Nehalem's new CPU socket is bigger and more robust
THE NEW, LARGE LGA1366 socket for uni-CPU (Bloomfield) and dual-CPU (Gainestown) 2008 Nehalems is not just 20 per cent bigger on each side than the LGA775 for the current Penryns. It contains nearly 600 extra pins for those QPI links, three 64-bit DDR3 memory channels and, obviously, a lot of power.
It is also seemingly far more robust when it comes to keeping it tight to the mobo.
Take a look at this LGA1366 test board for the Bloomfield. While the front CPU socket insertion seems the same as right now, the back portion has a proper metal back plate which, via four screw holes, holds the CPU socket firmly without banding under, say, heavy fans.
But, hold on, at a second glance, even the front isn't really the same - there's an independent loading mechanism - ILM - instead of the direct socket loading used right now. Take a look at the mounting process from these slides.
... And the socket difference summary:
Talking about the summary, it seems Intel did give serious thought to improving the socket a bit, and implemented it in the end. Also, the larger die will be cooled by a larger heat spreader on the larger package here as well.
However, forget using any your current coolers on these new babies - all mounting holes have changed and, after all, the (extra) size does matter. ยต
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Ah... yet another mobo/socketchange for the blue team. Datacenter managers will love changing everything out to keep up with the latest Satan Clara "Improvement."

Great fanboy article.

We need an even hand! We need some balance! Charlie, where are you!?
One thing, More PINS=Thiner Pins & thats' Problem. as pins bend & Break.

Ball Grid could be used with few, say 5 guide pins on edges, guide pins being dead & fairly large. Even 939 had problems with broken Pins., primarily due to intentional ridges on socket, just to break PINS.

Also if I used screen coordinate system will this hit o,o at same point everytime or say 468,493 or any point exactly, you need to put bit o' tape on screen & exactly mark lite up pixel & compare, is 0,0 to 468,493 correct? this is more tukwila question, yet why not start here. maybe its o.k., of course.

Tukwila is city in state of Washington.
thomas drashek
The socket is socketed, which is very interesting to say the least. A socket could thus be changed and not the entire board? Cool if so...

"Yet Another"? It was over 4 years ago that the socket changed. I believe it's more than welcome considering what goes in the thing.

And IBM is the blue team.
I wonder how much money all this extra will cost? 
And how does it perform?
i've noticed from the comparison sheet that the new chip is retangle, maybe this is why they need new fans designs for it.
Another socket change, wow....ANOTHER one!? I guess since they are releasing a new socket, everyone is forced to buy it arent they. =( Maybe those datacenter managers could move to AMD, that way they wouldnt have to change anything out, EVER! Brilliant!
Skulltrail may be a very, very limited edition product.
This is speculated upon due to lack of listing in Intels Friday Price Listing update.

.it looks like that Intel did not see any reason to even create a separate column for the Socket 771 processor and the end of the Socket 771 Skulltrail processor may be near.
It ialso has been stated theres compatiblity with Nahalem?, how can that be: 1,366 pins is all different than 771 & surely must be enormous differences.
NO One Knows if Intel Left out 771 pin skultrail Q9775 & merely listed,by mistake only 775 pin CPUs', yet theres feeling Skulltrail is just that. It might take Edgar Allen Poe to write on this one.
I believe theinquirer once reported on Skulltrails possible short Life when first announced by Intel nearly year ago.
Skulltrail bit off of above article, yet its recent & Pins/Nahalem & other Intel CpU is expanded subject..
Thomas Drashek
In the same time AMD changed the socket (939 to AM2+ and 940 to socket F) Intel hasn't changed it on the desktop front (kept it at 775). Sure, the power managment standards were changed that's why the old mobos don't work with Core 2s, but that's a different story. And the socket change is NEEDED due to the integrated memory controller. I doubt you nagged when AMD went from Socket A to 939, which was also needed because of the IMC. Geez people, start thinking!
i have never heard of a datacenter manager that upgrades only cpus :)
usually they move on new servers...
Hopefully LGA 1366 has a better run than my Pentium PRO because, It was expensive, Yielded close to marginal gains in DOS versus my Pentium MMX and cost a whole hella lot more. Also what much has really been added architecturally when compared to the 286 vs. 386 and No one say Pentium D<Core2. Hey Think we'll get a Nehalem Overdrive for LGA775. No please no one answer that last question.
If you want more power (throughput) and faster processing, it's not going to happen by cramming even more onto the same size of chip; they'd just melt and there'd be too much EMI crossover.

It's 'interesting' that anyone'd complain about things like new sockets.....if you're that well off that you've already bought all the latest socket sizes en masse for mega-clusters......then why would you be at all bothered if any new tech is planned or released.

Did you really think you could use a planar you have for a 775 justnow, indefinitely on into the future, even if they had managed to cram yet more onto that same size of CPU. No wonder it's impossible to even see any decent IT jobs advertised in this country, when that's the attitude of anyone involved in it.
For years everyone begged Intel for an integrated memory controller as AMD's IMC performance was better.

Intel refused, based on no other reason except: They did not want to create a new socket too quickly.

Now here we are, FOUR YEARS LATER, and people are whining that they created better technology?

Intel's socket cadence is four years. I'm personally a little excited for the next four, yeah, I'd love to stick one of these things into my current mobo, but I'll live. 

Or.. we go back to the times where every processor released had a different socket? 386 (3 different sockets) vs 486 (3 different sockets) vs Pentium (3 different sockets) vs Pentium 2 (5 different sockets?) vs Pentium 3 (2 different sockets) vs Pentium 4 (3 different sockets) vs Core 2 (one desktop socket)?

What you should be really whining about is the future AFTER Intel's IMC, and when DDR4 comes out, and you all have to buy new motherboards AND processors this time.
In some situations such as water cooling and/or TEC+water-cooling, it is possible to epoxy to a new cooler, piggyback-style, depending on component's design. Just a possibility.