Intel's upcoming "Coffee Lake" micro-architecture, or the 9th generation Core processor family by Intel, is scheduled for launch in the second half of 2018. It succeeds the 8th generation "Cannon Lake" family of notebook processors (which likely doesn't see a desktop launch), and the 7th Gen Core "Kaby Lake" socket LGA1151 processors slated for January 2017. While it's not known if mainstream desktop "Coffee Lake" chips will continue to be based on the LGA1151 socket, the possibility is diminishing, looking at a platform layout diagram leaked to the web by Benchlife.info, supported by new connectivity interfaces coming out of the CPU package. The biggest selling-point of "Coffee Lake," is its core-count.

The 9th generation Core "Coffee Lake" family could introduce Intel's first 6-core processor to the mainstream desktop platform. The company's first 6-core client part was launched in its LGA1366 HEDT (high-end desktop) platform with the Core i7 "Gulftown" processor, way back in 2010. An increase in core-count from 4 has eluded the mainstream-desktop lineup. The 6-core "Coffee Lake" silicon will be built on a highly-refined 14 nm node by Intel, with a die-size of 149 mm². Quad-core parts won't be carved out of this silicon by disabling two cores, but rather be built on a smaller 126 mm² die. For reference, the quad-core "Kaby Lake" die is expected to be 123 mm², and the current quad-core "Skylake-D" die measures 122.6 mm².

Ahead of its launch, a Core i5-7600K processor (not ES) made its way to Chinese tech publication PCOnline, who wasted no time in putting it through their test-bench, taking advantage of the next-gen CPU support BIOS updates put out by several socket LGA1151 motherboard manufacturers. Based on the 14 nm "Kaby Lake" silicon, the i5-7600K succeeds the current i5-6600K, and could be positioned around the $250 price-point in Intel's product-stack. The quad-core chip features clock speeds of 3.80 GHz, with 4.20 GHz max Turbo Boost frequency, and 6 MB of L3 cache. Like all its predecessors, it lacks HyperThreading.

In its review of the Core i5-7600K, PCOnline found that the chip is about 9-10% faster than the i5-6600K, but that's mostly only due to its higher clock speeds out of the box (3.80/4.20 GHz vs. 3.50/3.90 GHz of the i5-6600K). Clock-for-clock, the i5-7600K is just about 1% faster, indicating that the "Kaby Lake" architecture offers only negligible IPC (instructions per clock) performance gains over the "Skylake" architecture. The power-draw of the CPU appears to be about the same as the i5-6600K, so there appear to be certain fab process-level improvements, given the higher clock speeds the chip is having to sustain, without a proportionate increase in power-draw. Most of the innovation appears to be centered on the integrated graphics, which is slightly faster, and has certain new features. Find more performance figures in the review link to PCOnline below.

SilentiumPC has announced the Fortis 3 HE1425 v2 CPU-cooler which is a much cheaper version of the award winning Fortis 3 HE1425 Malik Customs Edition. Despite a much more attactive price the Fortis 3 HE1425 v2 is still offering the same cooling performance. Engineered to achieve optimal balance between heat dissipation and airflow it uses five high performance heatpipes transferring heat efficiently to 38 aluminum fins. In terms of styling the Fortis 3 v2 has a black top with black caps sealing the heatpipes.

The former properties of the cooler remain otherwise unchanged. The asymmetric high performance cooling body consists of aluminum fins and heat pipes, which have a direct contact to the processor and form the basic framework. For the corresponding heat dissipation there is a quiet Sigma Pro 140mm-PWM-fan included. The in-house Pactum PT-2-thermal paste also comes in the package.

ASUS today announced that all 100-series motherboards will now support next-generation Intel Core processors. A quick and easy UEFI BIOS update unleashes the full potential of the next-generation high-performance CPUs for socket LGA 1151, reaffirming ASUS as the BEST leading motherboard brand - Best Selling, Easy to Use, Stable and Trusted. Owners of ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG), Pro Gaming, Signature and TUF Z170, H170, B150 and H110 motherboards are able to take advantage of the easy upgrade to the award-winning ASUS UEFI BIOS, which is available today via the relevant ASUS Support web page.

All ASUS 100-series motherboards that include the ASUS USB BIOS Flashback feature allow users to apply UEFI BIOS updates with ease. For other ASUS 100-series motherboards the necessary UEFI BIOS update takes just one click in an easy-to-use Windows-based BIOS updater application, ASUS EZ Update, which is available to download from the ASUS website.

