“Intel’s Lynnfield based Core i5 and Core i7 processors are implemented on quite an interesting platform. Although AMD has used integrated memory controllers on their processors for years, it wasn’t until recently that Intel started implementing such controllers to replace their legacy Front Side Bus design on their budget Nehalem products. But Intel did not stop there, and actually took it a step further. In addition to the integrated dual channel memory controller, Intel has also moved features such as the Direct Media Interface chip to chip link and PCI Express controller to the CPU itself. Because most of the features that formerly resided on the Northbridge are now moved onto the processor, it has practically eliminated the need for having both a Northbridge and Southbridge on the motherboard.

Additionally, as the chipset now does significantly less than it did before, Intel has resolved to call the P55 chipset a Platform Controller Hub, abbreviated as PCH. The Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 is one such example of a motherboard designed with Intel’s new budget oriented Platform Controller Hub. Combined with USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s, how does it step up in the world of being an high end P55 motherboard from the motherboard giant? (By the way, the “A” in the P55A-UD6 name, like the rest of the Gigabyte motherboard line, symbolizes that it has USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s — its close brethren, the P55-UD6, is pretty much the same motherboard, but without USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s.) Read on to find out — and to make things more interesting, we even got some benchmarks against the ASUS P7P55D-E Premium, another P55 high end motherboard of Gigabyte’s main rival!”

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