Intel Xeon processors up to 22 core, even for cards X99 motherboards?

Intel is preparing the debut of new processors Xeon E5-2600 v4 family, better known by the codename of Broadwell-EP code. These solutions are intended to server systems up to 2 sockets, able to offer a large number of cores for each physical CPU and for this reason ideal for use within destined to datacenter systems.

The marketing of these CPUs is expected during the first quarter of 2016, with versions that should reach as a maximum 22 physical cores in the model Xeon E5-2699 v4. Some Broadwell-EP processors of new generation are, however, already appeared online, such as this model with 18-core architecture and frequency of 2.2GHz clock that was sold on Ebay.

That processors not yet officially made available on the market may appear in online sales, particularly in parallel channels as a sale on Ebay, it is not surprising. The most interesting information, however, concerns the compatibility specified for this processor, and presumably for other Xeon E5-2600 v4 family as well as with Intel server platforms that CPU is in fact also be used in conjunction with desktop motherboards, single-socket based on chipset Intel X99. Below is a list of models that are able to use this processor, as indicated on the sales page published on Ebay:

Supermicro: X10SR series with R 2.0 BIOS, X10DR series with BIOS R 2.0
Asus: X99 series with BIOS 2101, Sabertooth X99 with BIOS 2101, Z10PE series with BIOS 3101
Gigabyte: GA-X99 series with BIOS F20

The list is not exhaustive, so it is possible that with the right bios update many other motherboards with the Intel X99 chipset can use one of these processors. The thing indeed is not surprising because the future of the CPU Intel Core family-based architecture Broadwell-E, the expected official debut in the coming months, they share with the proposals Xeon E5-2600 v4 the same basic architecture as well as the socket connection with the motherboard.

So we will see desktop systems on X99 motherboards paired with Intel Xeon processors with a large number of cores, up to the limit to 22? Technically it seems possible, but it is said that to become a reality if not for a limited number of systems. As the number of integrated cores in a socket decreases the maximum clock frequency, so as to leave adequate margin for processor TDP, and to use this desktop can be a limitation. For no other solutions for the Intel enthusiast home users come to a maximum of 8 cores at the present time and will go up to 10, but not beyond, for CPU Core i7 Broadwell-E market debut next family.