14 DAY TRIAL // The stream of new hardware releases seems to have settled now that the flood of new graphics cards has passed, but it is in no way dried up, as is proven by EVGA, which is preparing a new, next-generation motherboard.
Currently, what one understands by next-generation motherboard is a platform designed for either Intel's Sandy bridge CPUs or AMD's Fusion APUs.
Since Advanced Micro Devices won't have its processors out before Intel, EVGA figured it would create a new mainboard for the latter.
The product bears the name of P67 Classified and, as its name implies, it comes with the LGA 1155 socket.
The hardware maker did not really make the official announcement of the device, but it did provide a press photo of it, which is quite telling in itself.
Among the things that onlookers will notice are four DDR3 memory slots, as well as six PCI Express x16 slots, likely linked to an nForce 200 bridge chip from NVIDIA.
There are also a pair of SATA 6.0 Gps ports, four SATA 3.0 Gbps connectors, a 12-phase power design and an angled 24-pin connector, plus a pair of 8-pin CPU power plugs.
The two CPU power plugs will definitely provide all the power needed for overclocking, since such setups are what this platform is meant for, besides just high-end gaming.
Needless to say, the product is fully geared for 3-way SLI and CrossFireX multi-GPU configurations and features all the connectivity and I/O options one might look for.
The list includes Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1 channel audio and USB 3.0 connectivity, to name a few.
All in all, the motherboard should prove most resourceful when in the hands of high-end gamers and enthusiasts eager to push their new Sandy Bridge CPUs as high as possible.
Of course, the official launch probably won't happen until next month, possibly during the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show.