What is a motherboard chipset and which one is better to choose? Modern chipsets for Intel processors

Today we will understand the differences between Intel 1151 chipsets and the differences between motherboards based on H110, B150, B250, H170, H270, Z170, Z270 chips. There are many different misconceptions: some “overclock” processors on motherboards with the H110 chipset, others are “convinced” that games only require a “game board” Z170, Z270.

In 2018, the article “What are the differences between Intel chipsets” is more relevant 1151v2“You can read it.

Let's look at what the real difference is and which motherboard is right for your needs.

The first point should be noted that there is no fundamental difference between the 100 and 200 series of chips. Overall, the 200 series received minor feature improvements over the 100 series.

The hundredth series of motherboards was made before the release of the seventh generation of Intel processors - Kaby Lake and, accordingly, their “old” BIOS is designed only for Skylake (6th generation Intel processors). However, if you buy a new motherboard of the 100th series, then the BIOS will most likely be flashed at the manufacturing plant by the manufacturer itself (usually indicated on the packaging), which means it will support processors of both generations. The 200th series already supports both Kaby Lake and Skylake out of the box.

All the features and functions of the 100 series have been carried over to the 200 with some additions. For example, running an SSD with Optane cache support will strictly require a 200-series chipset and Kaby Lake processors of at least i3. The most optimal PC in 2018 - read.

Features of motherboards based on the H110 chipset

If you decide to build a system on a limited budget, then the H110 chipset is your choice.

H series chipsets have traditionally served as cut down versions of the Z series due to smaller HSIO slots and lack of overclocking support.

No processor overclocking (with the exception of very rare models which are quite difficult to obtain in Russia)
The power supply system is usually 5-7 phases (for a motherboard not intended for overclocking it is quite enough)
Two RAM slots
One video card (no Crossfire/SLI capability)
Maximum RAM frequency – 2133MHZ
Up to 4 USB, 4SATA 3x4PIN FAN
Missing technology: INTEL SMART RESPONSE RAPID STORAGE

All these restrictions lead to the fact that this motherboard is very cheap. It is perfect for budget builds, but with the ability to install the latest generation processors. Based on this chipset, you can build an entry-mid level gaming computer. The average price of motherboards based on the H110 chipset is 2.5-3.5 thousand rubles.

Features of motherboards based on B150/B250 chipsets

Motherboards based on B150/B250 chips have, perhaps, the best price/quality ratio (if overclocking is not important to you). Ideal for an average system.

The price for boards on B150/B250 chips is from 4 thousand. The only drawback is that there is no support for a raid array (combining two (or more) physical disks into one “physical” disk).

No CPU overclocking
No RAM overclocking
Maximum RAM frequency - 2133MHZ (B250 - 2400MHZ)
Up to 12 USB, 6 SATA 3-5 X4PIN FAN, up to 2 M2 connectors? USB 3.1 support
Technology support: INTEL SMALL BUSINESS ADVANTAGE

Features of motherboards based on H170/H270 chipsets

Solutions based on H170 are a compromise between the B150/B250 and Z170/Z270 chips. The user gets even more features: support for a raid array, more ports, but still cannot use this motherboard for overclocking.

No CPU overclocking
No RAM overclocking
Power system 6-10 phases (usually)
Up to 4 slots for RAM
Yes Crossfire X16X4, No SLI support
Maximum RAM frequency - 2133MHZ (H250 - 2400MHZ)
Up to 14 USB, 6 SATA 3-7 X4PIN FAN, up to 2 M2 connectors? USB 3.1 support

Features of motherboards based on Z170/Z270 chipsets

Motherboards based on the Z170/Z270 chipset offer overclocking capabilities. There are useful features for enthusiasts, such as: power buttons directly on the motherboard itself, post-code indicators, additional fan connectors, BIOS reset and switch buttons. All this greatly simplifies the life of enthusiasts (people who overclock).

In addition to the fact that you can overclock a processor on motherboards with Z170/Z270 chips, they also allow you to use faster sets of random access memory (RAM) and overclock them.

Supports CPU overclocking
Supports RAM overclocking
Power system 7-13 phases (usually)
Up to 4 slots for RAM
Possible CROSSFIRE X8X8/X8X4X4/X8X8X4, SLI X8X8
Maximum RAM frequency - 4500MHZ (B250 - 2400MHZ)
Up to 14 USB, 6 SATA 5-7 X4PIN FAN, up to 3 M2 connectors, USB 3.1 support
Technology support: INTEL SMALL RESPONSE TECHNOLOGY, INTEL RAPID STORAGE

Comparative characteristics of motherboards for the LGA1151 platform

Characteristics	H 110	B150/B250	H 170/H270	Z 170/Z270
Overclocking the processor, memory		No	No
Connectors (slots) for RAM		2-4	4
Maximum RAM frequency		2133/2400	2133/2400
Number of power phases		6 — 10	6 — 11
SLI support		No	No
CROSSFIRE support		Х16Х4	Х16Х4
SATA 6 GB/S connectors		6	6
Total USB (USB3.0)		12 (6)	14 (8)
Connectors M 2		1 — 2	1 — 2
Intel Smart Response		No	Yes
Support SATA RAID 0/1/5/10		No	Yes
Intel Small Business Advantage	No	Yes	optional
Number of monitor outputs		3	3

By the way, we did not touch upon motherboards on the chipset with the “Q” index. These motherboards are used primarily for business and very rarely in home assemblies. In essence, the Q170 chip is an analogue of the H170, but with corporate features. By the way, you might be interested in the article “The best gaming processor. Review of Intel Core i7-8700K", you can read it.

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More recently, the development of the motherboard industry, determined mainly by the rivalry between the two processor giants AMD and Intel, slowly followed an evolutionary path. Evolution, if anyone doesn’t know, is a process where the vast majority of computer enthusiasts, usually not burdened with ultra-high incomes, not only remember what the term “upgrade” of a computer means, but also have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in practice. Alas, these “blessed” times seem to be relegated to the realm of computer legends...

