14 DAY TRIAL // Just a few moments ago, we brought you the first details about Intel's upcoming Z68-based motherboards, and now we have managed to get our hands on additional information regarding the DZ68DB and the DZ68BC and two other Intel LGA 2011 models based on the Patsburg chipset.
The details were made public by the Xfastest website which posted a confidential Intel platform roadmap that describes a series of new motherboards.
The first board Intel plans to release is the mini-ITX DH61AG which is based on the H61 chipset and features SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 support as well as DVI and HDMI connectivity.
As is the case with many other mini-ITX boards, Intel has decided to install SO-DIMM memory slots in order to save some extra space on the printed circuit board (PCB).
Next in line in the leaked roadmap is the multimedia-oriented DZ68DB, which is based on the Z68 PCH and packs overclocking support as well as DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs.
Just like the company's mini-ITX H61 solution, the DZ68DB also sports USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps, but it also adds RAID and uses a full-ATX form factor.
In the second half of the year, Intel plans to release a high-end Z68 motherboard which is called the DZ68BC.
Contrary to its media-oriented sibling, this will come with dual PCI Express x8 slots which are compatible with AMD's CrossFireX technology as well as with Nvidia SLI while also adding WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity to the mix.
Sadly, Intel doesn't mention if the board will support any sort of video output, but I am almost sure such a port will be available as Intel wouldn't have otherwise used the Z68 chipset for the DZ68BC.
As far as the two Patsburg motherboards are concerned, Intel hasn't yet decided how these two models will be actually called, enabling the company to use either the X68 or the X78 designation for Siler and Thorsby.
Both models feature pretty much the same specifications and pack dual PCI Express x16 slots, which are compatible with dual-GPU solutions from AMD and Nvidia, USB 3.0, overclocking and RAID support as well as eight DIMM memory slots, since Sandy Bridge-EP processors feature quad-channel memory support.
However, if users install more than one module per channel, the memory's speed is throttled at 1333MHz (compared to 1600MHz when only one DIMM per channel is used).
Intel's Z68 chipset is expected to be released in Q2 of 2011 (probably as soon as April) while Patsburg should arrive in late Q3 or early Q4, probably during the autumn IDF. (via VR-Zone)
