With supplies on the X48 still being quite low, we have a new chipset that managed to take the spotlight from GPUs in the recent Computex: Intel's new mainstream chipset, the P45. This is the first upgrade for this segment since the P35, more than a year ago; the X38 and X48 were aimed at the enthusiast, and actually replaced the 975X. So, what you have here, is the third chipset for the Core 2 (the P965 was the first one) that you should really care about.

The Eaglelake platform raises FSB speed (always comparing to the P35) from 333 to 400 MHz (1600 MHz). Easy overclocks of 50% are guaranteed for older dual core CPUs (quads with a little bit of luck) and 20% for the 8000 and 9000 series. Of course, you can always expect to get even better overclocks with adequate cooling. Moreover, the P45 supports CrossFireX up to two PCIe x8 slots (PCI Express 2.0).

To get a better idea of what it is capable of, let's say that in the article linked below, with DDR3 memory, the Asus board reaches 500 MHz while running a Kentsfield, not bad for a "mainstream" motherboard.  When it comes to performance, the ASUS P5Q3 looks to be on par with the X38 and X48, which are supposed to be better. For energy consumption measures of the ASUS Energy Processing Unit and the 65 nm process used to fab the P45, we'll have to wait for another review.

Link: Hardwarezone.

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