Intel's "Skulltrail"

Intel ships out the long awaited, much anticipated "Skulltrail" Gaming Platform.

The Skulltrail features the Intel D5400XS motherboard, supporting two QX9775 processors, at 3.2GHz, with 12MB of L2 cache and a 1,600 MHz FSB. The QX9775 processors will be shipped unlocked, so overclockers and system builders will get a chance right out of the gate to see how far they can push these CPU's. TG Daily has already published an article Toughting 5ghz

The D5400XS motherboard also supports up to four PCIe x16 graphics cards meaning triple and quad graphics cards for multiple monitors may be supported.

PC Perspective has an impressive article with some preliminary benchmarks, "Intel Skulltrail Platform Review - Eight Cores, SLI and CrossFire". ExtremeTech has a similar article "Skulltrail: A Preview of Intel's Beast".

Pricing

Paying for this beast of a machine will set you back a pretty penny. The QX9775 processors are available now at $1,499 each, and the D5400XS board is $649. Add on $500 or more for a couple high end video cards, throw in a few Raptor drives, and don't forget that FB-Dimm (aka fully buffered server memory) and you'll be paying a small fortune.