Intel Readies Higher Z390 Chipset for 2018 Launch

[btarunr]

It turns out that Z370 Express won't be the highest-end desktop motherboard chipset for Intel's 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" mainstream-desktop processors, with the company planning a higher Z390 Express chipset for the second half of 2018, according to a leaked company roadmap on 300-series chipset roll-out. Intel is launching its first Core "Coffee Lake" processors this October, along with the Z370 Express chipset. The mid-range B360 Express, H370 Express; and entry-level H310 Express chipsets could launch in Q1-2018, which is also the time when Intel launches the Q370 and Q360 chipsets for corporate desktops.



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[RejZoR]

Intel almost releases more chipsets than it does CPU's...

 

[xkm1948]

Intel almost releases more chipsets than it does CPU's...

Not if you count the amount of Xeon SKUs

 

[Hood]

It turns out that Z370 Express won't be the highest-end desktop motherboard chipset for Intel's 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" mainstream-desktop processors, with the company planning a higher Z390 Express chipset for the second half of 2018, according to a leaked company roadmap on 300-series chipset roll-out. Intel is launching its first Core "Coffee Lake" processors this October, along with the Z370 Express chipset. The mid-range B360 Express, H370 Express; and entry-level H310 Express chipsets could launch in Q1-2018, which is also the time when Intel launches the Q370 and Q360 chipsets for corporate desktops.

I wonder what makes Z390 better, or is it just Intel one-upping AMD for stealing "370" for their Ryzen chipset?

 

[dj-electric]

I feel that intel really wanted the higher number in the chipset wars here.
Its a shame, there's nothing wrong with Z370

 

[StrayKAT]

Intel almost releases more chipsets than it does CPU's...

I kinda wish they made mobos again too

 

[Dave65]

Intel almost releases more chipsets than it does CPU's...

Was just going to say that..

 

[buggalugs]

Z390 would have to have something new like PCI-e 4 or something, probably a faster supported memory speed and a bunch of minor upgrades.

It would look very cynical if its the same as Z370.

 

[MasterACC]

what a fk jerk.

 

[bug]

Intel almost releases more chipsets than it does CPU's...

Fwiw, between Sandy Bridge and Skylake I've been getting more upgrades from the chipset than I got from the CPU.

 

[Toothless]

I wonder what makes Z390 better, or is it just Intel one-upping AMD for stealing "370" for their Ryzen chipset?

We still have Z399 to use

 

[londiste]

Z390 would have to have something new like PCI-e 4 or something, probably a faster supported memory speed and a bunch of minor upgrades.

It would look very cynical if its the same as Z370.

z390 has a bigger number than x370

 

[R00kie]

Looks like the Z370 will have the same features Z270 has, and Z390 will expand that.

 

[Steevo]

I kinda wish they made mobos again too

Mediocre features and no overclocking? Stock Intel boards were never great compared to other manufacturers.

 

[Vya Domus]

Mediocre features and no overclocking?

And more expensive usually , on top of that.

 

[StrayKAT]

Mediocre features and no overclocking? Stock Intel boards were never great compared to other manufacturers.

Yeah I know :\ I just turbo my cpu, but still buy 7700k. The oc option is always nice.

Would love to see more countries producing this hardware though. I hate these Taiwan brands. They're all tacky and have stupid names....and even more stupid sounding models and designs. It looks like flea market junk. And I'm Asian btw...and still hate it. Just like I hate the street racing scene.

 

[newtekie1]

Z390 would have to have something new like PCI-e 4 or something, probably a faster supported memory speed and a bunch of minor upgrades.

It would look very cynical if its the same as Z370.

All of that is controlled by the processor, not the chipset.

More than likely, the biggest thing will be more PCI-E 3.0 lanes coming off the chipset as well as a few other integrated devices that most people don't really care about.

 

[EarthDog]

Intel almost releases more chipsets than it does CPU's...

If only you saw their list...its not even close.


Anyway, I wonder if these will be pcie 4....and either be a CL refresh or ice lake..

