Conclusion

It is pretty hard to make any conclusions about the performance of the new Intel P35 chipset basing on the results of one single mainboard. At this time we will not draw any final verdicts just yet. We would only like to say that according to the first look at this solution, it is at least as efficient as Intel P965 in performance as well as overclocking. However, from the functionality and specifications standpoint the new P35 is undoubtedly more attractive than its mainstream competitors. It officially supports 1333MHz system bus and will be compatible with the upcoming 45nm Penryn processors. Moreover, the chipset acquired the whole list of new features that the predecessor was obviously missing. Namely, the new ICH9R South Bridge now has a Gigabit network MAC-controller and 12 USB 2.0 ports support, while the new North Bridge supports promising DDR3 SDRAM that will conquer frequencies unattainable for DDR2 SDRAM.

As for the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R mainboard that we have reviewed today, it is one of the first solutions on the new Intel P35 chipset to appear in the market and certainly deserves your attention. It is a good alternative to iP965 based mainboards. It supports widespread DDR2 SDRAM, but at the same time offers better consumer features and specifications. Moreover, Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R did very well in our CPU overclocking tests and performed at a very high level in nominal work mode.

However, as we have already mentioned this mainboard still has some frustrating drawbacks, such as limited memory overclocking and not the ultimate performance level with FSB set above the nominal. Hopefully Gigabyte engineers will take our comments into account when working on new mainboard revisions and modifications.

Summing up let me once again list all the cons and pros of the new Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R mainboard.

Highs:

• Guaranteed support of future processors;
• High performance in nominal mode;
• Six-phase processor voltage regulator using very high-quality components;
• Easy and efficient CPU overclocking;
• Smart implementation of eSATA interface support;
• Attractive price.

Lows:

• No second PCI Express x16 graphics slot;
• Relatively low performance with overclocked FSB;
• Unstable operation with DDR2 SDRAM frequency exceeding 1150MHz;
• No voltage monitoring in the system.