At first glance the Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe (DDR3) motherboard has the look of an enthusiast motherboard, and since it's based on Intel's new P35 Express and ICH9R chipset combo it should handle pretty good too. The motherboard supports all Socket 775 processors that run on an 800/1066MHz bus, including all the new 1333 MHz FSB Core 2 Duo/Quad processors Intel released this summer. On top of this, the Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe also supports the upcoming Intel 'Penryn' core... but that's a story for another day.

Of everything the Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe motherboard brings to the enthusiasts table, the most significant is DDR3 memory. As you probably already know, the Intel P35 Express chipset works with either DDR2 or DDR3-based platforms, and as such every motherboard maker has at least one motherboard model in both RAM flavours. The TP35D3-A7 Deluxe is Biostar's shot at building a DDR-3 RAM motherboard.

Now before you write in to ask, DDR3 memory is so new that it is still an expensive and luxurious option. More importantly, DDR3 appears to be best suited towards quad-core 1333MHz Intel Core 2 Quad microprocessors rather than the dual-core variety. PCSTATS' review of the Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 13333MHz FSB processor is a good place to start. In this review of the Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe PCSTATS will test this motherboard with a Core 2 Duo E6750 processor and a 2GB set of Corsair's finest DOMINATOR Twin3X2048-1800C7D DDR3-1800 memory. If a Core 2 Quad figures in your future, I think you're really going to like the TP35D3-A7 Deluxe... ;-)

Based on the DDR3 version of the Intel P35 Express chipset (and ICH9R southbridge), the Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe motherboard comes supporting a wide array of SOHO and enthusiast gamer friendly features. The TP35D3-A7 Deluxe includes six 3GB/s Serial ATA II ports (which are RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 compatible), two Gigabit network cards, 7.1 channel High Definition Azalia audio and two eSATA ports at the rear care of a Marvell controller. There are no Firewire jacks, but there is one IDE slot for legacy optical drives. PCI Express x16 videocards are accommodated with one slot, and there are three PCI Express x1 slots for high bandwidth devices and two regular PCI slots for legacy hardware.

This is a DDR-3 RAM motherboard, the Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe is one of the new generation Intel P35 Express motherboards to support this new memory standard natively. It cannot be used with DDR2 RAM. The four 1.5V DDR3 memory slots accommodate up to 8GB of unbuffered non ECC DDR3-667, 800 and 1066 MHz memory (in dual channel). The Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe is Microsoft Windows Vista compatible, and supports socket 775 Intel Core 2 Duo/Core2 Quad/Celeron 4xx/Pentium D/Pentium 4 processors operating on a 800/1066/1333MHz Front Side Bus.

Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe (DDR3) Motherboard Includes: Driver CD, User's Manual, Rounded Ultra/133 IDE Cable, Floppy Cable, 4x Serial ATA Cables, 4x Molex to Serial ATA Power Cables, Audio Bracket, I/O Shield

The Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe motherboard certainly has the look and feel of a high end motherboard. From the large copper heat pipe chipset cooling system, to the power and reset buttons, the TP35D3-A7 Deluxe has features any enthusiast will like. The layout of components on the board are nice and organized, most connectors are easy to reach. Setting up a system on the Biostar TP35D3-A7 Deluxe is nice and easy.

For example, all six Serial ATA II slots are placed at the bottom right hand corner which makes routing all those slim red cables a far neater process. The IDE, floppy and main ATX power connector are located at the right hand side of the motherboard for easy access too. The USB, front panel I/O, COM, parallel and audio connectors rest at the bottom of the motherboard, well out of the way of expansion cards. Tweakers who run their PC system without a case will absolutely love the hard power and reset switches, put those jumpers away boys!

Like many other tier one manufacturers, Biostar have opted to use low ESR solid state polymer capacitors on the TP35D3-A7 Deluxe motherboard. This kind of solid capacitor has a longer lifespan than the electrolytic variety. As temperatures increase inside the computer case, the lifespan of electrolytic capacitors begins to decline. Compared to standard Electrolytic capacitors which use a fluid electrolyte, the 'all-solid' style polymer capacitor last longer under the same conditions.

The solid-state Low ESR conductive polymer capacitors are housed in very distinguishable aluminum cans. The electro-conductive polymer capacitor does not use electrolyte, so they will not dry out, leak, or suffer gas buildup and burst, or leak. Good capacitors will not make your computer faster, but they can ensure it runs reliably longer.

Among other features geared towards enthusiasts is a custom two LED diagnostics system on the PCB. It can help tell you if there's a problem with the motherboard, and where to start looking. There is a short legend silk screened on the PCB so you can quickly reference and decipher the codes.

While the system works for basic errors, we would have preferred to find a Port 80 card instead. That standard is much older, offers a broader range of error codes, and the error codes are largely standardized.

PCSTATS will look at the Intel P35 Express chipset and explain the difference between DDR2 and DDR3 memory over the next couple pages, but first let's have a closer look at the TP35D3-A7 Deluxe board itself. We'll dive into DDR3 and tell you everything you need to know about this new memory standard after the motherboard highlights.