The Latest Gulftown Info (Intel's upcoming 32nm 6-core processor)

[Eidorian]

I've no idea if a new stepping will ship prior to the next model or not in terms of the Thuban. Still, 140W isn't horrible, and it's marketed as a desktop part anyway.

And as you say, it will be easier on the wallet, and there's the potential to undervolt if the board's capable.

It looks like Istanbul has its own stepping (D0) when compared to the quad core Deneb parts. There's also a 3.6 GHz Phenom II X4 975 in the cards as well at 140W to replace the X4 965 now at 125W.

P55 isn't going to be replaced any time soon so AMD should aim hard in 2010 with Thuban and the AMD 800 series chipsets with USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps feature sets. You have x4 PCIe 2.0 lanes to communicate down from the 890X/GX to the southbridge. (SB850/SB810)

SATA 6 Gbps is optional but part of the southbridge's native feature set instead of using a third party controller. USB 3.0 looks like a premium feature using their own third party controllers for now. AMD doesn't have plans for native support until 2011 like Intel. Strangely enough though there are going to be H57 "budget" boards for Clarkdale/Lynnfield that have USB 3.0. NEC seems to be the USB 3.0 controller provider for now.

http://www.techpowerup.com/110316/MSI_Readies_First_AMD_890-FX_Based_Motherboard.html

http://www.fudzilla.com/content/view/16372/35/

AM3 + AMD 700 really shined from about May to August when it faced of against mainstream Core 2 Quad. Lynnfield put an end to that in September. Lynnfield and P55 brought Nehalem to the mainstream but the platform's base feature set is limited with the x16 PCIe 2.0 (2 x 8) lanes for graphics and then DMI for I/O. Current AM2+/AM3 owners will see Thuban as a drop-in like Gulftown for LGA 1366. They won't be paying $999 though and even more for the DP versions.

X58 is is a very expandable platform but its features are overkill for a single socket. I still wonder why Intel released it as the replacement to the higher end Core 2 so quickly. They effectively obsoleted Core 2 Quad but never changed the pricing on it. It's a DP workstaion platform that launched as a gamer's one first.

 

[Umbongo]

I doubt it's the only one. The info out is too premature to take as absolute fact, as I'm under the impression there's some "holes" to be filled in. SP P/N's and quantity pricing for all of the parts (56xx & 36xx lines).

Releasing the extreme edition of the top processor group before slower parts is the precedent here. The QX6700 and QX9650 stood alone for months upon release. Only when they have a major change do they launch with a range of product (Pentium D May 05, Core 2 introduction in Jul 06, Core i7 introduction Nov 08).

 

[Umbongo]

X58 is is a very expandable platform but its features are overkill for a single socket. I still wonder why Intel released it as the replacement to the higher end Core 2 so quickly. They effectively obsoleted Core 2 Quad but never changed the pricing on it. It's a DP workstaion platform that launched as a gamer's one first.

You're looking at it from the wrong angle. The question to ask is: "Why didn't Intel launch the full socket 1366 range in November 2008?". The answer is that partners weren't ready due to a surplus of inventory, but they had to launch with something. So of course you sell to your most vocal customers.

 

[VirtualRain]

Updated the OP with the latest info...

We got a few additional details on Intel's first desktop six core CPU codenamed Gulftown. This is Intel's first six-core developed in 32nm Westmere architecture and it will be clocked at 3.33GHz.

This is the same frequency as Core i7 975 and even the Turbo clock on these two CPUs is same, as Core i7 980X will overclock to 3.6GHz. Its QPI speed is set to a well known 6.4GB/sec and the CPU can take care of twelve threads via its support for Hyperthreading.

We already wrote that good old socket 1366 should be enough to fit this six core CPU and one disappointing part of the spec is that triple channel memory is again limited to 1066MHz memory, at least officially.

The CPU has 12MB of cache and a TDP of 130W. According to the latest information we got, it should debut in Intel's March price list for $999.

Despite being listed for the price list in March, it doesn’t mean that end users will be able to get one.

 

[xgman]

Updated the OP with the latest info...

This looks to be one expsnsive puppy to configure.

 

[ildondeigiocchi]

January and February are going to be two exciting months. It always gets exciting when the onsight of a Mac Pro revision is near.

 

[AZREOSpecialist]

Do you even own a mac? let alone a mac pro.. I've never even heard of this, and to have it happen to "a number of mac pro users" is more likely a small number of people.

If you'd like I can play some aphex twin with visualizer on full blast and record my 2.93 octo yawning for you..

Oh my...