Today, technological revolutions, breaking out one after another almost without interruption, have significantly shaken the foundations of modern computer platforms. Thus, the “Intel revolution of 2004” brought us fundamentally new basic technologies - the PCI Express system bus and DDR2 memory. In addition, in the past year, the serial interface of Serial ATA disk drives has made itself known with more or less loudness; in the field of network solutions, the Gigabit Ethernet interface and various wireless Wi-Fi options have come to the fore; the good old integrated sound AC"97 fell under the pressure of the aggressive newcomer HDA (High Definition Audio). Only the most naive can believe that the revolution in the field of graphic interfaces will be limited to just replacing AGP8X with PCI Express x16. No - NVIDIA has successfully revived a fairly forgotten technology SLI (Scalable Link Interface), very popular during the reign of 3Dfx Voodoo 2 3D video accelerators. And this year has brought no less shocks - here is the introduction of the 64-bit EM64T architecture, and the inclusion of support for the XD bit, which, paired with Windows XP Service Pack 2, allows you to prevent some virus attacks (all this is implemented in Pentium 4 processors with numbers from 5x1), support for Enhanced SpeedStep energy saving technology, previously available only in mobile processors, has now reached desktop processors (Pentium 4 600 series) But the most important event of 2005 in the processor market, undoubtedly, was the appearance of CPUs with dual-core architecture. These include the Pentium 4 800 series processors (Smithfield core), in which two equivalent processor cores are located on one semiconductor chip (by the way, regular Prescott cores manufactured using a 90nm process technology), i.e. it turns out to be a kind of dual-processor system in one package.

Naturally, new processors also require new sets of system logic - and manufacturers were not forced to wait. We have been hit with a real avalanche of announcements of new chipsets, sometimes simply duplicating each other, and sometimes downright “paper”, so that even many experts’ heads are spinning. What can we say about us, inexperienced users! Let's try, without delving too deeply into the jungle of high technology, to slightly organize all the information available today about the most popular modern chipsets for Intel desktop processors.

Intel chipsets

By definition, the best chipsets for Intel processors can only be chipsets from Intel itself. And they are truly the best today.

915/925 Express Chipset Family

The birthday of a fundamentally new platform should be considered June 19, 2004, when Intel officially announced the 925X, 915P and integrated 915G discrete chipsets for Pentium 4 processors in FC-PGA2 and LGA775 packages, as well as the new ICH6 “south bridge” included in them . All of them support a 200-MHz system bus (the term "FSB 800 MHz" arose due to the fact that four data signals are transmitted per clock cycle), equipped with a dual-channel universal memory controller (working with both DDR2-533 and conventional memory DDR400) and PCI Express interface not only for graphics adapters, but also for expansion cards.

In the new memory controller, the most serious attention was paid to the convenience of organizing a dual-channel mode for users. The so-called Flex Memory technology allows you to install three modules while maintaining dual-channel functionality - only the same total amount of memory is required in both channels. Of course, the system will easily tolerate asymmetrical filling of slots in different channels, but then the operating speed, like the 865/875 chipsets, will drop noticeably.

In addition to compatibility with a new type of memory and the PCI Express serial interface, the 91x series chipsets feature many technical innovations, the most interesting of which is the GMA (Graphics Media Accelerator) 900 graphics core. The GMA 900 differs from its predecessor Extreme Graphics 2 in increased frequency cores (333 MHz versus 266), an increased number of pipelines (4 versus 1), hardware support for DirectX 9 (versus 7.1) and OpenGL 1.4 (versus 1.3). All these improvements allow it, with some reservations, to cope with games like Far Cry, even at low resolutions and at not the highest level of detail.

There are no special architectural differences between the base 915P and top-end 925X chipsets, but the latter, justifying its “top-end” status, does not support outdated models of Pentium 4 processors with a 533 MHz bus (and, even more so, the budget Celeron, including its latest version with index "D") and memory - only DDR2 is supported. In terms of performance, the 925X is slightly superior to the 915 due to the new incarnation of the good old PAT technology, the current version of which, by the way, no longer has a special name, as before.

In the improved version of the flagship of the 900 family - the 925XE chipset, Intel went even further, increasing the system bus frequency to 1066 MHz and introducing support for the most powerful DDR2-667 memory today. In addition, it is implicitly implied that all top chipsets will only work with processors for Socket 775.

Quite unexpectedly, in the 900 series, more than ever before, a wide variety of budget chipset options, having certain functional limitations, received greater representation. Firstly, these are the 915PL and 915GL, which differ from the 915P and 915G only in the lack of support for DDR2 memory. Secondly, the 915GV, which differs from the 915G in the absence of a PCI-E xl6 graphics port, and, finally, the extremely simplified 910GL, which not only does not have an external graphical interface, but also whose system bus frequency is reduced to 533 MHz. In addition, the 910GL memory controller, which is only compatible with DDR400, does not support DDR2 memory.

The ICH6/ICH6R south bridge is connected to the north bridge via a bidirectional full-duplex DMI (Direct Media Interface) bus, which is an electrically modified version of PCI Express x4 and provides a throughput of up to 2048 Mbit/s. Among other technical innovations, the ICH6 south bridge now includes support for 4 PCI Express x1 ports designed to work with traditional peripherals and a new generation Intel HDA audio controller that supports 24-bit 8-channel audio (at a sampling rate of 192 kHz). An interesting feature of the HDA standard is the Jack Retasking function - automatic detection of a device connected to an audio jack and reconfiguration of inputs/outputs depending on its type.

The Intel Matrix Storage Technology disk subsystem, activated in the "south bridges" with the "R" index, allows you to create a two-disk RAID array that combines the advantages of RAID 0 and RAID 1.

Intel has always been distinguished by a certain conservatism when including support for new functions (unless, of course, they are promoted by Intel itself) in its chipsets. Only this can explain the lack of support in ICH6 for the rapidly gaining popularity of the Gigabit Ethernet network interface, which is replacing the good old Fast Ethernet.

945/955 Express Chipset Family

Intel 945/955 Express chipsets, represented by three products: the basic 945P, the integrated 945G and the top-end 955X, are an evolutionary development of the 915/925 Express line. Small improvements affected, in fact, only support for higher-speed buses; the main task of the new products is to provide support for the latest dual-core Intel processors.

Northbridge 945P provides support for Intel Celeron D, Pentium 4, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Pentium D processors with a system bus frequency of 533/800/1066 MHz; its dual-channel memory controller can work with DDR2-400/533/667 with a total capacity of up to 4 GB. True to its traditions of “accelerating” technical progress in every possible way, in its new line Intel has completely abandoned support for DDR memory, which has lost its relevance (in its opinion). But support for DDR2-667 memory will increase the peak performance of the memory subsystem from 8.5 Gbit/s for DDR2-533 to 10.8 Gbit/s. And taking into account the support for FSB 1066 MHz, which is gradually moving from the field of computer exotics into the category of mass solutions, we can finally talk about a significant increase in the performance of the new platform. However, at present there can be no talk of any mass distribution of Intel Pentium 4 Extreme Edition processors, as well as the still quite expensive DDR2-667 memory - their cost exceeds all reasonable limits.

The integrated 945G chipset has a GMA 950 graphics core, which is a slightly overclocked GMA 900 core from the previous generation.

