Core 2 & AM2 Motherboards - Recommendations

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Core 2 & AM2 Motherboards ? Recommendations

with Complete Lists of Processors and Motherboards

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Preface
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For those who are going to build a new system, I wrote motherboard recommendations and nearly complete lists of motherboards for both the latest Intel and AMD platforms (Socket 775 and Socket AM2). I also included lists of recent Intel and AMD processors and several appendices.

I wrote "Motherboard Recommendations" to help users to select a right motherboard quickly. Like most of you I have no hand-on experience with most of motherboards. Hence recommendations are based on reviews by professionals and other users experience. You can see the original sources in the reference part and the reviews section of each motherboard. Needless to say, there is no guarantee that a recommended motherboard works right for you. Please take recommendations just for reference.

The motherboard lists are based on the database (Excel worksheets)

• Core_2_MB_(2007-11-18).zip
• AM2_MB (2007-11-18).zip

Perhaps it is much quicker to look at the worksheet itself if you are looking for a motherboard of particular features. To download the worksheet, first you will need to register with AVS Forum. Here is a sample image of the Core_2_MB (2007-11-18).xls.

• Sample image

If you are interested in recommendations of other hardware components, please visit the sticky thread at AVS Forum:

• Guide to Building a HD HTPC

where you can find recommendations of:

• System (MicroATX, ATX, Home Media Server)
• CPU
• Motherboard
• Memory
• Graphics Card
• HDD
• PSU
• Case
• Sound card

That should be helpful not only for building a HTPC but also for building a general-purpose PC.

This thread is a continuation of the past two threads

1. Core 2 (Conroe & Merom) Motherboards ? A Complete List of (started on September 13, 2006)
2. Core 2 & AM2 Motherboards - Recommendations and Complete Lists (started on January 17, 2007)

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Contents
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Main Part

1. Recommendations (Page 1)
   1. Intel Platform
   2. AMD Platform

Appendix

1. Intel Processors ? An Overview (Page 2)
   • Contents
   • Preface
   1. P6 Microarchitecture
   2. Intel NetBurst Microarchitecture
   3. Intel's Mobile Microarchitecture
   4. Intel Core Microarchitecture
   5. Next Generation Microarchitecture 2 (NGMA2)
   6. Intel's T's or *T's
2. AMD Processors ? An Overview (Page 3)
   • Contents
   • Preface
   1. K5 Processor
   2. K6 Processor
   3. K7 Processor
   4. K8 Processor
   5. K10 Processor
3. Core 2 Motherboards ? A Complete List of (Page 4?5)
   • Contents
   • Preface
   1. Overview of Recent Chipsets for the Intel Platform
   2. Intel 865 Chipset Motherboards
   3. Intel 945/946 Express Chipset Motherboards
   4. Intel 975X Express Chipset Motherboards
   5. Intel 965 Express Chipset Motherboards
   6. Intel 3 Series Chipset Motherboards (page 3)
   7. Intel Eaglelake Chipset Motherboards
   8. Intel Tylersburg/Summitlake Chipset Motherboards
   9. NVIDIA nForce4 for Intel Chipset Motherboards
   10. NVIDIA nForce 500 Series for Intel Chipset Motherboards
   11. NVIDIA nForce 600i Series Chipset Motherboards
   12. NVIDIA nForce 700i Series Chipset Motherboards
   13. NVIDIA GeForce 7-Series GPU and nForce 6-Series MCP Chipset Motherboards
   14. NVIDIA GeForce 8-Series GPU and nForce 7-Series MCP Chipset Motherboards
   15. ATI Chipset Motherboards
   16. SiS Chipset Motherboards
   17. VIA Chipset Motherboards
   18. Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset Motherboards
   19. Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset Motherboards
4. AM2 Motherboards ? A Complete List of (Page 6?7)
   • Contents
   • Preface
   1. Overview of Recent Chipsets for the AMD Platform
   2. AMD 480 Series Chipset Motherboards
   3. AMD 580 Series Chipset Motherboards
   4. AMD 690 Series Chipset Motherboards
   5. AMD 7 Series Chipset Motherboards
   6. AMD 8 Series Chipset Motherboards
   7. NVIDIA nForce3 Chipset Motherboards
   8. NVIDIA nForce4 for AMD Chipset Motherboards
   9. NVIDIA nForce 500 Series for AMD Chipset Motherboards
   10. NVIDIA nForce 600a Series Chipset Motherboards
   11. NVIDIA nForce 700a Series Chipset Motherboards
   12. NVIDIA nForce 800a Series Chipset Motherboards
   13. NVIDIA GeForce 6-Series GPU and nForce4 MCP Chipset Motherboards
   14. NVIDIA GeForce 7-Series GPU and nForce 6-Series MCP Chipset Motherboards
   15. NVIDIA GeForce 8-Series GPU and nForce 7-Series MCP Chipset Motherboards
   16. SiS Chipset Motherboards
   17. ULi Chipset Motherboards
   18. VIA Chipset Motherboards
5. Naming Rules of Motherboards (Page 8)
6. List of Bandwidth (Page 8)

 

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Part I. Recommendations
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Intel Platform
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The best chipset for Core 2 Duo/Quad is Intel P35 Express. So my first picks are from motherboards based on them. Several P35 motherboards support both DDR2 and DDR3 that is to assure future upgrade path or only DDR3. However the fastest DDR3 memory speed P35 can support is DDR3-1333 that provides at most the same level of performance as DDR2-1066 at triple the price, therefore there is no advantage of DDR3 over DDR2 in the P35 platform (for details, read X-bit labs ? DDR3 SDRAM: Revolution or Evolution? (July 9, 2007)).

Recently Intel released X38 chipset that supports dual PCI Express 2.0 x16 (supporting CrossFire) and replaces the old Intel enthusiast chipset 975X. If you are going with CrossFire or use a RAID controller card, that could be your choice. Otherwise you may want to stay with P35 as the performance advantage of X38 is very small.

The NVIDIA nForce 600i Series is targeted for enthusiast SLI gamers and has plenty of PCI Express lanes. If you are going to build a high-end gaming machine or even a workstation, that may be your first choice.

As for IGP, Intel G33 is basically the same as P35 with a mediocre graphics, GMA 3100 (a rework of the old GMA 950). We have yet to see G35 whose graphics should be much better than G33. NVIDIA released GeForce 7150 and nForce 630i chipset. Its graphics is better than G33, but it is crippled with the single-channel memory controller. None of these IGPs offers hardware decode for the latest HD contents. So you need a fast processor for HD video playback (apart from the HDCP matter).

If you are looking for a motherboard of particular features, please look at the Excel worksheet Core_2_MB_(2007-11-18).xls that is a near complete list of Core 2 compatible motherboards (you need to register with AVS Forum to download it).

ATX ? High-End

1. abit IP35 Pro
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/1/3 supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/6/2, RAID, dual PCI Gb LAN, ALC888, optical S/PDIF in & out, IEEE 1394
   • Price: ~$185
   • Notes: A drawback is its PCI Gb LAN that is about 20 to 40% slower than the PCI Express one.
2. ASUS P5K Deluxe/WIFI-AP
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/2/3* supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/6/2, RAID, dual PCI-E/PCI Gb LAN, wireless LAN, AD1988B, coaxial & optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Price: ~$209
   • Notes: A good motherboard for overclocking. Problems on ICH9R (non-working SATA ports and RAID) are reported. The power consumption of this motherboard is 20W to 40W higher than the other P35 motherboards. Unlike P5B Deluxe, DTS Connect is not supported.
3. GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS4 (rev. 2.0)
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/3/2* supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/8/2 (eSATA sharing controller with SATA), RAID, Gb LAN, ALC889A supporting DTS Connect, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
   • Price: ~$178
4. DFI LANPARTY UT P35-T2R
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9R. Passive/Passive. PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 3/1*/3 supporting CrossFire. PATA/SATA: 1/8, RAID, dual PCI-E/PCI-E Gb LAN, ALC885, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
   • Price: ~$260
   • Notes: The best overclocking motherboard right now.
5. eVGA nForce 680i SLI 122-CK-NF68-A1
   
