We all know that the motherboard, memory, and CPU cooler manufacturers are making a big push into the product arena with versions of Intel i5 compatible items. With no less than 11 entries, Gigabyte is going in big with the launch of Intel’s latest processor, no doubt fueled by things it already knew, and are just now becoming public, such as the extreme performance of this chip, comparing favorably with the current top-of-the-line i7 models.
Yes, the i5 is showing itself to be a strong competitor, and possible replacement for the i7, in all but the most demanding situations.
from slashdot
“Not many people have debated that Intel’s Nehalem architecture is the fastest available for consumer desktop computers since it was released last year, but quite a few have complained about the cost of the platform. Intel just released new Lynnfield-based processors under both the Core i7 and Core i5 names and tests are showing the new CPUs beating Nehalem in both performance-per-watt and performance-per-dollar tests to a startling degree. And while raw performance probably still goes to the Nehalem-based Core i7 CPUs, the lower prices of motherboards and memory for Lynnfield processors will likely more than make up for it.”
So, with that, and the natural pushing from Intel, is it any wonder that there are many, many motherboards to choose from? The only thing is that 11 is more of a number to be seen by the likes of Asus, not a second tier manufacturer such as Gigabyte. For them, it is almost betting the farm that i5 will be around, in current form, for a long upgrade cycle.
from Tech Connect
If you thought that Asus’ P55 offer was pretty beefy then think again as Gigabyte is releasing 11 (eleven) motherboards supporting LGA 1156 processors. In all, Gigabyte will be delivering nine ‘standard’ ATX P55 boards – the GA-P55-UD6, GA-P55-UD5, GA-P55-UD4P, GA-P55-UD4, GA-P55-UD3P, GA-P55-UD3R, GA-P55-UD3, GA-P55-UD3L, GA-P55-US3L and two micro ATX models, the GA-P55M-UD4 and GA-P55M-UD2, all of which have at least two PCI-Express x16 slots, four DDR3-2200 memory slots, make use of the Ultra Durable 3 technology and feature the the 2.0 version of the Dynamic Energy Saver.
For starters ‘only’ seven of Gigabyte’s P55 motherboards have appeared in stores and they go from 86 Euro (for the GA-P55M-UD2) to 198 Euro (GA-P55-UD6).
For a better look at the product lineup, follow the link above to see a full page of motherboard pictures and specifications side-by-side.
I certainly hope AMD is doing much more than watching from the sidelines, as Intel seems to have sped up the tick-tock, and, in RAM-like fashion, getting more work done with each tick and tock.
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