Ahead of their Q1-2017 launch alongside the 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors, the boxes of two premium ASRock motherboards based on the upcoming Z270 Express chipset smiled for the camera. These are the ASRock Z270 Gaming K6, and the Z270 Pro4, or at least that's the best we could read through the blur. The Z270 Gaming K6 could be a premium offering, while the Z270 Pro4 could be an entry-mainstream one.

Just as Intel launched both the 6-series and 7-series chipset for the LGA1155 socket, and the 8-series and 9-series chipset for the LGA1150 socket; the Z270 could be Intel's second platform for the LGA1151 socket, in being compatible with both the upcoming 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors, and the existing 6th generation Core "Skylake" ones. Existing 100-series chipset motherboards will support "Kaby Lake" chips with BIOS updates.

-- images removed at request of AsRock --

ASRock unveiled the Z170M-PIO2, a micro-ATX socket LGA1151 motherboard with a unique angled PCI-Express gen 3.0 x16 slot that lets you install a graphics card parallel to the plane of the motherboard. It takes away the need for PCIe riser cables in certain PIO form-factor compliant SFF chassis. The PIO form-factor is an emerging standard of compact SFF cases that you mount along the VESA wall-mount bolts of your display. Technically, the board conforms to the uDTX form-factor, but is compatible with micro-ATX and PIO form-factors.

Its star-attraction aside, the Z170-PIO2, as its name suggests, is based on the overclocking-ready Z170 Express chipset. It supports up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory with its two memory slots. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors. Besides the angled PCIe x16, you get an mPCIe slot (for WLAN cards), and one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot. Four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, 6-channel HD audio, four USB 3.0 ports, and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of its connectivity.

Japanese cooling expert Scythe announces a new addition to the tower-design CPU cooler line-up. Scythe Byakko is a compact cooling solution with a total height of mere 130 millimeters, which fits in virtually every PC case. Great compatibility is assured thanks to the asymmetric alignment of the base-plate and the heatsink. Byakko is equipped with Scythes Slip Stream 92 PWM fan, offering a wide speed range for different purposes. User friendly and fast mounting of Byakko on both Intel and AMD Sockets is accomplished thanks to the supplied mounting clips.

Scythe Byakko was designed with the aim to fit into most PC cases on the market and to offer maximum compatibility to tall memory modules as well as VRM heatsinks. All this is possible thanks to the compact dimensions of 102 x 130 x 84 mm (W x H x D) and the new asymmetric design of the heatsink. Three high-quality copper heatpipes with 6 millimeter diameter are connecting the solid copper base-plate and the aluminum fins-stack heatsink. Both the copper-heatpipes and the copper-baseplate are nickel-plated in the final process, in order to avoid corrosion and to improve the quality.

Someone with access to a Core i7-7700K "Kaby Lake" processor and an ASRock Z270-Extreme4 motherboard put the chip through SiSoft SANDRA 2015 CPU tests. Engineering sample or not, the clock speeds of the chip appear to check out with those of the lineup as we know it. The core ticks at 4.20 GHz, with a maximum Turbo Boost frequency of 4.50 GHz. You also get 8 MB of L3 cache, and HyperThreading. The benchmark confirms that Intel is working on a new platform refresh chipset, with the Z270 chipset succeeding the existing Z170. Existing LGA1151 could support the new chips, with BIOS updates.

At its stock speeds, the i7-7700K churns out a SANDRA 2015 "Processor Arithmetic" score of 151.94 GOPS. Its "Processor Multimedia" score yielded is 379.8 Mpix/s. To put things in perspective, a Core i7-6700K "Skylake" processor running at its stock speed of 4.00 GHz core with 4.20 GHz Turbo Boost typically yields 140.88 GOPS in "Processor Arithmetic" and 353.8 Mpix/s in "Processor Multimedia" tests, according to LegitReviews. Intel is expected to launch the 7th generation Core processor family, alongside the 200 series chipset, later this year. Kaby Lake is Intel's third CPU micro-architecture for the 14 nm process, after "Skylake" and "Broadwell."

Intel is preparing a broad lineup of enterprise CPUs based on the upcoming 14 nm "Kaby Lake" silicon, besides the first wave of its desktop lineup, with no less than 8 quad-core SKUs. What makes the lineup of the Xeon E3-1200 V6 family more comprehensive than previous generations is the fact that some of the SKUs feature integrated graphics. Predecessors of the E3-1200 V6 series generally lack integrated graphics. Intel denoted parts that feature integrated graphics with Xeon E3-###5 V6, and endowed them with the GT2 graphics available on the "Kaby Lake" common silicon shared between the Xeon E3-1200 V6 and 7th generation Core series.