   • Specs: nForce 680i SLI, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 3@(16,16,8)/2*/2 supporting SLI, PATA/SATA: 1/6, RAID, dual Gb LAN, ALC885, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~525MHz
   • Price: ~$230

Previous Recommendations

• ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP or ASUS P5B Deluxe
  
  • Specs: P965 + ICH8R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/1/3* supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/7/1, RAID, dual Gb LAN, AD1988B supporting DTS Connect, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~520MHz (E6300), ~380MHz (E4300)
  • Price: ~$193 or ~$180
  • Notes: Supports FSB 1333 processors and 45 nm processors.
• ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
  
  • Specs: 975X + ICH7R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/2*/3 supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 2/6/1, RAID, dual Gb LAN, ALC882M supporting Dolby Master Studio, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~420MHz (E6300), ~333MHz (E4300)
  • Price: ~$200
  • Notes: Supports FSB 1333 processors (but not 45 nm processors). An alternative is Intel D975XBX2 (BOXD975XBX2KR, Bad Axe 2, Extreme Series) (~$200).

ATX ? Mid-Range

1. abit IP35 (Global site)
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/2/3, PATA/SATA: 1/6, RAID, ALC888, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Price: ~$130
   • Notes: Unlike its bigger brother IP35 Pro, LAN is on the PCI Express bus.
2. ASUS P5K-E
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/2/3* supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/6/2, RAID, AD1988B, coaxial & optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Price: ~$145
   • Notes: This is a stripped-down version of P5K Deluxe.
3. GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R (rev. 2.0)
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/3*/3, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/8/2 (eSATA sharing controller with SATA), RAID, Gb LAN, ALC889A, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, no IEEE 1394
   • Price: ~$130
4. MSI P6N SLI-FI
   
   • Specs: nForce 650i SLI, FSB 1333MTps, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/1/3 supporting SLI, PATA/SATA: 2/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~380MHz (E4300), ~465MHz (E6300), ~450MHz (E6750), ~365MHz (QX6700)
   • Price: ~$105
   • Notes: This is very attractive in terms of features (SLI, RAID, IEEE 1394), performance (good overclocking) and price. Supports FSB 1333 processors (45 nm processors are under testing). An alternative is MSI P6N SLI Platinum (~$145).

Previous Recommendations

• ASUS P5B-Plus
  
  • Specs: P965 + ICH8R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/3/3*, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/7/1, RAID, Gb LAN, AD1988A, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~500MHz (E6300)
  • Price: ~$137
  • Notes: The last member of the ASUS P5B family. It comes with all the basic features and is capable of good overclocking. Supports FSB 1333 processors and 45 nm processors.
• GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 (rev. 3.3)
  
  • Specs: P965 + ICH8, FSB 1333MTps, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/3*/3, PATA/SATA: 1/6, no RAID, Gb LAN, ALC883, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, no IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~505MHz (E6300), ~375MHz (E4300)
  • Price: ~$110
  • Notes: Supports FSB 1333 processors. GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 (rev. 3.3) is a cheaper alternative (~$88).
• Intel DG965WH (BOXDG965WHMKR, Westchester, Media Series)
  
  • Specs: G965 + ICH8DH (supporting Intel Viiv), 1 x VGA, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/3*/3, PATA/SATA: 1/6, RAID, Gb LAN, STAC9271D supporting Dolby Home Theater, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: N/A
  • Price: ~$114
  • Notes: A good stock motherboard with IGP

ATX ? Low-End

1. GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L (rev. 1.0)
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/3*/3, PATA/SATA: 1/4, no RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, no IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: >450MHz (E6550), ~360MHz (E4300)
   • Price: ~$95

Previous Recommendations

1. abit IP35-E (Global site)
   
   • Specs: P35 + ICH9, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/2/3, PATA/SATA: 1/4, no RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, optical S/PDIF outs, no IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: >480MHz (E6320), ~380MHz (E4300)
   • Price: ~$90
   • Notes: A stripped-down version of IP35.
2. Foxconn P9657AB-8EKRS2H
   
   • Specs: P965 + ICH8R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2@(16,4)/1*/3, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/6/1, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC883, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~343MHz (E6xxx), ~300MHz (E4300)
   • Price: ~$90
   • Notes: The most feature-rich low-end ATX board
3. ASRock ConRoeXFire-eSATA2
   
   • Specs: 945P + ICH7R, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/1*/3 supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/4/2 (eSATA share controller with SATA), RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, S/PDIF header only, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~300MHz (E6xxx), ~224MHz (E4300)
   • Price: ~$82
   • Notes: Another feature-rich motherboard. Unfortunately it's not good for E4300. Soon it will be replace by ASRock ConRoe1333-eSATA2 that supports FSB 1333 processors.
4. GIGABYTE GA-945P-S3 (rev. 1.0)
   
   • Specs: 945P + ICH7, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/3*/3, PATA/SATA: 1/4, no RAID, Gb LAN, ALC883 5.1 Ch., S/PDIF header only, no IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~350MHz (E6xxx), ~300MHz (E4300)
   • Price: ~$82
   • Notes: The board has less features but better overclocking capability than the ASRock board.
5. ASRock 4CoreDual-SATA2
   
   • Specs: VIA PT880 Ultra + VT8237S, Support for both DDR and DDR2, AGP/PCIe x16/PCI: 1/1/4*, PATA/SATA: 2/2, RAID, 10/100Mbps LAN, ALC888, S/PDIF header only, no IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~300MHz (E6xxx & E4300)
   • Price: ~$60
   • Notes: If you need the support for DDR SDRAM and/or AGP, this is it.

MicroATX ? Mid-Range

1. ASUS P5K-VM
   
   • Specs: G33 + ICH9. 1 x VGA. PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/0/2*. PATA/SATA: 1/4, no RAID, Gb LAN, ALC883, coaxial S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~500MHz (E6300)
   • Price: ~$120
2. GIGABYTE GA-G33M-DS2R
   
   • Specs: G33 + ICH9R. 1 x VGA. PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/0/2* supporting CrossFire. PATA/SATA: 1/6, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC889A, S/PDIF header only, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~450MHz (E6300), > 333MHz (E4300, need DDR2-1111)
   • Price: ~$135
   • Notes: The available memory multiplier (BIOS F4a) is:
     • FSB 800 processors: 1.66, 2
     • FSB 1066 processors: 1, 1.25, 1.5, 2
     • FSB 1333 processors: 1, 1.2, 1.6
     This means that you need very fast memory modules to overclock a FSB 800 processor. This restriction applies to all the GIGABYTE G33/G31 microATX motherboards.
3. Intel DG33TL (BOXDG33TLM, Tower Lake, Media Series)
   
   • Specs: G33 + ICH9R, 1 x VGA, 1 x DVI-D (HDCP-compliant), PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/2*/1, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/6/1 (eSATA sharing controller with SATA), RAID, Gb LAN, STAC9271D supporting Dolby Home Theater, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: N/A
   • Price: ~$126
   • Notes: A good stock motherboard

Previous Recommendations

• abit Fatal1ty F-I90HD
  
  • Specs: Radeon Xpress 1250 + SB600, 1 x VGA, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI (via the bundled HDMI to DVI adapter), PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/2*/1. PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, optical S/PDIF out, no IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~370MHz (E6xxx & E4300)
  • Price: ~$105
  • Notes: A minor problem is that the SATA1 port is blocked when GeForce 8800 GTS is inserted.
• Foxconn G9657MA-8EKRS2H
  
  • Specs: G965 + ICH8R, 1 x VGA, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1*/2, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/4/1, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC883, coaxial & optical S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~320MHz (E6xxx), ~265MHz (E4300), ~290MHz (the BSEL-modded E4300)
  • Price: ~$104
• Intel DG965OT (BOXDG965OTMKR, Stoughton, Media Series)
  
  • Specs: G965 + ICH8DH (supporting Intel Viiv), 1 x VGA, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1*/2, PATA/SATA: 1/6, RAID, Gb LAN, STAC9271D supporting Dolby Home Theater, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: N/A
  • Price: ~$119
  • Notes: A good stock motherboard

MicroATX ? Low-End

1. GIGABYTE GA-73PVM-S2H (rev. 1.0)
   
   • Specs: MCP73PV, 1 x VGA, 1 x DVI, 1 x HDMI, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/2*. PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/3/1, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC889A, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Price: ~$90
   • Notes: Very feature-rich, the memory controller supports only single channel and 2 DIMMs, however.
2. GIGABYTE GA-945GCMX-S2 (rev. 6.6)
   
   • Specs: 945GC (A2) + ICH7. 1 x VGA. PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/0/2* supporting CrossFire. PATA/SATA: 1/4, no RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, S/PDIF header only, no IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~320MHz (E6xxx), ~290MHz (E2160), ~333MHz (E2160 with BSEL mode)
   • Price: ~$50
   • Notes: Problems are reported for FSB 1333 processors. However it works fine with FSB 1333 processors at FSB ~320MHz.

