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The Fastest Processor You Can't Run
auld_wyrm writes "Intel is trying to push the news of AMD's Barcelona launch out of the headlines with the release of the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770, a 3.20 GHz CPU that runs on a 1600 MHz front-side bus. It is the fastest consumer level processor that has come out, but don't plan on running it anytime soon. The ~$1200 price tag, and the lack of any motherboards that support a 1600MHz FSB will stop this unneeded answer to Barcelona from appearing in enthusiast's PCs for Christmas. Still, the benchmarks from this powerful CPU are something awesome to behold."
There are motherboards that support it. Just not "production" motherboards.
It's worse than that even - the processor doesn't exist yet either!
Intel had them overclock an existing Core 2 Quad Extreme to perform the "benchmarks".
Check out the article on Toms Hardware Guide:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Intel-QX9770-X48-X38-QX9650,review-29749.html
The board that the CPU was tested was either a pre-production model that Intel supplied for the tests, or was overclocked by the testers to run at the speed that the CPU FSB can support. Since no MBs officially support that FSB speed, I am guessing that Intel supplied the MB, but I have seen MBs run at at 1400 FSB even though it was not officially supported by the manufacturer.
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Boxx has anounced machines using this chip so I'm guessing there are boards just the first run aren't available to the home builder.
FTA:
"...The Intel X48 chipset is a refresh of the X38 chipset aimed at the high end desktop market. It will be the first chipset to support 1600 MHz FSB parts (though current boards do as well in some cases) and will have unlocked bus ratios for improved overclocking ability. So there really isn't much change from the X38 chipset -- and in fact most X38 motherboards aimed at the enthusiast will probably support 1600 MHz FSB processors anyway. For my testing I used the Asus P5E3 Deluxe motherboard based on the X38 chipset to run the QX9770 and it ran without an issue.... http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=484
Sounds like many existing Intel X38 chipset mainboards will work with the QX9770, and I'd bet Intel's DX38BT can run it, (but probably at FSB 1,333MHz) http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/DX38BT/index.htm
According to the Anandtech review they gave them a real (though pre-production) CPU, and only had them overclock an existing motherboard - merely overclocking an existing processor wouldn't account for the massive differences in power usage.
Advanced users are users too!
There is no way they would fundamentally change the ISA. Backwards compatibility is hugely important, as Intel discovered with Itanium. It's probably just an expansion of SSE2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSE5 It's like 46 base instructions. I don't even know why they call it "SSE".
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Need mobos which can hold 16 GB of memory, not faster CPUs
Then go buy one. NewEgg's motherboard search has 'max supported memory' as an option where there are 2 that support 16GB and 3 that support 32GB. And that's in the consumer grade motherboards. You've been able to get that kind of memory support in a server class motherboard, that really doesn't cost much more than a consumer one, for years and years now.
For instance The Asus Maximus Extreme, or Abit carries one too.