Intel Announces X99 Motherboards, 8-Core CPUs, DDR4.

At the Game Developer Conference 2014 in San Francisco, Anandtech reports Intel let loose some tantalizing first details of its next generation, Core i7 Extreme Edition processors with 8 cores and reciprocal X99 motherboards, due '2H 2014'.

The X99 motherboard chipset will eventually replace current X79 motherboards (such as the Rampage IV Black Edition) as the premium enthusiast platform, although no further details on what these motherboards will feature have yet been announced. (Sorry, we can't say either, but ASUS is definitely working on a bevy of X99 motherboards!)

Big news for professionals and current LGA2011 owners planning their upgrade, is that Intel is planning its first 8 core Extreme Edition desktop processor with support for new DDR4. The current LGA2011 K series and Extreme Edition processors offer 6 core/12 threads and use DDR3, although Xeon packs up to 15 cores now (but aren't unlocked).