Previous Recommendations

• ASUS P5L-MX
  
  • Specs: 945G + ICH7, 1 x VGA, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/2*, PATA/SATA: 1/4, no RAID, Gb LAN, AD1986A 5.1 Ch., S/PDIF header only, no IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~325MHz (E6xxx & E4300)
  • Price: ~$76
  • Notes: This is one of the few microATX motherboards that overclock well with Core 2 Duo E4300.

References

P35 Chipset Motherboards

• AnandTech ? P35 Motherboard Roundup (expected on August 20)
  
  • The under $125 boards fall into this rating -
    
    1. GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L
    2. abit IP35-E (not a big fan of the PCI GigE, no reason for it) (My comment: Gb LAN 88E8056 is PCIe!)
    2.5 BIOSTAR TP35D2-A7 (last BIOS really fixed a lot of issues)
    3. ASUS P5K SE
    4. Intel DP35DPM (do not plan on real overclocking, great stock board)
    
  • The under $150 boards fall into this rating -
    
    1. GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3P (our favorite board right now for the money)
    2. GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R
    2. MSI P35 Neo2-FR (P08 BIOS brought the board alive)
    2.5 ASUS P5K (latest BIOS might get this to a two)
    3. abit IP35 (still a couple of bugs left to work out)
    4. Foxconn P35A (should be a rebate on it so it will go under $125, at that point, nice choice)
    
  • Over $150-
    
    Still working on it... We will have an exclusive on the new Foxconn MARS board (it is surprising) and just got started on the water cooling tests on the new ASUS Blitz boards plus DFI is set to deliver their P35 board next week (looks like it will be going for $299....), the surprise in this group is the abit IP35 Pro as abit finally got it right on a new release... (source: here)
• DriverHeaven.net ? P35 Motherboard Roundup (GIGABYTE GA-P35-DQ6, abit IP35 Pro, ASUS P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP, MSI P35 Platinum)
  
  • Editor's Choice (Highly recommended) Award: GIGABYTE GA-P35-DQ6
  • Shortlist (Worth Consideration) Award: abit IP35 Pro, ASUS P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP, MSI P35 Platinum
• ExtremeTech ? A Trio of P35 Motherboards (ASUS P5K3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP, GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R, MSI P35 Platinum)
  
  • Final Thoughts: "We were pretty impressed with Gigabyte's P35-DS3R board. Gigabyte's tactic of essentially cloning an existing motherboard design resulted in the best behaved board of the bunch. It didn't run hot, like the ASUS board, and it didn't show any quirks in performance, like MSI's Company of Heroes result."
• TechSpot ? 9-way Intel P35 motherboard round-up (abit IP35 Pro, abit IP35-E, ASUS P5K Deluxe, ASUS P5K-E, ASUS P5K-SE, ECS P35T-A (V1.0), GIGABYTE GA-P35-DQ6, GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS4, GIGABYTE GA-P35-S3L) (August 22, 2007)
  
  • High end: ASUS P5K Deluxe
  • Mainstream: ASUS P5K-E
  • More affordable solutions: abit IP35-E
  • Below the $100 mark: GIGABYTE GA-P35-S3L
• The Tech Report ? Five flavors of Intel's P35 Express compared (abit IP25 Pro, ASUS P5K3 Deluxe/WiFi-AP, ASUS P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP, GIGABYTE GA-P35-DQ6, MISI P35 Platinum)
  
  • Editor?s Choice: abit IP35 Pro and GIGABYTE GA-P35-DQ6
• Tom's Hardware ? Eight P35-DDR2 Motherboards Compared (ASUS P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP, abit IP35 Pro, Foxconn P35A, GIGABYTE GA-P35-DQ6, MSI P35 Neo, MSI P35 Platinum, GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R, MSI P35 Neo Combo)
  
  • Conclusion: "An insignificant performance lead for the MSI P35 Platinum might be nullified by the fact that the same board finished near the bottom in overclocking", "Gigabyte's exceptionally-overclockable GA-P35-DQ6 is probably a better choice for anyone who'd even consider tinkering with bus speeds.", "Perhaps Gigabyte's DDR2 plus DDR3 supporting GA-P35C-DS3R is worth a closer look", "the majority of users who already own P965-Express motherboards will be best-advised to wait for Intel's next chipset before considering the DDR3 plunge."
• Tom's Hardware ? Pipe Dreams: Six P35-DDR3 Motherboards Compared (ASUS P5K Deluxe/WiFi-AP, BIOSTAR T-Series TP35DC-A7 Deluxe, GIGABYTE GA-P35T-DQ6, MSI P35 Diamond, GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R, MSI P35 Neo Combo)
  
  • Conclusion: "All the boards in today's review were so close in performance that benchmark results can't accurately determine a winner", "Each buyer must determine which "killer feature" set best suits his or her needs."

680i/650i Chipset Motherboards

• AnandTech ? 680i/650i Roundup
  
  1. Silver Editor's Choice: ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus
• FiringSquad ? NVIDIA nForce 680i Roundup (GIGABYTE GA-N680SLI-DQ6, ASUS Striker Extreme, ASUS P5N32-E SLI and Plus, abit IN9 32X-MAX Wi-Fi)
  
• Tom's Hardware ? 680i Motherboard Comparison Part 1 (abit IN9 32X-MAX Wi-Fi, ASUS Striker Extreme, BFG nForce 680i SLI), Tom's Hardware ? 680i Motherboard Comparison Part 2 (ECS PN2-SLI2+, GIGABYTE GA-N680SLI-DQ6, MSI P6N Diamond)
  
  • Author's Note: "Lacking any perfect choice I must allow you to lead the way this time."
• Tom's Hardware ? Seven 650i SLI Motherboards Compared (abit FP-IN9 SLI, ASUS P5N-E SLI, ASUS P5N32E-SLI Plus, ECS NF650iSLIT-A, GIGABYTE GA-N650SLI-DS4, MSI P6N SLI Platinum, MSI P6N SLI-FI)
  
  • Author's Opinion: "The ASUS P5N32-E SLI Plus is the best equipped board in the comparison, but it's not a true 650i SLI chipset solution and is priced well above these. That would leave the MSI P6N SLI Platinum as an obvious editor's choice candidate, except for its fourth-place performance standing. Awards are generally reserved for obviously superior solutions, and the P6N SLI Platinum barely missed receiving one."

