Intel is beginning to put out the first details of its next high-end desktop (HEDT) processors, internally. Codenamed "Broadwell-E," the company's next Core i7 HEDT chips will be built in the existing LGA2011v3 package, and will be compatible with existing motherboards based on Intel's X99 Express chipset (with BIOS updates). Much like "Ivy Bridge-E" was to "Sandy Bridge-E," these chips will introduce only incremental updates, and nothing major, in terms of architecture.

To begin with, Core i7 "Broadwell-E" will be built in the 14 nanometer silicon fab process, and will feature 6 to 8 cores based on the "Broadwell" micro-architecture. These cores will be cushioned with up to 20 MB of L3 cache. The chip is pin-compatible to "Haswell-E," and so its I/O will be identical, featuring a quad-channel DDR4 integrated memory controller. One difference is that Intel may can the 28-lane PCIe approach with the entry-level part; or at least it doesn't find mention on the slide. If it's true, all parts based on this silicon, will feature 40-lane PCIe interfaces. The TDP of these chips will be rated at 140W. Intel is expected to launch the Core i7 "Broadwell-E" in 2016.

Koolance confirmed that its CPU-380I full-coverage CPU water block is compatible with LGA2011v3, the socket Core i7-5000 "Haswell-E" chips are designed for. Not just with its retention module compatibility, but higher rated TDP of 140W, forced LGA2011-compatible cooling solution manufacturers to recheck support for LGA2011v3. The CPU-380I features a nickel-plated copper as its primary material, with a micro-fin lattice etched out in its main chamber. It features a black acetal top. Standard G 1/4 BSPP threading will supports fittings of up to 19 mm dia (3/4in) OD compression style. Available now, the CPU-380I is priced at US $74.99.

ASUS' entry-level socket LGA2011-v3 motherboard, the X99-A, began selling. Although announced along with ASUS' mainline flagship, the X99-Deluxe, the X99-A, along with mid-range X99-Pro, weren't available immediately, as the company decided to go in with three flagship LGA2011-v3 products, the ROG Rampage V Extreme and X99-WS being the other two. The X99-A appears to be based on a slightly watered down version of a PCB it shares with the X99-Pro; different from that of the X99-Deluxe. It's targeted at high-end gaming PC and mid-range content-creation builds.

To begin with, the X99-A is built in the standard ATX form-factor. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors. An 8-phase VRM conditions power for the CPU, with a 2+2 phase VRM for the eight DDR4 DIMM slots flanking the CPU socket on either sides. The CPU socket is wired to three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/x16/NC or x16/x8/x8 on i7-5960X and i7-5930K; and x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4 on i7-5820K), and a 32 Gb/s M.2 slot, which features a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 physical layer. Other expansion slots include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4), and two PCI-Express 2.0 x1. The board supports 3-way NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX.

Intel launched its next-generation Core i7-5000 series high-end desktop platform, consisting of socket LGA2011-V3 Core i7 processors, and compatible motherboards based on the Intel X99 Express chipset. The platform is an upscaling of the "Haswell" micro-architecture, codenamed "Haswell-E" and targets Ultra HD gamers, media professionals, and PC enthusiasts. The platform begins with the "Haswell-E" silicon, which physically features eight "Haswell" CPU cores, a staggering 20 MB of L3 cache, a quad-channel DDR4 integrated memory controller, and a 40-lane PCI-Express Gen 3.0 root complex. Three SKUs are carved out of this silicon.

The series is led by the Core i7-5960X. Intel's first eight-core processor for the high-end desktop market, this chip features HyperThreading, which enables 16 logical CPUs for the OS to play with, 20 MB of L3 cache, and clock speeds of 3.00 GHz, with 3.50 GHz maximum Turbo Boost. It commands a price of $999. Next up, is the Core i7-5930K. A six-core chip with HyperThreading that enables 12 logical CPUs, this chip features 15 MB of L3 cache, clock speeds of 3.50 GHz with 3.70 GHz maximum Turbo Boost, and a US $583 price-tag. The most affordable chip is the Core i7-5820K. At US $389, it's the cheapest six-core HEDT chip by Intel (at launch). It features 12 MB of L3 cache, and clock speeds of 3.30 GHz, with 3.60 GHz of Turbo Boost. Too good to be true? Not so fast. It features a slimmer 28-lane PCIe root complex, so certain multi-GPU configurations won't run optimally. The Intel X99 Express chipset corrects many of the shortcomings of its predecessor, the X79 Express. It features a meaty storage controller that offers ten SATA 6 Gb/s ports, one or more SATA-Express, and M.2 slots. It also integrates a 6-port USB 3.0 host controller, and two independent 4-port USB 2.0 host controllers.

