Just around this time three years ago, Intel launched their 925X and 915 motherboard platforms, bringing to market a new microprocessor socket, support for DDR2 memory, and support for PCI Express. Although the chipsets were decent performers and had good features, Intel was criticized for forcing the adoption of these new technologies when the market wasn’t really demanding it. At that time, Intel’s NetBurst processors trailed AMD’s and the company caught a lot of criticism from motherboard partners, OEM computer manufacturers, and press alike.

Fast forward to today, and we are in a completely different situation. Intel has received accolades for their Conroe and Kentsfield based processors, and their 975X and P965 chipsets have been very successful. And like we saw three years ago, Intel has recently launched a new chipset family - formerly codenamed Bearlake -  that usher in a slew of new technologies to the market place. This new chipset is replacing the mainstream P965 and is called the P35, and with it, Intel brings support for the 45nm Wolfdale and Yorkfield cores (Penryn), 1333MHz bus speeds, an improved memory controller and south bridge, and support for DDR3 memory. But unlike what we saw three years ago, the P35 chipset will also be available with support for DDR2, allowing the market to gradually transition toward DDR3, instead of forcing its adoption.

One of the first companies to market with a DDR2 variant of the Intel P35 chipset is MSI, with the MSI P35 Platinum motherboard we’ll be reviewing today.

MSI P35 Platinum Features and Specifications

Since the MSI P35 Platinum is targeted at the mainstream, the package contents of the board are very basic. Along with the standard documentation and driver disk, the P35 Platinum is equipped with four SATA cables, a PATA cable, a Molex to SATA power adapter, a PCI firewire port, and a back I/O panel.