In other words, this motherboard looks almost like the one found in current Mac Pro models. We will list below the small modifications brought by Apple:
- For improving cooling, Apple installed FB-DIMM modules on daughter cards
- Among 6 SATA ports, 4 are being used for the specific HD enclosure via a proprietary connector
- Apple did not keep the 2 PCI-X slots found on the V8 kit
- location of the Airport and BT modules
But overall the V8 motherboard is the sister of the one found in our Mac Pro. Of course it lacks the EEPROM making the one in the Mac Pro able to run OS X; and without it, running OSX on the V8 might not be so easy.
While some analysts consider this V8 kit as the first answer from Intel to AMD Barcelona; it could also be introduced because a special agreement for one-year exclusive rights between Apple and Intel will be ending soon in June. Of course, the V8 kit was identified by The inquirer as a very hot piece of hardware requiring a lot of work for cooling it down. This is exactly what Apple did more than a year ago...