The “top” 955X, unlike the “mass” 945P, lacks support for “low-speed” processors (with a 533 MHz bus) and memory (DDR2-400), while it can work with a large amount of memory (up to 8 GB) (it is possible to use modules with ECC) and is equipped with a proprietary system for increasing the performance of the Memory Pipeline memory subsystem.

In order to maximize the popularization of dual-core architecture in the budget sector, Intel plans to soon expand the 945 series with entry-level chipsets. This should be an integrated (without a PCI Express x16 graphics port) 945GZ chipset with a single-channel DDR2-533/400 memory controller and a discrete 945PL. As the name suggests, the latest chipset will be a "light" version of the 945P, in which the maximum FSB frequency is limited to 800 MHz, and the dual-channel memory controller will only support DDR2-533/400. Thus, the new 945PL will differ from the regular 915P only in its official support for dual-core Pentium D processors (if you do not take into account the refusal of DDR).

The new line of south bridges ICH7 also does not differ much from ICH6: they implement a new, faster (300 MB/s) version of the Serial ATA interface, almost completely compliant with the SATA-II standard, but without AHCI. The ICH7R version adds RAID support for SATA hard drives, and, compared to the ICH6R, this support is expanded: now, in addition to RAID 0 and RAID 1, levels 0+1 (10) and 5 are also available. In addition, the ICH7R has a larger number of ports PCI-E x1 has been increased to 6, which may be useful if two PCI-E video cards are combined in SLI mode.

NVIDIA chipsets

One of the most high-profile events of the past year was the news of the “admission” of NVIDIA, one of the leading players in the system logic market for AMD processors, to the much more “tasty” market of Intel processors. Thus, for the first time in history, another player has appeared in the niche of chipsets for uncompromisingly fast solutions, previously controlled exclusively by Intel itself, and not just “number two,” but immediately claiming leadership. And judging by NVIDIA's success on the "front" of solutions for the AMD64 platform, the claims are far from groundless. After all, the nForce4 SLI Intel Edition chipset, despite not the most apt name, to put it mildly - it is terribly bulky and difficult to distinguish from the ordinary nForce4 SLI, is essentially the same well-proven nForce4 SLI, in which only the processor bus has been changed and a memory controller has been added . Let me remind you that in AMD64 the memory controller is integrated into the processor, so it is not needed in the chipset, which, naturally, significantly simplifies its north bridge. That is why chipsets of the nForce3/4 family, unlike the "Intel Edition", are single-chip.

So, the north bridge SPP (System Platform Processor) nForce4 SLI Intel Edition combines a memory controller, a processor interface and a PCI Express bus controller. It supports any Intel Pentium 4/Celeron D processors with a system bus frequency of 400/533/800/1066 MHz, including dual-core ones. The dual-channel DDR2-400/533/667 memory controller is capable of operating asynchronously relative to the FSB (QuickSync technology), which allows nForce4 SLI Intel Edition to be distinguished as the first truly high-quality overclocking product. Its architecture remains unchanged since the nForce2, it is essentially two independent 64-bit controllers with cross-connection between them and a dedicated data and address bus for each of the installed DIMMs. This solution allows the processor to speed up access to data in memory, which, along with the use of an improved data prefetch and caching unit DASP (Dynamic Adaptive Speculative Preprocessor), allows nForce4 SLI Intel Edition to compete on equal terms with top solutions from Intel.

Of particular note is the PCI Express interface, which includes 20 arbitrarily combinable PCI-E x1 lanes, various combinations of which allow you to implement either a single PCI-E x16 graphics bus or “split” it into two separate PCI-E x8 channels necessary for organizing SLI . In normal mode, nForce4 SLI Intel Edition has one PCI-E x16 bus and four PCI-E x1 buses. When SLI mode is enabled, the chipset supports two PCI-E x8 and three PCI-E x1 graphics buses for additional peripherals. It is known that most modern games that are highly demanding on system resources greatly benefit from using a second accelerator. Therefore, there is no doubt that a Hi-End gaming system, based on nForce4 SLI Intel Edition and two powerful video cards (from NVIDIA, of course), will easily leave behind even the Intel 955X, not to mention any other currently existing one. on the market solution.

The south bridge MCP (Media and Communication Processor) is connected to the north 800 MHz bidirectional HyperTransport bus and has the maximum functionality among all modern devices of this kind. In addition to the standard dual-channel ATA133 controller, it supports up to 4 full-fledged Serial ATA II ports, while it is possible to organize a RAID array of levels 0, 1, 0+1 and 5 from disks connected to any of the built-in ATA controllers (even those of different types interfaces), and the number of High-Speed USB 2.0 ports has been increased to 10. In addition, the MAC controller for the 10/100/1000 Mbit/s network (Gigabit Ethernet) supports the ActiveArmor software and hardware firewall function, which is very important nowadays time.

The only thing that can be blamed for MCP is the lack of a modern HDA audio controller. The existing AC"97, although 7.1-channel, its quality characteristics are hopelessly outdated.

Unlike previous years, when manufacturers of “alternative” chipsets for Pentium 4 released their new products almost immediately after Intel (and sometimes even ahead of it), with the introduction of new PCI Express/DDR2 standards, the Taiwanese “triumvirate” VIA, SiS and ALi/ ULi and ATI, which has “joined them”, are in no particular hurry, limiting themselves only to announcements of fairly decent, but, unfortunately, either completely undemanded by the market, or simply “paper” chipsets. This “disregard” for progress is caused either by all sorts of obstacles Intel has in licensing new buses, coupled with the marketing power of its main competitor, or by second-tier manufacturers realistically assessing their very limited capabilities in competition with truly advanced Intel chipsets. But such a simple scenario cannot be ruled out, when the “alternatives” simply wait for the final recognition of DDR2/PCI Express, and only after that they will seriously take up the development of this market. However, judging by the information available on the Internet about the plans of Intel's competitors, most of their solutions will be aimed at Mainstream or, more likely, Low-End sectors.

Key Trends and Brief Descriptions of Six Semiconductor Variations on the Same Theme

We have already managed to get acquainted with some motherboards for the new Intel LGA1150 platform, and with new processors too. However, we have not yet looked at the chipsets in detail. What is not entirely correct is that you will have to “live” with them for a long time: at least two generations of processors. Moreover, in the new series, Intel approached the issue of reworking the platform in a rather radical way - if the seventh series was only a small modification of the sixth and existed in parallel with it (the budget H61 did not receive a successor at all) within the framework of one LGA1155 platform, and the sixth most inherited its features from the fifth, the eighth was designed almost from scratch. Not in the sense that it has absolutely nothing in common with previous products - in fact, it is still the same south bridge, in basic functionality comparable to the “peripheral” hub of very old chipsets and interacts with the north bridge (which is already in the processor) via DMI 2.0 buses (the same as in 1155/2011) and FDI (the interface debuted in the fifth series of chipsets and is used to connect displays). But the logic of the work has changed. Yes, and peripheral interfaces too. So it's time to talk about all this in more detail.

