14 DAY TRIAL // With Intel?s new Penryn-based processors being the latest ?must have? for the enthusiasts, the appropriate hardware must also be available, that?s why computer components manufacturers have taken upon themselves to bring to the market Intel Penryn compatible motherboards based on the x3x series of chipsets and DDR3 memory modules. The prices for DDR3 are high for the moment; in some cases, 2x1GB memory kits go for more than $1100, which currently exceeds the factory price for Intel?s latest quad-core processor.
Being a little more down to Earth, and seeing how Intel will only be releasing a single chipset, the X38 ? which will have only DDR3 support ? some manufacturers still rely on DDR2 memory modules and on improving their performances as much as they can. That won?t be a problem now, but Penryn processors are the spearhead which will make DDR3 available to the general public, with analysts predicting that this type of memory will become mainstream by 2009. But, ever since the first previews of x3x-based motherboards back at CeBIT, models have been showing up everywhere, some of which I?ve mentioned before, and some which go to unusual, maybe even unnecessary lengths to promote their products.
Such is the case with MSI, which have created a special ?roller coaster-shaped? cooling system called Circu-Pipe for the motherboards southbridge, northbridge and VRMs. The model is called MSI P35 Platinum D3, it?s based on Intel?s P35 ?Bearlake? chipset and uses solely DDR3 memory, with plans for another version, the MSI P35 Platinum, which will feature DDR2 memory support. Much like the models from ASUS based on the P35 chipset, the PCB is covered with solid state capacitors, and I?m guessing this is not just some marketing stunt, it might as well be a part of Intel?s design for this chipset.
The board features two PCI slots, two PCIe x1, and two PCIe x16, with dual slot spacing in between the PCIe x16 slots, for massive cooling systems. The sound card is an integrated 7.1 channel Realtek ALC888 HD Audio CODEC with S-PDIF connection, two Gigabit LAN connections powered by the Realtek RTL8111B ASIC, 4+1 Serial ATA 3Gbps ports, one Parallel ATA, two eSATA, one firewire, ten USB2.0.
