Photos: building a Sandy Bridge PC
Summary: We needed a testbed PC running Intel's latest-generation Core i7 processor, so we built our own. Here's how it turned out.
Image 4 of 11
Installed in a brand-new (also top-of-the-range) Intel DP67BG motherboard, this Sandy Bridge processor needs a new 1,155-pin socket, one fewer than the previous generation. Intel's argument for the change is that the new architecture is too different to make compatibility worth maintaining and that the performance increase is worth it. The DIMM sockets, supporting a maximum of 32GB of DDR3 memory up to 2,400MHz, sit right next to the CPU as you'd expect, while at the bottom you can just see the first of the two PCI-E slots. The header at the top of the photo supplies the CPU fan, while the one lower down supplies the rear chassis fan.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback