optical and S-PDIF connectors, dual gigabit LAN connections through the RTL8110SC ethernet controller, internal and external Firewire connections, one IDE connector (good think they still have it) and three heatpipes connecting the southbridge, northbridge and a part of the VRM's.

Another "leaked" motherboard from the x3x chipsets which uses DDR2 memory. The mobo is called ASUS P5K Deluxe and shares the majority of features found on the previous model, except for the DDR2 memory, instead of DDR3 and Stack Cool 2, a feature only available on P5K3 Deluxe.