ASUS will address the socket LGA2011-3 motherboard market with three of its brands, the gamer and overclocker-centric ROG (Republic of Gamers), the durable TUF (The Ultimate Force) brand, and its mainline brand, which features a balanced feature-set between the two. Its flagship motherboard will be the X99-Deluxe. Pictured below, this ATX motherboard is one of the most feature-rich ever built by ASUS. It draws power from 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors. The CPU is powered by an 8-phase VRM, and the memory by a 4-phase one. The socket is flanked by eight DDR4 DIMM slots. Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16, one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4), and an additional PCI-Express 2.0 x4.

Storage connectivity on the ASUS X99-Deluxe includes twelve SATA 6 Gb/s ports, one SATA-Express 10 Gb/s port, and a "standing" M.2 slot with PCI-Express 2.0 x4 physical layer. There are 14 USB 3.0 ports in all (ten on the rear panel, four by headers). Network connectivity includes two gigabit Ethernet interfaces (both driven by Intel-made controllers), 802.11 ac WLAN, and Bluetooth 4.0. The 8-channel onboard audio, dubbed Crystal Sound 2, features a high SNR DAC, audio-grade electrolytic capacitors, a headphones amp circuit, and ground-layer isolation.

Here are the first pictures of ASRock X99 OC Formula, the Nick Shih-designed socket LGA2011-3 motherboard for professional overclockers. Designed for CPU and memory overclocking, apart from running up to four graphics cards in multi-GPU configs, the board can supply a claimed "1300W" of maximum CPU power, using its 12-phase CPU VRM. Memory is care of a 4-phase VRM. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, 4-pin ATX, and 4-pin Molex power connectors, to stabilize the various power domains.

The LGA2011-3 socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, which can support up to 64 GB of quad-channel DDR4 memory. The board features BIOS options that can let you crank DRAM frequencies over 4000 MHz. Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x16/x8), an mPCIe 2.0 x1 (for WLAN cards), and one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (physical x4). Storage connectivity includes two M.2 slots, from which one is an "Ultra M.2" slot, which is wired to the CPU, and features physical-layer PCI-Express 3.0 x4; and ten SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The board offers ten USB 3.0 ports (six on the rear panel, four by headers). 8-channel HD audio with audio-grade capacitors and ground-layer isolation; two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, at least one of which is Intel-made, make for the rest of it.

Today ASRock decided to show off yet another (last week it revealed the X99X Killer, X99M Killer and X99 WS) motherboard based on the Intel X99 chipset, the X99 Extreme6. This board, like the X99 WS, has a black and blue color theme and it features support for Haswell-E processors, eight DDR4 memory slots (for up to 128 GB of RAM), ten SATA 6.0 Gbps ports and one Ultra (PCIe 3.0 x4) M.2 connector, plus three PCI-Express x16 slots allowing SLI or CrossFire multi-GPU setups.

ASRock's creation also has 7.1 channel Purity Sound 2 audio, dual Gigabit Ethernet (includes one Intel NIC), two USB 2.0 and six USB 3.0 ports on the back panel plus another connector on the PCB near the DDR4 slots, one eSATA connector, and a debug LED. The X99 Extreme6 is expected to be officially launched next week.

It turns out that our older report suggesting that the most affordable of Intel's new Core i7 "Haswell-E" HEDT processors will feature a slimmer PCI-Express root complex, even if it gives you 6 cores at a [hopefully] sub-$400 price-point, holds true, after all. Intel's wacky approach to its latest HEDT processor lineup was confirmed by leaked manuals of Gigabyte's socket LGA2011-3 motherboards, based on the Intel X99 Express chipset. The manual confirms that while Intel's $500-$750 Core i7-5930K and >$1,000 Core i7-4960X offer bigger 40-lane PCI-Express Gen 3.0 root complexes; the Core i7-5820K features a narrower 28-lane one. This means that multi-GPU configurations on systems running the chip won't be too different from those on LGA1150 "Haswell" platforms.

