Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO

The Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO is designed to unleash the power of the all new Intel® Core™ i7 processors with support for up to eight threads of raw CPU processing power, triple channel DDR3 memory and full support for ATI CrossfireX* and NVIDIA SLI* technology. Today’s PC games like Far Cry 2* need a computing platform that delivers maximum multi-threaded CPU support and eye-popping graphics support.
Product information
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File Type/Size: PDF 1863KB
View available configurations
View supported processors
Latest BIOS and driver updates
Features and benefits
Form factor
ATX (12.00 inches by 9.60 inches [304.80 millimeters by 243.84 millimeters])
Processor
Click View supported processors for the most current list of compatible processors. At product launch, this desktop board supports:
Support for a Intel® Core™ i7 processor in an LGA1366 socket
Memory
Four 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets
Support for DDR3 1600 MHzς, DDR3 1333 MHzς, DDR3 1066 MHz
Support for up to 16 GBς of system memory
Chipset
Intel® X58 Express Chipset
Audio
Intel® High Definition Audio subsystem in the following configuration:
10-channel (7.1) Dolby Home Theater* Audio subsystem with five analog audio outputs and two S/PDIF digital audio outputs (coaxial and optical) using the Realtek* ALC889 audio codec
Video
Nvidia SLI* and ATI CrossFire* multi-GPU platform support enables two graphics cards to work together for ultimate 3D gaming performance and visual quality
Full support of next-generation ATI CrossFire* and Nvidia SLI*
LAN support
Gigabit (10/100/1000 Mbits/sec) LAN subsystem
Peripheral interfaces
Twelve USB 2.0 ports (8 external ports, 2 internal headers)
Six Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s ports, including 2 eSATA port with RAID support supplied by a Marvell* controller
Two IEEE-1394a ports (1 external port, 1 internal header)
Consumer IR receiver and emitter (via internal headers)
Expansion capabilities
One PCI Conventional* bus add-in card connectors (SMBus routed to PCI Conventional bus add-in card connector)
One primary PCI Express* 2.0 x16 (electrical x16) bus add-in card connector
One secondary PCI Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x16) bus add-in card connector
One PCI Express* 1.0a x16 (electrical x4) bus add-in card connector
Related products
Processors
Intel® Core™ i7 processor
Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition
Chipsets
Intel® X58 Express Chipset
The ultimate choice for multimedia power users and gamers
Unleash the power of the Intel® Core™ i7 processor with Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO.
View the animated demo
+Product and Performance Data

Intel® Modular Server

A simple, flexible system that provides exceptional value
The Intel® Modular Server enables business in a box with seamless installation, migration, and growth capabilities. It has the ability to support up to six server compute modules, two hard disk drive options (six 3.5" SAS/SATA or fourteen SAS 2.5" hard disk drives), as well as two Ethernet Switch Modules, integrated SAN, and a management module. The Intel Modular Server is a flexible and powerful system for the small to midsize business.
Product information
Intel® Modular Server Product Brief
File Type/Size: PDF 286KB
Intel® Modular Server Configuration Guide
File Type/Size: PDF 144KB
Accessories: Silentium's ActiveSilencer* Enclosure
Intel® Enabled Server Acceleration Alliance (ESAA) solution resources
The Intel® Modular Server product family consists of
Intel® Modular Server System
Intel® Storage Controller
Intel® Gigabit Ethernet Switch
Intel® Management Module
Intel® Compute Module
Intel® Shared LUN (software upgrade)
Features and benefits
Scalable server compute capacity
Supports up to six Multi-Core Intel® Xeon® dual processor-based server compute modules.
Virtual, integrated shared storage
Diskless server compute modules utilize the integrated SAN with virtual drives to increase flexibility and maximize storage capacity. Purchase only what you need, when you need it.
Virtual presence GUI management
Manage your system as if you were standing right in front of it with the Virtual Presence GUI Management Interface.
Integrated networking
Dual Gb Ethernet switches offer ten 1 GbE uplinks per module.
Full redundancy and hot swap capabilities
Hot-swappable server compute modules and storage drives let you increase capacity on-demand. Redundant modules and hot spare options improve IT availability of the Intel Modular Server.
Flexible power options
Chassis power supplies can utilize 100-240V power, eliminating special power requirements worldwide. The consolidated power and cooling features reduce operating costs.
Increased IT uptime
Redundant systems increase network uptime with failovers between servers and backups.
Easy application migration
Shared storage and virtual drives provide for easy application and storage migration.
Grow-as-you-go flexibility
With options for up to six server compute modules and up to fourteen storage drives, purchase only as much as you need when you need it.
Greater asset utilization
Diskless server compute modules allow for maximum use of system assets.
Unique serviceability
Hot-swappable components don't require any cables or tools to service.
Ease of Management
One integrated system with end-to-end management lets you manage the entire system from a Web-based GUI interface.
Improved data protection
Centralized backup and virtual access allow for greater data protection.
Related products
Processors
Multi-Core Intel® Xeon processors 5000 Sequence
Server management
Intel® System Management Software 2.0
Solutions
Intel® Enabled Server Acceleration Alliance

Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series

Faster performance enabled by Intel® microarchitecture, codenamed Nehalem
Automatically increase processor frequency and utilize Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) as needed
Efficiently manage energy expense by scaling power consumption to workload, enabled by Intel® Intelligent Power Technology
Next Generation Intel® Virtualization Technology enables best-in-class virtualization performance, superb scalability, enhanced flexibility, and simplified server management
Intel® Data Center Manager (Intel® DCM) SDK provides power and thermal monitoring and management for servers, racks and groups of servers in data centers. Management Console Vendors (ISVs) and System Integrators (SIs) can integrate Intel® DCM into their console or command-line applications and provide high value power management features to IT organizations.

