Intel X38 Express Chipset Debuts

The second Intel X38 Express based motherboard we’ll be featuring in this article came by way of Gigabyte.   Like the Asus P5E3 Deluxe, the X38-DQ6 is a high-end motherboard targeted at enthusiasts, but the Gigabyte board is configured to support more affordable DDR2 memory, as opposed to the DDR3 required for the P5E3 Deluxe.

Gigabyte typically outfits their high-end motherboards with an extensive software and accessory bundle. And true to tradition, the X38-DQ6 ships with a boatload of stuff thrown in.  Along with the motherboard itself, we found a detailed user's manual and quick setup guide that explained all of the board's features and clearly illustrated the various steps necessary to install and configure the board.  In addition, a driver / utility CD is included, along with a Gigabyte case badge, and a custom, color coded I/O shield.  There was also an assortment of brightly colored SATA cables included, and 80-wire IDE and floppy cables were included as well.  Probably the coolest accessories included with the X38-DQ6, however, are a pair of slot-mounted brackets that house eSATA ports.  These brackets bring eSATA and power connectors to any open slot location, and data and power cables to be used with the brackets are included.  If you're sick of the pokey transfer speeds of your external USB hard drive, you can connect basically any standard hard drive to one of these ports and get the same performance as if it was connected internally to one of the board's SATA connectors.