Intel's goes after the high-end gamer with the Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform
Intel this week officially launched its "Dual Socket
Extreme Desktop Platform", formerly referred to by its codename,
Skulltrail. Designed to work with the new Core 2 Extreme QX9775, the
platform offers dual CPU sockets, a total of 8 cores, and four graphics card slots.
Intel’s Skulltrail platform consists of two fundamental components. The
first is the Intel D5400XS motherboard, which is a dual socket motherboard with
four graphics card slots. The second component is a pair of QX9775 processors
that run at 3.2 GHz. These are the only parts that the Skulltrail platform
encompasses.
Skulltrail provides users with the
opportunity to tweak their components at a level not previously offered by
Intel. The D5400XS motherboard features a plethora of customization options. In
addition, both of the Core 2 Extreme QX9775 processors feature unlocked
multipliers.
Derived from workstation platforms, Intel Skulltrail still retains some
of its workstation features. For example, it only supports fully buffered
DIMMS, which means higher latency as well as higher power consumption compared
to standard DDR2 memory.
In the past, before Intel had announced Skulltrail, AMD launched a
similar dual CPU enthusiast platform, dubbed
Quad FX. However, acceptance of the platform wasn’t widespread and AMD
pulled the plug on the project.
Intel’s Skulltrail has been in the news for quite some time, but only
recently has it made its debut. The earliest announcements regarding Skulltrail
surfaced at the Fall Intel Developer Forum 2007.
Pricing of the new platform is quite high. The QX9775 is listed at $1,499 while
the D5400XS board is listed at $649.
"It seems as though my state-funded math degree has failed me. Let the lashings commence." -- DailyTech Editor-in-Chief Kristopher Kubicki
|
DailyTech Poll
Which web browser do you use on your primary personal machine?
44 Comments
Most Popular ArticlesEasy Fix to Prevent Microsoft From Bricking Xbox 360s HDDs Arrives November 18, 2009, 6:41 AM Built Around the Browser, Google's Chrome OS Launches, Reinvents the Operating System November 19, 2009, 2:40 PM OCZ Technology Announces 3.5" 1TB Colossus SSDs November 17, 2009, 6:48 PM Climategate: Stunning Deception and Misconduct at UK Warming Research Center Revealed November 20, 2009, 4:00 PM GM Sheds Light on Volt's Greatest Problems, How it Hopes to Overcome Them November 18, 2009, 12:19 PM
|