MicroATX Motherboards

• AnandTech ? µATX Overview: Prelude to a Roundup (August 7, 2007), AnandTech ? µATX Part 1: ATI Radeon Xpress 1250 Performance Review (abit F-I90HD, ASRock 4Core1333-FullHD) (August 28, 2007), AnandTech ? µATX Part 2: Intel G33 Performance Review (ASUS P5K-VM, GIGABYTE GA-G33M-DS2R, MSI G33M-FI) (September 27, 2007)
  
• Tom's Hardware ? Can MicroATX Boards Do the Job? (ECS G33T-M2, GIGABYTE GA-G33M-S2H, MSI G33M-FI) (July 31, 2007)
  
  • "Clearly, it does not make sense to select a motherboard hoping to get the one that performs best. With performance largely out of the picture, features have been the main characteristic by which buyers have differentiated among motherboards." ... "Feature-wise, Gigabyte's GA-G33M-SH2 is a clear winner - but it is not energy efficient, leaving you with a trade-off to ponder."
• X-bit labs ? Contemporary Platforms with Integrated Graphics (ASUS P5LD2-VM, P5B-VM, M2NPV-VM, M2N-MX)
  
• FORUM HardWare.fr ? Monter un PC matx à base de C2D: petit mais costaud! (January 28, 2007) (There is a concise overclocking chart of various microATX motherboards)

Older Stuff

• AnandTech ? C2D MB Buying Guide: Eight Motherboards (ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, Intel 975XBX, ASUS P5B Deluxe, ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe, BIOSTAR TForce P965 Deluxe, GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6, DFI INFINITY 975X/G, ASRock 775Dual-VSTA)
  
  • Recommendation: ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
• AnandTech ? P965 Roundup 1 (abit AB9 Pro, ASUS P5B-E, BIOSTAR TForce P965 Deluxe, GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3), AnandTech ? P965 Roundup 2 (BIOSTAR TForce 965PT, GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3), AnandTech ? P965 Roundup 3 (MSI P965 Platinum, ECS PX1), AnandTech ? P965 Roundup 4 (Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H), AnandTech ? Intel P965: Roundup Recap and Awards
  
  1. Gold Editor's Choice: ASUS P5B-Deluxe/WiFi-AP
  2. Silver Editor's Choice: GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3
  3. Bronze Editor's Choice: BIOSTAR TForce 965PT & Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H
• Boot Daily ? 975/965 Round-up (abit AB9 Pro, ASUS P5W64 WS Professional, GIGABYTE GA-965-S3, MSI 975X Platinum, MSI P965 Platinum)
  
  • Boot Worthy: MSI P965 Platinum
• Digital-Daily ? A roundup of motherboards for Intel Core 2 Duo processors (abit AW9D-MAX, abit AB9 Pro, ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, ASUS P5W64 WS Professional, ASUS P5B Deluxe, ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe, GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6, GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3, GIGABYTE GA-965G-DS3, Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H, Foxconn P9657AA-8EKRS2H, MSI P965 Platinum, MSI P965 Neo-F, Intel D975XBX2, Intel DG965RY)
  
  • Overclocker's Choice: ASUS P5B Deluxe & GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6
  • Best Buy: MSI P965 Neo-F & Intel DG965RY
• DriverHeaven.net ? Intel 975 Chipset Motherboard Group Test (abit AW9D-MAX, DFI INFINITY 975X/G, Intel D975XBX)
  
  • Gold Award: abit AW9D-MAX
  • Shortlist Award: Intel D975XBX
• ExtremeTech ? Four Mainstream Core 2 Motherboards (abit AB9 Pro, ASUS P5B-VM, Foxconn P9657AA-8KSH2, GIGABYTE GA965P-DQ6)
  
• ExtremeTech ? Overclocking Core 2 Motherboards (ASUS Striker Extreme, abit AW9D-MAX, MSI 975X Platinum, ASUS P5B-E, ASUS Commando)
  
  • The Winner: ASUS Striker Extreme
• Hardware.Info ? Intel 965/975 mainboards for Core 2 Duo tested (P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP, ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, DFI INFINITY 975X/G, ECS P965T-A, Foxconn P9657AA-8EKRS2H, GIGABYTE 965P-DS3, GIGABYTE 965P-DQ6, MSI P965 Neo-F, MSI P965 Platinum, MSI 975X Platinum V2)
  
  1. Gold Award: ASUS P5W DH Deluxe & GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6
  2. Bronze Award: Foxconn P9657AA-8EKRS2H
• Hot Hardware ? 975X Express Motherboard Round-Up: Foxconn, Abit, and MSI (abit AW9D-MAX, MSI 975X Platinum V2, Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H)
  
• IT-review.net ? C2D MB Round-up 1 (ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, abit AB9 Pro), IT-review.net ? C2D MB Round-up 2 (GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6, MSI P965 Platinum), IT-review.net ? C2D MB Round-up 3 (ASUS P5B, ASUS P5LD2 SE), IT-review.net ? C2D MB Round-up 4 (ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe, Intel D975XBX2), IT-review.net ? Core 2 Duo MBO Round-up: Part 5 (GIGABYTE GA-945P-S3, Final, Conclusion)
  
  • Editor?s Choice Award: MSI P965 Platinum
  • Value For Money Award: GIGABYTE GA-945P-S3
• Tom's Hardware ? Four 975X Motherboards (ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, Foxconn 975X7AB-8EKRS2H, Intel D975XBX, MSI 975X Platinum)
  
  • Editor's Choice: MSI 975X Platinum
• Tom's Hardware ? Seven P965 Motherboards Compared (abit AB9 Pro, ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP, BIOSTAR TForce P965 Deluxe, Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H, GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3, GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6, MSI P965 Platinum)
  
  • Editor's Choice: MSI P965 Platinum
  • Recommended Buy: BIOSTAR TForce P965 Deluxe
• Tom's Hardware ? Four MicroATX Mobos for Core 2 (ASUS P5B-VM, Foxconn G9657MA-8KS2H, GIGABYTE GA-965GM-S2 (rev. 1.0), MSI G965MDH-FI)
  
  • Choice: "If you want a platform that offers maximum flexibility, Foxconn seems to be the best choice" ... "If you find a Foxconn G9657MA that spots the optional Firewire controller chip we recommend going for this product, since it offers a broad feature variety at a presumably acceptable price. We found both ASUS and GIGABYTE to be slightly too expensive and we could not find MSI's new motherboard in retail channels yet. Should you merely be looking for a workhorse to power your new HTPC, watch out for the best deal on these motherboards."
• TweakTown ? Intel P965 Shootout Part 1 (ASUS P5B Deluxe, MSI P965 Neo-F, Foxconn P9657AA-8EKRS2H), TweakTown ? Intel P965 Shootout Part 2 (GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3, abit AB9 Pro, BIOSTAR TForce P965 Deluxe, GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6)
  
  • Best Performance!: ASUS P5B Deluxe
  • Best Value!: Foxconn P9657AA-8EKRS2H
• FiringSquad ? ASUS Core 2-ready Motherboard Roundup (ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP, ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe, ASUS P5NSLI)
  
  • Editor?s Choice: ASUS P5W DH Deluxe
• GamePC ? Core 2 Duo Platforms From ASUS: A Top To Bottom Comparison (ASUS P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe, ASUS P5WDG2 WS Professional, ASUS P5W DH Deluxe, ASUS P5B Deluxe, ASUS P5B)
  
• XTreview.com ? Conroe Motherboard P965 Chart Review (abit AB9 Pro, ASUS P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP, ASUS P5B-E, BIOSTAR TForce P965 Deluxe, ECS PX1, Foxconn P9657AA-8EKRS2H, GIGABYTE GA-965P-DQ6, MSI P965 Platinum)

 

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AMD Platform
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There are many chipsets for the AMD platform. Among them NVIDIA nForce 570/590 SLI and AMD 480X/580X CrossFire are the best chipsets for discrete graphics, The AMD southbridge is still weaker than NVIDIA, though. Among the IGP solutions from NVIDIA, AMD-ATI, VIA and SiS, AMD 690G and NVIDIA GeForce 7050PV are the best.

If you are looking for a motherboard of particular features, please look at the Excel worksheet AM2_MB (2007-11-18).xls that is a near complete list of Socket AM2 motherboards (you need to register with AVS Forum to download it).

