It seems like every month we are posting a new story that target=”_link”brings to light one more detail about Intel’s upcoming Nehalem processor. We already know that the processor will have an integrated memory controller capable of triple-channel DDR3 operation. We also know that old technologies like HyperThreading (in the new form of “Simultaneous Multi-threading”) will be making a comeback. The X58 chipset that will house Nehalem will communicate with the processor via Intel’s QuickPath interconnect. There will be 32 full PCI-Express 2.0 lanes to accommodate two top-end graphics cards working at full capacity, and the chipset will be the first to implement the ICH10, which will include a 10Gigabit Ethernet port, among other upgrades. However, if slides procured by Expreview are to be believed, the triple-channel interface on X58 will provide 32GB/s of memory bandwidth, which is not overly impressive given the 25.6GB/s of the existing dual-channel interface on X48 boards. We would certainly expect higher numbers thanks to the new integrated memory controller, which is not too dissimilar from what AMD introduced with socket 939 parts.

Unfortunately, there does not seem to be good news on the horizon for consumers looking to buy up a Nehalem processor on a fully-featured chipset. Today’s high-end motherboards based on Intel’s X48 chipset can cost almost $400, often more than the processors that they are meant to run. This almost certainly has discouraged users from buying the high-end boards in favor of the far more budget friendly mainstream offerings, like those based on Intel’s P35. The upcoming X58 chipset will likely continue this trend, with news coming in that Nehalem-capable boards will feature an 8-layer PCB design. The layers of a PCB are used to route traces from one electrical component to another. The lengths of certain traces on the motherboard are extremely important, especially those involving the memory DIMMs, as the anything less than complete precision can cause timings to be out if sync.

Apparently the design of the X58 chipset is complicated to the point where traditional (and less expensive to produce) 6-layer PCBs are not possible for the time being. Intel has requested the help of their motherboard partners to produce a simpler and more cost-effective solution for Nehalem-capable boards, but all signs point to an 8-layer PCB at launch, which unfortunately means high initial prices for the high-end parts.

Source: Fudzilla

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