Quarter FDI...

Let's start with the Flexible Display Interface, which, as we have already said, appeared within the framework of LGA1156. But not right away - the P55 chipset did not have this interface: it debuted in the H55 and H57, released simultaneously with processors with a built-in video core, fortunately others did not need it. Both within this and within the subsequent platform, it was the only way to use the integrated GPU. Moreover, Intel also had a P67 chipset with a blocked FDI, which did not allow video outputs to be installed on the boards on it. However, the company later abandoned this approach. What remains difficult is connecting a large number of high-resolution displays. More precisely, as long as we were talking about two digital image sources and resolutions no higher than Full HD, everything was fine. As soon as attempts began to get out of this framework, problems immediately began. In particular, the fact that it is impossible to find a board with support for 4K on HDMI directly hints that it was not the manufacturers who did the trick ;) Yes, Intel is promoting DisplayPort, which does not require licensing fees for use, but it is not available in consumer electronics during the day you'll find it. And the appearance of a third video output in Ivy Bridge actually turned out to be a theoretical advantage of the new line of GPUs: it quickly became clear that it can only be used on boards with at least a couple of DPs. Which actually happened only in the case of expensive models with Thunderbolt support.

What has changed in the eighth generation? FDI has shrunk from eight to two lines, as the title says. This is explained simply - following the example of the AMD APU, all digital outputs (up to three pieces) were transferred directly to the processor, and the chipset is now responsible only for analog VGA. Thus, if the latter is abandoned, the board layout is greatly simplified already at the processor-chipset linking stage. Of course, working around the socket becomes a little more complicated, but not much if you don’t demand records from the board. For example, in the ASUS Gryphon Z87 the manufacturer limited itself to two video outputs, which will be enough for many, since one of them is “standard” DVI, but the second is HDMI 1.4 with a maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160 @24 Hz or 2560 x 1600 @60 Hz. Or you can go for a record - like in Gigabyte G1.Sniper 5, where there are two such outputs plus DisplayPort 1.2 (up to 3840x2160 @60 Hz) was added to them. Moreover, all three can be used simultaneously. Or you can do it not at the same time - for example, connect a pair of high-resolution monitors to HDMI. It is clear that suitable models are all equipped with DP, and HDMI may no longer be found in them, however... see above about previous generations: most motherboards would not be able to handle two high-resolution monitors at all. It was possible to connect them to a computer only using a discrete video card, which is not always convenient and sometimes impossible. Systems based on Haswell are forced to resort to discrete graphics only in cases where the needs of mass users go beyond: if maximum performance of the graphics subsystem is needed (in a gaming computer), or when strictly more than three monitors are needed.

In general, purists who advocate that processors should be processors, and everything else is from the evil one, may once again be indignant at the fact that an increasing number of northbridge functions are being transferred under the CPU cover - let them be. From a practical point of view, it is more important that previously integrated video did not always have sufficient peripheral capabilities, so to speak. What’s new is in many ways a foundation for the future - it’s clear that now no one will connect three 4K TVs (or at least high-resolution monitors) to a computer, and even if they do, they’re unlikely to use the integrated GPU. However, at least this became possible. And in the future, in terms of video support, the situation will not worsen, but this will already be useful. In addition, this approach of the company, in fact, pushes manufacturers to completely abandon the analog interface. Which “healed” on the market to a large extent precisely because of Intel’s early policy regarding video outputs: back in the fourth series of chipsets it was easier to just limit ourselves to “analog,” but “digital” required additional gestures. Now it’s the other way around, which will obviously affect both motherboards and monitors: their manufacturers will no longer be able to claim that VGA is the most common.

By the way, one of the reasons is why we started with FDI: this change already makes new processors completely incompatible with older platforms, where video outputs were connected specifically to the chipset. This is something that should always be remembered by those who decide to complain about a socket change. It is clear that for the sake of this alone, Intel would hardly have gone for an even overdue, but radical redesign of the platform, however, along with a change in the approach to power supply (integrated VRM and single circuits for both processor and graphics cores, as opposed to separate circuits previous generations) there are enough potential benefits. Actually, all of them lead to the fact that, despite the use of the same DMI 2.0, the platforms have become fundamentally incompatible with each other. But the possibility of using the eighth series PCH in the updated version of the LGA2011 platform (if it is considered necessary) remains: one interface is enough there, and FDI is not used.

...and PCI bye-bye

The PCI bus appeared more than 20 years ago and all these years it has faithfully served computer users, first as a high-speed internal interface, and then as just an interface. We already have a historical aspect, but now we’ll just say that since the publication of this material, PCI has become completely and irrevocably outdated, but is still often used. Another question is that its presence in chipsets has already become an anachronism - the layout of parallel buses is inconvenient, since the number of contacts of a relatively small chip increases sharply. Those. It is easier for motherboard manufacturers to use additional bridges even in motherboards that support PCI chipsets.

Why did PCIe-PCI bridges appear on the market in the first place? This is due to the fact that Intel gradually began to remove support for the second bus from its products already within the sixth series. More precisely, the PCI controller itself was physically in the chips, but its contacts were brought out only in half of the packaged chips. The main line of the division was the positioning of the latter - in the business series (B65, Q65 and Q67, as well as their successors of the seventh series) and the extreme X79, there was “innate” PCI support, but in solutions aimed at the mass desktop segment and designed for mobile computers it blocked. It seems to us that such a half-hearted decision was made because the company itself could not decide whether to “finish off” PCI or whether it was too early. It turned out that it was just right :) Of course, there were still dissatisfied people, but mostly theoretically dissatisfied. In practice, many did without PCI slots at all, and some were completely satisfied with bridges. In general, the company did not have to make an urgent refresh of the chipset line, returning PCI to its place. Therefore, the eighth series of chipsets does not support this bus either de jure or de facto. Thus, the process of transition from PCI/AGP to PCIe, which began back in 2004, has come to its logical conclusion; ended, to put it simply. This is even noted in the names of the chips: for the first time since the notorious i915P and its relatives, there is no word “Express” - just “Chipset”. What is logical is that it no longer makes sense to emphasize support for the PCIe interface in conditions where only it is available. And very symbolic ;)

Let us emphasize, just in case (especially for the most timid), that PCI support is not in chipsets, not on boards - the latter can provide the user with a couple of PCI in the already familiar way: using a PCIe-PCI bridge. And many manufacturers do this - including Intel itself. So if someone has an expensive scarf lying around as a memory of their youth, it’s still not difficult to find where to stick it. Even when buying a computer on the latest platform.