On motherboards with, say, three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, the i7-5930K and i7-5960X will let you run two slots at full x16 bandwidth, and a third slot at x8. On systems with the i7-5820K, the second slot won't go beyond x8, and the third one will cap out at x4. On boards with four slots, one of them will run out of bandwidth. The trade-off for this narrower PCI-Express interface is the fact that you're getting six "Haswell" cores, twelve logical CPUs enabled with HyperThreading, about 12 MB of L3 cache, and a quad-channel DDR4 memory interface, at a price-point not too far off from the Core i7-4790K. So for enthusiasts with no more than two high-end graphics cards, the i7-5820K could provide an attractive gateway option to Intel's new HEDT platform. You can find the leaked manuals in this thread.

Still in a sharing mood, ASRock has now given us a peek at yet another X99-based motherboard it plans to release at the end of this month, the X99M Killer aka the X99X Killer's little brother. As its name suggests, the X99M Killer has a micro ATX form factor but it's still quite feature-packed - three PCIe x16 slots, ten SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, one Ultra M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4) connector, dual Gigabit Ethernet (Intel and Killer E2200), and Purity Sound 2 7.1-channel audio.

ASRock's X99 board also offers two Fatal1ty mouse ports, four USB 3.0 ports, a debug LED, and even an eSATA connector, but it has to settle for four DDR4 memory slots. No price tag was announced but that should be revealed in the next couple of weeks.

With two more weeks left to the official launch of Haswell-E and the X99 chipset, ASRock decided to reveal another one of its X99-based boards, the 'workstation level' X99 WS. Seen below, the upcoming LGA2011 motherboard makes use of the Super Alloy technology (extra large aluminum alloy heatsinks, premium alloy chokes, dual-stack MOSFET, 12K platinum capacitors) and features eight DDR4 slots allowing up to 128 GB of RAM, ten SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, one Ultra M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4) connector and no less than six PCIe x16 slots (SLI and CrossFire are supported).

The X99 WS also has dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet, Purity Sound 2 7.1 channel audio, one eSATA port, four USB 3.0 connectors, and a debut LED. Unfortunately ASRock hasn't shared any info regarding the board's price tag.

Noctua today announced that it will continue its tradition of supplying customers with its premium-class SecuFirm2 mounting kits for novel platforms free of charge. While newer Noctua heatsinks support Haswell-E's LGA2011-3 socket out of the box, older models can be upgraded with the NM-I2011 kit at no additional cost.

"We're determined to provide the best possible support to our customers and over the years, we've sent many thousands of mounting kits free of charge to users who wanted to upgrade to new platforms", says Mag. Roland Mossig (Noctua CEO). "With Haswell-E just around the corner, we're pleased to announce that we'll extend this offer for LGA2011-3. Owners of older Noctua retail heatsinks that don't support LGA2011 out of the box will be able to upgrade to the new socket free of charge!"

Taiwanese company ASRock has this week provided a few press images of its soon-to-be-released X99X Killer motherboard. Based on Intel's X99 chipset, the board offers support for Haswell-E (LGA2011) processors and features eight DDR4 memory slots (for up to 128 GB of RAM), three PCI-Express x16 slots (allowing SLI or CrossFire setups), ten SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, plus one Ultra (PCIe x4-powered) M2 connector.

ASRock's creation also has 7.1-channel Purity Sound 2 audio, dual Gigabit Ethernet (one Intel NIC and one Killer E2200 NIC), two Fatal1ty and six 'regular' USB 3.0 mouse ports, one eSATA connector, plus a debug LED. The X99X Killer is set to become available after August 29th.

Here's the first picture of Gigabyte's new socket LGA2011-3 motherboard, the X99 Gaming G1. Designed for Core i7 "Haswell-E" processors, the board is packed to the brim with features, although it's positioned in the mainline lineup. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it for the CPU using an 8-phase VRM. The CPU socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of quad-channel DDR4 memory; and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots.

Storage connectivity includes ten SATA 6 Gb/s, one SATA-Express 10 Gb/s, and an M.2 slot. Network connectivity include 802.11 ac WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0, and gigabit Ethernet, driven by Qualcomm Killer E2200. The Sound Core3D audio solution features a user-replaceable headphone amp, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. A number of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0/1.1 ports make for the rest of it.