All eight SKUs launched by Intel are quad-core and feature 8 MB of L3 cache, six of them feature HyperThreading. Three of the SKUs feature integrated graphics. The SKUs without integrated graphics have 74W TDP rating, the ones with it have 78W TDP rating. Some of the notable SKUs include the E3-1280 V6, with 3.90 GHz nominal clocks, E3-1275 V6 with 3.70 GHz clocks and GT2 integrated graphics; and E3-1225 V6, featuring 3.30 GHz clocks, and integrated graphics. The Xeon E3-1200 V6 series processors will be built in the LGA1151 package, and will be compatible with the C232 and C236 chipset motherboards. The company could launch these chips by the end of 2016.

Intel is reportedly planning launch its 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors by Q4-2016. Its desktop variants, built in the existing LGA1151 package, will be the third Intel micro-architecture built on the 14 nm process (after "Skylake" and "Broadwell" architectures). With this generation, Intel is planning to sub-classify LGA1151 into three categories, to ensure people don't try to install higher-powered CPUs on low-power machines.

These are LGA1151-Standard Power; LGA1151-Low Power; and LGA1151-Ultra Low Power. These are defined by the TDP of the packages. Standard Power chips run at 95W TDP, Low Power at 65W TDP, and Ultra Low Power at 35W TDP. There could be motherboards and machines that, depending on their VRM setup, completely shut out Standard Power or even Low Power chips.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, professional manufacturer of graphics cards and motherboards, proudly announces its feature-packed gaming motherboard: the iGame Z170 Ymir-G for the latest 6th-generation Intel Core processors. The latest part of the iGame family of high-performance products intended for gamers and enthusiasts, the iGAME Z170 Ymir-G motherboard boasts features for any and all kinds of gamers from modders to streamers.

The COLORFUL iGAME Z170 Ymir-G motherboard loads everything a gamer needs and more into a single motherboard. Supporting 6th-generation Intel processors for the LGA1151 socket, this motherboard supports processors up to 125w and delivers solid power to the CPU thanks to its 14-phase power delivery design which also helps in stable overclocking. The motherboard features rich connectivity options including a wide range of internal expansion and external I/O: high-speed storage via 32 Gb/s M.2 port, 16 Gb/s SATA Express ports, 10 Gb/s USB3.1 as well as USB Type-C, quick charge USB ports and dual-LAN support with both Intel i211 and Killer E2201 chips onboard.

ECS showed off its the H110S-2P, a no-frills motherboard built in a form-factor that's smaller than mini-ITX, although compatible with mini-ITX cases. The board lacks add-on card expansion slots. The only expansion you can give this board is an mPCIe, and an M.2 2230, which closely passes over the PCH. You can tell from the M.2 placeholder marking on the PCB running over the PCH that even the production board could lack a PCH heatsink.

The H110S-2P supports 6th generation Core processors in the LGA1151 package, and up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2400 memory though SODIMMs. Storage connectivity, besides the M.2 slot, includes one SATA 6 Gb/s port. Display outputs (you'll need them), include one each of DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4a. Four USB 3.0 ports, and two USB 2.0 ports complete the package.

ECS partnered with Silverstone to co-develop the LIVA Pro, a NUC-rivaling product by ECS. It consists of a custom-design all-aluminium case by Silverstone, and innards by ECS, which include an LGA1151 socket to support Intel Core "Skylake" processors with TDP of up to 65W (some Core i5/i7 low-power quad-core parts should work); Intel H110 core-logic, two DDR4 SODIMM slots, one each of M.2 and 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s drive bays, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WLAN, USB 3.0 type-A and type-C front-panel ports, and more.

ECS Elitegroup showed off its latest flagship socket LGA1151 board, the Z170-Lightsaber, likely designed for its RGB LED product styling. The board features a 14-phase VRM powering the CPU, and expansion slots that include two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x8/x8 when both are populated), a third x16 (electrical x4) slot wired to the PCH, and four other x1 slots. Storage connectivity includes a 32 Gb/s M.2 with NVMe boot support, 16 Gb/s SATA-Express, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports.

The modern connectivity on offer include two USB 3.1 ports (apparently both of them are type-A), six other USB 3.0 ports, DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI 1.4, a gigabit Ethernet interface driven by Killer E2400 controller, and an audio solution with a 115 dBA SNR CODEC, ground-layer isolation, electrolytic capacitors, and a user-replaceable OPAMP. Overclocker friendly features include dual-BIOS with an on-demand BIOS backup/restore button, three performance preset buttons, power/reboot buttons, and a 3-digit POST error readout.