ATX ? High-End

1. ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe/Wireless
   
   • Specs: nForce 590 SLI, PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/1*/1/2 supporting SLI, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/7/1, RAID, dual Gb LAN, AD1988B supporting DTS Connect, optical & coaxial S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~340MHz
   • Price: ~$167
2. Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H
   
   • Specs: nForce 590 SLI, PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/1/1*/2 supporting SLI, PATA/SATA: 1/6, RAID, dual Gb LAN, ALC882D supporting Dolby Digital Live, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~320MHz
   • Price: ~$180
   • Notes: The board is the same as the NVIDIA reference board.
3. GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5
   
   • Specs: nForce 590 SLI, PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/1/2*/2 supporting SLI, PATA/SATA: 1/8, RAID, dual Gb LAN, ALC888DD supporting Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~307MHz
   • Price: ~$175

ATX ? Mid-Range

1. ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe
   
   • Specs: nForce 570 SLI, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/2*/3 supporting SLI, PATA/SATA/eSATA: 1/7/1, RAID, dual Gb LAN, AD1988B, optical & coaxial S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~315MHz
   • Price: ~$130
2. MSI K9N SLI Platinum
   
   • Specs: nForce 570 SLI, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/2*/3 supporting SLI, PATA/SATA: 1/6, RAID, dual Gb LAN, ALC883, optical & coaxial S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~315MHz
   • Price: ~$125
3. MSI K9A Platinum
   
   • Specs: RD580 + SB600, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 2/2*/2 supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, dual Gb LAN, ALC883, optical & coaxial S/PDIF outs, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~335MHz
   • Price: ~$130

ATX ? Low-End

There are many low-end nForce4 (renamed to nForce 500) chipset motherboards. However audio codec is AC'97, where only 2 channels work under Windows Vista (Which Audio Codec provides Windows Vista Logo?). Some motherboards avoid AC'97 using UAA USB audio codec (Vista-ready) instead.

1. GIGABYTE GA-M61P-S3 (rev. 1.0)
   
   • Specs: GeForce 6100 and nForce 430 (MCP61P), 1 x VGA, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/2*/4, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC883, S/PDIF header only, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: > 280MHz
   • Price: ~$73
   • Notes: A motherboard with IGP. It comes with all the basic features including IEEE 1394 (you still need to buy an S/PDIF bracket though) and overclocks very well.
2. GIGABYTE GA-MA69G-S3H (rev. 1.0)
   
   • Specs: AMD 690G + SB600, 1 x VGA, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI with the bundled adapter, PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/3*/2 supporting CrossFire, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, PCI Gb LAN, ALC889A, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~286MHz
   • Price: ~$87
   • Notes: A motherboard with IGP. It comes with all the basic features including an optical SPDIF out and IEEE 1394 and overclocks very well. Pros and cons as compared with GA-M61P-S3 are:
     • Pro: CrossFire support, HDMI/DVI/TV out, better audio codec, optical S/PDIF out
     • Con: No RAID 5, PCI Gb LAN (20% to 40% slower than a PCIe Gb LAN), more expensive
     • Pro/Con: more PCIe slots, less PCI slots
3. BIOSTAR TForce 550 SE (5.x)
   
   • Specs: nForce 550, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/2*/4, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, S/PDIF header only, no IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: > 300MHz
   • Price: ~$73
   • Notes: This is the best budget overclocking ATX motherboard. The difference between the vanilla and the SE is audio codec ALC883 vs. ALC888 (ALC888 is slightly better in SNR).

MicroATX ? Mid-Range

1. GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H (rev. 1.0)
   
   • Specs: AMD 690G + SB600, 1 x VGA, 1 x DVI, 1 x HDMI, 1 x component video, 1 x S-video, 1 x composite video, PCIe x16/PCIe x4/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/0/2*, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC889A supporting DTS Connect, optical S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~400MHz
   • Price: ~$80
   • Notes: The board is capable of full 1080p (H.264/VC-1/MPEG-2-encoded) HD DVD or Blu-ray playback with a faster processor (2.4GHz or higher). Gb LAN is on the PCI bus that is slower than PCIe Gb LAN.

Previous Recommendations

• BIOSTAR TF7050-M2
  
  • Specs: GeForce 7050 PV and nForce 630a (MCP68PV), 1 x VGA, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI with the bundled HDMI-DVI converter, 1 x S-video, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/2*, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, S/PDIF header only, no IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~326MHz
  • Price: ~$77
• BIOSTAR TA690G AM2
  
  • Specs: AMD 690G + SB600, 1 x VGA, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI, 1 x S-video, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1*/2, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, S/PDIF header only, no IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~290MHz
  • Price: ~$75
• ASUS M2A-VM HDMI
  
  • Specs: AMD 690G + SB600, 1 x VGA, 1 x HDMI, 1 x DVI, 1 x composite/S-/component video, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/2*, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, 5.1 Ch. ALC883, coaxial S/PDIF out, IEEE 1394
  • Overclocking: ~225MHz
  • Price: ~$86

MicroATX ? Low-End

1. BIOSTAR TF7025-M2
   
   • Specs: GeForce 7025 and nForce 630a (MCP68S), 1 x VGA, 1 x DVI-D, PCIe x16/PCIe x1/PCI: 1/1/2*, PATA/SATA: 1/4, RAID, Gb LAN, ALC888, S/PDIF header only, no IEEE 1394
   • Overclocking: ~326MHz
   • Price: ~$68
   • Notes: The best among the budget microATX motherboards

References

• AnandTech ? AM2 MB Part 1 (BIOSTAR TForce 590 SLI Deluxe, MSI K9N SLI Platinum), AnandTech ? AM2 MB Part 2 (Foxconn C51XEM2AA, GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5), AnandTech ? AM2 MB Part 3 (ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe/Wireless, EPoX EP-MF570 SLI), AnandTech ? AM2 MB Part 4 (MSI K9A Platinum, ECS KA3 MVP Extreme)
  
  1. Gold Editor's Choice: ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe/Wireless
  2. Silver Editor's Choice: Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H
  3. Bronze Editor's Choice: MSI K9A Platinum & EPoX EP-MF570 SLI
• Boot Daily ? AM2 Motherboard Round-up (ECS KA3-MVP, Sapphire PC-AM2RD580Adv, ASUS M2R32-MVP, abit Fatal1ty AN9 32X, ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe/Wireless, Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H, GIGABYTE GA-M57SLI-S4, MSI K9N SLI Platinum)
  
  • Boot-Worthiness: abit AN9 32X & ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe/Wireless
• Digital-Daily ? A roundup overview of motherboards for CPU AMD Socket AM2 (ASUS CROSSHAIR, ASUS M2N32 WS Professional, ECS KA3 MVP, Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H, GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5, DFI LANPARTY UT NF590 SLI-M2R/G, MSI K9N Diamond, MSI K9N Ultra-2F, MSI K9NU Neo-V, EPoX EP-MF570 SLI)
  
  • The Best Motherboard: ASUS M2N32 WS Professional
  • Overclocker's Choice: ASUS CROSSHAIR
• DriverHeaven.net ? AM2 Motherboard 3-way Roundup (abit KN9-SLI, ASUS M2N-E, MSI K9N Platinum)
  
  • Editor's Choice: abit KN9-SLI
• FiringSquad ? nForce 590/570 SLI Roundup Part 1 (GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5, ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe, EPoX EP-MF570 SLI)
  
• Hot Hardware ? nForce 590 SLI for AMD Round Up: GIGABYTE, MSI and ASUS (GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5, MSI K9N Diamond, ASUS M2N32 WS Professional)
  
  • Editor's Choice: GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5
• IT-review.net ? AM2 MBO Round-up: Part 1 (DFI LANPARTY NF590 SLI-M2R/G, EPoX AF590 SLI2), IT-review.net ? AM2 MBO Round-up: Part 2 (abit KN9 SLI, ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe), IT-review.net ? AM2 MBO Round-up: Part 3 (ASUS CROSSHAIR, GIGABYTE GA-M55S-S3), IT-review.net ? AM2 MBO Round-up: Part 4 (GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S4, abit Fatal1ty AN9 32X), IT-review.net ? AM2 MBO Round-up: Part 5 (abit KN9S, abit KN9 Ultra), IT-review.net ? AM2 MBO Round-up: Part 6 (ASUS M2N4-SLI, ASUS M2N-E), IT-review.net ? AM2 MBO Round-up: Part 7 (MSI K9N Ultra, MSI K9N Neo), IT-review.net ? AM2 MBO Round-up: Part 8 (ASUS M3R32-MVP, MSI K9VGM-V)
  
