Three New Chipsets for Westmere?

[r_manic]

Four chipsets (all using the LGA 1156 socket) are compatible with the Clarkdale platform: the H55, H57, Q57, and standard Lynnfield P55-based motherboards. Here?s where it gets interesting. H55, H57, and Q57-based boards are identical in their overall construction, with each offering a new subset of Intel features as you go up the price range. H57-based motherboards can support two additional USB ports, two extra PCI Express x1 lanes, and support for Intel?s RAID-based Rapid Storage Technology. Q57 boards, more for business use, include Intel?s Active Management Technology?remote technical support. You can stick a Clarkdale processor in a P55 motherboard or, vice versa, a Lynnfield processor in an H55, H57, or Q57 motherboard. Either situation forces you to use a discrete graphics card, however.

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So what's with the H55, H57, and Q57? Why can't Intel just stick with the P55? They all lack the north bridge anyway, and why is Intel making our lives harder by providing more chipset choices?

 

[r_manic]

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