LGA2011 is the latest platform to look forward to from Intel. In Q4, targeting enthusiasts and businesses with support for quad memory channels, four or six cores, we will see the arrival of Sandy Bridge-E, but for the same socket there will be Sandy Bridge-EP for the server market.
The new processor that has surfaced on ebay is code-named Sandy Bridge-EP, which means it is a processor for servers where you can use two processors on the same motherboard. This engineering sample is called Q19D ES 1.60GHZ and sports 20MB cache, 8 cores at 1.60 GHz, together with HyperThreading the processor can handle 16 threads at a TDP of 130W. Intel Turbo Boost is not available with this model.
The processor is an engineering sample with stepping A-1, which means it is one of few at this early stage that has found its way out of Intel’s test lab for validation and troubleshooting before launch. This explains the low clock frequency since they are in general clocked much lower than the final products.
Sandy Bridge-EP use socket LGA2011 like the coming Sandy Bridge-E. Sandy Bridge-E sports at most 6 cores, but higher clock frequencies and it is uncertain if Sandy Bridge-EP will work on retail LGA2011 motherboards. An octo-core model for the new enthusiast platform isn’t mentioned in any official or leaked roadmaps from Intel, but is only planned for the server segment.
There is a chance however that such a model arrives at a later date, in the form of Ivy Bridge-E at 22nm in 2012. There is little stopping Intel from launching an octo-core flagship based on Sandy Bridge-EP if it wants to, or sees the need to, to keep the performance crown safe from AMD. Especially with the new Bulldozer architecture coming.
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