MSI released teaser shots of its upcoming flagship socket LGA2011-2 motherboard, designed for Core i7 "Haswell-E" processors, featuring DDR4 memory interfaces. Called the X99S Gaming 9 AC, as its name suggests, the board is based on Intel X99 Express chipset. It appears to feature eight DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting quad-channel DDR4 memory; five PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, with the ability to drive 4-way SLI and CrossFireX; storage connectivity that includes one or more M.2 slots, and SATA-Express, apart form eight SATA 6Gb/s ports. Networking includes 802.11 ac WLAN, Killer E2200 gigabit Ethernet, eight (or more) USB 3.0 ports, and a boat-load of overclocker-friendly features.

Intel Core i7 "Haswell-E" HEDT (high-end desktop) processors, along with compatible motherboards based on the Intel X99 Express chipset, are expected to launch on September 14, 2014, according to a leaked Intel supply chain document scored by VR-Zone. The Core i7 "Haswell-E" series succeeds current Core i7 "Ivy Bridge-E," and its compatible X79 Express chipset. The new chips will be built in the new LGA2011-3 package (incompatible with current LGA2011), and will be the first client desktop platform to support the new DDR4 system memory standard. The series will include three parts, the six-core Core i7-5820K and i7-4930K; and the eight-core i7-5960X. The three are detailed in our older article, here.

Eurocom is shipping the most powerful supercomputer class fully configurable laptop in the world, equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M in single and SLI (Dual) configuration, an X79 Express Chipset supporting Intel Core i7-4000 and Intel Xeon E5-2600 V2 processors, up to i7-4960X or Xeon E5-2697 v2, 32 GB DDR3-1600 and 6 TB Of RAID 0/1/5/10 storage. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M graphics card has 1536 CUDA cores running at 954 MHz + boost with 8 GB GDDR5 memory running at 2500 MHz. In SLI the two 880M graphics cards offer users a whopping 16 GB DDR5 video memory and 3072 CUDA cores giving Eurocom users epic performance.

"At Eurocom we specialize in offering the most powerful, capable, high quality and upgradeable systems to our clients. The EUROCOM Panther 5 is the epitome of this, it supports a wide variety of processors, graphics, displays, memory and many of components while offering a very high quality chassis." Mark Bialic, Eurocom President. "We choose the absolute best components to offer our customers to build into their systems from NVIDIA GeForce, Quadro and AMD Radeon graphics to Intel Xeon and Core i7 processors as well as Micron memory modules and Intel DC 3700 storage drives, just to name a few. The EUROCOM Panther 5 is built for professionals that require the utmost in reliability and dependability"

Intel's presentation for Italian technology conference 3D Revolution 2014 was leaked to the web, revealing the company's most up-to-date desktop CPU roadmap, which looks deep into 2015. It reveals a wealth of new information. To begin with the HEDT (high-end desktop) segment, Intel plans to drag Core i7 "Ivy Bridge-E" through Q3-2014, and launch its succeeding Core i7 "Haswell-E" processor close to Q4-2014, or late into Q3, which would pin its launch some time in September 2014. "Haswell-E" is built in the new socket LGA2011-3 package, and is supported exclusively by Intel X99 Express chipset. It also heralds DDR4 memory to the consumer space. "Haswell-E" will have its reign till late-Q3 2015, when Intel plans to launch Core i7 "Broadwell-E," which is built in the same package, and supported by the same X99 platform, but based on a swanky new 14 nm silicon.

Things get interesting with the company's mainline desktop processors. Intel recently launched its "Haswell" Refresh silicon, and is bound to launch their unlocked variants, codenamed "Devil's Canyon," on the 25th of June. Built in the LGA1150 package, "Haswell" Refresh runs on both 8-series and 9-series chipset. Intel's 9-series chipset was originally designed to launch alongside the company's first processors built on the 14 nm silicon fab process, codenamed "Broadwell," which is an optical shrink of "Haswell," with a few minor tweaks and speed bumps, just as "Ivy Bridge" was to "Sandy Bridge." Intel's "Broadwell" chips are now expected to debut in Q1-2015, probably along the sidelines of the 2015 International CES. These chips will be supported by existing LGA1150 motherboards, some with BIOS updates.