 

[ssdpro]

Sounds like a refinement to me. Like Z68 was to P67. It is all about marketing. There is nothing wrong with releasing tons of chipsets and tons of CPUs. At any given time you get to purchase CPU "x" and motherboard "y". They keep releasing and releasing to target that user that wants to latest tech and wants to keep current. You don't have to upgrade, you don't have to care about a new chipset or CPU. But, some can't help but complain because they are exactly the person Intel is targeting. Unless of course you are the person that just complains to complain because you spend all your days complaining about everything but doing nothing.

 

[TheLostSwede]

If only you saw their list...its not even close.


Anyway, I wonder if these will be pcie 4....and either be a CL refresh or ice lake..

How and why would they be PCIe 4.0? First of all, PCIe 4.0 hasn't been ratified yet. Secondly, what's the point of putting PCIe 4.0 in the chipset, when Intel has a DMI interface to the CPU which is only PCIe 3.0 x4 equivalent in terms of bandwidth? Lastly, Intel has always put the latest PCIe standard into the Northbridge/CPU first, whereas it has usually taken one to two chipset revisions before it ended up in the chipset/Southbridge, so again, why would either of these chipsets support PCIe 4.0?

 

[bug]

How and why would they be PCIe 4.0? First of all, PCIe 4.0 hasn't been ratified yet. Secondly, what's the point of putting PCIe 4.0 in the chipset, when Intel has a DMI interface to the CPU which is only PCIe 3.0 x4 equivalent in terms of bandwidth? Lastly, Intel has always put the latest PCIe standard into the Northbridge/CPU first, whereas it has usually taken one to two chipset revisions before it ended up in the chipset/Southbridge, so again, why would either of these chipsets support PCIe 4.0?

You're right for the most part, but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express#PCI_Express_4.0

 

[Gasaraki]

Looks like the Z370 will have the same features Z270 has, and Z390 will expand that.

Tell us something we don't know. The question is what can they expand on the Z370 that would warrant a whole new chipset. No DDR5 on the pipeline, no USB 3.2, not more PCI lanes cause Cannon Lake processors only have 28, umm yeah...

The only thing that might warrant a new chipset would be PCIe 4.0 and that's iffy because we are still talking about Cannon Lake processors. PCIe lanes are on the cpus so they would have to change a lot on the cpus.

 

[EarthDog]

How and why would they be PCIe 4.0? First of all, PCIe 4.0 hasn't been ratified yet. Secondly, what's the point of putting PCIe 4.0 in the chipset, when Intel has a DMI interface to the CPU which is only PCIe 3.0 x4 equivalent in terms of bandwidth? Lastly, Intel has always put the latest PCIe standard into the Northbridge/CPU first, whereas it has usually taken one to two chipset revisions before it ended up in the chipset/Southbridge, so again, why would either of these chipsets support PCIe 4.0?

In june i believe it was ratified.

Well aware of what you are saying. That is why i saod CL refresh or IL. Also, didnt x99 mix dmi pcie gens? I thought x299 was the first with 3.0 4x pcie3.0?

 

[R00kie]

Tell us something we don't know. The question is what can they expand on the Z370 that would warrant a whole new chipset. No DDR5 on the pipeline, no USB 3.2, not more PCI lanes cause Cannon Lake processors only have 28, umm yeah...

The only thing that might warrant a new chipset would be PCIe 4.0 and that's iffy because we are still talking about Cannon Lake processors. PCIe lanes are on the cpus so they would have to change a lot on the cpus.

It literally tells you in the picture what it adds.

 

[TheLostSwede]

You're right for the most part, but https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Express#PCI_Express_4.0

Do you know how long it takes to implement something like in hardware? Obviously Intel and the PCI SIG members have had the standard much longer, but even so, this is not going to be in the 300-series of chipsets, nor next years CPUs from Intel.

For example, from your link, it took almost two years for Intel to launch a CPU with PCIe 3.0 support.

PCIe 4.0 is hardly needed for consumer applications today, so why would Intel rush to release support for PCIe 4.0?