Mission-critical computing and RISC replacement

Large-scale databases, data warehouses, ERP, business intelligence, and data analytics
Scales up to 512 processors and an incredible full Petabyte (1024TB) of RAM
Ultimate scalable performance, flexibility, and reliability

Intel® Server System SR1600UR

A compact, highly integrated server system for high-density, energy-efficient applications.
The Intel® Server System SR1600UR is designed for high-density compute power in a 1U rack chassis. Available in either a fixed or hot-swap configuration, the Intel® Server System SR1600UR feature set includes 12 DIMMs DDR3 memory, high speed PCI Express* 2.0 I/O slots, and integrated RAID, for high performance computing (HPC).
Product information
Product brief
File Type/Size: PDF 4997KB
Intel® Server Configurator Tool
Features and benefits
One or two Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series
Increase server performance with no increase in power consumption
Compact configuration
A powerful, yet affordable set of features provide maximum performance for high performance computing (HPC)
Expandable I/O architecture
24 lanes of fast PCI Express* 2.0 plus PCI Express expansion modules and optional PCI-X slots provide unmatched flexibility
Power efficiency
Power efficient architecture and efficient power supplies reduce operating costs
Fixed drive configuration
Lightest available system in this family resulting in lower cost
Server power capping via Intel® Intelligent Power Node Manager
Reduce power and cooling costs while increasing rack density with policy-based power and thermal management
Related products
Processors
Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series
Thermal solutions
Intel® Thermal Solution STS100 series
Server boards
Intel® Server Board S5520UR
RAID
Intel® RAID Controllers
Server adapters
Intel® Server Adapters
Server management
Intel® Deployment Assistant
Intel® System Management Software
Intel® Remote Management Module
Configuration guides
Intel® Enabled Server Acceleration Alliance (ESAA)

Intel® Xeon® Processor 5000 Sequence

For performance that adapts to your application demands, intelligently scales energy use per performance demands, and offers best-in-class virtualization, turn to a more intelligent enterprise server processor—the Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series—automatically and intelligently adjusting server performance according to your application needs.
Product information
Product briefs
Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series
File Type/Size: PDF 1.22MB
Intel® Xeon® processor 5400 series
File Type/Size: PDF 6.07MB
Intel® Xeon® processor 5300 series
File Type/Size: PDF 534KB
Compare Intel® Xeon® processor features
Interact with IT experts in the server zone community
ROI analysis: Use the Intel® Xeon® processor server estimator
Performance benchmarks
Software industry testimonials
View the demo
Go inside the latest innovations in Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, Intel® QuickPath Technology, and Intel® Hyper–Threading Technology
Features and benefits of the Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series
Next-generation Intel® microarchitecture
Intelligent next-generation Intel® microarchitecture adapts to the workload, automatically increasing processor frequency for greater performance
Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Better performance enabled by Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, increasing processor frequency and enabling faster speeds when conditions allow
Intel® Intelligent Power Technology
Lower energy costs while minimizing impact to performance by automatically putting processor and memory into the lowest available power state
Integrated power gates
Individual cores are reduced to near-zero power independent of other operating cores
Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT)±
Virtualize different generations of Intel® Xeon® processor–based servers in the same pool to deliver peak performance during high-use periods and automatically reduce energy cost during low-use periods
Intel® Virtualization Technology FlexMigration
Integrates multiple generations of Intel® Xeon® processor-based servers, improving flexibility for failover, load balancing, and disaster recovery
Intel® 64 architectureΦ
Flexibility for 64-bit and 32-bit applications and operating systems
DDR3 memory support up to 1333 MHz
Up to 64 GB/s for three times the memory bandwidth over previous memory technology
Up to 144GB supports higher performance for data-intensive applications
Enhanced reliability, availability, and serviceability features
Intel® I/O Acceleration TechnologyΔ (Intel® I/OAT)
Moves data more efficiently for fast, scalable, and reliable network performance
Ability to significantly reduce CPU overhead, freeing resources for more critical tasks
Enhanced reliability and manageability
Many memory controller features, together with PCI Express* RAS features, combine to help improve platform reliability vs. previous-generation platforms
New features include Error Correcting Code (ECC) system bus, new memory mirroring and I/O hot-plug
Related products
Intel® Xeon® processor 5200/5400 series for embedded computing
± Intel® Virtualization Technology requires a computer system with an enabled Intel® processor, BIOS, virtual machine monitor (VMM) and, for some uses, certain platform software enabled for it. Functionality, performance or other benefits will vary depending on hardware and software configurations and may require a BIOS update. Software applications may not be compatible with all operating systems. Please check with your application vendor.
Φ 64-bit computing on Intel® architecture requires a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, operating system, device drivers, and applications enabled for Intel® 64 architecture. Processors will not operate (including 32-bit operation) without an Intel 64 architecture-enabled BIOS. Performance will vary depending on your hardware and software configurations. Consult with your system vendor for more information.
Δ Microsoft will support Intel® I/OAT in future Microsoft Windows Server* releases. For more information, visit www.intel.com/go/ioat

