DailyTech - New ASUS Motherboard Features Intel's H57 Chipset, Support for 32nm Clarkdale CPUs

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Hardware New ASUS Motherboard Features Intel's H57 Chipset, Support for 32nm Clarkdale CPUs
Jansen Ng (Blog) - November 17, 2009 6:11 AM

19 comment(s) - last by chunkymonster.. on Dec 2 at 12:31 PM

(Click to enlarge)

Also USB 3.0 and 6Gb/s SATA support

We are on the eve of Intel's 32nm High-K Metal Gate CPU product launch. The first chips in the Westmere family will be low-cost 32nm dual core Clarkdale CPUs integrating a 45nm graphics die on the same package. They will be marketed as Core i3 CPUs for budget-conscious consumers.

While the P55 chipsets have been paired with the Core i5 CPUs, that platform is designed for the mainstream performance market. It can support Core i3 CPUs, but won't be able to take advantage of the integrated graphics.

The majority of Core i3 buyers will be looking for a low cost system using integrated graphics, but still has features that make it a worthwhile upgrade.

DailyTech has received information on the P7H57D-V EVO, which will be ASUS' premium motherboard for Core i3 builders. It has routing for the Flexible Display Interface, which will allow the use of integrated graphics through HDMI, DVI, or VGA outputs.

ASUS was the first motherboard manufacturer to ship boards with support for USB 3.0 and 6Gb/s SATA, and the P7H57D-V EVO will continue that trend. Both of these interfaces have significantly increased speeds that will keep them relevant well into the next decade, despite Intel's delayed integration of the new standards into their chipsets.

There are two 6 Gb/s SATA ports (in white), as well as six 3 Gb/s SATA ports on the side. Two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports (in blue) are added to the fourteen USB 2.0 ports normally found. ASUS is using the same PLX chip as in their previous offerings: the P7P55D-E-Premium using Intel's P55 chipset and the P6X58D Premium built on the X58 chipset.

Information on the launch date and pricing of the P7H57D-V EVO is not yet available.

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What more do you need?

By ImSpartacus on 11/17/2009 7:41:26 AM , Rating: 4

My gaming desktop runs on an E8400. It games perfectly. I don't need a quad core yet.

You only really need a quad core for video editing and other high-end cpu intensive tasks.

Even AT calls Clarksdale and it's mobile cousin "the real Conroe successor." I agree.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?...

RE: What more do you need?

By NinjaJedi on 11/17/2009 9:40:21 AM , Rating: 2

I agree that most games will not need a quad core. I did check the specs on dragon age origons recently and was shocked to see the recommended specs are core 2 quad @ 2.4 or phenom II tripple-core @ 2.8. The min specs are still only dual core but maybe games are making the transition to using more cores.

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RE: What more do you need?

By Leper Messiah on 11/17/2009 10:23:46 AM , Rating: 4

It's all marketing. Planned obsolescence, the average Joe sees that he needs a quad-core to run his kid's latest games and goes out to best buy and buys a new computer.

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RE: What more do you need?

By amanojaku on 11/17/2009 11:12:27 AM , Rating: 2

You can get an AMD quad for as little as $100 and an Intel quad for as little as $150. A dual core is literally half that, so it all depends on your wants and needs. $50 is reasonable for the potential performance improvement. I dare you to name any other part besides RAM that can provide noticeable performance improvements for only $50 more.

Anyway, application support isn't the only reason to go multi-core. Operating systems that can use all the cores can balance processes over processors. Imagine having your kernel and all of your drivers on one core, your P2P, er, downloader and AV on another, and your game on two cores.

The same parallel can be drawn for 64-bit. Few applications need 16EiB of RAM, but most applications can use 1-4GB. Instead of sharing RAM at the risk of paging, each 32-bit application can have its own "dedicated" 4GB memory space.

I'll take the quad, thanks. I'm not hurting for $50. :-)

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RE: What more do you need?

By dark matter on 11/17/2009 11:37:52 AM , Rating: 2

Just because it says Quad does not automatically make it better than a dual.

Many other factors come into play, such as clock speed, die size, L1 cache.

No doubt you always assume that an 10 megapixel camera beats a 6 megapixel camera.

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RE: What more do you need?

By Taft12 on 11/17/2009 1:06:40 PM , Rating: 1

quote:
I'll take the quad, thanks. I'm not hurting for $50.