Supermicro launched the first socket LGA1151 motherboard featuring a PCIe bridge chip that expands the board's lane budget, something that not even the $600 ASUS Maximus VIII Extreme features. The new CZ170-OCE from the traditionally server/workstation motherboard maker is based on Intel Z170 Express chipset, and features a PCI-Express gen 3.0 x48 bridge chip (likely the PLX PEX-8747), which takes the PCI-Express 3.0 x16 PEG port from the CPU, and puts out 32 lanes, which are wired to the board's three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots.

The topmost slot runs at x16 full-time, while the middle and bottom slots are x8/x8 when both are populated (x16/NC/x16 or x16/x8/x8). The designers lavishly spent its remaining lane budget on two PCI-Express 3.0 x4 slots, and a 32 Gb/s M.2-22110 slot. Besides the 32 Gb/s M.2 slot, storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Other modern connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports (one each of type-A and type-C), two gigabit Ethernet connections (one driven by Intel I219V and another by Intel I210-AT), HD audio, and four other USB 3.0 ports.

This could very well be the first picture of a socket LGA1151 motherboard based on Intel's upcoming 200-series chipset, which succeeds the 100-series. Named the Z2T0-Anniversary (is that a typo for Z270-Anniversary?), the board is likely based on the chipset that succeeds the Z170-Express (Z270-Express?), and will be timed with Intel's launch of the 7th generation Core "Kaby Lake" processors. MSI did not finalize the board's aesthetics (heatsink design, PCB markings), but the development board seems pretty loaded with features, that rival the current Z170A-Gaming M7 (we know this from the 6-layer PCB markings). MSI says that the board will be launched in November, 2016.

GIGABYTE showed off the Z170X-Designare motherboard. The company's second Designare series motherboard after the X99-Designare, this board brings some of GIGABYTE's latest board design and component elements to the LGA1151 platform, such as reinforced memory and PCIe slots; and the latest storage connectivity options. Its notable features include USB 3.1 with 100W power delivery over type-A and type-C ports; a 32 Gb/s U.2 port, an extra-long M.2 22110 slot with 32 Gb/s bandwidth and NVMe support; and the company's latest UltraDurable tech, including anti-sulphur resistors, anti-rust rear I/O.

MSI announced its second Gaming Titanium socket LGA1151 motherboard after the Z170A XPower Gaming Titanium, the Z170A MPower Gaming Titanium. This board features a slightly lighter feature-set than its XPower sibling. It retains the silvery white color-scheme of the PCB, with silver/chrome heatsinks and heatspreaders; and even features a white back-plate on its reverse side. The rather minimalist-looking board features a 11-phase CPU VRM; and features reinforcement braces along its four DDR4 DIMM slots, and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC/x4 or x8/x8/x4). Other expansion slots include three PCIe 3.0 x1.

Storage connectivity includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, one 32 Gb/s U.2 port, and six SATA 6 Gb/s. Among its modern connectivity options are two USB 3.1 ports (one each of type-A and type-C), seven USB 3.0 (including one internal type-C port), AudioBoost 3 onboard 8-channel audio, and one gigabit Ethernet connection (driven by an Intel controller). The company didn't reveal pricing or availability.

Shuttle Computer Group, Inc., a world leader in the design of small form factor computers, announced its new SZ170R8 Cube PC that continues Shuttle's cube legacy and incorporates a new internal design that accepts up to four 3.5" hard disk drives as well as extra room for oversized PCI-E X16 cards. The SZ170R8 will be showcased in Booth #746 at InterOp, the IT and Networking Expo, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, May 5-6, 2016.

This new high performance Mini PC supports Intel 6th Generation Skylake LGA1151 95W processors, and the expanded storage is perfect for applications that require large capacity storage like high-end graphics, CAD/CAM and 4K media files. Combined with Intel's Rapid Storage Technology, the SZ170R8 load time is lightning fast. Its internal design provides more flexibility and oversized slots can accept large graphics cards, video surveillance cards, RAID cards and others.

It looks like Intel's 7th generation performance desktop processor, the Core i7-7700K, will be a quad-core part, like the seven generations before it. Leaked SiSoft SANDRA benchmark leaderboards reveal interesting details about the chip. To begin with, this quad-core part will feature HyperThreading enabling 8 logical CPUs for the OS to deal with. It will be clocked at 3.60 GHz, with a TurboBoost frequency of 4.20 GHz. Compare this, to the 4.00 GHz nominal and 4.20 GHz TurboBoost clocks of the current-generation i7-6700K. Bear in mind that this is a pre-release engineering-sample, and may not be accurate for the production chips.