AMD's new mobile processor is called Turion Ultra

Mountain House (CA) - Computex Taipei 2008 is just around the corner and news of what we can expect to see at the conference is already trickling in. Nvidia will release its new GeForce GTX 280 and 260 GPUs, AMD its Radeon 4850 and 4870 as well as its Puma notebook platform. According to our sources at a top-tier OEM/ODM, AMD will be announcing Puma as well as the Griffin processor on June 3 (local time), the first day of the show. Puma will consist of the Griffin CPU, which we now know will be called “Turion Ultra”, a mobile version of the 780G chipset (RS780M), the Mobility Radeon 3200 graphics chip (integrated in the mobile 780G chipset) as well as Wi-Fi chips from the usual suspects (Atheros, Broadcom, Marvell, Ralink).Puma will show up in all major notebook form factors (12.1”, 13.3”, 15.4” and 17") and will be on display with ATI Mobility Radeon 3450, 3650 and 3850 discrete graphics chips. SSDs will be available as an option, albeit in a very limited fashion: Puma will aim for the volume business and consumer markets and SSD simply are still “too expensive” for these segments. That scenario should change with the arrival of AMD’s 2009 Shrike mobile platform (better known for its Fusion processor), which is expected to see a greater adoption of SSD devices.At this time, we have no information whether Puma and its Turion Ultra will be available in volume from day one. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.Despite the fact that a first Intel Montevina notebook has been announced already, don’t expect the platform to debut at Computex. Montevina notebooks are likely to have a significant presence at the show, but our sources indicated that the platform will not be launched until later in the month.

AMD and Intel at each other, again! Post launch of Intel's Xeon 5500 processor series

Intel has recently introduced 17 enterprise-class processors, led by the Intel Xeon processor 5500 series. The Xeon processor 5500 series, previously codenamed "Nehalem-EP," offers several breakthrough technologies that radically improve system speed and versatility. Technologies such as Intel Turbo Boost Technology, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, integrated power gates, and Next-Generation Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) improved through extended page tables, allow the system to adapt to a broad range of workloads.Now, even before I could analyze all of this, it was interesting to find first, AMD, and then Intel, exchanging pleasant notes on the chip's features itself! And, I am being quite mild in my statement here! :) The picture here is from the Intel Xeon 5500 launch in India.First, AMD! According to Vamsi Krishna, Sr. Technical Manager, AMD India, "Intel launched its new processor architecture (Nehalem) yesterday, which is quite different from any of its predecessors. However, what’s amazing is that many of the ‘groundbreaking, innovative technologies’ are quite similar to technologies AMD pioneered years ago, 2003 to be precise. "Memory controller integration into the silicon die is one of the many features included in the new Intel architecture and this is believed to boost the whole system performance significantly. However, this is a standard feature on all of AMD’s server products since 2003. Nehalem is also supported by a high speed internal bus known as Quick Path Interconnect. It will replace current FSB (Front Side Bus) in most of the current design. Again, the concept is quite similar to existing HyperTransport technology available in AMD products and is known as Direct Connect Architecture (DCA). "Products like Nehalem and technologies like Quick Path Interconnect are simply Intel’s admission that AMD was right all along about an integrated memory controller being the key to superior processor architecture." Naturally, I had Intel's response too on these remarks. As per an Intel spokesperson: "The platform architecture of the Xeon Processor 5500 series has some similarities with AMD’s platform architecture in the use of an integrated memory controller and high speed serial interconnect, although the QuickPath Interconnect offers greater performance and additional capabilities compared to HyperTransport. The individual design tradeoffs are not as important to customers as overall performance and efficiency. Previous generations of Intel Xeon processors were superior to competitive alternatives due to superior microarchitecture, process technology and cache implementation. The new platform advances help the Xeon Processor 5500 series widen this competitive lead."Great! Here's a classic case of two folks sledging over nothing!First, the Intel chip is one of its kind, as of now, and I don't think any other chip maker has a similar product, as of April 1. If they have, please come forth!Two, AMD, if it had indeed pioneered such technologies, as those used in the Xeon 5500, in 2003, my simple question to them is: why aren't you the no. 1 player in the semiconductor space today?Three, will this new chip make Intel a runaway winner? Too early to say! We are still in a downturn, although, some positive news have been forthcoming. Will the chip be able to make its mark? That remains to be seen. IT spends need to go up significantly for that to happen, isn't it?Gartner recently put out a report on global IT spends. It says: "The unprecedented decline of the global economy is impacting the IT industry with worldwide IT spending forecast to total $3.2 trillion in 2009, a 3.8 percent decline from 2008 revenue of nearly $3.4 trillion. IT organisations worldwide are being asked to trim budgets, and consumers are cutting back on discretionary spending," said Richard Gordon, research vice president, and head of global forecasting at Gartner. "The speed and severity of the response by businesses and consumers alike to these economic circumstances will result in an IT market slowdown in 2009 that will be worse than the 2.1 percent decline in IT spending in 2001 when the Internet investment bubble burst."It is not about the technologies you are using, or the process nodes. It is about market share and being there first. Who's able to do so, timely, wins! Any other discussion won't have any bearing!Finally, to my friends at Intel and AMD: folks, do not take that cross-license deal issue to such levels. The industry does not need these things. It is a time to ally and move forward, focus on your core businesses and contribute to the overall health and growth of the global semiconductor industry.Frankly, it takes off the joys of analysis, when people try to influence you to form a judgement they prefer! Well, I have always formed my own judgement, and right now, I feel that both friends of mine are in the wrong. Request, please shake hands!!

