Intel's X38 chipset has IHS

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 5th June 2007
Comments (8) Stumble
Intel's X38 chipset has IHS

Intel's X38 chipset will feature an IHS.

At Computex this afternoon, Intel formally announced its 3-series chipsets that were previously codenamed 'Bearlake'. We've already had a look at three different P35-based boards, which you can check out in our hardware section.

We have already seen quite a few board designs based on Intel's replacement for the ageing 975X chipset, which is now officially known as X38. However, we haven't seen the chip packaging itself until today - it's a beast that comes complete with an integrated heatspreader and the pieces are starting to come together.

Firstly, when we saw Abit last week we learned that it opted against using a heatpipe cooling solution because it was insufficient for its requirements. Instead, the company's engineers opted for an active northbridge cooler that can dissipate up to 75W. Of course, we're talking about Abit's flagship overclocking board here, so we don't think that it'll use all of that power at its default speeds and voltages.

Secondly, the IHS seems to lend itself to a chipset that's rather large because IHS' are often used to prevent cracking a chip's die. In fact, we managed to get hold of some die sizes to confirm this. The P35 northbridge, which doesn't use an IHS, has a 34mm² surface area and in comparison the X38's surface area is around 40mm², or 17.6 percent in relative terms.

This is quite a bit bigger and the increase is largely due to support for the additional 16 PCI-Express lanes - there's not much else that's different between the two chipsets...

Discuss in the forums.
Quote Mankz 5th June 2007, 19:20
Whats the point! We don't need Chipset heatspreaders!!!

All you need is an HSF on the bare core.
Quote Sim0n 5th June 2007, 19:53
This aint new, the old AMD SokA SMP boards used to have IHS on them, 790X was it ?

Athlon MP boards.
Quote ch424 5th June 2007, 20:06
Mankz, In the article there's quite a good explanation for why they decided an IHS was needed. Plus, you're a 15/16 y/o barely doing GCSEs and the people designing this probably have PhDs in electronics/thermal engineering. I'd happily go with their decision...

Your terrible grammar doesn't make you seem intelligent either.
Quote teamtd11 5th June 2007, 20:11
So remove the IHS, stick a waterblock on and get ready for some monster FSB speeds?
Quote cool_dude 5th June 2007, 20:26
Ooooh... wonder if the IHS is concave on that too? :p :( like most C2D's.... :/
Quote Fiber4now 5th June 2007, 20:33
a little off topic but there seems no new news coming out of Computex since even with the hype of Intel and Nvidia working together under new technology and marketing agreements Nvidia has not given or Intel has not asked for SLI support on any of their new Chipsets. All I have read from your reports from Computex are that Crossfire support is built in. This is kind of funny since AMD now owns ATI and a almost a full yr has gone by after Intel has voided ATI's working agreement with Intel and still the motherboard manufacturers have not forced Nvidia to open SLI support to Intel or have Intel forced into using SLI.

What is going on here? from the latest reports Nvidia enthusiast discrete graphics cards are selling 2 to 1 vs ATI products, leaving Nvidia chipsets with SLI support the #1 choise. This will not change for Intel without SLI since yes you can make one heck of a single card system out of a Intel chipset and a Nvidia G8800 Ultra but what about the Intel C2D CPU with SLI G8800 GTS system that will first sell for less but out perform the Intel C2D Crossfire X2900 XT system. That is the part that I do not understand all new chipsets and motherboards and still Nvidia and Intel are feuding.

Perhaps I have answered my own question what advantage is it for Nvidia to introduce SLI to Intel when they have the market for Dual Discrete Graphics cards all sewn up already.
Quote lamboman 5th June 2007, 21:28
If only you could put a CPU cooler on there lol
Imagine a stupid person trying to lap it? They pick up the motherboard and try to that way lol
I think its a good idea, temps will be up a bit, but at least thermal paste will be easier to apply
Quote Bindibadgi 7th June 2007, 01:48
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiber4now
a little off topic but there seems no new news coming out of Computex since even with the hype of Intel and Nvidia working together under new technology and marketing agreements Nvidia has not given or Intel has not asked for SLI support on any of their new Chipsets. All I have read from your reports from Computex are that Crossfire support is built in. This is kind of funny since AMD now owns ATI and a almost a full yr has gone by after Intel has voided ATI's working agreement with Intel and still the motherboard manufacturers have not forced Nvidia to open SLI support to Intel or have Intel forced into using SLI.

What is going on here? from the latest reports Nvidia enthusiast discrete graphics cards are selling 2 to 1 vs ATI products, leaving Nvidia chipsets with SLI support the #1 choise. This will not change for Intel without SLI since yes you can make one heck of a single card system out of a Intel chipset and a Nvidia G8800 Ultra but what about the Intel C2D CPU with SLI G8800 GTS system that will first sell for less but out perform the Intel C2D Crossfire X2900 XT system. That is the part that I do not understand all new chipsets and motherboards and still Nvidia and Intel are feuding.

Perhaps I have answered my own question what advantage is it for Nvidia to introduce SLI to Intel when they have the market for Dual Discrete Graphics cards all sewn up already.

AMD needs Intel's market share, Intel doesn't have multi GPU. Nvidia won't unlock it's SLI since it also has a massive market share on both platforms. If NV release SLI on Intel chipsets it's own marketshare will drop since Intel can price/promote NV out the market.

You can unofficially run anything on anything, if you can find drivers that fit. If the PCI-Express lanes are connected somehow all you have to do is "enable" the point to point connection.

No one is feuding, they're just doing good business.
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