The IMC of the i7-7700K will be clocked at 4.00 GHz, and its integrated graphics core will feature 24 execution units, much like "Skylake-D." The cache setup is unchanged, too, with 256 KB per-core L2, and 8 MB shared L3 caches. The "Kaby Lake" silicon will be built on Intel's 14 nm node, and is rumored to be slightly more energy-efficient than "Skylake." It will be built in the LGA1151 package, and will be compatible with current Intel 100-series and future 200-series chipset motherboard. "Kaby Lake" is the third mainline CPU architecture by Intel on the 14 nm node (after "Broadwell" and "Skylake"). The first 7th generation Core processors could launch later this year.

ASRock introduced the H110M-HDVP entry-level socket LGA1151 motherboard with additional legacy connectivity for office PC builds to cope with old peripherals. The board is built in the slim micro-ATX form-factor, drawing power from a combination of 24-pin and 4-pin ATX power connectors, conditioning it with a basic 3+1 phase VRM. The board features two DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel memory.

Expansion slots on the H110M-HDVP include one each of PCI-Express 3.0 x16, legacy PCI, and two PCIe 2.0 x1. Storage connectivity includes four SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Display outputs include one each of HDMI, D-Sub, and DVI. Among its legacy connectivity options are two RS-232 serial COM ( one on the rear panel, one via header), parallel LPT (through header), and separate PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports. Four USB 3.0 ports (two via headers, two on the rear panel), 6-channel HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet, make for its modern connectivity. Expect a sub-$80 price.

MSI, world leading in motherboards and most popular brand in the gaming market is pleased to announce two new C232 based motherboards, the E3 KRAIT GAMING V5 and E3M WORKSTATION V5. With the their ability to use the less expensive Intel Xeon CPUs make both models a promising solution for users who are looking to build a Xeon based gaming or workstation PC while demanding reliable and long term system stability.

More Reliable Platform of LGA1151
The Intel Xeon processors are designed for use in workstation, servers or datacenters which require high stability and reliability. The E3 KRAIT GAMINNG V5 and E3M WORKSTAION V5 motherboards support Intel E3-1200 v5 series processors with a lot of CPU power, lower cost and great level of stability. Moreover, these two motherboards support ECC memory, offering better compatibility & stability and catering to the industries preferred choice over general non-ECC DDR4 memory.

ECS introduced the H110I-C4P value mini-ITX motherboard based on the Intel H110 Express chipset, and designed for 6th generation Core, Pentium, and Celeron processors, in the LGA1151 package. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors; conditioning it for the CPU with a simple 4-phase VRM. The CPU is wired to a pair of DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2133 memory.

Expansions slots include a PCI-Express 3.0 x16, and an M.2 2242 slot with 20 Gb/s bandwidth. Storage connectivity includes four SATA 6 Gb/s connectors. Display connectivity includes one each of DisplayPort and HDMI. Other modern connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by headers), 6-channel HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet. Expect a sub-$80 price-tag.

IBASE Technology Inc. (TPEx: 8050), a world-leading manufacturer of industrial motherboards is releasing a new mini ITX motherboard, MI991, with a Socket H4 (LGA1151) socket and the Intel C236 chipset. System integrators can benefit from the MI991 equipped with space-saving compact configuration and rich I/O design for maximum flexibility.

IBASE MI991 supports up to three independent displays via Intel HD Graphics: DVI-D, HDMI, and DisplayPort, as well as DDR4 32GB limitation on two memory slots. It uses the more expensive Intel i211 controller instead of Realtek controllers for the motherboard alongside the Intel chipset i219 NIC device. Friendly features also include eight USB, four serial ports, four SATA III as well as two Mini PCI-E, an mSATA and a PCI-E(16x) expansion slot.

GIGABYTE unveiled a new high-end socket LGA1151 motherboard, the X170-Extreme ECC. Positioned as a workstation motherboard for the high-end desktop crowd, this board is based on Intel C236 chipset, and comes with support for Intel Xeon E3-1200 V5 processors in addition to 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors. It also supports DDR4 ECC memory, which partly lends it its name. Built in the standard ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors. Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x8/x8 with both populated), a third PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical gen 3.0 x4, wired to the PCH), and three other PCIe 3.0 x1 slots.

A star attraction here is GIGABYTE's choice of an Intel-made 2-port USB 3.1 controller, which connects to the PCH over PCI-Express 3.0 x4, compared to most other USB 3.1 controllers in the market, which connect over PCI-Express 3.0 x2. This ensures consistent 10 Gb/s bandwidth dedicated to each of the two ports, without any bandwidth loss to overhead. The board offers one each of type-A and type-C ports, wired to this controller. The board offers an additional four USB 3.0 ports from the chipset and a Renesas-made hub chip. Also on offer is a 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 port, with DisplayPort 1.2 passthrough.