• The Tech Report ? A fistful of nForce 590 SLI motherboards compared (abit Fatal1ty AN9 32X, ASUS M2N32 WS Professional, DFI LANPARTY UT NF590 SLI-M2R/G, ECS KN3 SLI2, MSI K9N Diamond)
  
  • Editor's Choice: abit Fatal1ty AN9 32X
• Tom's Hardware ? Tom's Socket AM2 Motherboard Summer Slam (ASUS CROSSHAIR, ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe, BIOSTAR TForce590 SLI Deluxe, EPoX EP-MF570 SLI, Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H, GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5, MSI K9A Platinum, MSI K9N Platinum)
  
  • Choice: "As far as which is best for you, that's a matter of personal taste. But I've got to admit, that ASUS CROSSHAIR sure set itself apart from the pack with a whole shed load of bling-bling."
• TrustedReviews ? AMD Socket AM2 Motherboard Group Test (abit KN9 SLI, ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe/Wireless, Foxconn C51XEM2AA-8EKRS2H, GIGABYTE GA-M59SLI-S5, MSI K9A Platinum)

MicroATX Motherboards

• AnandTech ? µATX Overview: Prelude to a Roundup (August 7, 2007)
  
• X-bit labs ? Contemporary Platforms with Integrated Graphics (ASUS P5LD2-VM, P5B-VM, M2NPV-VM, M2N-MX)

 

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:gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine::gift::wine:
Appendix I. Intel Processors ? An Overview
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______________
Table of Contents
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• Preface

1. P6 Microarchitecture
2. Intel NetBurst Microarchitecture
3. Intel's Mobile Microarchitecture
4. Intel Core Microarchitecture
5. Next Generation Microarchitecture 2 (NGMA2)
6. Intel's T's or *T's

______
Preface
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The purpose of this part is list recent Intel chips according to microarchitectures since P6 for reference. (A microarchitecture is the design and layout of a microprocessor.) In-depth expositions of each microarchitecture and each CPU family are found in articles in References.

 

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1. P6 Microarchitecture
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The P6 microarchitecture is the sixth generation x86 architecture of Intel released in 1995, which lasted until 2000, then revived in the mobile microarchitecture in 2003 with the release of the Pentium M line of processors, which was in turn succeeded by the Core microarchitecture in 2006. (x86 or 80x86 is the generic name of microprocessor architecture developed by Intel since the Intel 8086 processor in 1978.) This was a completely new architecture featuring implementation of the RISC technology, on-die L2 cache, etc. The chip families based on this architecture are:

• Pentium Pro, used mostly in workstations and servers
  
  • P6, released on November 1, 1995, 500 nm and 350 nm processes, Socket 8
• Pentium II, actually low-end Pentium Pro, but re-branded
  
  • Klamath, released on May 7, 1997, 350 nm process, Slot 1
  • Deschutes, released on February 26, 1998, 250 nm process, Slot 1
• Pentium III
  
  • Katmai, released on February 26, 1999, 250 nm process, Slot 1
  • Coppermine, released on October 25, 1999, 180 nm process, Slot 1/Socket 370
  • Tualatin, released on June 19, 2001, 130 nm process, Socket 370

Celeron (a value desktop CPU line), Xeon (a server CPU line) and Mobile Pentium II/III (mobile CPU lines) were also introduced based on Pentium II/III cores.

By the way, the brand name Pentium first appeared in the fifth generation x86 architecture (codenamed P5) in March 1993.

 

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2. Intel NetBurst Microarchitecture
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The Intel NetBurst microarchitecture is the successor to the P6 microarchitecture introduced in 2000. The architecture features deep pipeline, higher clock speeds, larger die size, etc. Intel expected 10GHz with this architecture, but eventually abandoned it because of increasing power dissipation with higher clock speeds. The chip families based on NetBurst are

• Pentium 4
  
  • Willamette, released on November 20, 2000, 180 nm process, Socket 423/478
  • Northwood, released on January 7, 2002, 130 nm process, Socket 478
  • Prescott (the last processor identified by a clock speed), released on February 2, 2004, 90 nm process, Socket 478
  • Prescott (500 Series), released on June 21, 2004 (with the 915 Express chipset), 90 nm process, Socket 775
  • Prescott 2M (600 Series), released on February 20, 2005, 90 nm process, EM64T, Socket 775
  • Cedar Mill (6x1 Series), released on January 18, 2006, 65 nm process, Socket 775
• Pentium D is the first announced dual-core desktop processor.
  
  • Smithfield (800 Series), released on May 26, 2005, two Prescott cores on a single die, 90 nm process, Socket 775
  • Presler (900 Series), released on January 6, 2006, two Cedar Mill dies on a single package, 65 nm process, Socket 775

There are also Extreme Editions, Celeron, Celeron D (single-core!), Xeon, Mobile Pentium 4 and Mobile Pentium 4 - M based on Pentium 4 and/or Pentium D cores. Intel is releasing NetBurst-based Dual-Core Xeon 7100 Series (Tulsa) that may be the last NetBurst-based CPU line.

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References
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NetBurst Microarchitecture

• AnandTech ? Intel's NetBurst Architecture
• Ars Technica ? The Pentium: An Architectural History of the World's Most Famous Desktop Processor (Part I) (July 11, 2004)
• Ars Technica ? The Pentium: An Architectural History of the World's Most Famous Desktop Processor (Part II) (July 26, 2004)
• X-bit labs ? NetBurst 1
• X-bit labs ? NetBurst 2
• X-bit labs ? NetBurst 3

Intel Dual-Core Processors

• AnandTech ? Intel's Dual Core Strategy, Oct. 2004
• Ars Technica ? Multicore, dual-core, and the future of Intel (September 13, 2004)

 

[renethx]

____________________________
3. Intel's Mobile Microarchitecture
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Intel's mobile microarchitecture was first implemented in the Pentium M mobile processor released in March 2003. Pentium M is not a low-power version of Pentium 4 but a modified version of Pentium III Tualatin optimized for power efficiency. It runs at a lower clock speed than Pentium 4 but with a similar performance. Then came Intel Core in January 2006 that brought dual core into notebooks with 65 nm technology. That was also a preliminary step to the next desktop Intel Core microarchitecture.

• Pentium M
  
  • Banias (vanilla and 705), released on March 12, 2003 as part of the Centrino mobile technology, 130 nm process, FSB 400MTps, Socket 479
  • Dothan (700 Series), released on May 10, 2004, 90 nm process, FSB 533MTps, Socket 479
• Core Duo (Yonah), released on January 5, 2006. Dual-core, 65 nm, [VT, EIST, XD Bit], Socket M (479 pins, but different layout from Socket 479)
  
  • Standard Voltage, FSB 533/667MTps, 31W
    • T2050: 1.60GHz = 133MHz x 12, 2MB L2, [no VT]
    • T2250: 1.73GHz = 133MHz x 13, 2MB L2, [no VT]
    • T2300E: 1.66GHz = 166MHz x 10, 2MB L2, [no VT]
    • T2300: 1.66GHz = 166MHz x 10, 2MB L2
    • T2400: 1.83GHz = 166MHz x 11, 2MB L2
    • T2500: 2.00GHz = 166MHz x 12, 2MB L2
    • T2600: 2.16GHz = 166MHz x 13, 2MB L2
    • T2700: 2.33GHz = 166MHz x 14, 2MB L2
  • Low Voltage, FSB 667MTps, 15W
    • L2300: 1.50GHz = 166MHz x 9, 2MB L2
    • L2400: 1.66GHz = 166MHz x 10, 2MB L2
    • L2500: 1.83GHz = 166MHz x 11, 2MB L2
  • Ultra Low Voltage, FSB 533MTps, 9W
    • U2400: 1.06GHz = 133MHz x 8, 2MB L2
    • U2500: 1.20GHz = 133MHz x 9, 2MB L2
• Core Solo (Yonah), released on January 5, 2006. Single-core (the same die as Core Duo with only one core active), 65 nm, Socket M
  
