Cheapest Intel X-Series Boards Will Ditch Quad-Channel Memory and Cut PCIe Lanes

Megalith

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More affordable X-series boards without top-end features like quad-channel memory will supposedly be available for those who spring for the lower-spec Kaby Lake-X CPUs. As you probably know, that range is unable to access the platform’s quad-channel memory and only supports 16 PCIe lanes, so a high-priced, fully featured X299 board would not make much sense. In another article, the same Intel employee insists that the 18-core i9 is not a response to AMD and states that the company was “always planning that sort of trajectory.”

Intel’s Frank Soqui explained to me at E3 that they've been working with the board manufacturers to give them a way to differentiate their X299 options from each other. “We give guidance about how to do the PCI bus lanes," said Soqui, "how much memory to put in and how to configure them. Different motherboard manufacturers will have a different density of memory support. They all change a little bit, I mean you can build a common board to scale across processors, but the different motherboard manufacturers can decide how much of those X-series features they want to take care of when they’re serving the market.”
 
Core counts have been increasing for awhile now. We've been anticipating Skylake-X for years. We've expected the soon to be release Coffee Lake with its 6 mainstream core count for some time now as well. Is it not reasonable that maybe Intel knows they need to get enthusiast core counts well above their mainstream to differentiate between their own product lines?

Even without Ryzen I would have been shocked if this thing was going to max out at only 12 cores when I was expecting 16. Did AMD do enough to make them go all the way to 18? Possibly, but we all know most of us, even here, aren't going past 12 this time around.

Pricing wise I'm sure AMD is helping us out, so I'll give you guys that for sure.
 
I had to read the article twice. X299 Neutered Edition. Intel decided to use the same socket for Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X, where Kaby Lake-X is the Neutered Extreme processor.
 
Not into who is bigger, or sooner but an i7 7740k using 128GBs of dual channel RAM @ 5GHz is going to be the gem for Pro Audio cats.
More cores is usually great but adds latency, find for editing or recording.
But Quad Cores generally run at super low latency for real time performance...
The fact it has HD 630 with little hit on performance means tightly packed 1U racks of incredible power.

Sweet.
 
Of course it's "Not a response to AMD"!

I mean, were AMD not to release Ryzen and announce ThreadRipper, Intel wouldn't have released anything over a 12 core, and that would have been priced at $1,700, but that doesn't necessarily mean that suddenly changing roadmaps and hastilly adding higher-core-count SKUs without validating final clockspeeds or pricing was a "response to AMD"!
 
Not into who is bigger, or sooner but an i7 7740k using 128GBs of dual channel RAM @ 5GHz is going to be the gem for Pro Audio cats.
More cores is usually great but adds latency, find for editing or recording.
But Quad Cores generally run at super low latency for real time performance...
The fact it has HD 630 with little hit on performance means tightly packed 1U racks of incredible power.

Sweet.
The 7740 is capped at 64GB just like it's desktop class sibling.
 
The 7740 is capped at 64GB just like it's desktop class sibling.

Well that's disappointing.
I've read the usual review that omitted that fact.
Don't need 128Gbs but usually means 64GBs would be faster.
I only use 28 out of 64 but would have loved to load 38gbs of audio buffers...

Oh well, let's see who gets to the first 128gb Quad.
 
They seem to be following the playbook perfectly.

  1. Announce 4 core low pcie lane count, 2 channel cpu on extreme platform
  2. People outraged about boards not used to full potential
  3. Announce neutered boards for the neutered cpu on the extreme platform
They'Re basically trying to force gamers to the extreme platform to milk them for more money, while at the same time trying to push enthusiasts further into a higher price range by creating a separate low end high end platform. It's marvelous and disgusting at the same time.
 
This thread looks to be more speculation than reality.

Wasn't there an x99 ITX board with dualchannel and 16 PCIe lanes? ;)

16 x299 boards at Newegg so far. And a "full featured" one can be had for 230$.
 
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Yes, the option to buy the same core count and features on a more expensive but neutered platform that you could get in mainstream until now.

This is an option none has asked for.

Please Intel why not regress back to 4 core and dual channel, on the HEDT platform we want that so badly!
 
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The thread speaks for itself. Until the paid interests come through.
 
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Not into who is bigger, or sooner but an i7 7740k using 128GBs of dual channel RAM @ 5GHz is going to be the gem for Pro Audio cats.
More cores is usually great but adds latency, find for editing or recording.
But Quad Cores generally run at super low latency for real time performance...
The fact it has HD 630 with little hit on performance means tightly packed 1U racks of incredible power.

Sweet.

In addition to the memory issue mentioned above, the i7 7740k has the IGP cut off, so no using that HD 630. The motherboards don't even have video outputs anyhow.
 