Intel Core 2 Duo Vs. AMD X2 AM2--Top to Bottom

Choosing the right CPU for your needs isn't always an easy task. If we all had bottomless wallets, it would be easy just to pick the ultra-high end CPUs and be done with it. But most of us have to budget our purchases, and it's always a delicate dance to figure out what's the best fit for what you do. Also, the CPU isn't the only piece of the puzzle. Rather, it's a shifting matrix of choices we make. If I'm a gamer, do I step down one notch in CPU power and pick up a slightly faster graphics card? If I'm a video editor, will running a faster CPU make up for somewhat smaller storage? If I'm an average PC user, would more memory be more useful than a faster CPU?

This balancing act is difficult to perform in the absence of data. Today, we're taking a look at the CPU side of the equation. We vary the processor, but keep everything else in the system as constant as possible. The key difference is core logic and processor, which are inseparable.

We took a look at the performance of the high-end processors in our initial review of Intel's Core 2 Duo back in July. Later, Jason Cross went in-depth on the gaming side, pitting the Athlon 64 X2 5000+ against Intel's Core 2 Duo E6600 in our Real Gaming Challenge. Now we dive back into our comprehensive benchmark suite, running a wide array of performance tests across the entire range of Intel Core 2 Duo and AMD Athlon 64 X2 AM2 processors. AMD has the price edge, but is that enough to overcome Intel's performance lead? How well do the various CPUs scale across the product line? We try to address those questions. Continued...

The Intel and AMD CP ...

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Intel vs. AMD: Today's generation compared

I SUPPOSE YOU COULD SAY we've conducted plenty of CPU reviews in our time, but we just can't bring ourselves to slow things down. The release of Windows Vista and a round of price cuts by AMD prompted us to hatch a devious plan involving Vista, a new test suite full of multithreaded and 64-bit applications, fifteen different CPU configurations, and countless hours of lab testing. That plan has come to fruition in the form of a broad-based comparison of the latest processors from AMD and Intel, ranging from well under $200 to a cool grand, from two slow CPU cores to four fast ones, from the lowly Athlon 64 X2 4400+ and Core 2 Duo E6300 to the astounding Athlon 64 FX-74 and Core 2 Extreme QX6700.

So, how do the latest processors stack up in Windows Vista? Will a sub-$200 CPU suffice for your needs? Have price cuts allowed the Athlon 64 to catch up to the Core 2 Duo in terms of price-performance? What about power consumption and energy efficiency? Can any of these processors stand up under the weight of killer new games like Supreme Commander? Can I possibly squeeze any more questions into one paragraph? Keep reading for answers to all of these questions and more.

The matchups
The setup for this one is fairly simple. We're directly comparing processors from Intel at AMD at a range of price points. Intel has had a lock on the overall performance lead since the Core 2 Duo first hit the scene, but AMD has made clear its intention to maintain a competitive price-performance ratio. To do so, AMD will have to meet or beat each of the processors in Intel's current desktop lineup, which looks like so:

Model	Clock speed	Cores	L2 cache (total)	Fab process	TDP	Price
Core 2 Duo E6300	1.83GHz	2	2MB	65nm	65W	$183
Core 2 Duo E6400	2.13GHz	2	2MB	65nm	65W	$224
Core 2 Duo E6600	2.4GHz	2	4MB	65nm	65W	$316
Core 2 Duo E6700	2.66GHz	2	4MB	65nm	65W	$530
Core 2 Extreme X6800	2.93GHz	2	4MB	65nm	75W	$999
Core 2 Quad Q6600	2.4GHz	4	8MB	65nm	105W	$851
Core 2 Extreme QX6700	2.66GHz	4	8MB	65nm	130W	$999

Intel does offer lower cost options like the Core 2 Duo E4300 and its Celeron value-oriented processors, but our list includes the meat of the lineup.

