The successor to X58 chipset, the X79 chipset, is in the works in Intel’s lab, and its specifications have surfaced. We already know it’ll be using 2011-pin LGA, but what else?

According to the leaked slide above, X79 motherboards will feature 2011-pin LGA sockets for E-series CPUs, where ‘E’ stands for “Enthusiast” not “Elephant.” 14 SATA connections are available, 10 of which will manage 6Gb/s, and another 14 USB 2.0 ports means you can have just about every USB-powered crap devices that you can find simultaneously.

That said, there’s no mention of a single USB 3.0 port, something of a bummer for those hoping that standard would be, well, standard by 2012. Surprisingly there’s no integrated support for Thunderbolt being mentioned, either. A hoax?

SOURCE via it.com.cn