DigiTimes
reports that the first of Intel's upcoming 'Bearlake' chipsets will arrive
in just two to three months. Intel will introduce its P35 Express and G33
Express core logic, the first two of five rumored Bearlake offerings, in May. If
previous rumors are to be believed, the P35 Express will support Intel's
quad-core Core 2 Extreme and Core 2 Quad processors, while the G33 will not, and
the entire Bearlake lineup will lack support for Netburst-based chips. Other
sources have claimed that the first Bearlake chipsets will support 1333MHz
front-side bus speeds as well as a new ICH9 south bridge. More Bearlake models
will supposedly come in the third quarter of this year with support for PCI
Express 2.0 and DDR3 memory. DigiTimes also says that Intel's low-end 865
chipsets will be completely phased out in the second quarter of 2007, and its
945 and 946 chipsets will then target the entry-level and mid-range markets.