Here are the highlights from the MSI booth at Games Convention.The GeForce 9600 GT Hybrid Freezer uses a special cooler that keeps the card cool without fan most of the time. In case the card gets too hot for the passive solution the fan will kick in.

Yes, you read that right. You can use upto four HD4870 X2 accelerators in tandem for an 8-GPU, 9.6 TFLOP, 8 GB graphics crunching monster. You need a 4-slot motherboard though. There are 4-slot solutions available on the AMD 790FX platform, for Intel though X48 did support 4 slots and images of prototype X48 boards with 4 slots did surface months back, there isn't such a board out yet. You do have the Skulltrail platform and upcoming X58 Bloomfield-supportive boards do promise to come in 4 slot flavours.

In a press-conference, Raja Koduri, worldwide CTO (Products Group), AMD talked to Indian website TechTree, among minor revelations such as "Fusion in 2009", here's a shocker:

"AMD has already built a computer that has four 4870X2s in it. So it has eight GPUs; drivers will not be supporting eight GPUs at this point of time."

-Implies that AMD is fully geared up to go head on against GT200b whenever it comes up. It's all a matter of them releasing a supportive driver. Again, unreliable sources point towards the possibility that also in the pipeline could be a R700+ which could be based on 'Super-RV770XT' processors. If you thought you're witnessing the peak of the GPU battle for supremacy, hold on, you're only getting appetised.

This motherboard board looks a work of art, simply put. The ASUS Rampage Extreme is the upscale version of ASUS' ROG line Intel X48 chipset based motherboard, the Rampage Formula. Although Rampage Formula resembled the X38 based Maximus Forumla in many ways, to an extant that you could use the Rampage Formula BIOS with Maximus Formula, don't expect the same with Rampage Extreme and its predecessor. This board features the X48 chipset, supports DDR3 memory, features a total of 16 CPU-power phases, water-cooling ready, out of the box. Apart from the plethora of features the ROG series products come with, this board bundles the SupremeFX X-Fi sound module which supports PCI-Express X-Fi Audio. It supports ATI Crossfire at full x16, x16 PCI-Express 2.0 mode.

Here's the most interesting feature: You can tweak system parameters on the board using a feature called TweakIt. This makes you adjust your overclock using special controls located on the board, keep track of the settings you're making using the LCD poster. The board is rich in heatsinks, ample cooling is provided to the MOSFETs surrounding the CPU area and above the memory area. Expect this to be priced anything above US $250.

Although Intel has not yet officially announced its high-end X48 chipset, some first-tier motherboard makers started shipping boards in small volumes a few days ago, DigiTime reports. The report claims that both ASUSTeK Computer and GIGABYTE Technology have already started shipping their motherboards, and wide product availability is expected for this week. Manufacturers like MSI and DFI will follow soon.

With the official launch of the Intel X48 chipset drawing ever closer, ASUS, producer of the world leading motherboards, has announced the release of the ASUS P5E3 Premium WiFi-AP @n motherboard. This powerful motherboard is the newest member in the ASUS EPU family of motherboards, and is equipped with the latest Intel X48 chipset; and showcases the exclusive EPU Technology to combine vigorous performance with superb energy efficiency. Additionally, this outstanding motherboard supports DDR3 2000MHz dual-channel memory, dual PCI Express 2.0 x16 lanes, 802.11n WiFi specifications and the innovative ASUS Express Gate for Internet access in just 5 secs.

Intel plans to have an updated version of the DX38BT motherboard using the X48 chipset during the first quarter of 2008. The X48 is essentially a cherry-picked X38 chipset with better overclocking ability and support for 1600 FSB. More importantly, the X48 will fix the EIST bug present in the X38 chipset that requires manufacturers to rework their X38 motherboards.

Intel will officially start delivering its X38 chipsets in mid-September, enabling motherboard makers to begin volume production of X38-based motherboards by the end of this month. The official launch of the X38 chipsets will also come in time to compete with AMD's forthcoming RD790 chipsets scheduled in November. In addition to supporting 1333MHz FSB, DDR3-1333 memory, PCI Express 2.0 and dual PCIe x16 graphics slots, the X38 will also be the first core logic chipset using ISH (integrated heat spreader). While barely beginning shipments of the X38, however, Intel also plans to launch an upgrade version of the chipset, the X48, by the end of the year with motherboard makers to begin delivering X48 motherboards to shelves in the first quarter of 2008, according to Intel's roadmap. The X48 eventually will come with the same chip design as the X38, but will support 1600MHz FSB and DDR3-1600 memory. Board makers will not be required to change any design work of X38-based motherboards since the X38 and X48 chipsets will use the same PCB.

Rumors have started circulating about Intel's new X48 chipset. The new chipset is said to be faster and offer better overclocking than the previous X38, which should be coming this week. The X48 plans to appear only a few short weeks after the X38 is launched.