Intel's next generation of processors, Core i7, is upon us.
And now that the benchmarks are in, it's clear that the new chips have some serious wins over existing products.
Unfortunately, because this is a completely new processor and radically different to Core 2 it's not going to be a simple upgrade.
The first desktop versions of the Core i7 require a new 1366 pin socket, which at the moment is only found on motherboards using the Intel X58 chipset.
If you're building an i7 system for Christmas, you'll need one of these motherboards.
Here's five of the best to choose from:
1. Gigbyte GA-EX58-Extreme - £226
The X58 chipset isn't doesn't just bring all the new platform tweaks and changes that Intel has implemented with Core i7.
It's also the first chipset that can officially support two or more graphics cards from either AMD or NVIDIA.
So if you build a system around x58, your graphics card choices are unlimited - you can use either NVIDIA SLI or AMD Crossfire X for multiple GPUs now or in the future, provided the board has enough PCI-Express sockets and has been submitted to NVIDIA for validation. Which this has.
Gigabyte's EX58 Extreme is for the extremist among you. It's one of the few boards that's set-up for three way SLI and CrossFire, and is kitted out with the company's Ultra Durable 3 components and a large heatpipe array over the chipset for stability when overclocked.
While it's expensive for a motherboard, though, it's actually one of the more reasonably priced X58s too.
2. MSI X58 Eclipse - £TBA
Support for two graphics cards will depend on which version of MSI's Eclipse you opt for, and none of the three boards so far announced will support both.
But there are other things that make the Eclipse worth checking out.
First up is the fact that MSI is bundling an X-Fi sound card with the Eclipse, which instantly makes it attractive if the price is right.
Secondly, while the graphics support isn't the best, the literature does cite compatibility with DDR3 1333MHz - officially the Core i7 requires DDR3 800MHz or 1066MHz, and there have been concerns about faster memory frying the on board controller.
There's also a lot of useful overclocking tools, including on-board power and reset switches, and jumper control for the clock speed settings. MSI's DrMOS power regulation technology is also one of the most efficient in the industry.
Word has it that a higher spec MSI X58 model will be available that also supports four GeForce cards in Quad SLI configuration.
3. ASUS P6T Deluxe - £320
For the time being, ASUS is shunning support for SLI on its X58 series, but it has put together one of the most otherwise fully featured boards around.
For a start, there's the onboard flash memory that is preloaded with ASUS' ExpressGate Linux OS, as seen in the Eee Box.
That means you can quick boot a P6T system to a simple interface with a web browser and media player in a matter of seconds.
Even more intriguing - and no less innovative - is the OC Palm. This is a small PDA-like device which plugs into a USB port and allows you to take direct control of your clockspeeds without touching the desktop.
The idea being that you can increase or decrease system speeds while playing games, for example.
4. Foxconn X58 Renaissance - £TBA
Branded as part of its Digital Life line-up, the Renaissance is one of two X58 boards from Foxconn that have been confirmed.
Hopefully it will be one of the more reasonably priced ones around. The other Foxconn board will be an overclocker's model in the Quantum Force range.
Details on this one are sketchy at the moment, but it's garnered a lot of attention since the first photos appeared on Xtreme Systems thanks to the unusual cooling system which is scultped to look like hi-fi parts.
5. Intel SmackOver DX58SO - £230
We're not overly taken with the name, but Intel's own high performance motherboard is launching at a relatively attractive price considering it boasts all of the X58 features barring SLI support.
The overall layout looks slightly dubious from a cooling perspective, but one thing we do like about SmackOver is the decision to mount the memory slots horizontally above the CPU.
That allows for much better airflow across the RAM sticks and makes up for the fact that other X58 boards have more physical slots. Populating three of the four RAM slots available will yeild the best performance, since it enables Core i7 to use its triple channel memory controller to full effect.
Conclusion:
All these boards and more will be reviewed on Techradar after the Core i7 launch later this month. Find out which is the fastest then.
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments