2x PCI-Express x16

From an enthusiast perspective, the most important characteristic of the new X38 chipset are its two x16 PCI-Express interfaces, providing both single-card and dual-card configurations with full bandwidth. The graphics chips makers have had such products in their portfolio for a while now: AMD/ATI sells the ATI Crossfire Xpress 3200, Nvidia makes the Nforce 680 chipset.

Previously, the best Intel could offer was a dual x8 interface on the 975X or an x16/x4 configuration on the P35 and the 965P chipsets. Either way, users with a Crossfire configuration were unable to harness the full power of their graphics hardware, since at least one of the cards didn’t have access to the full bandwidth.

Currently, only AMD/ATI can take advantage of dual-card operation on X38-based boards. Support for Nvidia’s SLI technology will only be included in the upcoming dual-socket “Skulltrail” platform, Intel’s answer to AMD’s QuadFX (4x4). Just to be clear: There will be no support for Nvidia’s SLI on the X38 platform … for now.

• 2 – 2x PCI-Express x16
  

  1. 1 – Ready for Penryn with 45 nanometers
  2. 2 – 2x PCI-Express x16
  3. 3 – 2x PCI-Express x16 – Continued
  4. 4 – Overclocking with DDR3 Memory
  5. 5 – Overclocking with DDR3 Memory - Continued
  6. 6 – Overclocking – Game Over at Only 485 MHz
  7. 7 – Overclocking – Game Over at Only 485 MHz - Continued
  8. 8 – New Possibilities for North Bridge Cooling
  9. 9 – Intel Extreme Tuning Utility
  10. 10 – Speed of the X38 Chipset? Unchanged
  11. 11 – No Boards under €200
  12. 12 – A Detailed Look at the X38-DQ6
  13. 13 – Test Setup
  14. 14 – Software Configuration
  15. 15 – Benchmarks & Settings
  16. 16 – 3D-Games: Quake 4, Warhammer
  17. 17 – 3D-Games: Supreme Commander, Serious Sam 2
  18. 18 – 3D-Rendering: Cinema 4D, 3D-Studio Max
  19. 19 – Applications: AVG, WinRAR
  20. 20 – Applications: Vista Experience Index
  21. 21 – Applications: Photoshop, PDF
  22. 22 – Applications: Deep Fritz
  23. 23 – Audio Encoding: iTunes, Lame
  24. 24 – Synthetic: Sandra CPU
  25. 25 – Synthetic: Sandra Memory
  26. 26 – Synthetic: Sandra Multimedia
  27. 27 – Synthetic: PC-Mark
  28. 28 – Synthetic: 3D-Mark
  29. 29 – Synthetic: 3D-MarkVideo Encoding: Xvid, Pinnacle Studio
  30. 30 – Video Encoding: Premiere, Mainconcept
  31. 31 – Video Encoding: HDTV, DivX
  32. 32 – Video Encoding: CloneDVD
  33. 33 – Conclusion: X38 boards too expensive, P35 with more Bang for the Buck
• Previous page Ready for Penryn with 45 nanometers
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