AMD, on the other hand, offers a dizzying array of Athlon 64 X2 models, from 3600+ to 6000+, generally in increments of 200 (or is it 200+?). Not only that, but AMD often sells multiple products under the same performance-related model number, just to keep smug members of the general public from becoming overconfident. For instance, the Athlon 64 X2 4400+ comes in a 90nm "Toledo" flavor that runs at 2.2GHz, has 1MB of L2 cache per core, and is intended for Socket 939 motherboards. The X2 4400+ also comes in the form of a 65nm chip code-named "Brisbane" that runs at 2.3GHz, has 512K of L2 per core, and slips into Socket AM2 mobos. Several of these features—fab process, clock frequency, cache size, and socket/memory type—may vary within the same model number.

With that said, we've chosen the following members of the Athlon 64 lineup as the most direct competitors to their Core 2 counterparts. Because we live in the now, all of these are newer-style Socket AM2 processors:

Model	Clock speed	Cores	L2 cache (total)	Fab process	TDP	Price
Athlon 64 X2 4400+	2.3GHz	2	1MB	65nm	65W	$170
Athlon 64 X2 5000+	2.6GHz	2	1MB	65nm	65W	$222
Athlon 64 X2 5600+	2.8GHz	2	2MB	90nm	89W	$326
Athlon 64 X2 6000+	3.0GHz	2	2MB	90nm	125W	$459
Athlon 64 FX-70	2.6GHz	4	4MB	90nm	125W x 2	$599
Athlon 64 FX-72	2.8GHz	4	4MB	90nm	125W x 2	$799
Athlon 64 FX-74	3.0GHz	4	4MB	90nm	125W x 2	$999

As you can see, AMD has a fairly direct answer for most members of the Core 2 range. Things start to get shaky at the high end, where the Athlon 64's lower performance takes its toll. The Athlon 64 X2 6000+ sells at a discount versus the Core 2 Duo E6700, and AMD has no answer to the Core 2 Extreme X6800, Intel's fastest dual-core processor. If you match up the two product lines against one another, the results look something like this:

Model	Price	Model	Price
Core 2 Duo E6300	$183	Athlon 64 X2 4400+	$170
Core 2 Duo E6400	$224	Athlon 64 X2 5000+	$222
Core 2 Duo E6600	$316	Athlon 64 X2 5600+	$326
Core 2 Duo E6700	$530	Athlon 64 X2 6000+	$459
Core 2 Quad Q6600	$851	Athlon 64 FX-72	$799
Core 2 Extreme QX6700	$999	Athlon 64 FX-74	$999

So the comparisons are remarkably direct, by and large.

These things are never entirely simple, though, so we should roll out some caveats. One of the big ones involves those FX-series processors. You'll need two of them in order to populate a Quad FX motherboard, so they're priced (and listed above) in pairs. However, there's currently only one Quad FX motherboard available, and it costs about $350, which throws the value equation out of whack.

The value equation sometimes goes off-kilter the other way when AMD employs guerrilla price-war tactics like selling the Athlon 64 X2 4600+ for $125.99 on Newegg, well below the slower 4400+. AMD has several of these "Crazy Hector" deals going at Newegg right now, and none of them seem to involve the Athlon 64 models we've identified as direct competitors to specific Core 2 Duo models. That's probably an intentional facet of AMD's strategy. This practice throws a wrench in our nice, neat comparsion, but there's little we can do other than tell you about it.

One other thing we should tell you about is why we've included two versions of the Athlon 64 X2 5000+ in our testing. Regular readers may recall that we've already tested the 65nm version of the 5000+ against its 90nm predecessor and found that the 65nm one had lower power consumption. But the 65nm version also has a slower L2 cache, so we've tested the 65nm and 90nm chips head to head to see how the slower cache affects performance.

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AMD ships triple-core Phenoms

AMD has begun shipping triple-core Phenom processors.
The company had promised the Phenom 8000 series would ship by the end of Q1, so this seems to be a sign that AMD is getting things back on track. There is no press release on its site and the new Phenoms do not yet appear on the company’s official price list, but PC World says AMD confirmed it is shipping a limited number of the new chips to major PC companies.
Dell and HP both appear to have plans to use the triple-core chip, most likely the 2.3Ghz Phenom 8600, in business desktops. And a UK-based PC company, Mesh Networks, is already offering models with a 2.1GHz Phenom 8400 and 2.3GHz Phenom 8600.
Separately, Daily Tech reported that AMD is now shipping a new version of the quad-core Opteron and Phenom chips. These are the “B3 stepping” that should eliminate the issues with the cache in the initial Barcelona design. Key server customers had been testing these chips earlier this year, so this was expected. After filling orders from computer manufacturers, the new Opteron and Phenom B3s should be available in boxed versions at retail sometime in April. (This should include the 2.2GHz Phenom 9550, 2.3GHz Phenom 9650, and 2.4GHz 9750, according to other reports.)
The new B3 versions of Opteron and Phenom chips have the letters “GH” at the end of the product number. Credit: Anandtech.
Anandtech has tested a B3 2.2Ghz Phenom versus an earlier 2.3GHz AMD Phenom 9600–with and without the workaround that fixes the cache problem but degrades performance. It concluded that “all is good with B3. . . [but] it will take a combination of higher clock speeds and very competitive pricing to really save Phenom.”
Those faster Phenoms are on the roadmap for later this year, but first AMD says it plans to ship low-power versions of the quad-core chips. As these new processors begin to ship in volume, AMD will also cut prices in early April on the older Phenom, Athlon 64 X2, Athlon and Sempron chips, according to X-bit Labs.
John Morris is a former executive editor at CNET Networks and senior editor at PC Magazine. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations

Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO

The Intel® Desktop Board DX58SO is designed to unleash the power of the all new Intel® Core™ i7 processors with support for up to eight threads of raw CPU processing power, triple channel DDR3 memory and full support for ATI CrossfireX* technology. Today’s PC games like Far Cry 2* and Call of Duty: World at War* need a computing platform that delivers maximum multi-threaded CPU support and eye-popping graphics support.

Product information

• Download product brief

  File Type/Size: PDF 1863KB

• View available configurations
• View supported processors
• Latest BIOS and driver updates

Features and benefits

Form factor	ATX (12.00 inches by 9.60 inches [304.80 millimeters by 243.84 millimeters])
Processor	Click View supported processors for the most current list of compatible processors. At product launch, this desktop board supports: Support for a Intel® Core™ i7 processor in an LGA1366 socket
Memory	Four 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM Dual Inline Memory Module (DIMM) sockets Support for DDR3 1600 MHzς, DDR3 1333 MHzς, DDR3 1066 MHz Support for up to 16 GBς of system memory
Chipset	Intel® X58 Express Chipset
Audio	Intel® High Definition Audio subsystem in the following configuration: 8-channel (7.1) Dolby Home Theater* Audio subsystem with five analog audio outputs and two S/PDIF digital audio outputs (coaxial and optical) using the Sigmatel* 9274D audio codec
Video	ATI CrossFire* multi-GPU platform support ATI CrossFire technology enables two ATI* graphics cards to work together for ultimate 3D gaming performance and visual quality Full support of next-generation ATI CrossFire*
LAN support	Gigabit (10/100/1000 Mbits/sec) LAN subsystem
Peripheral interfaces	Twelve USB 2.0 ports (8 external ports, 2 internal headers) Six Serial ATA 3.0 Gb/s ports, including 2 eSATA port with RAID support supplied by a Marvell* controller Two IEEE-1394a ports (1 external port, 1 internal header) Consumer IR receiver and emitter (via internal headers)
Expansion capabilities	One PCI Conventional* bus add-in card connectors (SMBus routed to PCI Conventional bus add-in card connector) One primary PCI Express* 2.0 x16 (electrical x16) bus add-in card connector One secondary PCI Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x16) bus add-in card connector One PCI Express* 1.0a x16 (electrical x4) bus add-in card connector

Related products

Processors	Intel® Core™ i7 processor Intel® Core™ i7 processor Extreme Edition
Chipsets	Intel® X58 Express Chipset

+Product and Performance Data

Intel® Core™2 Processor with vPro™ Technology

Designed from the ground up to empower IT while meeting the demanding needs of business, the Intel® Core™2 processor with vPro™ technology provides enhanced security, remote manageability, and industry–leading performance¹ so you can spend more time on strategic initiatives while reducing PC issues and downtime.²

• Learn more about PCs with Intel® vPro™ technology
• Take business PCs to the next level with PCs with Intel® vPro™ technologyFiletype/Size: PDF 1.72MB
• White paper: Intel® Centrino® with vPro™ Technology and Intel® Core™2 Processor with vPro™ TechnologyFiletype/Size: PDF 2.32MB

Enhanced security and manageability features

Offering hardware-assisted security and manageability features built on the chip, PCs with Intel Core 2 processor with vPro technology allow IT to:

• Remotely isolate, diagnose, and repair infected PCs, even if the OS is unresponsive and outside of the corporate firewall²
• Get added protection against viruses, attacks, and unsolicited tampering enabled by agent presence checking and hardware defense filters³
• Program PCs to connect automatically to receive software updates and patches even if the PC is asleep or powered down and without effecting the PC user
• Conduct hardware and software inventory up to 94 percent faster², saving on IT time and resources while maintaining accurate asset inventory. Having up-to-date licenses helps to ensure that you're only paying fees for software you're actually using
• Get broad industry support from leading manageability and security independent software vendors (ISVs) such as Symantec, LANDesk, HP, Microsoft, Cisco, and more that take advantage of the hardware-assisted benefits built into Intel Core 2 processors with vPro technology

Industry-leading performance¹

Delivering next-generation performance and energy efficiency, PCs with Intel Core 2 processor with vPro technology allow IT to:

• Decrease energy requirements without compromise to performance with Intel Core 2 processor with vPro technology based on next-generation hafnium-based 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture, offering reduced electrical current leakage, and increased performance while meeting ENERGY STAR*φ requirements

