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CPU magic via FPGA
One of the problems of developing new platforms is the complex interdependency between hardware, software and operating systems. It's easy to tweak software, but it's difficult and expensive to try out new ideas in a processor without going through a full production cycle. This stack of boards is one way around this — it contains a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be configured nearly instantly to look like a fully functional x86 processor capable of running Windows or any other Intel-compatible operating system. Changes to the processor can be made as swiftly and conveniently as they can to software, letting Intel's engineers try out new ideas practically instantly.
