[PangingJr]

An Early Look - Intel X58 motherboards.



GIGABYTE shows us its X58 Extreme mobo in Taipei :: TweakTown


Asus P6T Deluxe X58 SLI Support?



Translated version of http://www.pcgameshardware.de/aid,656388/News/Asus_P6T_Deluxe_Bilder_und_Infos_des_X58-Mainboards_-_SLI-Support_bestaetigt/

[SeraphicSorcerer]

Houston we could have a problem, those PCIe slots look like dangerously close. not to mention the fact you won't be fitting quad dual slot solutions in them
You won't even have much space to get air in between them, could effect temps :/.

the asus one looks pretty good though, obviously no quad

[Judas]

holy crap.. i'm in love


triple channel...


interesting..

was wondering when they'd bring that out.


but it's kinda weird, figured they go straight up quad channel.... things in pairs always makes sense... odd number are...odd....

[MooN*FiRE]

The asus board has better placement in terms of sata and the color is a little ugly though. The 2 sata slots at the bottom 2 PCI-e slots will be covered by a high end videocard, so that might be a problem in future boards. I also dont like those caps so close to the CPU headsink area. I'm am thinking of the heat factor, caps get hot too and the cpu will be pretty hot also so now you have to think of putting heatsinks on the caps as well plus the height of them.
This might not be a problem but to me it looks like one. It also looks like they are trying to compress chipsets all together in lower area.
I'd also like to see them going away with legacy devices like ps/2 for mouse and keyboard and add more sata. I also dont use a floppy drive anymore since you can boot from a CD/DVD, no point in keeping that either. It's time to move into the future.

[kris23]

holy lord jesus......

i cant wait for the finalized Gigabyte GA-EX58-DQ6....

4x ethernet, 10x SATA triple channel DDR3 and..... Quad CFX?

also, this is speculation as im following current mobo patterns

[CDsDontBurn]

the gigabyte board looks sexier than the asus board, but the asus board looks more functional than the gigabyte board.

regardless though, both boards are sexy!

[PangingJr]

http://en.expreview.com/2008/06/03/c...g-wild-dx58so/

http://en.expreview.com/2008/06/03/c...bos-following/

MSI announces its motherboard X58 "ECLIPSE" - Translated version of http://www.syndrome-oc.net/archives.php?id=4184

======================


X58 motherboards to be six to eight layers - Fudzilla - X58 motherboards to be six to eight layers

Will be expensive to make

During a chat with one of the motherboard manufacturers we were told that X58 motherboards will be no less than six layers, and might even need eight layers. The reason for this is the triple-channel memory configuration, as it brings with it at least a couple of issues when it comes to motherboard construction.

First of all, it's a matter of getting the traces down, six DDR3 memory slots uses a lot of traces on a motherboard and this requires extra layers. The other problem is that there will be signal leakage if the extra layers aren't used, which will cause all sorts of problems, including instability and data loss.

Most motherboards are made using a four or six-layer layout these days, although generally it's only workstation motherboards that use six layers due to cost. It's possible to make a four-layer X58 motherboard and if you've seen Intel's reference design, then you'll also know what the limitation of a four-layer motherboard is.

Using less layers means that the motherboard will support limited memory configurations so that you either get stuck with the Intel 3+1 solution for triple-channel, or you have to move down to four slots and dual-channel, both unlikely to be popular choices with consumers.

Time will tell how this problem will be solved, but as of right now there's no easy solution and Intel is trying to work with the motherboard manufacturers to come up with a clever solution to the problem. Considering that each extra two layers add 50 percent cost to the PCB manufacturing, we could end up seeing some very expensive X58-based motherboards if this problem can't be solved.

[IvanV]

Eight layers?! Those things are going to cost more than the new CPUs!

What are the five connectors between the lower two PCI-e slots on the ASUS board for?

[cozumel]

So how much extra will it cost the consumer to buy a board with eight layers instead of six? Anyone here know the price per layer? (Although I'm laughing that is a serious question)

[IvanV]

I read here that each layer increases the (PCB) manufacturing cost by about 50%. Another Still, I wouldn't consider having to use only three memory slots too bad and if that's the path to an affordable X58 board, so be it. Plus one could always use it as a regular, 4 slot, dual channel board, especially as I expect the real memory performance benefit to come from the built-in memory controller rather than an extra channel.

