More Details on Intel's Z390 Chipset Exposed
by Gavin Bonshor on July 31, 2018 12:50 PM EST
A couple of days ago we revealed that ASUS had published a list of its upcoming motherboards on the currently unofficially announced Z390 chipset. While we know a little bit about what can be expected from the upcoming Intel 300-series platform, newly revealed slides from two sources give a broader insight into the new Z390 chipset. Along with the info, timing for the new chipset was set during Q3/Q4.
| Intel Z390, Z370 and Z270 Chipset Comparison | |||
| Feature | Z390 | Z370 | Z270 |
| Max PCH PCIe 3.0 Lanes | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Max USB 3.1 (Gen2/Gen1) | 6/10 | 0/10 | 0/10 |
| Total USB | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Max SATA Ports | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| PCIe Config | x16 x8/x8 x8/x4/x4 |
x16 x8/x8 x8/x4/x4 |
x16 x8/x8 x8/x4/x4 |
| Memory Channels (Dual) | 2/2 | 2/2 | 2/2 |
| Intel Optane Memory Support | Y | Y | Y |
| Intel Rapid Storage Technology (RST) | Y | Y | Y |
| Max Rapid Storage Technology Ports | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Integrated 802.11ac WiFi MAC | Y | N | N |
| Intel Smart Sound | Y | Y | Y |
| Integrated SDXC (SDA 3.0) Support | Y | N | N |
| DMI | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Overclocking Support | Y | Y | Y |
| Intel vPro | N | N | N |
| Max HSIO Lanes | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Intel Smart Sound | Y | Y | Y |
| ME Firmware | 12 | 11 | 11 |
With a lot of speculation surrounding Z390 and if it's a rebranded Z370 chipset, on the majority, it would seem that way. Some of the key differences include up to six USB 3.1 Gen2 ports natively supported through the chipset, which on both the current Z370 and previous Z270 chipsets was non-existent. Another fundamental addition is Wi-Fi support with the Z390 featuring integrated 802.11ac Wi-Fi via Intel's new connectivity built-in. Speaking with vendors during previous chipset launches, this Wi-Fi addition still adds another $10-$15 to the final cost of the board. Another thing we now know is that the Z390 will feature a new Intel Management Engine Firmware revision with little known about what's going to be different over the previous ME 11 revision. The Z390 chipset is starting to take shape as what would have been ideal for Z370, showing Z390 as a more mainstream high-end platform.
The same set of leaks also show Intel's Coffee Lake Refresh processors are also set to debut in Q1 2019. All of Intel's planned desktop processors and refresh models will all be based on the 14nm process, with mass production of Intel's 10nm chips not expected until later in 2019.
For a more detailed look at what's expected with the new Intel Z390 chipset, click here.
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LogitechFan - Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - link
Or or... you can enjoy a 55nm X470 chipset right now, from penny pickers at ASSmedia and AMD, which can't even handle 2xM.2 drives used at ones without downgrading you PCIe slot to x8.Hxx - Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - link
as long as z370 supports Intel's upcoming 8 core chips in Q1 2019 then this chipset release should not be relevant to you.The moment z390 comes out, snag a cheap Z370 platform and you re gtgsmilingcrow - Wednesday, August 1, 2018 - link
An upgrade to the crap that totally dominated the market for over a decade until last year.So can you imagine how crap the competition must have been then for over 10 years?
LogitechFan - Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - link
Let's face it. AMD's ASSmedia 55nm X470 chipset is absolute and utter garbage. It's beyond garbage by 2018 standards. SO Z390 is still light ages ahead of the competition. Deal with it.sa666666 - Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - link
The trolls are out in force. Any post that contains "Let's face it" and "deal with it" can be completely ignored, as the rest is likely crap.Do you trolls all go to the same school? Because the responses always look exactly the same.
Makaveli - Tuesday, July 31, 2018 - link
lol sa66666 so true.Almost as bad as a paid shill.
Cooe - Wednesday, August 1, 2018 - link
Wow. This just might be the most worthless post I've ever seen on AnandTech over countless years. Congratulations buddy, rofl.edzieba - Wednesday, August 1, 2018 - link
Those 6 USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports are a pretty big deal for VR. 3rd party host controllers are a source of no end of latency headaches even if just present and active but unused.Dr_b_ - Saturday, October 6, 2018 - link
Z390 looks a lot like C246FP | Spectrum - Sunday, October 14, 2018 - link
Do they even support the 9th Gen Intel CPUs??