Intel® 955X Express Chipset

Platforms based on the Intel® 955X Express Chipset and Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition deliver incredible digital entertainment experiences and meet the most demanding business applications of today and tomorrow.

The Intel 955X Express Chipset enables Intel's highest performance platforms, with support for the new Intel dual-core processor supporting Hyper-Threading Technology◊, adding intelligence to help manage and prioritize four software threads simultaneously for the first time on desktop PCs. Additionally, this chipset supports key performance-optimized capabilities such as Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology (Intel® MPT), up to 8 GB memory addressability to help enable 64-bit computing, and ECC memory support.

Features and benefits

Supports Intel® Core™2 Processor with Viiv™ TechnologyΔ	Get ready for a new kind of consumer entertainment PC that will change the way you enjoy entertainment at home. With a system based on the Intel 955X Express Chipset*, control the music, movies, games, and photos you want to enjoy both from your personal entertainment collections and endless entertainment options from a wide range of Intel® Core™2 processor with Viiv™ technology verified service providers delivered right to your living room.
800 MHz or 1066 MHz FSB	Supports Intel Pentium processor Extreme Edition and all other Intel® Pentium processors in the LGA775 socket with scalability for future processor innovations.
Supports dual-core processors with Hyper-Threading Technology◊1	Ability to manage four software threads simultaneously, enabling increased system responsiveness and performance for multi-tasking.
Support for LGA775 processor package	Supports the high-performance Intel desktop processors on the LGA775 processor package.
PCI Express* x16 Interface	Delivers greater than 3.5 times the bandwidth over the traditional AGP 8X interface. Supports the latest graphics cards for demanding games and applications.
PCI Express* x1 Interface	Offers up to 3.5 times the bandwidth over traditional PCI architecture. Enables smoother video playback, and professional grade, high-definition content editing capability through the PC.
Intel® Matrix Storage Technology◊2	Provides quicker access to digital photo, video and business files with RAID 0, 5 and 10, and data protection against loss from a hard disk drive failure with RAID 1, 5 and 10.
Intel® High Definition (HD) Audio	Enables premium digital sound in the PC for an immersive surround-sound experience, high quality speech recognition and voice over IP. Intel HD Audio systems provide access to Dolby* PC sound technology.
Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology	Enhanced memory pipelining that enables a higher utilization of each memory channel, accelerating data transfers between the processor and system memory and resulting in higher system performance.
Dual-channel DDR2 Memory Support	Delivers increased bandwidth for faster system response performance with up to 10.7GB/s of bandwidth and 8GB addressability for faster system response.
Intel® Flex Memory Technology	Facilitates easier upgrades by allowing different memory sizes to be populated and remain in dual-channel mode.
Platform Software	Comprehensive platform driver stack delivers performance and helps lower TCO.
Intel® Active Management Technology	Enables remote, down-the-wire management of out-of-band networked systems regardless of system state. Helps to improve IT efficiency, asset management and system security and availability.
Serial ATA* (SATA) 3 Gb/s	High-speed storage interface supports faster transfer rate for improved data access.

Packaging information

Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition	775 Land Grid Array (LGA)
Intel® Pentium® 4 processor Extreme Edition supporting Hyper-Threading Technology	775 Land Grid Array (LGA)
Intel® 82955X Memory Controller Hub	1202 Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FCBGA)
Intel® 82801GB I/O Controller Hub  Intel® 82801GR I/O Controller Hub	652 Micro Ball Grid Array (mBGA)

Intel® 975X Express Chipset

Platforms based on the Intel® 975X Express Chipset and Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition deliver incredible high performance for gaming, multimedia entertainment and demanding business applications of today and tomorrow. The Intel 975X Express Chipset enables Intel's highest desktop performance platforms, with support for the latest Intel dual-core processors, adding intelligence to help manage and prioritize multiple (quad) threads received from the processor. In addition to multiple thread support, the Intel 975X Express Chipset enables key performance-optimized capabilities such as support for multiple 2x8 graphics cards, Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology (Intel® MPT), 8GB memory addressability to enable 64-bit computing, and ECC memory support.

