At the beginning of 2021, Intel has unveiled its newest desktop platform, designed primarily for its Rocket Lake 11th technology processors. Intel is formally shifting to PCIe 4.0, with the highest SKU Core i9-11900Okay supposedly providing a big leap in IPC efficiency in comparison with the earlier technology. The new chipset strikes to double bandwidth to the CPU, permitting for extra {hardware} to profit from the chipset directly. It additionally strikes to DDR4-3200 assist, a brand new peak in a product line that was beforehand on DDR4-2933. The new Z590 chipset is Intel’s flagship, designed for Rocket Lake, however providing backward compatibility with Comet Lake processors. We take a better have a look at the massive number of new motherboards set to return to market.
As is common with a brand new platform launch, we reached out to each motherboard vendor for his or her Z590 mannequin record, photographs, and specs. Every vendor we spoke to had one thing readily available, nevertheless some merchandise are nonetheless below growth for launch over the subsequent couple of months. As a outcome, we’ve put as a lot data as we’ve into this single article so far, and as data is supplied, this text will likely be up to date. At the time of publication, we’ve particulars of 50+ motherboards. We will endeavor to maintain this Z590 overview up to date with the newest data, together with pricing and new fashions.
Intel Z590 Chipset: Double Bandwidth to the CPU
Due to the dimensions of the core getting used, the most recent Rocket Lake flagship is just eight cores in comparison with the earlier technology’s 10, however against this, Intel has put a couple of new options onto the main flagship chipset, and a variety of distributors are straight out of the gate with all kinds of fashions and value factors. There are two (or three)massive variations between the brand new Z590 and the earlier flagship Z490.
First up is the CPU-to-chipset hyperlink, which has been doubled from a DMI x4 hyperlink to a DMI x8 hyperlink. This means an efficient CPU-to-chipset bandwidth of a PCIe 3.Zero x8 hyperlink, and means that two PCIe 3.Zero x4 drives may be connected and run at full velocity.Out of all of the 500-series chipsets, we’re below the impression that Z590 is the one one that may do that, with all others forcing an x4 hyperlink. Also, the x8 hyperlink solely works with Rocket Lake CPUs, and can downgrade to x4 with a earlier technology processor.
The second massive distinction is that the Z590 platform will allow the processor to make use of PCIe 4.0. Intel will embody native CPU PCIe 4.Zero assist for the primary time, 20 lanes of it, which is able to allow a full x16 hyperlink for add-in playing cards in addition to one other PCIe 4.Zero x4 for storage. Vendors will be capable of break up that x16 as required, just like earlier mainstream motherboards, into an x8/x8 or x8/x4/x4 bifurcated answer, with acceptable muxing.
The third replace is native USB 3.2 G2x2 (20 Gbps) Type-C assist from the chipset. Motherboards that make the most of this characteristic will possible allow it both on a entrance panel or rear panel connector, though it’s non-obligatory and a number of the cheaper fashions may not have the port.
Intel can also be providing higher reminiscence assist on its 11th Generation processors, which have been upgraded from DDR4-2933 to DDR4-3200. This implies that motherboard distributors are constructing the bottom specifcation to fulfill this DDR4-3200 at JEDEC specs, however most will transcend this for overclocked reminiscence. Due to the ratio leap, it implies that we’ve motherboards providing as much as DDR4-5333, though shopping for that reminiscence will price some huge cash. Note that reminiscence profiles larger than DDR4-3200 are categorised as overclocking, which formally nullifies any guarantee. Intel does in itself supply what it calls PTPP, the Intel Performance Tuning Protection Plan, which is a guaranty that may be bought instantly from Intel for an…
