Intel X48 Motherboards to Show Up This Week

[Rob Williams]

From our front-page news:

According to industry-tracking website DigiTimes, Intel X48-equipped motherboards will soon be making their way into the retail channel. The first set of shipments are small, but full-throttle shipments should occur in the coming week.

X48 is an evolutionary upgrade over X48, with the prime difference being an upgrade in the systems FSB, which will sit at 1600MHz. Because of this, the upcoming QX9770 processor will be natively supported. That processor is mysterious, because we first previewed it way back in November. It's not often that we release reviews so far in advance of a product launch, so it's looking like the launch could be soon, thanks to the X48 launch.

We've yet to take a look at an X48 board, but have plans to soon. Our first review will be the ASUS P5E3 Premium board, which I expect to be a great performer and feature a splendid bundle (if previous generations are anything to go by). This board is likely to be included in the initial launch as well.

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Although Intel has not yet officially announced its high-end X48 chipset, some first-tier motherboard makers started shipping boards in small volumes a few days ago. Mass shipping will start in the middle of March, according to sources in the channel. Asustek Computer and Gigabyte Technology both started shipping the motherboards this week.

Source: DigiTimes
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[sbrehm72255]

Boy I really need to win the lottery if I want to keep up with everything new coming out................

As it is I have to make house payments, pay taxes, and eat, so I guess new parts are going to have to take the back seat for a while.

 

[Rob Williams]

I am surprised X48 has taken THIS long. I expected it to be out in early January, but here it is March and still no sign of it. Given that I've just been sent an X48 board from ASUS, it makes this "rumor" far more of a reality. Normally they won't outright ask to review an early product unless it's release is right around the same time that it will be received.

 

[Merlin]

Why are they tip-toeing around the DDR2 and DDR3 memory options?
At the last minute the X38 boards were DDR3 and this X48 board is back to DDR2....just wondering WTH is going on.

Merlin

 

[sbrehm72255]

I think that they both are going to swing both ways.......

At least until DDR3 prices come down a little, making them DDR3 only right now would really hurt sales due to high priced DDR3 memory.

 

[Rob Williams]

X48 was "supposed" to be DDR3-only, but the motherboard manufacturers won't let it happen, and for good reason.

 

[On_Wisconsin]

The X48 is an evolutionary upgrade over X48? Wow I thought they were the same?

 

[sbrehm72255]

I think that there is a slight typo there.......

 

[Kougar]

Articles I'd read indicated Intel did push back X48's launch because they had to much stock on X38 they wanted to get rid of first.

X48 is X38, the only difference is X48 is the cream of the X38 crop so to speak. They are the highest speed binned X38's.

Intel designed X38 to be DDR3 oriented, but due to DDR3 pricing reasons and general user complaints the actual mainboard companies went against the flow and decided to release either DDR2, DDR2/3 combo boards, or just like Gigabyte make everyone happy by releasing the exact same board for each memory flavor. Gigabyte has sold/will sell DDR2 only and DDR3 only boards for P35, X38, and soon to be X48.

 

[sbrehm72255]

I think that most vendors are going to be doing the same thing, selling both types...............

 

[CoolZone]

DDR2 support is very good for people that want to buy a lot of ram,very cheap and for people that have already bought the ram and waiting for a new,better motherboard to come for sale.
The thing is I read somewbere that the starting price for X48 motherboards is 450$.Is that true?Also,ICH10 was promised,and I do not know for sure what motherboards include it.
Does anyone know from the launched X48 mobos which have digital PWM?I heard the DFI one has

 

[werty316]

/me like however the chances of one getting in my hands is slim

 

[Kougar]

No, that is not true... that costs almost as much as a Skulltrail motherboard...

X48 will range between $200-$300, most of them falling inside the latter half of that range.

 

[sbrehm72255]

Way to much cash IMHO.........

And besides that, I have no use for most of the feature set, they will end up being turned off in the bios.

But I do like the OC'ing ability of the boards.

 

[Rob Williams]

I just want a board that can hit 500FSB reliably. It's amazing to me that I've been unable to get a board that can hit 500FSB... it makes benchmarking DDR3 useless (since DDR3-2000 can't be hit).

X48 is a minor upgrade and chances are for most, no real difference will be seen. Even some P35 boards are advertised to support 1600FSB, so like Kougar said, X48 should prove to be the highest binned parts that should be superb for overclocking.

 

[Kougar]

Rob, your statement truly does puzzle me... May I ask what boards have you attempted specifically? Are you sure your processor sample is capable of running 500FSB, or have you tried multiple processors?

I've taken a E6300 to ~515FSB on a GA-965P-DS3 Rev 1 (Rev 1s had serious vReg issues), and the same procy hit ~540FSB on my GA-P35-DQ6 Rev 1. 24 hour stable, the works, no extreme voltages I wouldn't be comfortable running 24/7. Those were the only two boards that I've bought since the P4 Northwood days...

My only other motherboard experience has been a Foxconn 975X based board I was able to test out, it easily couldn't make it it but that should be expected. It was capable of hitting somewhere around 450 though nonetheless... any board whatsoever should do 1600FSB.

 

[Rob Williams]

I used to hit 500FSB on older motherboards, like the GA-965P-DS3 just fine, but since then, it seems to be impossible. I think it comes down to bad luck, because I see other reviews of boards I have here that do hit over 500FSB, but I've never been able to hit it stable.

I've tired numerous CPUs, from the E6750 to the QX9650, and no cigar. I have a Striker II Formula that I'll install tonight and see where I get with that. An ASUS P5E3 Premium (X48) is also en route, so hopefully that has some breathing room. Most motherboards I've touched lately have topped out at 475FSB, so maybe I do have an incredibly bad batch of CPUs.

 

[THUMPer]

My buddy just got an X38 with DDR2. He is thoroughly confused on setting up the BIOS. I will need to help him. He is an old AMD guy.

Plus Nehalem supports DDR3 only.

 

[Rob Williams]

Yes, Nehalem will be when the push for DDR3 really begins.

 

[sbrehm72255]

Can't wait for the prices of DDR3 to drop a bit more, although they have dropped a fair amount in the past few months.