Motherboards that work with Kentsfield
by Wesley Fink on September 29, 2006 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
Gigabyte
Gigabyte provided an extensive list of models that would support Kentsfield. However, all of these models are Revision 2 boards that will be released in mid- October. Gigabyte made it very clear that all Revision 2.0 boards below will fully support Kentsfield.
Gigabyte also advised AnandTech that some current P965 Revision 1 boards would also support the Intel Core 2 Quad with a BIOS upgrade. Gigabyte will be providing a compatibility list of current boards that support Kentsfield as soon as testing and BIOS updates are complete. We previously reported that Gigabyte's new lineup of P945 boards would support Kentsfield. However, as of 10-02-2006 Gigabyte engineering has confirmed that none of their 945P boards will support Kentsfield.
ECS
ECS is in the final stages of testing BIOS revisions that will support Kentsfield. The Intel Core 2 Quad will be supported by:
Biostar
Biostar has advised that the only model they will have in production that supports Intel Core 2 Quad will be the TForce P965. Production of that model has been delayed and the final release, with Kentsfield support, will be in November.
Our Take
It appears that most Intel 965 and many Intel 975 boards will support the upcoming quad core Kentsfield with just a BIOS upgrade. Existing motherboards based on other chipsets did not make any of the Kentsfield compatibility lists provided by the motherboard manufacturers. Kentsfield is still over a month away from introduction and there will likely be further developments in motherboard compatibility. For the latest information on what works with Kentsfield always check with the manufacturer's website.
Gigabyte provided an extensive list of models that would support Kentsfield. However, all of these models are Revision 2 boards that will be released in mid- October. Gigabyte made it very clear that all Revision 2.0 boards below will fully support Kentsfield.
| Gigabyte Kentsfield Compatible Motherboards | |
| Model | Platform |
| GA-975X-DS5 | Intel 975X |
| GA-965P-DQ6 | Intel P965 |
| GA-965P-DS4 (Not Available in Americas) | Intel P965 |
| GA-965P-DS3 | Intel P965 |
| GA-965P-S3 | Intel P965 |
| GA-965G-DS4 (Not Available in Americas) | Intel G965 |
| GA-965G-DS3 | Intel G965 |
| GA-965GM-DS2 | Intel G965 |
Gigabyte also advised AnandTech that some current P965 Revision 1 boards would also support the Intel Core 2 Quad with a BIOS upgrade. Gigabyte will be providing a compatibility list of current boards that support Kentsfield as soon as testing and BIOS updates are complete. We previously reported that Gigabyte's new lineup of P945 boards would support Kentsfield. However, as of 10-02-2006 Gigabyte engineering has confirmed that none of their 945P boards will support Kentsfield.
ECS
ECS is in the final stages of testing BIOS revisions that will support Kentsfield. The Intel Core 2 Quad will be supported by:
| ECS Kentsfield Compatible Motherboards | ||
| Model | Platform | BIOS Revision |
| ECS PX1 | Intel 975X | 9/27/06 or later BIOS |
| ECS P965T-A v.1.0B | Intel P965 | 9/27/06 or later BIOS |
Biostar
Biostar has advised that the only model they will have in production that supports Intel Core 2 Quad will be the TForce P965. Production of that model has been delayed and the final release, with Kentsfield support, will be in November.
Our Take
It appears that most Intel 965 and many Intel 975 boards will support the upcoming quad core Kentsfield with just a BIOS upgrade. Existing motherboards based on other chipsets did not make any of the Kentsfield compatibility lists provided by the motherboard manufacturers. Kentsfield is still over a month away from introduction and there will likely be further developments in motherboard compatibility. For the latest information on what works with Kentsfield always check with the manufacturer's website.
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Imaginer - Friday, September 29, 2006 - link
Will it be supported with the RD600?bob661 - Friday, September 29, 2006 - link
Reading skills are lacking with this one.MIDIman - Friday, September 29, 2006 - link
Any chances for Via chipsets, such as ASRock 775Dual-VSTA?Wesley Fink - Friday, September 29, 2006 - link
We have requested Kentsfield compatibility information from Asrock. Since Kentsfield is a high-end chip, it did not even consider that someone might want to use it on a very low-end board. When we get an answer we will add the information to the comments or the article.bob661 - Friday, September 29, 2006 - link
Soooo only Intel chipsets are compatible with Kentsfield? No Nvidia or ATI?Wesley Fink - Friday, September 29, 2006 - link
The ATI chipset for Intel is still not a production model. When and if it appears, we will be able to answer questions about Kentsfield compatibility. Current nVidia chipsets did not appear on any lists of current models that work with Kentsfield. We suspect the upcoming revision to the nVidia Intel chipset will support the quad core processor.bob661 - Friday, September 29, 2006 - link
Thanks Wesley. I'll wait for the Nvidia info.Kougar - Friday, September 29, 2006 - link
...That Abit didn't get back to you. They've been touting the AW9D series as Kentsfield compatible since their launch. Surprised to see my Gigabyte DS3 made that list though.