SATA600 and USB 3.0 - the same and more

Six SATA ports appeared in the ICH9R southbridges as part of the third series chipsets (and formally the “fourth” X48), but the weaker ICH9 was limited to four. Within the fourth family, this injustice was eliminated - ICH10 still did not support RAID, but it was also given six SATA. This scheme migrated to the fifth series without changes, while the sixth brought support for the faster SATA600 to Intel chipsets. But it’s limited - older models received two high-speed ports, the junior “business” B65 was limited to one, and the budget H61 was deprived on all fronts: only four SATA300 ports and nothing more. Nothing changed in the seventh episode. In general, the solution with a limited number of ports was logical: since only solid-state drives, but not hard drives, can get some (and not always big) benefits from SATA600, it is still not needed in budget systems at all. And in low-budget ones, one or two ports are enough, especially since a larger number of high-speed devices will not be able to work fully at the same time, because DMI 2.0 has limited bandwidth, however...

However, AMD not only implemented support for SATA600 almost a year earlier, but also in the number of all six ports. Of course, there was never any talk about their simultaneous operation at full speed - the bandwidth of both Alink Express III (the bus connecting the north and south bridges of AMD 800 and 900 series chipsets) and UMI (provides communication between FCH and APU on FM1/FM2 platforms ), that DMI 2.0 is absolutely the same, since the whole trio is a slightly redesigned electrically PCIe 2.0 x4. But this solution was more convenient - if only because when assembling the system you don’t need to think about where to connect which drive. And it’s also easier to advertise - six ports sounds much better than two. And recently in the A85X there were eight of them.

In general, Intel decided not to put up with this state of affairs and increase the number of ports. True, they approached the issue in their own way: there are two SATA controllers left, as in previous families. But the one that is responsible for SATA600 is now capable of connecting up to six devices out of six possible. Smaller than AMD as before, but still convenient. And the total speed, as mentioned above, remains the same, so quantity can turn into quality no earlier than the inter-hub interface changes. And something tells us that this will not happen soon - until then, SATA Express will probably be tried “to the teeth”, which will make the bandwidth of SATA itself generally insignificant.

As for USB 3.0, initially Intel was generally lukewarm about the new interface. Later, the company came to its senses, and in the seventh series of chipsets an xHCI controller with support for four Super Speed ports appeared. And in the eighth, this part of the chipset was radically redesigned. Firstly, the maximum number of ports has been increased to six - this is more than AMD, so all motherboard manufacturers have already sent out winning press releases on this topic. Many, however, are not satisfied with this, but continue to add discrete controllers or hubs to their products, increasing the number of ports to eight or even ten. To be honest, we see no more practical use in this than in six chipset ports, since not a single user will have a dozen USB 3.0 devices, and for a long time. Those. Here are four ports - necessary and sufficient: a couple on the rear panel, another couple in the form of a comb to bring it to the “face” of the system unit, and where else? In laptops, there are often three ports in total. So it goes.

But, in general, there are more ports, which is just the tip of the iceberg. Underwater can also be unpleasant - there is only one USB controller in the new chipsets. Why is this bad? Intel - nothing: the chip was simplified. For board manufacturers, nothing either: the wiring is simpler, since, in fact, it doesn’t matter from which legs to pull what. But for users... Firstly, older chipsets had not one, but two independent EHCI controllers, which theoretically could provide higher speeds for “outdated” High Speed peripherals when using several devices simultaneously. Secondly, this pair of controllers has not changed for many years, so it was perfectly “understood” by all more or less current operating systems without installing additional drivers. Under Windows XP, however, one was needed, but even under this OS all 14 ports worked (or less in lower chipsets, but all physically present) - albeit only as USB 2.0. And for the new controller you need to install a driver (in laptop SoCs, USB ports don’t want to work without it), and it only exists for Windows 7/8 (it can also be “attached” to Vista, but that’s not very interesting) . It is clear that support for Windows XP has long been anathema on the part of Microsoft, so Intel doesn’t really bother with it (it’s not for nothing that they didn’t implement full USB 3.0 functionality in the seventh series, although some discrete controllers work fully even under Windows 98) and not only This applies to USB, but fans of the “old lady” will not envy you. It is easier for Linux fans and users of various LiveCDs based on these systems, although an update will also be required, but for the old scheme it was not required. In general, on the one hand, it’s better, on the other, some habits will have to be changed.

Simpler - and more compact

So, as we see, the new chipsets have become more primitive in some respects than their predecessors. Support for video outputs has almost completely moved to the processor, there is no PCI controller, instead of three (actually) USB controllers there is only one, etc. However, if we compare consumer characteristics (the same number of high-speed interface ports), we see clear progress. What about the physical parameters of the microcircuits themselves? Everything is fine, since active redesign was also needed to transfer chips to new production standards. The fact is that, with the increasingly active transition of the range of processors to 22 nm, Intel began to release production lines designed for 32 nm, to which it was decided to transfer chipsets. Considering that previously the “standard” was the use of standards as much as 65 nm, the leap is impressive.

So, let's remember the top-end Z77 Express: a chip measuring 27 x 27 mm with a TDP of up to 6.7 W. It seems to be a little, so it would be possible not to touch it. But the Z87 fits into 23 x 22 mm. It is more clear to compare the areas: 729 and 506 mm 2, i.e. from one wafer you can get 40% more new chips than old ones. And the number of contacts has decreased, which also reduces costs. And the maximum possible heat package decreased even more significantly - to 4.1 W. And if the first is relevant only for Intel itself (while maintaining the same prices for chipsets and without the need to modify their production process, you can earn much more) and a little for other manufacturers, then the second can also be useful for end users. Not for buyers of Z87 boards, of course, where no one will notice these 2.6 W (and manufacturers will be happy to stick an elaborate cooler with a heat pipe on it - don’t go to a fortune teller). But similar changes apply to all chipsets, but in laptops and other compact systems, reducing heat generation will not hurt at least. And a reduction in linear dimensions coupled with simplification of wiring will also not be superfluous: in this segment they often fight for every millimeter. A comparison of the mobile HM77 Express and HM87 is no less indicative: 25 x 25 mm and 4.1 W versus 20 x 20 mm and 2.7 W, i.e. the dimensions were reduced even more than among desktop modifications, and at least something was squeezed out with efficiency (despite the fact that great importance was given to it before). In general, in terms of increasing the consumer appeal of the platform as a whole, the chosen course can only be welcomed. Moreover, it is unknown whether it would have been possible to develop an SoC with “full” characteristics without it. For example, something like the Core i7-4500U, where everything that was left uncut during the development of standard component systems was “finished”, but the chip turned out to be less than 1000 mm2 in area and with a full TDP of 15 W. In the very first implementation of the U-series of chips, two were required (and, as I remember, we already focused on the fact that the processor is smaller than the chipset), and they needed more than 20 W per pair. Trifle? It's not a small thing on a tablet. But on the desktop there was no vital need for such improvements - for him they turned out to be a side effect.

