Ibex Peak is the name of the system core logic platform that runs the LGA 1160 socket processors that are expected to release later next year. It is peculiar as to being a single-chip design, where the northbridge (NB) + southbridge (SB) design that Intel has been having for all these years paves way for a single chip that handles both their functions. This level of integration is possible with a huge chunk of machinery for the memory controller being transferred to the CPU, with the chipset left to perform all functions of the ICH and also hold a PCI-Express switch. This design methodology has been adopted by NVIDIA almost five years ago with some of the nForce chipsets for the AMD platform coming in single chip designs for the very same reason. Only in cases where large PCI-E switches were used, the chipset was split up into SPP and MCP (NB and SB), such as the nForce 590 SLI, with the SPP and MCP holding smaller PCI-E switches each to total the x16, x16 lane count.

Back to 2008 and Ibex Peak, apart from the Calpella mobile platform where mobile variants of these chips are used, three new desktop/enterprise platforms emerge:

• Piketon - Business class platform, possible successor to the B43 chipset
• Kings Creek - Consumer desktop for branded and DIY users, the mainstream consumer platform for LGA 1160 processors
• Foxhollow - Enterprise class, makes it to cost-effective server and workstation platforms

A slide released by Expreview enlists features of Plekton and Kings Creek as having abundant display output ans system management features.

Here's a surprise: Some variants of this chipset could house massive 64-lane PCI-Express 2.0 switches, making 4x PCI-E 2.0 x16 (full electrical bandwidth) possible.