This problem can be easily solved by using special SATA cables with L-shaped connectors (they are bundled with the Intel DX58SO). This PCB layout is not inconvenient, only a couple of SATA ports may be blocked by long graphics cards (especially considering SLI support for top graphics cards from NVIDIA). Other manufacturers are gradually abandoning outdated interfaces, but none of them burns their bridges so aggressively. (The latter is equipped with a latch in case you want to install a graphics card into this slot with an open end.) Besides, this motherboard lacks IDE and FDD slots, so it's one of the most progressive models in the market. There are no PS/2 ports on the rear panel, expansion slots are represented by just one PCI, and it's not done to increase the number of PCIEx16 slots (as it sometimes happens with graphics stations), just peripheral PCIEx1 and PCIEx4 slots. Speaking of other peculiarities of the design, we should mention almost complete abandonment of outdated periphery. However, in February, 2009, this motherboard finally got the SLI license (both contracting partners informed general public about it), so this problem will go away, when you flash a new BIOS version (3435). Despite the insignificant percentage of multi-GPU video configurations and full CrossFireX support, the DX58SO is outscored here by many products from other manufacturers, being the only Intel's solution based on X58. When Intel DX58SO rolled out, it lacked SLI support, which is apparently a marketing drawback for a top motherboard. (In fact, NVIDIA suggested using its nForce 200 bridge for 3-way SLI and "SLI acceleration" in general, but only a couple of motherboards used this solution.) SLI certification for motherboards has to be obtained for each model, not for the chipset in general, and the license key is hardcoded into BIOS. For the first time (on the desktop market) there appeared an opportunity to build SLI with the chipset from a different company, even though it involves royalties. Prior to the announcement of the desktop platform for Nehalem, NVIDIA decided against designing its own chipset for Core i7 and came up with a compromise as far as SLI support was concerned. We can say only one thing in this respect: Intel's implementation is technically correct, and it probably does not disagree with its idea of a top model. On the other hand, a top motherboard simply must maintain a certain level (even if a purely populist one), or it risks disappointing potential users and, consequently, sale drops. Even a single-channel mode is outperformed only formally. In brief, you have to look for differences between dual- and triple-channel modes with a microscope. Is it bad? Well, at the very least, PCB layout is much simpler in the first case. It's was possible to install memory slots in this way only because there were only four of them, not six, as in most models with X58. However, this layout does not bring any noticeable inconveniences, only the power cable now takes an unusual path to the processor socket. We can only say that cooling efficiency was hardly improved, it probably even suffered from it. We shall not conjecture the causes that made Intel engineers change so much the habitual design of their motherboards. And early products for Athlon 64 (the first desktop processor with an integrated memory controller) used this design. Memory slots are often installed like this on motherboards for servers with several sockets. In its turn, Northbridge has been relocated to the edge of the board, having pushed memory slots to the right edge close to the processor socket. The processor socket is moved much closer to the center of the board, its voltage regulator takes up the rest of the room traditionally reserved for the Northbridge, and the CPU power connector is shifted further down (if we take a look at this photo). But the other components have been shuffled by Intel engineers. The layout of expansion slots is regulated by the ATX standard, of course, so there are no surprises here. Speaking of motherboard design, long meditation over the published photo works better than words here.
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