Gigabyte X38-DQ6 Motherboard Review - Intel X38 Arrives!

Final conclusions and thoughts

Devices of Intel X38

The tiddlywinks of Intel X38 are great variation in the world of tiddlywinks of platform of Intel.� Like first product to support PCI Express 2.0, the mother charts using X38 will have the support of the next generation of the graphics cards as they are released from NVIDIA and AMD.� This doesn 'average of T those of you with PCIe 1.0 mother chart will be out of the chance for G90+ or R700+, puts 'preoccupation with a T; these GPUs will be compatible with PCI Express 1.0 mother chart as well and since we all know that the bandwidth of PCIe 1.0 isn 't obtaining still saturated, the NEED for PCIe 2.0 isn 't there.�

DDR3 is another new device on the X38 tiddlywinks (although the P35 tiddlywinks has it as well) but not all the mother charts will still support it, just as gigaoctet X38-DQ6 which we reviewed does not make here.� There is no doubt that DDR3 will be thereafter the chief of execution for subsystems of memory but in this moment, without overclocking, DDR3 isn 't appreciably more quickly now.� Memory DDR2 is also completely a little less expensive him incentive a more probable candidate so that the users buy.� Because the prices start to be equalized, we will see that more and more the mother charts DDR3 strike the market and then X38 will still have another advantage.

We can 't forget the duelles slits of PCI Express X 16 qu ' Intel took care to include with the X38 tiddlywinks.� No doubt for the use with the systems multi-GPU, X38 will only currently support the technology of interference current of AMD for the moment as NVIDIA always refuses to differently authorize the use of SLI to no matter whom 'tiddlywinks of S. It is really a shame, but of a point of stand of businesses, you must see the advantages for NVIDIA.�

In conclusion, we have the two other devices that X38 brings to the table: Extreme memory of Intel and extreme utility of agreement of Intel.� They are the two good devices for the enthusiast of material of beginning because it allows users with the overclock their systems in a way much surer than just striking switches and indicator what occurs.� I the 'VE already mentioned that all the two articles are very similar to NVIDIA 'with S have offers of memory and nTune of SLI, but Intel has enough push to make their versions much more impressive.� Which manufacturer of memory isn 't going to want to support Intel 's have the specific devices of synchronizations of memory?� And which suppliers will deny Intel 'software S to work with their mother chart?

Execution

Because you would envisage, the tiddlywinks of Intel X38 carries out indeed better than the P35 tiddlywinks; but not by much.� The differences are mainly in the controller of memory and are really not as dramatic as Intel could have hoped or have envisaged.� It is approximately in conformity with until I waited however, like wouldn of Intel 'leave of T too much their development of controller of memory only to one product simple SKU.�

Truths advantages which we see on the X38 tiddlywinks is in the kingdom overclocking, a sector that Intel finally started to pay the attention to with the last development of the known mother chart 975X under the name of BadAxe2.� Intel opened the buses on the tiddlywinks to allow the suppliers of mother chart 'BIOS to adjust it according to the needs, however not as independently as NVIDIA 'series of S 680i leaves.� Nevertheless, I was very impressed execution of gigaoctet X38-DQ6 in our tests overclocking.� It exceeded any current mother chart of INTEL-punt-form in terms raw speeds of bus on before-side.

Gigaoctet 'mother chart of S X38-DQ6

Although it could lose in the haste which is the launching of tiddlywinks of Intel X38, the mother chart of gigaoctet X38-DQ6 proved to be a LARGE mother chart in my test.� The devices were superb with the inclusion of the slits multi-GPU of PCIe x16, of eight total ports of SATA and an external configuration of connection which is single and really very useful.� The execution of the mother chart was faster than her councils of competition of P35-chipset and the potential overclocking that the shown council exceeded my hopes and placed a new record as well.�

The only disadvantages which I see are the lack of the gigaoctet to offer Intel extreme granting the price of service and potential.� With the current evaluation with $299, it one of the mother charts of enthusiast INTEL-based dearest on the market, competing with the tastes of would be butted of extreme Asus and the DFI LanParty UT P35.� If all goes although the evaluation will be high and us will see this and other mother charts X38 more close to level $200 soon.

Final thoughts

Intel 'the new handset of X38 chips of S and the mother chart of gigaoctet X38-DQ6 based on it show much promise and were very impressive here in our test today.� The X38 tiddlywinks are the first to offer the support of the technology of PCI Express 2.0 as well as brings Intel 's have the device and the system extremes of memory software utilities for launching on the market so that the enthusiasts embrace.� The mother chart of gigaoctet X38-DQ6 takes the best parts of the new handset of chips and combines them to make a hell of a mother chart of enthusiast who employs memory DDR2 and has the entrails overclocking like us asylum 't seen in a certain hour.

Intel 's initially make an incursion in the world of the enthusiast that chipsets in almost two years will be struck and the gigaoctet should not have any trouble being one of the selections preferred of the communities during some time.

