Intel Skulltrail gaming PC platform exposed in photos
updated 04:45 pm EST, Fri December 28, 2007
Intel Skulltrail Exposed
Intel's upcoming platform for Skulltrail has been partly uncovered ahead of its official debut, HotHardware says in a new preview. Having received a set of photos, the site reaffirms that the mainboard will include dual 771-pin sockets of the same kind that fit 45-nanometer Xeon 5200/5400 chips and four PCI Express X16 slots to support as many as four video cards at full speed. The hardware will not only need two NVIDIA nForce controllers to process graphics in a four-way SLI mode but will need an active fan system just to remain cool, the photos demonstrate.
The system will also have legacy support through dual PCI slots. Expansion will come through one FireWire, two external SATA, and six USB ports (with headers for four more) as well as six internal SATA connectors for hard disks and optical drives. Intel is expected to formally announce Skulltrail in January and should see mainboards from third-party companies such as ASUS shortly afterwards.
