Intel’s Core i7 (formerly known by its code name: Nehalem) has only just been released, but already there’s an army of third-party manufacturers ready to step in with supporting hardware.

It’s just as well, since the Core i7 architecture demands a new type of CPU socket and a new chipset known as X58.

Asus has given us a preview of its first X58-based board, the P6T Deluxe. As the name implies, it’s a premium board with high-end features such as SAS (serial-attached SCSI) and dual Gigabit Ethernet.

The version we looked at even comes with an Asus “OC Palm” module – an external console that can be used as a secondary display and for dynamic overclocking and temperature monitoring.

Elsewhere, it’s powered by a standard 24-pin ATX connector, with a 4/8-pin CPU power socket. It has a single IDE interface, six SATA ports, and the usual connectors.

Look more closely and you’ll find some interesting new features. The first is the CPU socket, which is the new LGA 1336 design, also known as Socket B. It’s based on the same ZIF concept as LGA 775, with contacts sticking up from the socket, but it’s divided into two symmetrical sections with the pins pointing in different directions.

It’s held in place by a metal plate on the reverse of the board, and while the lever-based insertion mechanism is basically the same as in older chips, the housing has changed shape, so you’ll need an i7-specific heatsink.

The six DDR3 DIMM sockets look unremarkable until you notice the
colour coding. With the Nehalem microarchitecture, the memory controller is moved out of the chipset and onto the CPU itself, and the Core i7 uses a novel three-channel RAM system, so matched DIMMs can be installed in threes rather than pairs.

There’s a third notable feature, too. The board’s three PCI Express 16x sockets are compatible with both SLI and CrossFireX – the first time a single board has supported both technologies.

Note there are only 32 PCI 2.0 lanes to divide up between the slots, so if you splash out on three cards you’ll be using a 16x/ 8x/8x arrangement.

Partner it with a Core i7 and you’re in for stonking performance, that much is clear from our tests. But be warned, it isn’t likely to be a cheap combination.