Its simples. Intel got caught giving out their usual drip-tech/side-step-upgrades. You know the kind.... where a company neuters and holds back their real innovation to nickel and dime and milk the customers.

Its clear by how many limitations and ridiculously lowering of the "HEDT" specs. I mean wtf.. 28 lanes limited for an 8 core HEDT mobo? Blow it out your arse Intel. I love your shit.. but they can eat a bowl full for shit like this. I loath this kind of behavior towards customers.

Kudos to AMD for forcing their hand and making them touch cloth so publicly! tsk tsk
 
Intel is going to cop flack whichever way they turn but deservedly so, while there is excellent competition we don't have to reward them.
 
I wonder who's going to test these motherboards out those New Egg reviews usually scare the shit out of most people.
 
So in order to fully utilize that $500.00+ processor you have to spend a heck of a lot on the motherboard or slash your performance in half.
The two Kaby Lake-X processors are $242 and $339. But please, let the hate continue to flow through you.
 
I love this. "...the same Intel employee insists that the 18-core i9 is not a response to AMD and states that the company was "always planning that sort of trajectory." "

Sure. We meant to break that vase, it was ugly. We meant to wreck our cars, I didn't like it anyway. We meant to get those girls pregnant.

All forward thinking, well planned actions!
 
Then what is the point of Kaby Lake X?

Only reason for it to be on X299 at all is to give you an upgrade path to more cores.

What kind of moron is going to spend the extra money for Kaby Lake X/X299 over Kaby Lake/Z270?
 
Then what is the point of Kaby Lake X?

Only reason for it to be on X299 at all is to give you an upgrade path to more cores.

What kind of moron is going to spend the extra money for Kaby Lake X/X299 over Kaby Lake/Z270?
It all depends on what the final prices of available motherboards will be. But at the same price as the 7600K and 7700K, the 7640K and 7740K seem like good deals for a chip with the IGP disabled and more overclocking headroom.
 
It all depends on what the final prices of available motherboards will be. But at the same price as the 7600K and 7700K, the 7640K and 7740K seem like good deals for a chip with the IGP disabled and more overclocking headroom.
You'd literally be paying for platform features the CPU CANNOT use. Kaby-X is DOA and only the die-hardest of Intel fans will even consider them.
 
I love this. "...the same Intel employee insists that the 18-core i9 is not a response to AMD and states that the company was "always planning that sort of trajectory." "

Sure. We meant to break that vase, it was ugly. We meant to wreck our cars, I didn't like it anyway. We meant to get those girls pregnant.

All forward thinking, well planned actions!

-I'm thinking Intel riding a motorcycle and they crash
-Are you OK Intel, is everything good?
-Shut the fuck up, that's how I get off the bike all the time!
 
You'd literally be paying for platform features the CPU CANNOT use. Kaby-X is DOA and only the die-hardest of Intel fans will even consider them.
But how many people buying a 7600K or 7700K actually use the IGP? How much of a price decrease would be acceptable for losing the IGP?
 
But how many people buying a 7600K or 7700K actually use the IGP? How much of a price decrease would be acceptable for losing the IGP?
I like the IGP. It is a good back up if you dedicated graphic catches fire. Which happened to me and IGP held me over til I got my RMA back. That said I don't mind if they didn't include it either
 
Damn Intel for giving us options!

What options? A neutered platform that has no reason to exist? People that don't want enthusiast level prices already had options, LGA 1151. There is no point in offering CPUs that are basically the same as what you can get on LGA 1151. When you jump to the enthusiast platform you do so because you want enthusiast platform features. This entire thing is giant mess right now and is going to cause a shit load of issues. If you buy one of these neutered boards your're fucked because you have no easy upgrade path without buying a new board, so if you want that upgrade path you have to buy a much more expensive board and then get a CPU that can't even take advantage of most of the features on it. It is god damn ridiculous and stupid.
 
Quote: In another article, the same Intel employee insists that the 18-core i9 is not a response to AMD and states that the company was "always planning that sort of trajectory."

Yeh yeh yeh AMD who ?? ;)


I believe it, The only problem is that they didn't have plans to sell them cheaper, since they knew they could charge as much as they wanted before Ryzen.

Just for that fact, I would still buy Ryzen.

Fuck intel.
 
Even in its cut down form, isn't X299 still supposed to be a premium platform over X270? Isn't 16 lanes kinda tight? I guess not as much with multiple GPU's falling out of favour, but still. This whole platform seems really ill-conceived. I'm obviously not the target audience here, because so far it's left me sad and confused.
 
But how many people buying a 7600K or 7700K actually use the IGP? How much of a price decrease would be acceptable for losing the IGP?

but you can use them tomorrow if you don't need it today.

this new platform if you don't use it today you have to pay to use it tomorrow.
 
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