[Judas]

or combination of both built in controller and triple channel...

8 layer beasts.. nice.... i would suspect the top end board to push a 400-500 bucks!

i'm quite excited...

[cozumel]

Yeah...and the average mainstream mid-level boards at say the $300 USD mark I suppose.

[kris23]

i dont think the boards will be as expensive as everyone is making them out to be......

i mean its just the PCB, the cheapest component of the motherboard when compared to the overall cost of the actual board components like the capacitors and chipsets

im guessing the chipsets will be the most expensive components for the first couple months while intel recovers funds lost into this whole project....

[IvanV]

Well, I don't think that it's Intel who's driving the motherboard prices up, as I doubt they can charge $200 for the chipset itself. Still, the lower end parts will be standard 4 layer dual channel boards, and slightly better boards will be triple channel but with 3+1 slots, which is also possible with 4 layers, so I expect them to retail at $100-$150, or maybe a little more initially. The higher end parts will have 6 layer PCBs, and I expect them to cost as much as todays top of the line boards (some of which probably also have six layers, as that's what Intel recommended for their latest quad core CPUs). I doubt that we'll see many eight layer designs, those will be reserved for exclusive products and will probably carry a price tag similar to the ones of top of the line graphics cards and higher end CPUs.

Of course, this is all speculation, but I think it makes sense.

[PangingJr]

VR-Zone : Technology Beats - ASUS Announced P6T Boards For Core i7 Nehalem

With the release of the new Intel X58 platform imminent, ASUS, world-leading producer of motherboards, has consolidated plans around the P6T Series of motherboards. Specifically designed to provide outstanding performance that caters to increasing user needs, the ASUS P6T Deluxe motherboard will fully embrace the new Intel platform; and touches on several significant changes in terms of key components like the CPU socket, chipset and DIMM channels. With such a big leap in terms of technology, the P6T Deluxe will be slated to provide faster bandwidth, storage and enhance overall performance – allowing users to look forward to experiencing extreme overclocking performance.

The Coming New Intel Platform

The first obvious change on the P6T Deluxe is the migration of the chipset to the new Intel X58+ICH10R. This successor to the X48 chipset features support for 36 lanes – making it possible for 4 PCI-E x16 slots to run at x8 modes. This chipset evolution will also match Intel’s new CPU generation – the Nehalem family, and allow users to utilize 1366-pin Bloomfield CPUs with core frequencies of 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz and 3.2GHz (the very first Nehalem members in market). The memory controller will be integrated to support 3-channel (6 DIMMs) DDR3 1333 for the CPU; while the L3 cache is expected to reach up to the 8MB mark. The new generation of CPUs will support memory of up to 24GB with a total bandwidth of 3200MB/s; and differing from the X48, this new platform exclusively supports DDR3. What’s even more exciting is the fact that this new platform will adopt a new system bus structure – QPI (QuickPath Interconnect) which supports up to 6.4GT/s (3.2GHz) and a max bandwidth of up to 25.6GB/s (twice the bandwidth compared to current FSB 1600 standards). With such high specification standards, the P6T Deluxe truly looks set to unleash the ultimate in performance for hardcore PC users.

SAS Support for Server-level Storage

To match the supreme performance of the new platform, the ASUS P6T Deluxe will adopt the SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) controller to let users utilize SAS hard disks. These hard disks will provide higher data transmission speeds and better data storage reliability in comparison to current SATA interfaces; and could herald the start of a new standard for mainstream storage devices that caters to enterprise users. With this technological improvement, users will be able to connect 2 SAS hard disks to the P6T Deluxe without the need to purchase an extra SAS controller card. Performance-wise, an SAS hard disk gains a 39% improvement on PC Mark HDD Test benchmarks when comparing RAID 0 performances with SATA (supported by SB ICH10R) interfaces.

Real Power, Real Savings with 16-Phase Power Design

The P6T Deluxe adopts ASUS’ revolutionary 16-phase power design, and utilizes real hardware power regulation to guarantee genuine power efficiency and increased power efficiency. With this industry-leading design, the P6T Deluxe draws less power, operates at lower temperatures and delivers excellent performance – making the whole system more stable, and thus extends the life spans of key components such as the CPU and motherboard.

