Since I am going to keep my Gf6800 Ultra PC until the next gen video cards arrive I am prepared to wait for a motherboard as well.
So one quick question, Grape: When do you think there will be a chipset supporting 48 lanes or more?
Well like I mentioned the ATi RD600 is supposed to have 48 lanes
(note: I mistakenly thought the RD580 already did which it appears to not be the case (40lanes according to ATi's description [I blame the Gods for my mistake :twisted: ] and the nV5xx is 46 like I mentioned or 48 lanes depending on which kind of shrooms Anand's gang did that week :roll: ), But even with the RD600 that's 'just' the 48 lanes, the significantly 'More' unfortunately I think is going to be a while (think in terms of years [at least 12months IMO]),
BUT as we already mentioned one of the benifits is that it's not fully needed yet, however perhaps ~54 lanes might be only a refresh away if there becomes a compelling reason. Unfortunately I do not see the flexability in nV's SPP configuration as in ATi's assignable lanes configuration, so I'm not sure how that plays out, but knowing nV there's probably an answer to any question on a drawing board somewhere.
Main reason no 48+ chipsets yet is as we mentioned these cards don't need the 16X to perform 'normally, just to do dongle/SLi-less multi vpu processing with communication across the lanes, and with both ATi and nV's CURRENT application of multi-Vpu it will be 16+16 thus leaving you with 8-16 lanes left over. So thinking of the max option we have '48', the mobo designer could make 8 of that extra 16 for the third PEG16X slot (running 8X), now you have another 8X left for the peripherals, which right now seem to run on a 4X tunnel called A-Link Express II to the SB600, nv use an SPP+MCP configuration that works differently it somewhat 'pre-splits' lanes between them similar to the CRUSH solution (30 fron the SPP/NB and 18 from the MCP/SB). So even with that configuration you cuold bang out 16+8 on the NB and 16 on the SB, the annoying facet of it though is, does this 'inellegance' cause any reason for concern? I doubt it, but it's a little more annoying than knowing you have a straight numer of lanes. Of course ATi's PR guys
are all over it, but I don't see it being an issue initially (if ever).
Ok now that's the now, and the 'now' vision of the future, but let's consider what we know about SLi/Xfire now applied to the future (still can't consider R600/G80 Xfrie/SLi 'til we know more). Right now Xfire can use supertiling for the rendering which theoretically make multi-VPUs a somewhat unlimited commodity (assign the 32 tiles to 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,,,, to 32 VPUs like Evans & Sutherland? maybe, that's sure what they were implying in their launch and pre-launch info was that future), now nV has working 4 GPU rendering (technically not quad SLi, but SLi+SLi) and even early GF7900GX2 reviews showed 'Tri-SLi' because the drivers weren't using the 4th card. So the possibility is there for full 3 card mult-VPU rendering from both companies, the pssibility of 6 vpu rendering from an Xfire Gemini setup, and depending on the maturity nV's AFR+SFR driver support probably they too could offer it with 3 GX2s. Now at that level dongle/link-less SLi/Xfire would likely require the full 16 lanes. However should you worry about it, IMO no. By the time you would be concerned about that, you'll likely be concerned about getting other new features on offer to som might as well replace the mobo despite your dislike of tinkering with the upgrading. The reality is right now and for the immediate foreseeable future there is no other option, and be it for physics or multi-vpu likely the 16+16+8 will be more than enough for the usual 3 card seetup (only the GX2 cards pose a potential issue IMO [gemini cards work slightly differently, and reduce the risk, but may also pose another problem as well]).
So IMO you won't see anything above 48 lanes for a while, so buy the best solution you can find from whomever you find has the features you want. It should be somewhat future-looking but like most of us here say, there's no such thing as futureproofing, it's too difficult, and even really saying it ignores the fact that in 2-3 years everything will have changed again, especially on the graphics front, but IMO on the MoBo front too, AMD may do something more on the CPU front (but quad core is now almost 2008, directconnet2 in 2008, DDR3 in 2008), but I think Intel is a set thing for the next 2+ years (probably until DDR3), especially since quad core for them is supposed to have one 775 pin compatible line. I personally think for the dual/quad VPU + physics the current 3 PEG slots will be fine to take you into the future with what we've got coming out this summer.
Needless to say really, but no matter what you choose, I can GUARANTEE a twinge of regret of somekind on whatever you chose for some unknown/unanticipated reason.
Now some of this is crystal ball gazing on my part, but it's based on the realities and published rumours out there, so hopefuly it makes ense and adds a good view of the future possibilities.
I am now even more confused: I looked up some tech info on PCI Express and learned about different connectors (x1, x4, x8, x16)
Thanks! You will be the first to know when I finally build a 22nd century rig 
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