Features and benefits

Supports Intel® Core™2 Processor with Viiv™ TechnologyΔ	Get ready for a new kind of consumer entertainment PC that will change the way you enjoy entertainment at home. With a system based on the Intel® 975X Express Chipset, control the music, movies, games, and photos you want to enjoy both from your personal entertainment collections and endless entertainment options from a wide range of Intel® Core™2 processor with Viiv™ technology verified service providers delivered right to your living room.
1066-/800-MHz System Bus	Supports Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor, Intel® Core™2 Duo processor, Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Editionand Intel® Pentium® D processor to deliver higher performance for games and applications.
Intel® Memory Pipeline Technology	Enhanced memory pipelining that enables a higher utilization of each memory channel, accelerating data transfers between the processor and system memory, resulting in higher system performance.
Intel® High Definition Audio	Integrated audio support for new consumer electronic formats, increased audio quality, and multiple audio streaming capability for premium digital sound.
PCI Express* Interface	16 lanes of PCI Express in the Memory Controller Hub (MCH) capable of delivering greater than 3.5 times the performance over the traditional AGP 8X interface, supporting the latest graphics cards for demanding games and applications. 6 PCI x1 lanes in the I/O controller hub support a broad array of I/O cards and applications.
PCI Express* configuration flexibility	2 PCI Express controllers in the MCH enable either 1 x 16 or 2 x 8 operation for the 16 PCI Express lanes.
Intel® Matrix Storage Technology	Provides quicker access to digital photo, video, and business files with RAID 0, 5, and 10, and data protection against a hard drive failure with RAID 1, 5, and 10.
Serial ATA* (SATA) 3Gbps	High speed storage improves transfer rate for improved data access.
Dual-channel DDR2 Memory Support	Up to 10.7GB/s of bandwidth and 8GB addressability for faster system response.
Intel® Flex Memory Technology	Facilitates easier upgrades by allowing different memory sizes to be populated and remain in dual-channel mode.

Packaging information

 

Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor	775 Land Grid Array (LGA)
Intel® Core™2 Duo processor	775 Land Grid Array (LGA)
Intel® Pentium® processor Extreme Edition	775 Land Grid Array (LGA)
Intel® Pentium® D processor	775 Land Grid Array (LGA)
Intel® 82975X Memory Controller Hub	1202 Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FCBGA)
Intel® 82801GB I/O Controller Hub  Intel® 82801GR I/O Controller Hub  Intel® 82801GDH I/O Controller Hub	652 Micro Ball Grid Array (mBGA)

Intel® X38 Express Chipset

Desktop PC platforms based on the Intel® X38 Express Chipset, combined with either the Intel® Core™2 Duo, Intel® Core™2 Quad or Intel® Core™2 Extreme processors establish a new standard for performance. Designed with headroom and engineering passion, the Intel X38 Express Chipset supports new dual-channel DDR3 memory technology, next generation dualX16 PCI Express 2.0 and Intel® Extreme Tuning to unleash exceptional performance in today's gaming applications With the growing imbalance between CPU and memory performance, it is critical to optimize the memory controller design to obtain the maximum possible performance from the memory subsystem. The redesigned Intel X38 Express Chipset Memory Controller Hub (MCH) architecture significantly increases overall system performance through the optimization of available bandwidth with the new 1333 MHz system bus and reduction of memory access latency with Intel® Fast Memory Access. These technology breakthroughs result in optimized system architecture with built-in intelligence, greatly improving system memory performance. The updated MCH also includes support for Intel 45nm next-generation Intel Core 2 processor family and wider internal data buses that support dual-channel DDR3 memory technology at 1333 MHz.

Features and benefits

1333/1066/800 MHz System Bus	Supports the Intel® Core™2 Duo and Intel® Core™2 Quad processors with Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT)◊1, Intel® Pentium® processor, and Intel® Celeron® processor.
PCI Express* 2.0 Interface	PCI Express 2.0 delivers up to 16GB/s bandwidth per port, double that of PCIe* 1.0. It provides leading-edge graphics performance with dual X16 graphic card configuration.
Intel® Fast Memory Access	Updated Memory Controller Hub (MCH) backbone architecture that improves system performance by optimizing the use of available memory bandwidth and reducing the latency of the memory accesses.
Dual-Channel DDR3 memory support	Delivers up to 21.2 GB/s (DDR3 1333 dual 10.6 Gb/s) of bandwidth and 8 GB memory addressability for faster system responsiveness and support of 64-bit computing.
Dual-Channel DDR2 memory support	Delivers up to 12.8 GB/s (DDR2 800 dual 6.4 GB/s) of bandwidth and 8 GB memory addressability for faster system responsiveness and support of 64-bit computing.
Intel® Flex Memory Technology	Facilitates easier upgrades by allowing different memory sizes to be populated and remain in dual-channel mode.
Intel® High Definition Audio◊2	Integrated audio support enables premium digital sound and delivers advanced features such as multiple audio streams and jack re-tasking.
Intel® Matrix Storage Technology◊3	With a second hard drive added, provides quicker access to digital photo, video and data files with RAID 0, 5, and 10, and greater data protection against a hard disk drive failure with RAID 1, 5, and 10. Support for external SATA* (eSATA*) enables the full SATA interface speed outside the chassis, up to 3 Gb/s.
Intel® Rapid Recover Technology	Intel's latest data protection technology provides a recovery point that can be used to quickly recover a system should a hard drive fail or if there is massive data corruption. The clone can also be mounted as a read-only volume to allow a user to recover individual files.
Serial ATA* (SATA) 3 Gb/s	High-speed storage interface supports faster transfer rate for improved data access.
eSATA/Port Multiplier	SATA interface designed for use with external SATA devices. Provides a link for 3 Gb/s data speeds to eliminate bottlenecks found with current external storage solutions. Intel also supports natively port multipliers. Combining port multipliers, eSATA, and Intel Matrix Storage Technology provides great flexibility and expandability for external storage solutions.
SATA* Port Disable	Enables individual SATA ports to be enabled or disabled as needed. This feature provides added protection of data by preventing malicious removal or insertion of data through SATA ports. Especially targeted for eSATA ports available on the outside of the system.
USB* Port Disable	Enables individual USB ports to be enabled or disabled as needed. This feature provides added protection of data by preventing malicious removal or insertion of data through USB ports.

