An exclusive look at DFI’s upcoming codenamed “Ibex Peak” single chip design Intel P55 Express based motherboards.

DFI’s UT P55-T3eH8 and DK P55-T3eH6 motherboards that we saw today are not mass production level samples and will see some changes – you will see some hand wiring and so on that obviously won’t be there in the final shipping product. You’ll probably be able to buy them sometime in September this year, once the compatible Socket LGA-1156 Core i5 quad-core “Lynnfield” processors go on sale.

We think Intel pushed back the P55 launch again and again to allow the market to shift more of its P45 and Core 2 Duo parts before the new platform comes in and takes over the mainstream level.

P55 also supports the codenamed “Havendale” Core i5 dual-core processor which includes an on-die GPU, but we were told this will be phased out and never actually reach mass production (just for testing purposes). Instead, a newer 32nm version of it will be released sometime in Q1 next year, according to our sources.

Back onto the DFI boards – UT is DFI’s ultra high-end board and DK is a slightly cut-down version, coming in a little cheaper. The difference between the two is that the UT features a more advanced power system using a digital power management (PWM) system. UT also gets a more advanced audio add-on card as well as a better cooling system which exhausts air outside of the case – we were not shown this, DFI has to keep some surprises until Computex in a couple weeks time.

One feature you will probably notice straight away on the UT board is a the SO-DIMM like looking slot between the DDR3 DIMM slots and the IDE connector. This is an Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) slot that allows for an Intel made and sold 4GB or 8GB flash module to be installed to boost system performance. You can think of it as a roughly similar feature to Microsoft’s ReadyBoost in Windows Vista, but much quicker than plugging in a USB 2.0 pen drive. It acts as an extra type of cache (some are calling it “L4″ cache) and apparently you’ll even be able to access this flash memory as a hard drive and even install your main operating system on it.

Some common features on both boards – you’ll notice that the CPU socket is different from what you get on X58 and P45 boards since these boards only support Socket LGA-1156 processors – namely Core i5, as we spoke about above. Core i5 is designed to be the mainstream and cheaper version CPU of the high-end enthusiast Core i7 processor. One of the big differences is that Core i5 will only have dual-channel DDR3 support whereas Core i7 has triple-channel.

At the time of writing, DFI was unable to provide any details on pricing for either motherboard model. However, they did state a little dissatisfaction over Intel charging the same price for P55 chipsets as the P45 north and southbridge combo. Keep in mind that P55 is a single chip solution and P45 was a dual chip solution – something is clearly not quite adding up.

DFI UT P55-T3eH8 motherboard

DFI DK P55-T3eH6 motherboard

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From now on, amazing performance becomes available on affordable motherboards. In addition to the development of high-end overclocking motherboards that set world record in performance, the LANParty team has recently committed to a research program called “top performance at affordable prices”, allowing more consumers to enjoy low-price yet high-performance motherboards.

The BI P45-T2(R)S Elite family is the first wave of the “top performance at affordable prices” series. High-end hardware layouts, excellent BIOS design, and ex-factory overclocking stress test are totally migrated to the product. With the price under USD $110, it can surprisingly challenge $150-level products in terms of performance.

Based on Intel P45 chipsets, the BI P45-T2(R)S Elite family is compatible with LGA775 CPU. The 600MHz bus speed outperforms other products in the same price range. Moreover, the “Amateur mode” is also introduced to the BIOS options. With the simplified options in the amateur mode, users looking for stability can finish the setup in minutes. Meanwhile, the overclocking users can simply press the F9 hot key to switch to the “Expert mode” and pursue superior performance.

The product helps users save money not only on motherboards but also on CPU. Through ABS II auto overclocking technology, all CPUs can be upgraded automatically. In other words, users who choose the BI P45-T2(R)S Elite can enjoy the performance of high-end CPUs with the cost of low-end CPUs.
With strict O.C. test, the BI P45-T2(R)S Elite guarantees the operation stability under the normal frequency. It is absolutely the best choice for DIY users as an entry-level system. For users who want to practice overclocking skills but don’t have enough budgets, the BI P45-T2(R)S Elite is definitely a stepping stone to the overclocking world.