Intel Z87

Well, now let’s get acquainted in a little more detail with specific implementations of new ideas - both already supplied and predicted. Let's start, traditionally, with the top model, giving both a typical diagram and a list of the main functionality:

support for all processors based on the Haswell core (LGA1150) when connected to these processors via the DMI 2.0 bus (with a bandwidth of 4 GB/s);
FDI interface for receiving a fully rendered screen image from the processor and a unit for outputting this image to a display device with an analog interface;
support for simultaneous and/or switchable operation of the built-in video core and discrete GPU(s);
increasing the frequency of processor cores, memory and built-in GPU;
up to 8 PCIe 2.0 x1 ports;
6 SATA600 ports with support for AHCI mode and functions such as NCQ, with the ability to be individually disabled, with support for eSATA and port splitters;
the ability to organize a RAID array of levels 0, 1, 0+1 (10) and 5 with the Matrix RAID function (one set of disks can be used in several RAID modes at once - for example, on two disks you can organize RAID 0 and RAID 1, for each array its own part of the disk will be allocated);
support for Smart Response, Rapid Start technologies, etc.;
14 USB ports (of which up to 6 USB 3.0) with the ability to individually disable;
Gigabit Ethernet MAC controller and a special interface (LCI/GLCI) for connecting a PHY controller (i82579 for Gigabit Ethernet implementation, i82562 for Fast Ethernet implementation);
High Definition Audio (7.1);
harness for low-speed and outdated peripherals, etc.

In general, everything is very similar to the Z77 Express with the exception of some points, most of which were described above. There are only two things left behind the scenes. Firstly, as we can see, the possibility of splitting the PCIe 3.0 “processor” interface into three devices has not gone away, but any mention of Thunderbolt has disappeared - even vice versa: “Graphics” is clearly written on the diagram. Thus, we will not be surprised to encounter boards that implement three “long” slots without any bridges. The second change concerns the approach to overclocking. More precisely, there are two changes. On the LGA1155 platform it was possible to have fun with the multiplier of quad-core processors not related to the K-series - now Limited Unlocked has rested in the Bose. But overclocking on the bus has returned in a form similar to LGA2011: before feeding it to the processor, the reference frequency can be increased by 1.25 or 1.66 times. Unfortunately, our initial optimism about this information has not yet stood up to practical tests - this mechanism does not work with processors other than the K-series. In any case, this is true for the three Z87 boards we have already tested, so we can, of course, continue to hope and believe that these are all shortcomings of the earlier firmware versions, but...

Intel H87

Unlike the sixth and seventh families, there are no intermediate chipsets between the top and mass solutions. And there are fewer differences between them - in fact, only the splitting of 16 “processor” lines is absent, so there is nowhere to “shove” an analogue of some Z75 (especially since this chipset has remained largely a virtual product, unclaimed by manufacturers board). Even in terms of attitude to overclocking, the chipsets are close: there are no bus modifiers, but they are basically useless on the Z87, and the multiplier on some Core i7-4770K can be “twisted” on H87 boards as well. Moreover, the latest chipset also has some advantage over its more famous relative, namely support for Small Business Advantage technology, inherited from the seventh series business line. However, it cannot be considered a clear advantage for the “single enthusiast” (if only because these same “enthusiasts” of the SBA do not discuss it very much), and where it is needed, it is often the business lines of chipsets that have been and are being used . But the fact that its scope of application has expanded is indicative. You'll see, over time we'll inherit something else.

Intel H81

This chipset has not yet been announced, but with a high degree of probability it will appear no later than inexpensive processors for LGA1150. Moreover, after its release it can become quite popular among high-end buyers, since the new budget solution can satisfy about 80% of user requests. At the same time, it is still budget-friendly, which allows us to hope for system boards that cost $50 at retail. Why so cheap? The H61 inherited a bunch of limitations that could drive a real enthusiast into a nervous fit: one memory module per channel (i.e., only two full slots), six (not eight) PCIe x1, four SATA ports without any RAIDs, and others bourgeois frills, 10 USB ports. On the other hand, this quantity is enough for mass-produced computers, but the quality is higher than in a budget computer with LGA1155, since it includes two USB 3.0 and two SATA600. there was not enough H61. Although, we repeat, the chipset has not yet been officially announced, so most of the information about it is rumors and leaks, but they are very plausible.

Business line: B85, Q85 and Q87

Let's look at these models briefly, since most buyers are not interested in them. The B75 was an extremely attractive chipset for LGA1155, but mainly only because the H61 was too mutilated to make it cheaper and was not updated as part of the seventh series. H81, as we see, will support new interfaces (albeit in limited quantities due to positioning), so the B85 has only quantitative advantages over it: +2 USB 3.0, +2 SATA600 and +2 PCIe x1. True, the benefit from increasing the number is not as much as from the very presence of these interfaces, and the price is higher, so you can already go for an H87 board, fortunately there is even more of everything, and there is also SBA support. Again, built-in PCI support was an exclusive feature of the “old” business series, which often turned into a significant advantage, but now there is nothing left of it.

Here is the Q87 - the chipset is traditionally unique, since it is the only one in the entire line that supports VT-d and vPro. Otherwise almost identical to the H87. And the Q85 is a strange thing, occupying an almost intermediate position between the H87 and B85: the main difference is the optional AMT support in the Q85. Why is he so needed - don’t ask. There is a suspicion that Intel is developing the Qx5 line more “just in case,” since there are not too many boards on such models, and not only on the open market. At least not compared to Qx7. And in our area, “business solutions” most often mean not even the B-series, but something on the lowest chipset in the line (formerly G41, later H61, then, apparently, H81 will take this place), which is logical - the same SBA , in principle, could be useful in a small office, but its implementation still requires at least a Core i3, and not the Celeron popular in such offices. In general, for greater beauty and in order to improve general education, we present diagrams of systems based on these three chipsets.

But, we repeat, the likelihood of most of our readers meeting them is close to zero. With the possible exception of Q87, since VT-d is of interest not only in the corporate market, and no other chipset can boast of full support for this technology. In any case, officially - unofficially, some boards on the Z77 supported it, so this is certainly possible with the Z87. True, in the past, sometimes attempts to use such genetic engineering products did not always end successfully, so in order to avoid problems and save time, it’s easier to immediately focus on Qx7 (especially now, when processors with VT-d support still cannot be overclocked, but can tuning K-series did not support I/O virtualization and does not support it).