  • Standard Voltage, FSB 667MTps, 27W, [EIST, XD Bit]
    • T1300: 1.66GHz = 166MHz x 10, 2MB L2
    • T1350: 1.86GHz = 133MHz x 14, 2MB L2
    • T1400: 1.83GHz = 166MHz x 11, 2MB L2
  • Ultra Low Voltage, FSB 533MTps, 5.5W, [VT, EIST, XD Bit]
    • U1300: 1.06GHz = 133MHz x 8, 2MB L2
    • U1400: 1.20GHz = 133MHz x 9, 2MB L2
• Celeron M (400 Series, Yonah-based), released in April and May 2006. Single-core, 65 nm, [XD Bit], Socket M
  
  • Standard Voltage, FSB 533MTps, 27W
    • 410: 1.46GHz = 133MHz x 11, 1MB L2
    • 420: 1.60GHz = 133MHz x 12, 1MB L2
    • 430: 1.73GHz = 133MHz x 13, 1MB L2
    • 440: 1.86GHz = 133MHz x 14, 1MB L2
    • 450: 2.00GHz = 133MHz x 15, 1MB L2
  • Ultra Low Voltage, FSB 533MTps, 5.5W
    • 423: 1.06GHz = 133MHz x 8, 1MB L2

There are also Celeron M 300 Series based on Banias and Dothan and Dual-Core Xeon LV/ULV based on Yonah.

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References
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Intel's Mobile Microarchitecture

• AnandTech ? Pentium M
• AnandTech ? Yonah Preview 1
• AnandTech ? Yonah Preview 2
• AnandTech ? Core Duo

 

[renethx]

_________________________
4. Intel Core Microarchitecture
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The Intel Core microarchitecture is the current Intel microarchitecture, previously known as Next Generation Microarchitecture (NGMA). This is the direct successor to Intel's mobile microarchitecture and has little in common with the NetBurst microarchitecture. It features relatively low frequencies but improved other functions such as smarter prefetch and cache, resulting in increased performance and increasing energy efficiency. The current and near-future processors based on this microarchitecture are:
__________________
Desktop ? Socket 775
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• Core 2 Duo (Allendale), first released on January 21, 2007. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 800MTps, 2MB L2 cache, [EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • E4300: 1.80GHz = 200MHz x 9, 65W
  • E4400: 2.00GHz = 200MHz x 10, 65W (April 22, 2007)
  • E4500: 2.20GHz = 200MHz x 11, 65W (July 22, 2007)
  • E4600: 2.40GHz = 200MHz x 12, 65W (October 21, 2007)
• Core 2 Duo (Wolfdale-3MB?), to be released Q2 2008. Dual-core, 45 nm, FSB 1066MTps, 3MB L2 cache, [EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
• Core 2 Duo (Conroe), first released on July 27, 2006. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 1066/1333MTps, 4MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • E6300: 1.86GHz = 266MHz x 7, 2MB L2, 65W
  • E6320: 1.86GHz = 266MHz x 7, 65W (April 22, 2007)
  • E6400: 2.13GHz = 266MHz x 8, 2MB L2, 65W
  • E6420: 2.13GHz = 266MHz x 8, 65W (April 22, 2007)
  • E6600: 2.40GHz = 266MHz x 9, 65W
  • E6700: 2.66GHz = 266MHz x 10, 65W
  • E6540: 2.33GHz = 333MHz x 7, 65W, (July 22, 2007)
  • E6550: 2.33GHz = 333MHz x 7, 65W, [TXT] (July 22, 2007)
  • E6750: 2.66GHz = 333MHz x 8, 65W, [TXT] (July 22, 2007)
  • E6850: 3.00GHz = 333MHz x 9, 65W, [TXT] (July 22, 2007)
• Core 2 Extreme (Conroe), released on July 27, 2006. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 1066MTps, 4MB L2 cache, unlocked multiplier, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • X6800: 2.93GHz = 266MHz x 11, 75W
• Core 2 Duo (Wolfdale), released on January 20, 2008. Dual-core, 45 nm, FSB 1333MTps, 6MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit, TXT]
  
  • E8200: 2.66GHz = 333MHz x 8, 65W
  • E8300: 2.83GHz = 333MHz x 8.5, 65W
  • E8400: 3.00GHz = 333MHz x 9, 65W
  • E8500: 3.16GHz = 333MHz x 9.5, 65W
• Core 2 Quad (Kentsfield). Quad-core (two Conroe dies on a single package), 65 nm, FSB 1066MTps, 2 x 4MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • Q6600: 2.40GHz = 266MHz x 9, 105W (SL9UM, B3; January 8, 2007) / 95W (SLACR, G0; July 22, 2007 )
  • Q6700: 2.66GHz = 266MHz x 10, 95W (July 22, 2007)
• Core 2 Quad (Yorkfield), released on January 20, 2008. Quad-core (two Wolfdale dies on a single package), 45 nm, FSB 1333MTps, 2 x 6MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • Q9300: 2.50GHz = 333MHz x 7.5, 95W, 2 x 3MB L2 cache
  • Q9450: 2.66GHz = 333MHz x 8, 95W
  • Q9550: 2.83GHz = 333MHz x 8.5, 95W
• Core 2 Extreme (Kentsfield). Quad-core (two Conroe dies on a single package), 65 nm, FSB 1066/1333MTps, 2 x 4MB L2 cache, unlocked multiplier, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • QX6700: 2.66GHz = 266MHz x 10, 130W (November 2, 2006)
  • QX6800: 2.93GHz = 266MHz x 11, 130W (April 9, 2007)
  • QX6850: 3.00GHz = 333MHz x 9, 130W (July 16, 2007)
• Core 2 Extreme (Yorkfield), first released on November 12, 2007. Quad-core (two Wolfdale dies on a single package), 45 nm, FSB 1333MTps, 2 x 6MB L2 cache, unlocked multiplier, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • QX9650: 3.00GHz = 333MHz x 9, 130W
  • QX9770: 3.20GHz = 400MHz x 8, 136W (January 20, 2008)
• Pentium Dual-Core (E2000 Series, Allendale), first released in June 3, 2007. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 800MTps, 1MB L2 cache, [EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • E2140: 1.60GHz = 200MHz x 8, 65W
  • E2160: 1.80GHz = 200MHz x 9, 65W
  • E2180: 2.00GHz = 200MHz x 10, 65W (August 26, 2007)
  • E2200: 2.20GHz = 200MHz x 11, 65W (December 2, 2007)
• Celeron (400 Series, Conroe-L), first released on June 3, 2007. Single-core, 65 nm, FSB 800MTps, 512KB L2 cache, [EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • 420: 1.60GHz = 200MHz x 8, 35W
  • 430: 1.80GHz = 200MHz x 9, 35W
  • 440: 2.00GHz = 200MHz x 10, 35W
  • 450: 2.20GHz = 200MHz x 11, 35W (to be released on August 26, 2007)

________________
Server ? Socket 775
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• Dual-Core Xeon 3000 Series (Conroe), first released in October 2006. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 1066MTps, 4MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • 3040: 1.86GHz = 266MHz x 7, 2MB L2, 65W
  • 3050: 2.13GHz = 266MHz x 8, 2MB L2, 65W
  • 3060: 2.40GHz = 266MHz x 9, 65W
  • 3070: 2.66GHz = 266MHz x 10, 65W
• Quad-Core Xeon 3200 Series (Kentsfield), released on January 7, 2007. Quad-core, 65 nm, FSB 1066MTps, 2 x 4MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • X3210: 2.13GHz = 266MHz x 8, 105W
  • X3220: 2.40GHz = 266MHz x 9, 105W

