> X5000 support (IF we even get that)

There's an "IF"? You mean there is any substance to what KennyR claimed a year ago? ;-)

http://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?forum=11&topic_id=11137&start=493
http://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?forum=11&topic_id=11137&start=497
http://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?forum=11&topic_id=11137&start=531
http://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?forum=11&topic_id=11137&start=536
http://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?forum=11&topic_id=11137&start=550
http://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?forum=11&topic_id=11137&start=575

> the expansion bus of the 970MP has a LOT of PCI-E lanes.

The PPC970MP provides no PCIe at all, but connects via Elastic Interface to the IBM CPC945 (aka Apple "U4"), which in turn connects via HyperTransport to the ServerWorks HT-2000 (aka Broadcom BCM5780). The 16 lanes for the x16 slot are provided by the CPC945/U4, while the other 16 lanes for the x8 slot and the two x4 slots are provided by the HT-2000/BCM5780.

http://web.archive.org/web/20110916181911/http://www.broadcom.com/products/HT-2000
http://web.archive.org/web/20120910053800/http://www.broadcom.com/collateral/pb/HT-2000-PB03-R.pdf