Total

	Z87	H87	H81	B85	Q85	Q87
Tires
PCIe 3.0 Configurations (CPU)	x16 / x8 + x8 / x8 + x4 + x4	x16	x16	x16	x16	x16
PCIe 2.0 quantity	8	8	6	8	8	8
PCI	No	No	No	No	No	No
Overclocking
CPU	Multiplier/Bus	Factor	No	No	No	No
In memory	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
GPU	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
SATA
Number of ports	6	6	4	6	6	6
Of which SATA600	6	6	2	4	4	6
AHCI	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RAID	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Smart Response	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Other
Number of USB ports	14	14	10	12	14	14
Of which USB 3.0	6	6	2	4	6	6
TXT/vPro	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Intel Standard Management	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes

If we consider LGA1150 processors as an isolated product, then they do not have any significant advantages over their predecessors in terms of consumer characteristics, as we have already written about. As we can see, this applies to chipsets to the same extent: some things have become better, some things have simply become larger, but the implementation of some things was previously more interesting. On the other hand, a separate market for processors and chipsets in the form in which it existed 15-20 years ago has virtually no longer existed: manufacturers are actively and aggressively selling “platforms” in the form of complete (laptops and other portable) and semi-finished solutions (desktops). computers). Accordingly, when developing processors or chipsets, you don’t have to think about any kind of global compatibility, simply “adjusting” one to the other and transferring more and more of the functionality directly to the processor (they still have to be produced according to strict standards, so this is economically justified , and the rejection of “long” lines of high-speed tires also simplifies the creation of the finished product). As a result, we have what we have: FDI and DMI 2.0 continue to be used to connect the processor and the chipset, but neither new processors are combined with old boards, nor vice versa. Theoretically, you can “screw” the same Z87, abandoning the video outputs, to LGA1155, but it will still be a new board. Well, the reverse procedure makes no sense at all.

In general, if anyone is planning to purchase a fourth-generation Core, they will definitely have to buy a board based on one of the eighth series chipsets. All freedom of choice is limited only to a specific model. Which one? It seems to us that out of all six chipsets, only half of the models are interesting: Z87 (a top solution for entertainment), Q87 (an equally top-end chipset for work needs) and the expected H81 in the future (cheap, but enough for many). Intermediate models, as practice shows, enjoy much more limited demand from individual buyers, simply because the contribution of the cost of the chipset to the price of the motherboard is noticeable only in the budget segment (but this is where every dollar is saved), but quickly disappears in models , with a retail price in the region of hundreds. So perhaps a more correct approach on Intel's part would be to stop portraying the illusion of choice altogether, and release only a couple of models: an expensive one (which has everything) and a cheap one (which has only the absolute minimum). On the other hand, with just two chipsets it will not be possible to develop a hundred motherboards in a line (which manufacturers who focus on the retail component market simply adore), so our work on describing all these twists of engineering and marketing thought will be reduced, and users of various computer forums will have to there is nothing to discuss, so let everything remain as it was for now.

Long gone are the days when you could choose a PC of almost any configuration on the market for any task. There are now few companies that assemble PCs, and there are practically no companies left that specialize specifically in PC assembly. Moreover, the rest, as a rule, are engaged in exclusive and very expensive PCs, which not everyone can afford. But computers from companies that do not specialize in PC assembly often cause criticism. As a rule, these companies are engaged in the sale of components, and for them the assembly of ready-made configurations is not their main business, which is often just a means of cleaning warehouses. That is, computers are assembled according to the principle “what do we have in our warehouse?” As a result, for many users the motto “If you want it to be good, do it yourself” remains very relevant today.

Of course, you can always order a PC assembly of any configuration from commercially available components. But you will be the “foreman” of such an assembly, and it is you who will have to develop the PC configuration and approve the estimate. And this is by no means a simple matter and requires knowledge of the assortment on the component market, as well as the basic principles of creating PC configurations: in which case it is better to install a more powerful video card, and when you can get by with an integrated graphics core, but you need a powerful processor. We will not consider all aspects of creating a PC configuration, but we will have to remember several important steps.

So, at the first stage when creating a PC configuration, you need to decide on the platform: will it be a computer based on an AMD processor or based on an Intel processor. The answer to the question: “Which is better?” - simply does not exist, and we will not campaign in favor of one or another platform. In this article we’ll just talk about computers based on the Intel platform. At the second stage, after choosing a platform, you should decide on a specific processor model and select a motherboard. Moreover, we consider this choice to be one stage, since one is closely related to the other. You can choose a board for a specific processor, or you can choose a processor for a specific board. In this article we will look at the modern range of motherboards for Intel processors.

Where to begin

The range of modern motherboards for Intel processors, just like the range of Intel processors themselves, can be divided into two large families:

boards based on the Intel X299 chipset for Intel Core X processors (Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X)
boards based on Intel 300 series chipsets for 8th generation Intel Core processors (Coffee Lake).

These two platforms are completely different and incompatible with each other, and therefore we will consider them in more detail each separately. The remaining boards and processors are no longer relevant, although they can be found on sale.

Intel X299 chipset and Intel Core X family processors

The Intel X299 chipset, along with boards based on it and a family of compatible processors, was presented by Intel at Computex 2017. The platform itself was codenamed Basin Falls.

First of all, boards based on the Intel X299 chipset are only compatible with processors from the Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X families, which have an LGA 2066 processor socket.

The platform is quite specific and is aimed at the segment of high-performance solutions, which Intel dubbed HEDT (High End DeskTop). Actually, the peculiarity of this platform is determined by the peculiarity of the Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processors, which are also called the Core X family.

Kaby Lake-X

Kaby Lake-X processors are 4-core. Today there are only two models of such processors: Core i7-7740X and Core i5-7640X. They are not much different from the “regular” processors of the Kaby Lake family with the LGA 1151 socket, but they are compatible with a completely different platform and, accordingly, have a different socket.

The Core i5-7640X and Core i7-7740X processors have an unlocked multiplier and lack a graphics core - like all models of the Core X family. The Core i7-7740X model supports Hyper-Threading technology (it has 4 cores and 8 threads), and the Core i7-7740X model supports Hyper-Threading technology (it has 4 cores and 8 threads), and the Core i5-7640X - no (4 cores and 4 threads). Both processors have a dual-channel DDR4 memory controller and support up to 64 GB of DDR4-2666 memory. The number of PCIe 3.0 lanes in both processors is 16 (as in regular Kaby Lake).