A passionate post, but in the end you gave the marketers what they wanted one way or another: a sale!

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RE: What more do you need?

By Taft12 on 11/17/2009 11:04:38 AM , Rating: 3

Are you sure about that? Looks like the recommended is only a dual-core to me:

http://daforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=6...

It's always been true that CPU speed is preferable to more cores for games, and I can't see this changing for a few years yet.

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RE: What more do you need?

By RubberJohnny on 11/17/2009 7:41:13 PM , Rating: 2

quote:
It's always been true that CPU speed is preferable to more cores for games, and I can't see this changing for a few years yet.

Sorry, but things have already changed. Time to stop flogging that old horse.
According to http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-balanced...

quote:
the Radeon HD 4870 X2 and all three Nvidia GeForce cards still often required a quad-core processor, such as the Core 2 Quad Q9550, to be balanced in these games...

I wasn't expecting such a great article from Toms, but what it shows is that a core2 quad @ 2.8ghz beats a core2 dual @ 3ghz everytime! (same cache sizes BTW) and obviously games are only going more threaded in the future. Currently i'd only choose a dual over a quad in a budget gaming rig.

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RE: What more do you need?

By NinjaJedi on 11/18/2009 10:53:37 AM , Rating: 2

Minimum specs are dual recommended is quad. Link you posted shows this clearly.

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almost everything i want in my next system...

By riottime on 11/17/2009 6:48:34 AM , Rating: 2

new usb 3.0 and new sata checked. now all i need is for them to release the 6-core i9 cpus and i'm set. :D

RE: almost everything i want in my next system...

By just4U on 11/17/2009 12:07:54 PM , Rating: 2

Won't the six core cpu's be socket 1366 only? That's what I had heard, so you'd need them to to come out with a new X58 board as well.

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RE: almost everything i want in my next system...

By chunkymonster on 12/2/2009 12:25:24 PM , Rating: 2

No, the i9 six-core is drop in compatible with existing Skt1366 mobos, presumably with only a BIOS update. Of course this is assuming that your particular mobo maker releases a BIOS update. I do not believe there are the power plane issues with the X58 chipset as previously experienced with upgrading from 65nm processors to 45nm as with the X38 and X48 chipsets.

Given that Intel announced socket compatible upgrades with the release of the X58 and Skt1366, most mobo makers knew that the i9 would be a drop in upgrade from i7 and planned/produced motherboards accordingly.

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Lame

By Johari on 11/17/09, Rating: 0

RE: Lame

By troysavary on 11/17/2009 7:26:12 AM , Rating: 2

Glad I am not the only one who doesn't see the market for this motherboard. A premium, Crossfire capable, USB3, mobo for a budget proc?

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RE: Lame

By Jeffk464 on 11/17/2009 10:31:43 PM , Rating: 2

Ya this board doesn't make sense but a basic board with this chipset will make a great HTPC. I heard of one of these i3 systems ideling as low as 30W. Thats as good as an atom/ion system.

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hello HTPC

By Jeffk464 on 11/17/2009 10:21:11 PM , Rating: 2

Can't wait to get one of these buggers. It needs to be micro ATX for my HTPC though. When is the release date on the i3?

RE: hello HTPC

By chunkymonster on 12/2/2009 12:31:59 PM , Rating: 2

Agreed! Am looking forward to seeing the performance specs of the integrated gpu. I'll take an HTPC powered by a gpu on die over an IGP any day providing it can push 1080p without issue.

The potential for power and heat reductions are tremendous. I just hope they are priced accordingly to a comparable processor and mobo with an IGP chipset. The new i3 with on die gpu and a motherboard should not cost (much) more than a low end dual core processor and mobo with integrated video.

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FFS...

By majorpain on 11/17/2009 7:04:59 AM , Rating: 2

At least it uses socket 1156... i was afraid to get a new socket just for i3 cpus. Dont really think this two new sockets was a smart move for intel, most customers of my company get confused with it, they think a i7 870 works on a 1366 board and a 920 works on a very cheap P55 board... its just confusing.

i3 chipset last ?.

By fteoath64 on 11/17/2009 7:45:38 AM , Rating: 2

And what happened to that Light-Peak thingdoing fibre-optic at 100GBs ?. We are surely seeing a controlled slowdown in their technology releases.

"Google fired a shot heard 'round the world, and now a second American company has answered the call to defend the rights of the Chinese people." -- Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.)