Main -> Wish list -> Motherboards -> LGA 1156 Superworkstation motherboard
LGA 1156 Superworkstation motherboard
Updated 04.07.2010
LGA 1156 platform is the least versatile and powerful in the Intel Nehalem architecture family
But even this platform allows to build quite a powerful graphics system.
If to look at the bandwith calculations, up to four independent GPU/GPGPU cards and one SAS 6G RAID controller may nicely share the same PCIe v2.0 x16 link w/o any felt speed degradation. With up to four GPU/GPGPU cards working in SLI/CrossFireX there would be even some spare bandwidth - up to 2.5GB/s - enough to support up to two USB 3.0 controllers (w/o interference with work of graphics and RAID subsystems).
This allows to specify my vision of the ideal LGA 1156 Superworkstation motherboard
Motherboard specification
Component in bold are mandatory, component in bold italic are for reference only - other with no worse characteristics may by used
Wide (11 slots) ATX board
LGA 1156 processor socket, supporting both consumer and server (Xeon) processors.
Four memory slots, supporting up to 32GB ECC or up to 16GB non-ECC memory
PCIe x16 v.2.0 processor link
Basic chipset
- Intel 3450 southbridge (one PCIe x2 v.2.0 (2,5Gb/s), six PCIe x1 v.2.0 (2,5Gb/s) links, PCI port (up to four devices), 14 USB 2.0 ports, 6 SATA II ports)
- PLX PEX 8648 switch: PCIe x16 link into one PCIe x16, one PCIe x8 and two PCIe x1 link.
- PLX PEX 8680 switch: PLX PEX 8648 PCIe x16 link into four wired to the slots "graphics" PCIe x16 links
This configuration will limit the total graphics bandwidth to 4GB/s - enough for three independent GPU/GPGPU cards or two-three GPU cards in SLI/CrossFireX plus one-two GPGPU.
The "graphics" slots on this motherboard are not recommended to be used for installation of other PCIe x16 or x8 cards, but may be used by PCIe v.1.1 x4/x1 cards
On-board network
- Intel 82580 Gigabit Ethernet controller - providing four RJ45 LAN ports - using Intel 3450 PCIe x2 link
On-board storage
- LSI LSISAS2108 6Gb/s SAS ROC (support of hardware RAID 0, 1, 1E, 10, 5. 50) providing 8 SAS ports (two internal miniSAS connector) - using PLX PEX 8696 x8 link;
Do not think that the use of Marvell "SATA 6G" chip may be of real use, LSI LSISAS2108 is much more useful for support of SATA 6G SSDs.
- Six internal SATA ports from Intel 3450;
- jMicron JMB362 controller, providing two eSATA ports - using Intel 3450 PCIe x1 link
- jMicron JMB362 controller with one jMicron JM20330 SATA-to-IDE bridge, providing one hot swap IDE port (up to 2 devices) and one SATA port - using Intel 3450 PCIe x1 link
On-board USB/FireWire
- Two NEC µPD720200 USB 3.0 2-ports Host Controller - 3 external 1 internal USB 3.0 ports - using two PLX PEX 8648 PCIe x1 links;
- Eight external, six internal USB 2.0 ports (from Intel 3450);
- Texas Instruments TSB83AA23 1394b chip: one external and one internal IEEE 1394b ports - using Intel 3450 PCIe x1 link;
On-board Audio
- Realtec ALC888 codec - provides optical and copper S/DPIF, 6-jacks copper I/O and on-board stereo sound I/O - using Intel 3450 audio channel;
Super I/O
- VIA VT1211 legacy ports chip, providing on-board COM port connector
Expansion slots (left to right - rear view)
PCIe x1 slot (Intel 3450)
Graphics PCIe x16 slot (PLX PEX 8680)
Empty
Graphics PCIe x16 slot (PLX PEX 8680)
PCI slot (Intel 3450)
Graphics PCIe x16 slot (PLX PEX 8680)
PCI slot (Intel 3450)
Graphics PCIe x16 slot (PLX PEX 8680)
PCIe x1 slot (Intel 3450)
PCIe x1 slot (Intel 3450)
PCI slot (Intel 3450)
I/O panel
Four RJ45 LAN ports
Three USB 3.0 ports
Eight USB 2.0 ports
Two eSATA connectors
IEEE 1394b port
Optical S/PDIF Out port
Copper S/PDIF Out port
6 x jack ports of audio I/O
On-board connections
Two miniSAS 6G connector
Seven SATA ports
One USB 3.0 ports
One IDE ports
3 x 2 port USB 2.0 headers (6-8 ports)
IEEE 1394b header
1 x COM header (with PCI bracket: 1 COM, two USB connectors, two blank replacers to replace the unused COM or USB)
CD audio in connector
Front panel audio connector
Of cause the board should support at least non-extreme system overcloking.
Notes:
2 If the board is planned to be producesed w/o SLI support, the on-board PLX PEX 8680 switch may be replaced by PLX PEX 8648 switch, providing four "graphics" PCIe x8 links wired to x16 slots (AMD cards work fine with PCIe v.2.0 x8)
Special note for motherboard vendors:
The idea is free for use by any motherboards vendor, but I hope to get up to $10000 bonus (in cash or mutually agreed hardware) as a "Thank you" for the useful idea.