EVGA showed us one of the more 'complete' socket LGA2011-2 motherboards, decked up with its heatsinks. The company will likely name it X99 FTW. Designed for enthusiast PCs with three or more graphics cards, and high-bandwidth PCIe SSDs, and built in the ATX form-factor, the X99 FTW draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, with optional stabilizing inputs from a 6-pin PCIe and a 4-pin Molex. Barring the EPS, all other connectors are angled away, to help reduce cable clutter. The CPU socket is powered by an 8-phase VRM, with 4-phase memory VRM. It's flanked by four DDR4 DIMM slots on either side, supporting up to 64 GB of quad-channel memory.

Expansion slots include five PCI-Express 3.0 x16 wired to the CPU (x16, x8, x8, x16, x8); and one PCI-Express 2.0 x4, wired to the X99 PCH. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the PCH, and four SATA 6 Gb/s from a third-party controller. 8-channel HD audio, and two gigabit Ethernet interfaces complete the connectivity. The board's real goods are its overclocker-friendly features, including PCIe slot disabling DIP switches, POST sequence LEDs and error code readouts, two clear CMOS buttons, and EVGA EVBot support. EVGA is expected to launch this board, alongside Intel's Core i7 "Haswell-E" HEDT processors, later this year.

ASRock unveiled prototypes of its first LGA2011-2 motherboards based on Intel X99 Express chipset, ready for the company's upcoming Core i7 "Haswell-E" HEDT processors. The color-scheme and heatsink designs are not finalized. Both boards are built in the ATX form-factor, and draw power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 4-pin Molex power connectors; and use 12-phase VRM to condition power to the CPU. Both further feature eight DDR4 DIMM slots. They differ in their expansion slot areas. The Extreme4 features a total of four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, while the Extreme6 features three, which uses the space saved to drop in two storage slots, an Ultra-M.2 (x4 link layer) and an mSATA. The Extreme6 offers two Intel-made GbE connections, while the Extreme4 offers just one.

At its Computex 2014 booth EVGA is showcasing a prototype motherboard powered by Intel's upcoming X99 chipset. This Haswell-E-supporting LGA2011 board packs eight DDR4 memory slots, ten SATA ports, five PCI-Express x16 slots allowing for SLI/Crossfire setups, 7.1 channel audio, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and various goodies to help overclockers get the most out of their setup.

EVGA's X99 board is likely set to debut as soon as Intel launches the chipset and the new Core i7-5xxxK line of processors, sometime in Q3.

Intel's next-generation Core i7 "Haswell-E" HEDT (high-end desktop) processor lineup, slated for later this year, accompanied by the company's X99 Express chipset, will launch at three price-points, predictably, succeeding the current Core i7-4820K, i7-4930K, and i7-4960X. The platform will herald a new LGA socket, which will have 2,011 pins, but will not be compatible with current LGA2011 platforms based on the X79 Express chipset. That's because "Haswell-E" will be among the first client platforms to support DDR4-SDRAM memory. All Haswell-E chips will support DDR4-2133 MHz out of the box.

Moving on to the actual lineup, and it begins with the Core i7-5820K. This is a six-core chip, and a welcome departure from Intel's sub-$400 HEDT chips being quad-core. Whether it supports HyperThreading, is not known. You still get 6 physical cores to plow through work. The chip also features a staggering 15 MB of L3 cache, clock speed of 3.30 GHz with a couple of notches of Turbo Boost, and a quad-channel DDR4 integrated memory controller. Oh, and there's the unlocked BClk multiplier. Sounds too good to be true for a sub-$400 chip? Here's the catch - its on-die PCI-Express Gen 3.0 root complex will have fewer lanes. It can spare just 16 + 8 lanes for discrete graphics cards. For boards with three long x16 slots, that would mean x16/NC/x8, or x8/x8/x8, with an additional x4 link.

