Going To The Extremes – Intel X58 Motherboards

Those who are familiar with Intel’s recent chipsets would know that the chip giant has kept to a certain naming convention when it comes to these products. Namely, the ‘X’ in X38, X48 and now the X58 all represent the highest end chipsets for its processors. These are enthusiast class chipsets, designed right from the start with features like multi-GPU support and a higher front side bus (FSB) than the norm. The latest incarnation, the X58 was in fact introduced together with Intel’s newest architecture, codenamed Nehalem and designed to work together with the just released Core i7 processors.

As befits a new architecture, what you’ll find on the new X58 chipset is quite a departure from the previous X48. Physically, it’s now using a new socket, LGA 1366 to fit the larger Core i7 processors, which has almost twice the number of contact points as the LGA 775 versions. Multi-GPU support has been enhanced, with NVIDIA joining the fray by allowing SLI support on these Intel motherboards, adding to the native CrossFireX support. In short, this chipset is truly for the enthusiast who likes to keep all their options open (and who may change between ATI and NVIDIA more often than most people buying a graphics card).

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