________________
Server ? Socket 771
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• Dual-Core Xeon 5100 Series (Woodcrest), released on June 25, 2006. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 1066/1333MTps, 4MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • 5110: 1.60GHz = 266MHz x 6, 65W
  • 5120: 1.87GHz = 266MHz x 7, 65W
  • 5130: 2.00GHz = 333MHz x 6, 65W
  • 5140: 2.33GHz = 333MHz x 7, 65W
  • 5150: 2.66GHz = 333MHz x 8, 65W
  • 5160: 3.00GHz = 333MHz x 9, 80W
  • LV 5128: 1.86GHz = 266MHz x 7, 40W
  • LV 5138: 2.13GHz = 266MHz x 8, 35W
  • LV 5148: 2.33GHz = 333MHz x 7, 40W
• Dual-Core Xeon 5200 Series (Wolfdale-DP), to be released in Q1 2008. Dual-core, 45 nm, FSB 1066/1333/1600MTps, 6MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • E5205: 1.86GHz = 266MHz x 7, 65W
  • L5250: 3.16GHz = 333MHz x 9.5, 40W
  • E5260: 3.33GHz = 333MHz x 10, 80W
  • E5272: 3.40GHz = 400MHz x 8.5, 80W
• Quad-Core Xeon 5300 Series (Clovertown), first released on November 14, 2006. Quad core (two Woodcrest dies on a single package), 65 nm, FSB 1066/1333MTps, 2 x 4MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • L5310: 1.60GHz = 266MHz x 6, 50W (March 12, 2007)
  • E5310: 1.60GHz = 266MHz x 6, 80W
  • L5320: 1.86GHz = 266MHz x 7, 50W (March 12, 2007)
  • E5320: 1.86GHz = 266MHz x 7, 80W
  • L5335: 2.00GHz = 333MHz x 6, 50W (August 13, 2007)
  • E5335: 2.00GHz = 333MHz x 6, 80W
  • E5345: 2.33GHz = 333MHz x 7, 80W
  • X5355: 2.66GHz = 333MHz x 8, 120W
  • X5365: 3.00GHz = 333MHz x 9, 120W (August 13, 2007)
• Quad-Core Xeon 5400 Series (Harpertown), released on November 12, 2007. Quad core (two Wolfdale-DP dies on a single package), 45 nm, FSB 1333/1600MTps, 2 x 6MB L2 cache, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • E5405: 2.00GHz = 333MHz x 6, 80W
  • L5410: 2.33GHz = 333MHz x 7, 50W
  • E5410: 2.33GHz = 333MHz x 7, 80W
  • E5420: 2.50GHz = 333MHz x 7.5, 80W
  • L5430: 2.66GHz = 333MHz x 8, 50W
  • E5430: 2.66GHz = 333MHz x 8, 80W
  • E5440: 2.83GHz = 333MHz x 8.5, 80W
  • E5450: 3.00GHz = 333MHz x 9, 80W
  • E5460: 3.16GHz = 333MHz x 9.5, 80W
  • E5462: 2.80GHz = 400MHz x 7, 80W
  • E5472: 3.00GHz = 400MHz x 7.5, 80W

______________
Mobile - Socket M
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• Core 2 Duo (Merom), released on July 27, 2006. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 667MTps, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • Standard Voltage, FSB 667MTps, 34W
    • T5500: 1.66GHz = 166MHz x 10, 2MB L2, 20W, [no VT]
    • T5600: 1.83GHz = 166MHz x 11, 2MB L2, 34W
    • T7200: 2.00GHz = 166MHz x 12, 4MB L2, 34W
    • T7400: 2.16GHz = 166MHz x 13, 4MB L2, 34W
    • T7600: 2.33GHz = 166MHz x 14, 4MB L2, 34W
  • Low Voltage, FSB 667MTps, 17W
    • L7200: 1.33GHz = 166MHz x 8, 4MB L2, 17W (January 2007)
    • L7400: 1.50GHz = 166MHz x 9, 4MB L2, 17W (January 2007)
• Celeron M (500 Series, Merom-based), to be released in H1 2007. Single-core, 65 nm, [EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • Standard Voltage, FSB 533MTps
    • 520: 1.60GHz = 133MHz x 12, 1MB L2 (January 2007)
    • 530: 1.73GHz = 133MHz x 13, 1MB L2 (Q2 2007)

______________
Mobile - Socket P
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• Core 2 Duo (Merom), released in May 2007. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 800/667/533MTps, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • Standard Voltage, FSB 800/667MTps, 35W
    • T7100: 1.80GHz = 200MHz x 9, 2MB L2
    • T7300: 2.00GHz = 200MHz x 10, 4MB L2
    • T7500: 2.20GHz = 200MHz x 11, 4MB L2
    • T7700: 2.40GHz = 200MHz x 12, 4MB L2
  • Low Voltage, FSB 800MTps, 17W
    • L7300: 1.40GHz = 200MHz x 7, 4MB L2,
    • L7500: 1.60GHz = 200MHz x 8, 4MB L2
  • Ultra Low Voltage, FSB 533MTps, 10W
    • U7500: 1.06GHz = 133MHz x 8, 2MB L2
    • U7600: 1.20GHz = 133MHz x 9, 2MB L2
• Core 2 Extreme (Merom-XE), first released on July 16, 2007. Dual-core, 65 nm, FSB 800MTps, 44W, [VT, EIST, EM64T, XD Bit]
  
  • X7800: 2.60GHz = 200MHz x 13, 4MB L2
  • X7900: 2.80GHz = 200MHz x 14, 4MB L2 (August 23, 2007)
• Core 2 Duo (Penryn), to be release in Q1 2008, Dual-core, 45 nm, FSB 800MTps, 35W
  
  • T8100: 2.10GHz = 200MHz x 10.5, 3MB L2
  • T8300: 2.40GHz = 200MHz x 12, 3MB L2
  • T9300: 2.50GHz = 200MHz x 12.5, 6MB L2
  • T9500: 2.60GHz = 200MHz x 13, 6MB L2
• Core 2 Extreme (Penryn-XE), to be release in Q1 2008, Dual-core, 45 nm, FSB 800MTps, 6MB L2 cache, 44W
  
  • X9000: 2.80GHz = 200MHz x 14

_________
References
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Intel Site

• Processors
• Core 2 Extreme Processor X6800 and Core 2 Duo Desktop Processor E6000 and E4000 Sequences Datasheet
• Core 2 Duo Mobile Processor for Centrino Duo Mobile Technology Datasheet
• Core 2 Duo Processors and Core 2 Extreme Processors for Platforms Based on Mobile 965 Express Chipset Family Datasheet
• Intel Processor Numbers
• Core Microarchitecture
• Silicon
• *T's

Core Microarchitecture

• Real World Technologies ? NGMA
• AnandTech ? Core microarchitecture
• AnandTech ? Core 2 Duo/Extreme
• AnandTech ? Core Duo vs. Mobile Core 2 Duo
• Ars Technica ? Into the Core: Intel's next-generation microarchitecture (April 5, 2006)

Core 2 Processors

• DailyTech ? Kentsfield
• DailyTech ? Conroe-L
• DailyTech ? Low End Xeon
• DailyTech ? Quad-core Xeon
• HKEPC Hardware ? Clovertown
• DailyTech ? Merom-based Celeron M
• DailyTech ? "Conroe" Refresh Details Unveiled
• DailyTech ? Upcoming Intel Desktop Launch Schedule Unveiled

Penryn Processors

• X-bit labs ? Intel to Tape Out First 45nm Processor in Q4 2006
• AnandTech ? Intel: More Details on Penryn and Nehalem (March 28, 2007)
• AnandTech ? Intel Penryn Performance Preview: The Fastest gets Faster (April 18, 2007)
• AnandTech ? The Penryn Preview - Part I: Wolfdale Performance (August 21, 2007)