14 DAY TRIAL // DDR3 memory modules are expected to go mainstream this year, but without any real support from CPU and motherboard makers, they won't be able to really penetrate the market. As various chipset makers already announced several DDR3-supporting families, it's time Intel unveiled some DDR3-supporting motherboards of its own.
Recently leaked details reveal the Bearlake-family Intel P35 Express desktop chipset, which will be among the first to support DDR3 memory. Previous Intel roadmaps claimed that DDR3 support could be available around late 2007 if the new technology made its debut by then. However, the company doesn't just wait for the new memory modules to pop out, as it has already started sampling its DDR3 motherboards and a couple of prototypes have already been spotted on the Internet.
Intel announces that the P35 chipset may feature DDR2 or DDR3 memory, but not both at the same time. The above leaked motherboard image presents a prototype which supports up to four sticks of DDR3 memory rated at 800 MHz or 1066 MHz. The P35 chipset also supports FSB clocks as high as 1333 MHz for the available and upcoming LGA775 CPUs, such as Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad and Celeron 4xx-series. However, the leaked information does not specify if previous Pentium 4, Pentium D and Celeron D processors for LGA775 remain supported on the new platform. This should not pose serious problems to consumers who want to upgrade any time soon, as Intel is ready to launch 1333 MHz front-side-bus Core 2 Duo E6x50-series CPUs later this year and the current Core 2 Duo CPUs will see considerable price drops.
Intel is expected to launch its Bearlake-family in August or September 2007. The new chipset family will spawn five desktop variants, which include the integrated graphics endowed G33 & G35 Express, vPro platform Q33 & Q35 Express, mainstream P35 Express and performance oriented X38 Express.