Packaging information

Intel® 82X38 Memory Controller Hub	1300 Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FCBGA)

Intel® X48 Express Chipset

Desktop PC platforms based on the Intel® X48 Express Chipset, combined with either the Intel® Core™2 Duo, Intel® Core™2 Quad or Intel® Core™2 Extreme processors establish a new standard for performance. Designed to push the limits, the Intel® X48 Express Chipset supports the new Intel® QX9770 Core™2 Extreme processor with 1600 FSB, dual-channel XMP 1600 MHz DDR3 memory, next generation dual X16 PCI Express 2.0 and Intel® Extreme Tuning to extract the maximum platform performance. With the growing imbalance between CPU and memory performance, it is critical to optimize the memory controller design to obtain the maximum possible performance from the memory subsystem. The redesigned Intel X48 Express Chipset Memory Controller Hub (MCH) architecture significantly increases overall system performance through the optimization of available bandwidth with the new 1600 MHz system bus and reduction of memory access latency with Intel® Fast Memory Access. These technology breakthroughs result in optimized system architecture with built-in intelligence, greatly improving system memory performance. The updated MCH also includes support for Intel 45nm next-generation Intel Core 2 processor family and wider internal data buses that support dual-channel DDR3 memory technology at 1600 MHz.

Features and benefits

1600/1333/1066/800 MHz System Bus	Supports the Intel® Core™2 Extreme, Intel® Core™2 Duo and Intel® Core™2 Quad processors, Dual-Core Intel® Pentium® processor, and Intel® Celeron® processor.
PCI Express* 2.0 Interface	PCI Express 2.0 delivers up to 16GB/s bandwidth per port, double that of PCIe* 1.0. It provides leading-edge graphics performance with dual X16 graphic card configuration.
Intel® Fast Memory Access	Updated Memory Controller Hub (MCH) backbone architecture that improves system performance by optimizing the use of available memory bandwidth and reducing the latency of the memory accesses.
Dual-Channel DDR3 memory support	Delivers up to 25.6 GB/s (DDR3 1600 dual 12.8 Gb/s) of bandwidth and 8 GB memory addressability for faster system responsiveness and support of 64-bit computing.
Intel® Flex Memory Technology	Facilitates easier upgrades by allowing different memory sizes to be populated and remain in dual-channel mode.
Intel® High Definition Audio◊1	Integrated audio support enables premium digital sound and delivers advanced features such as multiple audio streams and jack re-tasking.
Intel® Matrix Storage Technology◊2	With a second hard drive added, provides quicker access to digital photo, video and data files with RAID 0, 5, and 10, and greater data protection against a hard disk drive failure with RAID 1, 5, and 10. Support for external SATA* (eSATA*) enables the full SATA interface speed outside the chassis, up to 3 Gb/s.
Intel® Rapid Recover Technology	Intel's latest data protection technology provides a recovery point that can be used to quickly recover a system should a hard drive fail or if there is massive data corruption. The clone can also be mounted as a read-only volume to allow a user to recover individual files.
Serial ATA* (SATA) 3 Gb/s	High-speed storage interface supports faster transfer rate for improved data access.
eSATA	SATA interface designed for use with external SATA devices. Provides a link for 3 Gb/s data speeds to eliminate bottlenecks found with current external storage solutions. Provides great flexibility and expandability for external storage solutions.
SATA* Port Disable	Enables individual SATA ports to be enabled or disabled as needed. This feature provides added protection of data by preventing malicious removal or insertion of data through SATA ports. Especially targeted for eSATA ports available on the outside of the system.
USB* Port Disable	Enables individual USB ports to be enabled or disabled as needed. This feature provides added protection of data by preventing malicious removal or insertion of data through USB ports.

Packaging information

Intel® 82X48 Memory Controller Hub	1300 Flip Chip Ball Grid Array (FCBGA)