ASUS P5K3 Premium (Source: ASUS)
ASUS Perfect T-Tree Design (Source: ASUS)
ASUS' P5K3 packs 2GB DDR3 memory onboard
ASUS this week announced its latest P5K3 Premium motherboard based on Intel’s P35 Express chipset, but with a twist. The P5K3 Premium does away with traditional memory slots and integrates DDR3 memory onboard instead. ASUS packs the P5K3 Premium with 2GB of DDR3 1333 MHz memory, or what ASUS calls Turbo D3 Onboard Memory. The memory has latencies between CL7-to-CL10.
ASUS laid out 2GB of DDR3 memory in a dual-channel configuration for optimal performance. The onboard memory is also set up in what ASUS calls a perfect T-Tree design, where the memory controller has access to each pair of memory chips. ASUS claims the T-Tree design reduces clock cycle timing by 50% compared to traditional fly-by designs, which grants the memory controller access to each module.
ASUS guarantees memory overclocks above 1500 MHz, nearly matching the speeds of high-end overclocking memory. However, ASUS recommends at least a 1066 MHz front-side bus processor to achieve memory speeds above 1500 MHz.
Other notable features of the ASUS P5K3 Premium include support for upcoming Penryn-family processors and 1333 MHz front-side bus processors. Expansion capabilities of the P5K3 Premium include two PCIe x16 with CrossFire compatibility, two PCIe x1 and 3 PCI slots. ASUS also installs a JMicron JMB363 controller for one ATA133 and two e.SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports, in addition to the six internal SATA3.0 Gb/s ports provided by the Intel ICH9R.
Analog Devices provides audio via eight-channel high-definition audio codec. Dual Gigabit LAN is also standard. A large copper heat-pipe cools the P35 Express, ICH9R, VRMs and DDR3 memory.
Expect to pay quite a chunk of change when the board hits retail in the coming weeks.
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