All You Need to Know About Intel's Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa is the code name given to the platform of fourth generation of book of Intel Centrino. Intel officially revealed the new platform for books on May 9, 2007. The launching of Santa Rosa was identified by the great expectancy, the surprise and a part delays, but she promised a better execution more than anything else. Right of the first platform of Centrino presented by Intel in the year 2003, the company had always unrolled the new processors, the chipsets, the possibilities of network management and other devices which aim at improving the experiment of mobile calculation. If the history is something to go close, Santa Rosa will deliver the same thing, once again. But how much good it obtains? How Santa Rosa is an improvement in the current books of generation? All it and much more will be the matter of the discussion during this article. Since the books based on this new platform starting from various manufacturers just started to take the market by the storm, is now the good hour to make a pause and to include/understand Santa Rosa better.

The needs in the components for always stigmatizing Centrino remain the same ones. So that a book qualifies like Centrino, it requires the inclusion of all the Intel marked of the components like the central processing unit of treatment, the tiddlywinks and the adaptor without wire. If any component out of the latter is replaced by produced thirds, the doesn of book 't qualifies to be called Centrino, according to standards of Intel. While this can resound a little narcissistic, in terms of calculation - that made better than the evil. It brings the narrow association of the components which are made function the ones with the others, reducing of this fact of the complications and while helping develop a platform better rather than only products.

Now that we the 'VE better Centrino included/understood like platform, we can continue the discussion about Santa Rosa and what it brings to the table wanders. books!

Santa Rosa dissected

Just a few weeks before launching, Intel announced its plans to classify the platform of Santa Rosa in two shares. Supported with a strategy marketing succeeded, Intel segmented the hot marking of Centrino de Santa Rosa in two distinct names - Centrino Duo and Centrino pro. While the requirements in material for both the marks remain the same ones, these divisions were created to improve the costume the customer requirements.

The Centrino Duo calls upon the average consumer while Centrino pro is the professionals concerned of businesses. Basically, pro devices Intel 'of Centrino technology of vPro of S of the desktop machines in addition to the general quality of Santa Rosa. the technology of vPro brings better possibilities of management and network management like Intel 'management active of S, virtualisation and technologies of confidence of execution in the books. Consequently, the pro books of Centrino authorize interfaces manager to control systems using the lan without wire independently of their state of power or the health of the system.

The mobile technology of Centrino Duo will make just very well for the domestic users, the students and the small offices in general. Centrino pro could be more enormous for the professionals of businesses seeking additional safety and the best management of the systems managed in network.

Components of Santa Rosa

The key components of Intel 's Santa Rosa will be discussed one. Each one of them improvements of sport to the present generation.

1. Central processing unit of treatment:

The heart of the of Santa Rosa of platform must be the mobile processors of duet of core 2 of second generation. Those comprise a faster speed of 800MHz FSB compared with 667MHz of the preceding duets of core 2 of generation. They are still able of calculation 64-bit. The new duets of core 2 for the platform of Santa Rosa are also based on the manufacturing process 65nm like older processors of duet of core 2. The faster assistances speed of FSB improve the execution of central processing unit of treatment and reach the higher frequencies of clock.

Another improvement with processors of duet of core 2 of Santa Rosa 'of S is the introduction of the technology of SpeedStep for the speed of FSB. Now, the processors are able to bring back the frequency of FSB to half (400MHz) under less load or while on the battery. The new processors of duet of core 2 comprise 2MB or 4MB L2 hiding-place and assert increased major technology stage. The characteristics of the new processors are tabul�es below. The model names are based on the nomenclature of T/L 7x00.

Duet of core 2	T7100	T7300	T7500	T7700	L7300	L7500
Manufacture	65nm	65nm	65nm	65nm	65nm	65nm
Seal L2	2MB	4MB	4MB	4MB	4MB	4MB
The frequency of clock	1.8GHz	2GHz	2.2GHz	2.4GHz	1.4GHz	1.6GHz
On the frequency of clock of battery	800MHz	800MHz	800MHz	800MHz	800MHz	800MHz
Frequency of FSB	800MHz	800MHz	800MHz	800MHz	800MHz	800MHz
TDP (power)	35W	35W	35W	35W	17W	17W
Pricing/1000 units	$209	$241	$316	$530	$316	$284

Components of Santa Rosa, continuous part

2. Tiddlywinks

New chipsets GM965 and mobile PM965 purposely of Intel is added to the processors of duet of core 2 of 800MHz FSB. Tiddlywinks 965 express mobile comprise DDR2 the memory with dual channel, the bus of system of 800/533 megahertz, bandwidth of PCI Express x16 for graphs and the connectivity of USB 2.0 of ports, Serial ATA, and Safety-Speed of input-output of PCI Express x1. The southbridge of Intel ICH8M provides audio Intel HD and a group of other controllers of input-output.

