16-core goodness
Supporting a duo of Xeon 5500 series processors, the S5520SC paves the way for a pair of Nehalem-based processors running side by side. The result, of course, is a total of 16 cores - eight physical, and eight virtual.
Built for the server-specific SSI EEB form factor, Intel's board features its 5520 chipset and ICH10R controller.
Armed with a total of 12 DDR3 DIMM sockets - divided into six by each CPU for close access to the tri-channel memory controllers - it provides ample capacity for memory-intensive applications.
The board provides a total of five PCI slots, two PCIe x16, a PCIe x4, a PCIe x1 and a PCI 32/33. Despite the availability of two PCIx x16 slots, however, it doesn't offer support for NVIDIA SLI.
Elsewhere, we see six SATA ports allowing for RAID 0/1/10 configurations, but serial attached SCSI (SAS) support is available only via an optional expansion module. With stability essential, heatsinks have been added to each of the board's voltage regulation modules.
Using the same socket as Core i7, the board should be compatible with any already available LGA1366 coolers. If you're opting for something officially supported by Intel, however, there's the STS100C - a cooler designed specifically for two-socket servers or workstations.
