Ivy Bridge and socket 2011/X68 chipset

[ambam]

The Sandy Bridge processors are not significantly faster than the Nehalems, and they only had dual-channel memory.

Hopefully, the HUGE performance boost will be with the 8-core/22nm "Ivy Bridge" processors. I am curious if any official information is available about the "X68" chipset. What are some of the new features on this chipset? I've heard rumors of a PCIe 3.0 x32, more than twice the QPI (BUS) speed, and even quad-channel memory. It is important to note that the Ivy Bridge will be a 22nm shrink of the current Sandy Bridge microarchitecture.

I would imagine the 3rd generation of DX11 graphics cards from ATI and Nvidia will be available by then.

Hopefully, the Ivy Bridge processors will offer a performance boost similar to going from a C2Q to a Nehalem.

 

[Leaps-from-Shadows]

Two new sockets and one new chipset from Intel:

LGA 1356:
TDP 95, 80, <80W
Triple-channel memory
--(supports 1600 w/ one DIMM per channel or 1333 w/ two DIMMs per channel of 1.5v spec memory)
--(supports 1333 w/ one DIMM per channel or 1066 w/ two DIMMs per channel of 1.35v spec memory)
--(6 DIMMs per socket max)
Up to 24 PCIe Gen3 lanes
Up to one QPI link (for dual-socket boards)
Uses Patsburg PCH

LGA 2011:
TDP 150, 130, 95, 80, <80W
Quad-channel memory
--(supports 1600 w/ one DIMM per channel or 1333 w/ two DIMMs per channel or 800 w/ three DIMMs per channel of 1.5v spec memory)
--(supports 1333 w/ one DIMM per channel or 1066 w/ two DIMMs per channel of 1.35v spec memory)
--(12 DIMMs per socket max)
Up to 40 PCIe Gen3 lanes
Up to two QPI links (for dual-socket or quad-socket boards)
Uses Patsburg PCH

Patsburg PCH (a.k.a. X79 chipset):
2GB/s DMI2 link to CPU
4GB/s PCIe Gen3 x4 link to CPU
Eight additional PCIe Gen2 lanes for peripheral use
14 USB2 ports (USB3 requires separate controller chip)
Four SATA2 ports, two SATA3 ports, eight SAS/SATA3 ports
Intel Lewisville GbE
PCI not supported (can be added with bridge chip like Cougar Point boards)

Further info can be found in the Ivy Bridge / Sandy Bridge-E: News, Rumors & Reviews thread.

 

[Uther39]

OOO look, another new intel chip design that will require a new motherboard to support it.

 

[jimmysmitty]

OOO look, another new intel chip design that will require a new motherboard to support it.

The changes Intel is making are very large. Intel could have had SB run on LGA775 but who would bottleneck their CPU like that?

Honestly, a new socket every 2 years is fine. In fact I prefer it over trying to throw a current gen CPU into a 4 year old mobo with 4+ year old tech.

As for the sockets, I hadn't heard much about LGA1356. Thought it was canned. Maybe not.

 

[christop]

I wonder what kind of price range the new 2011 chip will cost?

 

[geekapproved]

OOO look, another new intel chip design that will require a new motherboard to support it.

I agree, and likely another memory configurations as well. What a joke. That's why I refuse to buy any high end motherboards, it's pointless.

 

[Umbongo]

I wonder what kind of price range the new 2011 chip will cost?

The leaked slide shows them occupying the same price points - not specific prices, but Intel have kept prices similar for a long time. No reason to expect they won't be in the $300, $600 and $1000 region.

 

[Leaps-from-Shadows]

As for the sockets, I hadn't heard much about LGA1356. Thought it was canned. Maybe not.

It's entirely possible that it was indeed discontinued -- I got the info for LGA 2011 and LGA 1356 from one old slide, and I don't even have the original link any more. I haven't seen anything recently about LGA 1356.

When I first heard that they would produce IVB for LGA 1155, I figured that those versions would be the low end or entry level. Then the new Panther Point chipsets would be the LGA 1356 socket version for the Mainstream and P1 (lower-level) Premium performance lines. And eventually they would produce the LGA 2011 P2 (upper-level) Premium and Extreme performance versions. That way they would have clear delineations for each performance level: Dual-channel memory for Entry level, Triple-channel memory for Mainstream and lower Premium levels, and Quad-channel memory for upper Premium and Extreme levels.

Unfortunately it didn't work out that way, as the Panther Point chipsets (B75, Q75, Z75, Q77, H77, Z77) are all of the dual-channel memory variety using the LGA 1155 socket. They may be skipping a triple-channel memory version altogether and instead going with dual-channel for everything but the upper Premium and Extreme levels, where it would have quad-channel memory using the LGA 2011 socket (once they've gotten their money's worth out of SNB-E of course).

 

[ambam]

The 8-core extreme edition Ivy Bridges will probably cost >$1,000