* Asian equities rebound in tandem with U.S. futures
* Dollar index recovers after deepest drop since 2011
* Palladium tumbles over 7 pct to lowest since 2010
* Coming up: U.S. new home sales at 1400 GMT (Updates prices)
By Manolo Serapio Jr
MANILA, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Gold fell on Tuesday as Asian shares bounced off three-year lows and the U.S. dollar rebounded from a brutal selloff in the prior session that was fuelled by fears over the fate of the Chinese economy.
Palladium was the worst hit among precious metals, slumping more than 7 percent at one stage to its lowest since 2010, adding to a 5 percent slide on Monday.
Some Asian stocks recovered in tandem with U.S. futures even as Chinese shares tanked further. The dollar gained versus a basket of currencies .DXY after falling the most since 2011.
"If that remains the case over the course of this session then buying interest in gold could dry up," said Michael McCarthy, chief market strategist at CMC Markets in Sydney.
Spot gold XAU= was down 0.5 percent at $1,149 an ounce by 0701 GMT. It closed slightly lower on Monday after a five-day rally that lifted it to $1,168.40 on Friday, its loftiest since July 7.
U.S. gold for December delivery GCcv1 slipped 0.4 percent to $1,148.50 an ounce.
Gold was among the least bruised by Monday's selloff, dropping half a percent versus a 6 percent slide in Brent crude LCOc1 and a 2 percent decline in copper CMCU3 .
A near-9 percent dive in China shares sent global stocks and commodity prices tumbling overnight. That helped gold hold up as uncertainty over the global economy boosted investor appetite for safe-haven assets.
"Gold should continue to hold its value during the current market turbulence, however, a material surge higher is unlikely as participants find liquidity by selling all asset classes, including precious metals," MKS Group trader James Gardiner said in a note.
Also potentially limiting gold's upside potential, a key Federal Reserve official stuck to his view that a U.S. interest rate hike would happen this year.
Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said the Fed will likely begin raising rates "sometime this year," even as the steep drop in oil prices clouds the inflation outlook. ID:nL1N10Z28W
CMC Markets' McCarthy believes a U.S. rate hike can still happen next month.
"The Fed is focused on the underlying economy, not the share market. They want to normalise rates so that they have room to move should another crisis emerge," he said.
Spot palladium XPD= fell to as much as $528.50 an ounce, its lowest since September 2010, before paring losses to trade at $546.50, down 4.3 percent.
Platinum XPT= dropped 1 percent to $978 an ounce and silver XAG= was steady at $14.76.