Future-ready technology

PCs with Intel Core 2 processor with vPro technology offer next-generation multi-core technology so you can support the latest multithreaded and 64-bit applications, and more:

• Remain compliant with next-generation management standards that are more extensible and secure than ASFΔ with support for next-generation communication protocols such as WS-MAN and DASH
• Get breakthrough performance on Microsoft Windows Vista* and support for 64-bit multithreaded software with powerful integrated Intel® Graphics Technologies enabling full Aero* graphics support without the expense of an external graphics card

• Gain access, share ideas, and discuss Intel® vPro™ technology with IT leaders on the Intel® vPro Expert Center
• Intel Live Chat: Check out the transcripts from our recent past live chat Q&A sessions and see what our experts and your peers had to say about the latest Intel® technologies

¹ System performance, battery life, power savings, high-definition quality, video playback, wireless performance, and functionality will vary depending on your specific operating system, hardware, chipset, connection rate, site conditions, and software configurations. References to enhanced performance including wireless refer to comparisons with previous generation Intel technologies. Wireless connectivity and some features may require you to purchase additional software, services or external hardware. Availability of public wireless LAN access points is limited. Wireless functionality may vary by country and some hotspots may not support Linux-based Intel® Centrino® processor technology systems. See www.intel.com/products/centrino/index.htm and www.intel.com/performance/mobile/benchmarks.htm for more information on performance, wireless, power savings and energy efficiency.

² Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) requires the computer system to have an Intel® AMT-enabled chipset, network hardware and software, as well as connection with a power source and a corporate network connection. Setup requires configuration by the purchaser and may require scripting with the management console or further integration into existing security frameworks to enable certain functionality. It may also require modifications of implementation of new business processes. With regard to notebooks, Intel AMT may not be available or certain capabilities may be limited over a host OS-based VPN or when connecting wirelessly, on battery power, sleeping, hibernating or powered off. For more information, see www.intel.com/technology/platform-technology/intel-amt/.

³ No computer system can provide absolute security under all conditions. Intel® Trusted Execution Technology requires a computer system with Intel® Virtualization Technology, an Intel TXT-enabled processor, chipset, BIOS, Authenticated Code Modules and an Intel TXT-compatible measured launched environment (MLE). The MLE could consist of a virtual machine monitor, an OS or an application. In addition, Intel TXT requires the system to contain a TPM v1.2, as defined by the Trusted Computing Group, and specific software for some uses. For more information, see www.intel.com/technology/security.

φ Energy Star* denotes a system level energy specification, defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency, that relies upon all of the system's components, including processor, chipset, power supply, HDD, graphics controller and memory to meet the specification. For more information, see www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction= find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=CO.

Δ Intel® vPro™ processor technology in 2007 DASH implementation is based on draft DASH 1.0 specifications.

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Intel® Turbo Boost Technology Performance on demand

Intel® Turbo Boost Technology is one of the many exciting new features that Intel has built into latest-generation Intel® microarchitecture (codenamed Nehalem). It automatically allows processor cores to run faster than the base operating frequency if it's operating below power, current, and temperature specification limits.

Dynamically increasing performance

As an independent and complimentary feature, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) along with Intel Turbo Boost Technology increases performance of both multi-threaded and single threaded workloads. Intel Turbo Boost Technology is activated when the Operating System (OS) requests the highest processor performance state (P0).

The maximum frequency of Intel® Turbo Boost Technology is dependent on the number of active cores. The amount of time the processor spends in the Intel Turbo Boost Technology state depends on the workload and operating environment, providing the performance you need, when and where you need it.

Any of the following can set the upper limit of Intel Turbo Boost Technology on a given workload:

• Number of active cores
• Estimated current consumption
• Estimated power consumption
• Processor temperature

When the processor is operating below these limits and the user's workload demands additional performance, the processor frequency will dynamically increase by 133 MHz on short and regular intervals until the upper limit is met or the maximum possible upside for the number of active cores is reached. Conversely, when any of the limits are reached or exceeded, the processor frequency will automatically decrease by 133 MHz until the processor is again operating within its limits.

Learn more about Intel Turbo Boost Technology

• View the Intel Turbo Boost Technology demo
• Download the whitepaper

  File Type/Size: PDF 96KB

Intel Core i7 CPU’s now available, finally

A few days back the Intel’s Core i7 CPU’s were up on the NewEgg website, but no sooner were they there, they were taken off again. We all wondered what was going one, but then again they were not due for release until today November 17.

Thankfully the processors are back on NewEgg, and all the prices are the same as they were a few days ago. It seems that one of the web guys got a little exited and uploaded the pages before the launch date.

There are three Intel Core i7 CPU’s to choose from, Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz the Intel Core i7 940 2.93GHz, and the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 965 3.2GHz. The prices are $319.99, $599.99 and $1,069.99 respectively.

Source

AMD Phenom II CPU Review

AMD have officially announced the launch of the Phenom II, which is their most powerful CPU yet. The new processor from AMD will be sandwiched between Intel’s Intel’s Core 2 Quad and Core i7 processors. There is to be two Phenom II chips available, the X4 920 and the X4 940 Black Edition with speeds of 2.8 and 3.0 GHz, respectively.

