Intel DP55KG P55 Lynnfield Motherboard Review

Introduction and Specifications

Intel’s latest Extreme Series offering is the long-awaited DP55KG motherboard that targets enthusiast-level users as well as hardcore gamers looking for a solid board that takes advantage of all the features available with the new Lynnfield LGA 1156 platform.

Intel’s latest Extreme Series motherboard pushes limits of new Lynnfield platform

Courtesy of Intel

Intel’s latest Extreme Series offering is the long-awaited DP55KG motherboard that targets enthusiast-level users as well as hardcore gamers looking for a solid board that takes advantage of all the features available with the Lynnfield platform. No other CPU platform this year has created the amount of pandemonium that we’ve seen from Intel’s launch of the LGA 1156 i5 and i7s and their P55 chipset.

After Intel’s initial successes with the LGA 1366 aka Bloomfield CPUs, the processor manufacturing giant continued to develop the Nehalem architecture and made a few key changes to the LGA 1156 that are not available with the LGA 1366 socket including a dual-channel memory controller, integrated PCI-E 2.0, and split HyperThreading integration to name a few.

Courtesy of Intel

One major improvement to the LGA 1156 architecture is Intel’s new Turbo Mode feature. This feature helps fine tune each core to allow them to auto-overclock better than their LGA 1366 counterparts. Ryan went into more detail about the new Lynnfield processors in a previous article where he explains Intel’s thought process behind each of the changes that makes this socket stand out in the mid-range and high-end quad core processor markets. 

Intel DP55KG P55 Lynnfield Motherboard Specifications (from Intel’s website)

Form Factor:
ATX (304.80 millimeters [12.00 inches] x 243.84 millimeters [9.60 inches])

Processor:
Support for an Intel® processor in the LGA1156 package

Main Memory:
• Four 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets arranged in two channels

• Support for DDR3 1600 MHz, DDR3 1333 MHz, and DDR3 1066 MHz

DIMMs:
• Support for non-ECC memory

• Support for up to 16 GB of system memory

Chipset:
Intel® P55 Express Chipset consisting of the Intel P55 Platform Controller Hub (PCH)

Graphics:
Support for multiple PCI Express* 2.0 graphics cards

Audio:
• Independent multi-streaming 8-channel (7.1) audio and 2-channel audio subsystem, featuring:
  – Intel® High Definition (Intel® HD) Audio interface
  – Realtek* ALC889 codec

• HD Audio front panel header

• Onboard 4-pin S/PDIF out connector

• Back panel S/PDIF out and in optical connectors

Expansion Capabilities:
• One PCI Express 2.0 x16 port

• One PCI Express 2.0 x8 port

• One PCI Express 2.0 x4 port

• Two PCI Express 2.0 x1 ports

• Two PCI* bus connectors
  – Legacy I/O Support Legacy I/O Controller that provides Consumer Infrared (CIR) support

Peripheral Interfaces:
• Up to 13 USB 2.0 ports:
  – Eight ports routed to eight back panel USB connectors
  – Four ports routed to two onboard USB headers
  – One port routed to an onboard vertical USB connector

• Up to two IEEE 1394a ports:
  – One port routed to the back panel
  – One port routed to an IEEE 1394a header

• Eight Serial ATA (SATA) channels (3.0 Gb/s):
  – Six channels via the PCH
  – Two channels via a discrete controller

• Two external SATA (eSATA) channels via a discrete controller