At GDC, Intel announced a backpedal from its plans to eventually reshape desktop CPUs into components that come hardwired to the motherboards across the line, by announcing three new CPU families. It includes the Haswell-E HEDT platform, Broadwell performance platform, and Devil's Canyon. The three are expected to launch in reverse order, beginning with Devil's Canyon. A variant of existing "Haswell" silicon in the LGA1150 package, Devil's Canyon is codename for a breed of hand-picked chips with "insane" overclocking potential. In addition to binned dies, the chips feature a performance-optimized TIM between the die and the integrated heatspreader (IHS). The dies will be placed on special "high tolerance" packages, with equally "special" LGA contact points. The chips will be designed with higher voltage tolerance levels. Devil's Canyon is expected to branded under the existing Core i7-4xxx series, possibly with "Extreme" brand extension. It will be compatible with motherboards based on the Z97 chipset.

Next up, is "Broadwell." A successor to Haswell, Broadwell is its optical shrink to Intel's new 14-nanometer silicon fab process, with minor improvements to IPC, new power-management features, and likely added instruction sets, much like what "Ivy Bridge" was to "Sandy Bridge." It will take advantage of the new process to step up CPU and iGPU clock speeds. Broadwell is expected to launch in the second half of 2014. Lastly, there's Haswell-E. Built in the company's next-gen LGA2011 socket (incompatible with the current LGA2011), this HEDT (high-end desktop) processor will feature up to eight CPU cores, up to 15 MB of L3 cache, a 48-lane PCI-Express 3.0 root complex, and a quad-channel DDR4 integrated memory controller (IMC). Intel is also planning to launch a socketed variant of the Core i7-4770R, which is based on the company's Haswell GT3e silicon, which features the Iris Pro 5200 graphics core, with 40 execution units, and 128 MB of L4 cache.

GIGABYTE Technology, a leading creator of high performance server hardware, is proud to announce the GA-6PXSVT, its first single 2011 socket based workstation motherboard featuring an integrated 10 Gigabit Ethernet LAN controller.

Following the ever increasing need for bandwidth at every level, GIGABYTE offers with the GA-6PXSVT a strong solution for professional users. Regrouping on an ATX form factor ultra-fast networking, a large storage platform, the support of Intel Xeon E5-1600 V2 & E5-2600 V2 processors, and support for up to 256GB of ECC memory, all the features required for a rock-solid workstation or a high performance rack server are gathered.

Intel is planning to launch its 4th generation Core i7 HEDT (high-end desktop) platform, codenamed "Haswell-E," in the third quarter of 2014 (after June), which should space its launch roughly a year from Core i7 "Ivy Bridge-E." With Haswell-E, Intel is expected to increase core counts across the board, launching an "affordable" six-core part around the $400 mark, an eight-core part around the $600 mark, and an Extreme Edition eight-core part around the $1,000 mark. The three will be based on the LGA2011-3 socket, which has the same pin count as today's LGA2011, yet is incompatible with it, because the pin map of Haswell-E will differ from its predecessors'. Driving the platform will be Intel's X99 Express chipset, with support for up to ten SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and a large number of USB 3.0 ports. Some of the first X99 motherboards are expected to be unveiled at Computex 2014.

Here's the first picture of Intel's next-generation Core i7 HEDT (high-end desktop) processor, codenamed "Haswell-E." Based on Intel's latest "Haswell" micro-architecture, the chip will be Intel's first HEDT processor to ship with eight cores, and the first client CPU to ship with next-generation DDR4 memory interface. In addition to IPC improvements over "Ivy Bridge" that come with "Haswell," the chip integrates a quad-channel DDR4 integrated memory controller, with native memory speeds of DDR4-2133 MHz; a PCI-Express gen 3.0 root complex with a total of 40 PCI-Express lanes, and yet the same DMI 2.0 (4 GB/s) chipset bus.

Built into the LGA2011-3 socket, "Haswell-E" will be incompatible with current LGA2011 motherboards, as the notches of the package will vary from LGA2011 "Ivy Bridge-E." Intel will introduce the new X99 Express chipset, featuring all 6 Gb/s SATA ports, integrated USB 3.0 controllers, and a PCI-Express gen 2.0 root complex for third-party onboard controllers. Interestingly, there's no mention of SATA-Express, which Intel's next-generation 9-series chipset for Core "Broadwell" platforms reportedly ships with; and X99 isn't looking too different from today's Z87 chipset. With engineering samples already out, it wouldn't surprise us if Intel launches "Haswell-E" along the sidelines of any of next year's big-three trade-shows (CES, CeBIT, and Computex).