The AMD Phenom II with its HyperTransport interface and integrated memory controller gives the CPU a technical edge over the Intel Core 2 Quad chips which do not have those features. Intel do use a similar system called QuickPath Interconnect, but is only used on their latest Core i7 platform.

With this feature, the Phenom II processor manages to achieve higher bandwidth than Intel’s Core 2 Quad processors; it does this by eliminating bottlenecks which are created by the frontside bus and an external controller. This new processor proves that AMD is waging the war with Intel and their faster Core i7 chips, as the new Phenom II is a dream for Upgraders’ and Overclockers.

Read full review

Apple MacBook Air: smaller Intel Core 2 Duo processor explained thoroughly

In simple terms the new Apple MacBook Air processor is 60% smaller, but just how did the Intel Core 2 Duo processor get that improvement.

If you want to know in detail then you should head over to AnandTech, as they have thoroughly looked at how this has been achieved and how the Penryn processor (not due out to the second half of 2008) has helped the Mac Air processor.

The MacBook Air uses existing Intel Core 2 Duo technology but instead with a lower voltage spec and a miniaturized packaging design. Although it’s not a ULV processor.

Read the thorough report at AnandTech.

Intel’s QX6850 Processor, The Best Processor In the World

The 3.0ghz quad core processor, 1333mhz FSB, 8mb cache. Is that worth $1200? Then there is the extra cost, you have to have a motherboard designed to support this chip, you have to have either an Intel G33, P35, or X38 chipset motherboard, or a BIOS-updated nforce 600-series board from nvidia. Any of these will cost at least $100 from newegg. And with Intel’s penryn processor being released next year, will this processor actually sell? Well if it hasn’t sold it has certainly cornered the quad core market, and made itself the worlds greatest processor.

Do you think that the Core 2 Extreme QX6850 processor is worth it?

AMD's processor prices unofficially plummet

This story is an ironic case of covering a topic without even being aware you've covered it. On Tuesday, I wrote about Intel's new quad-core, dual-core, and single-core processors, and covered the comparative market around these chips. In the process, I talked about the Phenom X4 9950 BE as a $179.99 part, without even recognizing how big a drop that was from the chip's initial launch price.

As I noted yesterday, the 140W Phenom 9950 (2.6GHz) is down to $179.99, down from its official price of $235. The quad-core 9150E (65W, 1.8GHz) is $179.99, as is the 125W X4 9750 (2.4GHz). The 95W 9650 (2.3GHz) is $175, as is the 9550 (2.2GHz), and—get this—the 125W 9850 at 2.5GHz is $174.

As for the company's triple-core parts, the 95W Toliman 8750 (2.4GHz) is just $139, down from an April launch price of $195 and a current "official" price of $175. The 95W 8650 (2.3GHz) is now $119, while the 8450 (2.1GHz, still 95W) is just $102. The closest Athlon 64 X2 would be the original 6000+ (125W, 90nm, 3GHz) at $109.99, while a boxed Athlon 64 X2 at 2.9GHz and a 65W TDP is $87.99.

This doesn't directly change anything with regard to the Intel post from Tuesday, but the dramatic price cuts on Toliman merit their own comparison to what Intel's got cooking in the Core 2 Duo family in the same price range. At $139.99 there's the E7300 (2.66GHz, 3MB L2) and the E7200 (2.53GHz, 3MB L2) at $119. The new E5200 (which Newegg, at least, continues to refer to as a "Core 2 Duo") is $89.99 at 2.5GHz, 2MB of L2, and an 800MHz FSB.

Toliman is downright attractive at its new price points if you have real use for that third core. The 8750 will never be as fast as the E7300 in single-core or dual-threaded workloads, but should be significantly faster in any program capable of scaling above two processors. This continues to be true for the 8650 vs. the E7200, but I'm not entirely sure about the Phenom X3 8450 at 2.1GHz versus the E5200 at 2.5GHz—Phenom isn't as efficient as Core 2 Duo to begin with, and a 19 percent clockspeed gap in the E5200's favor wouldn't help in that regard. I suspect that the X3 8450 would still eke out some multithreaded wins, but only in programs that scale well on a third core.

The 2.9GHz, 65W 5600+ should compete reasonably well against the E5200 as well, though I'd have to put the two chips head-to-head to give a firm estimate. The fact that AMD has managed to scale its 65W Athlon 64 X2 chips up to 2.9GHz is a mark in its favor, as is the fact that the Core 2 Duo its going up against is something of a weenie. Overall, I'd say AMD is on much better competitive footing with Intel than it was six months ago, but we won't know how much of a positive impact this has on sales until the company gives third-quarter results in October.

Overall, these price cuts leave AMD's product line looking much more attractive, especially if you've been eying a 780G or 790GX board. With Shanghai not shipping in consumer form until the first quarter of 2009, this might not be a bad time to pick up a current board and an AMD chip—any board that can handle the power draw of a Phenom X4 should be more than capable of jumping to Deneb (desktop Shanghai) when that chip is available