Conclusions
Apart from the inclusion of second generation PCI Express connectivity at the north bridge, Intel's upcoming P45 chipset doesn't pack much in the way of new features. However, based on our experiences with Asus' P5Q and P5Q3 Deluxe motherboards, the die-shrunk P45 appears to have loads of overclocking headroom and very low power consumption to go along with solid performance. Those attributes certainly bode well for the P45's bid to extend Intel's mid-range chipset dynasty, particularly in enthusiast-oriented motherboards.

Motherboards like Asus' P5Q and P5Q3 Deluxe, for example. These are the first P45 boards we've been able to test in our labs, and the initial results are encouraging. There's still work to be done optimizing the performance of the boards' memory subsystems, but at least in our application benchmarks, the P5Qs had no problems keeping up with the competition.

In usual Asus fashion, the P5Qs are loaded with onboard peripherals and unique extras. Integrating 802.11n Wi-Fi is a particularly nice touch, and with a few more applications, we think the embedded Express Gate Linux distribution could be an extremely valuable tool for enthusiasts and mainstream users alike. Unfortunately, we're not so keen on Asus' Six Engine energy saving scheme, which relies too heavily on throttling processor clock speeds to conserve power. Tree-hugging ecomentalists may be willing to live with slower systems, but we can't imagine many enthusiasts will be interested in dialing back performance in the name of power consumption.

Asus has set the bar for P45 motherboards with its P5Q and P5Q3 Deluxe, but you won't be able to buy either until June 2. Expect to pay $209 for the P5Q and $229 for the P5Q3 when the boards do become available. At those prices, the P5Qs will likely reside at the high end of the P45 spectrum. Fortunately, their extra features and peripherals easily justify the extra cost.