Product Features:

- ABS II technology, upgrade your CPU automatically
- Intel P45 chipseto BI P45-T2RS Elite embeds with ICH10R
* BI P45-T2S Elite has no RAID function

- Intel LGA 775 Core2 Extreme/ Quad/ Duo
- Supports DDR2 667/800/1066(1200MHz max.)
- FSB supports up to 1333MHz
- Genie BIOS with various BIOS setting for extreme performance
- Auto Boost System (ABS): upgrade your CPU automatically
- One PCI Express x16 slot for graphics card; 6 SATA II connectors.

DFI LANParty AMD series motherboards, including the highest end 790FXB family and multi-media 790GX family, have proved excellent performance on Phenom II overclocking. Now, LANParty team is focusing on “Main stream Overclocking”, DK 790X-M2RS is the first product that aims this segment.

Compared with the high-end 790FXB family, the DK 790X-M2RS has the equivalent overclocking BIOS settings and also retains exclusive overclocking features such as “debug LED”, “built-in power/reset button”, and “six fan connectors”. Therefore, the DK 790X-M2RS is really a cost-effective overclocking motherboard.

For game players, the DK 790X-M2RS provides two PCI Express x16 slots (bandwidth x8/ x8) and supports CrossFireX dual graphics card technology. On audio performance, it adopts Realtek’s hi-end ALC885 chipsets that have best SN ratio than competitor products in field tests. In terms of network chipsets critical to LAN games, it adopts the hi-quality Marvell 8056 GbE IC whose performance in field tests is 15% higher than other products.

Moreover, the DK 790X-M2RS comes with the unique auto CPU upgrade technology “ABS II”, with which users just have to turn on the power and all the overclocking processes will be automatically completed and saved, enabling increased performance without the need for any overclocking skills. For those advanced overclocking users, LANParty provides Genie BIOS for experts. Users can optimize the performance with more than one hundred options. In addition, up to four sets of overclocking parameters can be stored in BIOS. Users can easily select the specific parameter set according to the scenario, and achieve the best balance between performance and energy efficiency .

Features:

- AMD 790X chipset with SB750
- Supports AMD AM2+ processors: Phenom II / Phenom / Athlon / Sempron, AMD AM2 processors: Athlon series / Sempron
- DDR2 667/800/1066(1200MHz Max.)
- ACC over-clocking technology
- Genie BIOS with various BIOS setting for extreme performance
- ABS II technology: upgrade your CPU automatically
- AMD ATI CrossFireX ready

DFI is working on a new P45 board that is touted to be pretty overclockable and best of all, very affordable too as VR-zone reports. DFI called it Blood Iron (BI) P45-T2RS Elite which is an update to the current P45-T2RS board with a revised PCB layout and a different LAN chip.

It comes with one PCIe x16 slot and 3 PCIe x1 slots instead of 2 PCIe x16 slots and 2 PCIe x1 slots to reduce cost so you can’t run Crossfire on this board now. It is said to be achieved FSB above 600MHz easily and mass production will start next week.

Other specs include Core 2 Quad and Duo processors support, 800/1066/1333MHz FSB support, 4 x DDRII DIMM up to max 8GB, DDR2 667/800/1066 DIMMs, 1 IDE, 6 SATAII 3Gbs ports, 12 USB2.0 ports, Realtek ALC885 for 8CH HD audio, 1 GbE LAN by JMC250, EZ-On and EZ-Touch switches for power switch and reset switch, and a Software Debug LED. The BIOS supports voltage tweakings on Vdimm, Vnb, Vcore, Vsb, VHT, 1MHz FSB tuning, adjustable CPU Multiplier. Also according to DFI, the issue of automatic shutdown while overclocking is now fixed so when you tried to change the CPU FSB or memory ratio, the system will not power off by itself.