P6T Deluxe with DTS Proprietary Algorithms for Clear, Immersive Audio

The P6T Deluxe, much like selected ASUS Home Theater PCs, will utilize DTS SURROUND SENSATION ULTRAPC™ TECHNOLOGY* with proprietary DTS algorithms to provide professional level surround and cinema sounds. Able to create a center and rear channels even on two speakers or headphones, the P6T Deluxe with DTS SURROUND SENSATION ULTRAPC™ TECHNOLOGY will allow the listener to perceive sounds as if surrounded by audio from all sides for a fully immersive audio experience. The DTS proprietary algorithms include: Dialog Clarity, which solves the problem of unintelligible dialog usually found in home theater environments through enhanced signal clarity; LFE Mixing, which mixes existing bass channel content into left and right stereo channels to allows users to obtain superb bass effects – even on two speakers or just headphones; and Bass Enhancement, which improves bass performance by utilizing proprietary psychoacoustic techniques to restore the perception of fundamental low-frequency tones – without the additional hardware costs of adding a subwoofer.

*DTS technologies are subject to product specifications and may require a driver update.

Source: IDF: Core i7 Will Self Overclock - Tom's Hardware

Intel’s upcoming Core i7 processors will feature a turbo mode, as announced on Day 1 of IDF. Although not quite like the retro turbo mode button found on computers of the late 1980’s, the turbo mode on Core i7 will still result in increased single threaded performance. The technology is based on the idea of dynamically increasing the frequency of the CPU when not all the cores are in use, archiving higher single threaded performance when that is all that is required.

ZoomThe technology is aided by the improved power management features found on Nehalem (microarchitecture) also announced at IDF. The Integrated Power Gate technology will shut off idle cores, reducing their voltage to zero, rather than just lowering the power provided to them. Not having as many cores on using power and producing heat, will allow other cores to use more power, increasing the performance of those cores, while still not exceeding the maximum TDP of the processor.

In the following scenario for example, if you are using a Core i7 with 4 cores, and the game you are using uses only a single core, the other three cores will turn off, reducing the heat produced by your processor, allowing the only running core to be automatically overclocked for higher performance. This new technology may be a compelling reason for many to no longer choose the faster clocked dual core processor over the slower quad core, as the quad core could offer now equal single threaded performance at the same price.

Exactly what type of improvement is expected form this turbo mode is yet to be seen, but early leaked demonstrations show at least a single stepping of improvement, 22 to 23 for example. What this Turbo Mode means for overclockers is also yet to be seen also. Some are saying overclocking on Nehalem will be very difficult if Intel so chooses to make it so however. Leaked information also indicates that production CPUs will self overclock by up to two speed bins — for example jumping from 3 GHz to 3.2 GHz or even 3.4 GHz.

With this kind of headroom, it will be interesting to see how far enthusiasts will be able to push Core i7 processors. Even Intel indicated to us in June that Core i7 silicon is extremely healthy. Our own tests revealed that Core i7 processors will have considerable amount of headroom in terms of clock speeds.

For those who remember, the original "turbo button" found on many PCs back in the day, was there not actually to speed up the CPU, but actually to slow it down. When activated, the CPU actually ran at full speed. With the turbo button switched off, the CPU would be underclocked to allow certain legacy applications to run at "normal" speeds instead of "too fast."

[cozumel]

I just read that nVidia have done a u-turn and will now allow manufacturers to have SLI certification after testing at Santa Clara. Certain other conditions would also apply.

[Judas]

finally

[cozumel]

I should have said as well that I posted the full article in the DH news forum if anyone wants a little read...

[BlueMak]

So if anyone wants to use the Nehalem cpus, he has to buy a X58 or later mainboard?

[IvanV]

Yes, it'll have to be some derivative of X58, as there will be no LGA775 Nehalems (only LGA 1366 for start, with cheaper LGA 1160 solutions being due in about a year).

[BlueMak]

hmm, so if Wiki is accurate, we will be able to buy nehalem cpus for our desktops mid 2009...I think I will go ahead and get something else before that and wait for a revision or two before buying one. They do look sweet though, increased performance, up to 8 cores and lower energy consumption.
I am glad that at least one out of two keeps working on this field.

