Intel’s newest chipset, code name Bearlake, is still a few weeks away from an actual launch, but we’ve got some specs that you might find handy in case you’re pondering a new desktop in the near future. The P35 chipset is built on one of the 65nm process nodes and will undoubtedly hit the ground running on Core 2 microprocessors that require a 1,333MHz front side bus. The Bearlake chipsets are ideal because they run on less power, don’t produce a lot of heat, and they’re much cheaper to produce. It also supports DDR3 memory while still supporting DDR2.
The new P35 motherboards will support multiple PCI Express x16 graphics slots. The main slot will have the real deal x16 connection while the second PEG slot will have an x1 or x4 connection all depending on the type of card you choose to run. Also on board is the ICH9R Southbridge, which has an additional six lanes of PCI Express connectivity (for x1 expansion slots or peripheral connections), 12 USB ports will be supported, and six SATA ports (with RAID), plus all the current features of the ICH8R. No word on price or official launch date, but we’ll keep you informed.
Asus P35 ‘Bearlake’ Motherboard Sneak Peek [Hot Hardware]