Storage Performance: 

HD Tune and HDtach were run on the ICH9R SATA Southbridge controller to measure storage performance. Sisoft Sandra drive index and removable storage benchmarks were also used to measure hard drive and removable flash storage performance.

Overclocking Performance: 

OC stability was evaluated by running Prime 95 for eight hours with 3DMark06 looping with no errors. The target OC is achieved when the torture test does not fail and without having to resort to unrealistic voltage levels, that would seriously affect component longevity. 

I was impressed with the results in the OC department. The Core 2 Quad used a B3 revision that is know to run hotter and use more power than the newer G0 revision. The board was not the limiting factor in this equation. The board took that CPU right up to its know stable point from prior overclocks. The board was as stable as a rock at that point. It very much gave me the impression it could take any CPU feed to it, to its highest overclock potential.

Conclusion:

If what you’re looking for is a high powered, feature packed, overclocking machine the DQ6 fits the bill. Combining Intel's latest chipset for support of next generation hardware with a full featured motherboard, above average overclocking abilities and eye catching consumer packaging the P35-DQ6 will serve you well as your primary mainboard for some time.

Performance of this board paired with the Core 2 Quad Q6600 was very good across the board. Features wise, this board uses the Intel P35/ICH9R chipset, so It supports the newer 1333FSB 45nm processors. Solid caps are used for for enhanced stability and system longevity. The board comes with SATA II and Quad eSATA2 interfaces. There is a Quad bios solution for extended protection. Eight Channel HD audio codec ALC889A and GbE and 1394 support. The NB and SB are also passively cooled by a Silent Heatpipe chipset cooler. Making use of a Dual Bios setup provides a safety net from too aggressive overclocking. This makes the board an excellent choice for hardware enthusiasts looking to head into overclocking for the first time, or for the experienced enthusiast that loves to push the system to its extreme.

The only downside is the boards fairly high price point, but considering this boards great performance, ease of use and bling-bling aesthetic appeal the price is easily justified. This board ranks as a heavyweight champion in my book. Big thanks go out to Gigabyte for sending in this winner for review.

Got News? Send 'em in!