[cozumel]

I suppose the new x58 board will have an effect on memory prices. DDR2 prices will rise and DDR3 prices. New nvidia boards are all DDR3 and most X58 will be DDR3. Last chance saloon right now for those who want to buy cheap DDR2.

Can't beat market forces!

[M0nk3m4n]

Originally Posted by SeraphicSorcerer

Houston we could have a problem, those PCIe slots look like dangerously close. not to mention the fact you won't be fitting quad dual slot solutions in them
You won't even have much space to get air in between them, could effect temps :/.

the asus one looks pretty good though, obviously no quad

Well said about the slots being close, that's exactly what I was gonna reply
about had I not first read your post.I think with the size/heat dissipation of
most newer cards, it could really be a bad deal.Guess we'd better hope not.

[Mousey]

Look at those CPU Pins, they don't look very previous gen friendly to me.
New Socket?

[blibbax]

Originally Posted by Mousey

Look at those CPU Pins, they don't look very previous gen friendly to me.
New Socket?

Yes, LGA 1366, and then more later. I think Ivan already mentioned this.

[Lowfat]

Anyone know if the X58 will be used on the workstation (Xeon) boards? As they now share the same socket.

[mos2k]

Originally Posted by cozumel

I suppose the new x58 board will have an effect on memory prices. DDR2 prices will rise and DDR3 prices. New nvidia boards are all DDR3 and most X58 will be DDR3. Last chance saloon right now for those who want to buy cheap DDR2.

Can't beat market forces!

yea i agree .. buy them now.. and sell them when the price goes up so you can get more of DDR3 memory when it becomes mainstream.. =D

[PangingJr]

i think, the socket change may require some adjustment time before getting used to it, just like any changes or anything that's new to end users.
i also think some of LGA775 CPUs and motherboards and DDR2 will stay in production for quite some time yet before they fade out entirely.

[PangingJr]

Top Socket 1366 Nehalem CPU Heatsink Questions

1). Will current Intel socket 775 heatsinks fit on Intel socket 1366 motherboards?
Answer: No.

The reason is 'Nehalem' processors have somewhat different power specs, but more importantly the mounting pins which affix the heatsink to the motherboard are spaced further apart. For socket 1366 motherboards the holes are spaced 80mm apart, for socket 775 motherboard that distance was 72mm.

2). If I use a socket 775-to-1366 adaptor bracket to make my existing Intel heatsink fit onto a Socket 1366 motherboard, is that okay?
Answer: Maybe yes, probably not.

The integrated heatspreader on the socket 1366 Intel Nehalem processor is larger than the IHS on socket 775 CPUs (32x35mm vs. 28.5x28.5mm). That fact, coupled with the difference in heat output between each CPU generation means not every LGA775 heatsink is appropriate for use on a socket 1366 processor. However, some performance cooling manufacturers will have adaptor brackets for existing heatsinks so they can be used with socket 1366 motherboards.

3). Do Nehalem socket 1366 heatsinks use the plastic push pin clips, or something new?
Answer: Yes to both.

The socket 1366 heatsinks we've seen first hand use spring-tensioned machine screws to attach the heatsink to a metal backing plate. However, Intel's socket 1366 reference heatsinks (and retail heatsinks) use standard through-PCB plastic push-pin mounting brackets.

4). Is there an equivalent AMD-type heatsink retention cage for socket 1366 heatsinks?
Answer: No.

Socket 1366 heatsinks mount to the motherboard directly, either with the aid of a metal rear support plate or push pin clips that grab onto the motherboard.

- Socket 1366 Heatsinks in the Frostytech Labs - Open Call - FrostyTech News

-------------------------------

with a quick search for LGA1366 CPU cooler, here's one at this time around.
Nexus | FLC-3000 | socket LGA1366, LGA775, AM2, silent CPU cooler

[PangingJr]

Name: Core i7 965 Extreme Edition
Lithography Process: 45 nm
Cores: 4
Threads: 8
Frequency: 3.2 GHz
Cache: 256 KB L2/core and 8 MB shared L3
Memory Controller: Triple channel DDR3 800/1066/1333 MHz
Bus Interface: 1x 6.4 GT/s QuickPath
TDP: 130W
Socket: LGA1366
Release date: oct 2008

- XtremeSystems Forums - View Single Post - Core i7 Extreme Edition 965