All Penryns are out and about already

WE DROPPED by the Singapore edition of Intel's global Penryn 45 nm CPU launch party today. Even though it focused on those initial 16 server, workstation and high-end desktop CPUs - since Intel reckons the current 65nm mainstream and mobile offerings still do a good competitive job - there were some interesting observations from the way Intel execs talked on stage, and talked to us.

First, they now confidently promote the huge performance headroom of these new CPUs, emphasising Shamino's and other overclockers' 6GHz runs, besides the usual air-cooled 4++ GHz regular operation. And these are just the initial official 45nm steppings.

It also looks like the Skulltrail mobo might not be the only wildly overclockable dual-CPU Xeon platform. At least one ultrabig Taiwan vendor - we won't mention the name - has decided to respin its brand new dual FSB1600-enabled 2-CPU Xeon workstation slim ATX mobo to support at least some reliable overclocking on both CPU and FSB/memory side.

Talking about gigglehertz, Intel has repeated that it won't slow down the Penryn frequency ramp just because of AMD's performance headaches. Even if Nehalem ends up early, as it may, there was a very quiet possibility of seeing a 4GHz FSB1600 "official" Penryn grade on future improved steppings, on both Yorkfield Extreme desktop and Harpertown dual-socket processors by mid-2008. That happens to be the expected launch date of the first dual-socket Nehalems - maybe in the Taipei June heat?

On the chipset side, the X48 spin of the X38 is pretty much ready, according to friends on the partner floor. And, combined with the QX9770 CPU or high-quality XeonUP Yorkfield variants in a month or two, you can count on very reliable everyday FSB2000+ operation - provided you liquid cool the North Bridge, we presume.

The i5400 "Seaburg" chipset for the dual-FSB Stoakley platform also underwent a few stepping changes recently. The B1 and newer ones could now wrest even more performance out of expected ultra low-latency DDR2-800++ CL3-3-3 T1 FB-DIMMs (SPD settings!) expected from Kingston, OCZ and Corsair soon.

This will be useful not just for Skulltrail, but for other workstation mobos supporting these high-speed modules for Barcelona-like extreme memory performance. Remember to ask your mobo vendor for some "BIOS flexibility" here - it will help as new, lower -latency 60nm DDR2 dies come out with better latency potential.

In summary, Chipzilla seems confident of its continued domination, but it has learned from its Netbust mistake and, seemingly at least, is not slowing down the push to keep the dominance. The chips are out, in fact sold out, and the only complaints that the partners on the floor have is that they can't get enough high-end parts, as Tier 1 gorillas are grabbing everything despite the $1K+ price tag per piece.

A very "happy problem" for Intel, isn't it? How we wish there was a 3GHz Barcelona and Phenom duo out there right now - as it should have been according to some earlier promises - to make life interesting again.

Mr Dirk Meyer, our Alpha friend, can you quickly repeat your EV-6 heroic techno deed from a decade ago, and take the helm of the ship along too? µ