Here a diagram of reference of the new handset of express chips GM965 (click for the image for a bigger size):

The PM965 express devices a bandwidth devoted of NCV-E x16 for the discrete graphs of nVidia& ATI (now AMD). For more information on DirectX 10 devoted graphs GPUs for the use of book, please refer our articles here for offers of nVidia and this manner for options of ATI.

3. Graphs:

The GM965 express the mobile devices of chipsets a core on board the X3100 accelerator of media of graphs. It is DirectX 10 in conformity and able to satisfy the requests for Windows Vista 'of graphic air interface of S. GMA X3100 fol�tre a frequency of the clock 500MHz and will support material T&L, the model 3.0 of Shader we will have a clear idea of the power and true details once we obtain a book based on the X3100 accelerator of media of graphs in our test laboratories. The stay granted!

4. Network management of cable and without wire

Another important update with Santa Rosa is the incorporation of the module without wire of the bond 4965AGN of Intel WiFi. It provides the flexibility of deployment and the suitability of connectivity by offering the support of mode of quadruple for technologies 802.11a/b/g/Draft-N without wire. It is behind - compatible with the preceding networks of the generation 802.11 a/b/g. Draft-802.11n brings the 5x transfers more quickly without wire and a 2x improvement of range without wire above the current characteristics of the 802.11g generation. Speeds of transfer until 300Mbps can be reached without wire with the module 4965AGN. This chart addition was earlier called Kedron .

Also inserted in the tiddlywinks is family 82566 of the controllers of Ethernet of gigabit for faster LANs of cable.

The 82566DM/MM also supports the virtualizing technology of Intel and the active technology of management better to discover, cure and protect from the systems on the network.

Components of Santa Rosa, ContinuedPart2

5. Technology of Robson:

Also known like memory of Turbo Intel, Intel presents 512MB/1GB of Flash memory of not-and an instantaneous controller on these minis-PCIe chart like option for Intel 'the books based by Santa Rosa of S. This device of material slated to function exclusively with Microsoft Windows Vista to improve of the operations of disc by the use of the devices like ReadyBoost, ReadyDrive and SuperFetch.

The memory of Intel Turbo functions beside your RAM of system 'of S to increase the effectiveness of the transfer of information between the processor and the hard drive. It really lets your book learn your practices to provide a better reaction of system. That 's because it stores the information frequently used close to the processor, where him 's more quickly available. The advantages of the memory of Intel Turbo include:

• Reduced time of boot. A faster access to initialize-towards the top of the files lets the system start to the top more quickly.
• Answer improved of application. The data coming from the memory of Intel Turbo instead of the unit from hard drive increase the speed of access.
• Accelerated loading of application. With rapid access by the processor with information had to launch the latency time of cuts of applications.
• Saver of energy. Pr�enregistrement of information the time of rotation of hard drive reduces, which saves the power.

1GB of this memory of Intel Turbo would light only your small pocket by approximately $50. Considering the advantages, it is something interesting to add to your called investments the dear books.

6. EFI:

Santa Rosa actuated books are based on the EFI-software package, which is a successor with the traditional BIOS. EFI is an interface which helps the hand in addition to ordering of the system for pre-initialize the environment with one of the operating system. The specifications of EFI in the beginning were developed by Intel, and are now controlled by the unified forum of EFI and are officially known as unified EFI (UEFI). Apple 's INTEL-have actuated use EFI of impers already instead of the BIOS.

That 's it of people, this should be very that you must know Santa Rosa. Now you gained 't you feel like a complete noob while you 'about the glance to buy your next laptop!

The next question is from here obvious, which next?

The road ahead

Intel aligned Montevina like platform of Centrino of fifth-generation like successor with Santa Rosa. Montevina will support Penryn the 'processor based on the technology of 45 nanometer.

One expects that Penryn the �processors do not consume more than the ofpower 29W. Also envisaged is the beginning of SE 4.1 with 47 new additional whole of instruction with SSSE3. Penryn the� processor will be added to the tiddlywinks of Cantiga and the southbridge of ICH9M. A new module without wire called Shiloh east works also below to support WiMAX and 3.5G HSDPA. Montevina the �platform finally could mix with the power-effective DDR2 800MHz SO-DIMM. It will also bring memory 2.0 of Intel Turbo with the Flash memory of not-and greater capacity on board for the additional advantages of execution. Like Santa Rosa, Montevina � is also envisaged in two savours - professional of Montevina and basic principle of Montevina.

Montevina is programmed for a release in the second quarters of 2008.

As they say however - better hour to buy a system is now, thus outside for books based on the pro platform of Centrino Duo and Centrino if you take care to look at 're on the market for a laptop this year. You can 't outward journey badly of par with him!

There is more than 230 pro designs of Centrino Duo and Centrino of the manufacturers of PC, retailers and integrators around the world to work the mines of Santa Rosa. They will come in all the forms and faces from the b�h�moth from the dragons from 20 inches to the TZS ultra-transportable from VAIO. There is of for each one!