All processors of the Core X family with six or more cores are based on the Skylake microarchitecture. The range of models here is quite large. There are 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-, 14-, 16- and 18-core models, they are presented in two subfamilies: Core i7 and Core i9. 6- and 8-core models form the Core i7 family, and models with 10 or more cores form the Core i9 family.

Skylake-X

All processors of the Skylake-X family have a four-channel memory controller and, accordingly, the maximum amount of supported memory for them is 128 GB. The L3 cache size for each core is 1.375 MB: for a 6-core processor it is 8.25 MB, for an 8-core processor it is 11 MB, for a 10-core processor it is 13.75 MB, etc. Models of the Core i7 family ( Core i7-7800X and Core i7-7820X) each have 28 PCIe 3.0 lanes, and Core i9 family models have 44 lanes.

Intel X299 chipset

Now let's focus on the Intel X299 chipset, which is the basis of the motherboard and determines 90% (relatively, of course) of its functionality.

Since Core X processors can have either dual-channel (Kaby Lake X) or quad-channel (Skylake-X) DDR4 memory controllers, the Intel X299 chipset supports both memory modes. And boards based on this chipset usually have eight DIMM slots for installing memory modules. It’s just that if a Kaby Lake X processor is used, then only four of the eight memory slots can be used.

The functionality of the chipset is determined by the set of its high-speed input/output ports (High Speed Input/Output, abbreviated to HSIO): USB 3.1/3.0, SATA 6 Gb/s or PCIe 3.0.

The Intel X299 chipset has 30 HSIO ports. The set is as follows: no more than 24 PCIe 3.0 ports, no more than 8 SATA 6 Gbps ports and no more than 10 USB 3.0 ports. But we note once again that in total there should be no more than 30. In addition, there can be no more than 14 USB ports in total, of which up to 10 can be USB 3.0 versions, and the rest can be USB 2.0.

Flexible I/O technology is also used: some HSIO ports can be configured as PCIe or USB 3.0 ports, and some others can be configured as PCIe or SATA 6 Gb/s ports.

Naturally, the Intel X299 chipset supports Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology), which allows you to configure the SATA controller in RAID controller mode with support for levels 0, 1, 5 and 10. In addition, Intel RST technology is supported not only for SATA ports , but also for drives with PCIe x4/x2 interface (M.2 and SATA Express connectors).

The distribution diagram of high-speed I/O ports for the Intel X299 chipset is shown in the figure.

Speaking about the Basin Falls platform, one cannot fail to mention such technology as Intel VROC (Virtual RAID on CPU). This is not a feature of the chipset, but of Core X processors, and not all of them, but only the Skylake-X family (Kaby Lake-X has too few PCIe 3.0 lanes).

VROC technology allows you to create a RAID array from SSD drives with a PCIe 3.0 x4/x2 interface, using PCIe 3.0 processor lines.

This technology is implemented in different ways. The classic option is to use a container card with a PCIe 3.0 x16 interface, which has four M.2 slots for SSD drives with a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface.

By default, RAID 0 is available for all SSD drives connected to the container card. If you want more, you have to pay. That is, in order for a RAID level 1 or 5 array to become available, you need to separately purchase an Intel VROC key and connect it to a special Intel VROC Upgrade Key connector on the motherboard (this connector is available on all boards with the Intel X299 chipset).

Intel 300 series chipsets and 8th generation Intel Core processors

The Basin Falls platform discussed above is aimed at a very specific market segment that requires multi-core processors. For most home users, computers on such a platform are both expensive and pointless. That's why The vast majority of PCs with Intel processors are 8th generation Intel Core computers, also known under the code name Coffee Lake.

All Coffee Lake family processors have an LGA1151 socket and are only compatible with motherboards based on the Intel 300 series chipset.

Coffee Lake processors are represented by the Core i7, Core i5, Core i3 series, as well as Pentium Gold and Celeron.

Processors of the Core i7, Core i5 series are 6-core, and CPUs of the Core i3 series are 4-core models without support for Turbo Boost technology. The Pentium Gold and Celeron series make up the entry-level 2-core models. Coffee Lake processors of all series have a built-in graphics core.

The Core i7, Core i5 and even Core i3 series each have one processor model with an unlocked multiplier (K-series), that is these processors can (and should) be overclocked. But here you should remember that for overclocking you need not only a K-series processor, but also a board on a chipset that allows overclocking of the processor.

Now about the Intel 300 series chipsets. There's a whole garden of them here. Simultaneously with the Coffee Lake processors, only the Intel Z370 chipset was announced, which represented the entire family for almost a year. But the trick is that this chipset is “not real”. That is, at the time of the announcement of the Coffee Lake processors (October 2017), Intel did not have a new chipset for these processors. Therefore, they took the Intel Z270 chipset, made cosmetic changes and rebranded it as Intel Z370. Essentially, these are the same chipsets, with the only exception that they are aimed at different families of processors.

In April 2018, Intel announced another series of Intel 300 series chipsets - this time truly new ones, with new functionality. In total, the 300 series today includes seven models: Z370, Q370, H370, B360 and H310. Two more chipsets - Z390 and Q360 - will be announced, presumably, in early autumn.

So, All Intel 300 series chipsets are compatible only with Coffee Lake processors with LGA 1151 connector. The Q370 and Q360 models are aimed at the corporate segment of the market and are not of particular interest to users in the sense that motherboard manufacturers do not make consumer solutions for them. But the Z390, Z370, H370, B360 and H310 are just for users.

The Z390, Z370 and Q370 chipsets belong to the top segment, and the rest are obtained by castrating the functionality of the top models. The H370, B360 chipsets are for mass-produced inexpensive motherboards (boards that are called popular), but the H310 is when life begins to crack.

Now let's talk about how the rest get from the top models. It's simple. The top models Z390 and Q370 have exactly 30 numbered HSIO ports (USB 3.1/3.0, SATA 6 Gb/s and PCIe 3.0). Please note that we do not classify the Z370 chipset as a top model, because, as we have already noted, it is “fake” simply because it does not have the features that are inherent in Intel 300 series chipsets, although there are also exactly 30 HSIO ports In particular, the Z370 does not have a USB 3.1 controller and there is no CNVi controller, which we will talk about a little later.

So, the Z390 and Q370 chipsets have 30 HSIO ports, of which there can be up to 24 PCIe 3.0 ports, up to 6 SATA 6 Gb/s ports and up to 10 USB 3.0 ports, of which up to 6 ports can be USB 3.1. Moreover, there can be no more than 14 USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 ports.

To get a non-top chipset from a top-end chipset, you just need to block some of the HSIO ports. That's all. True, there is one “but” here. The H310 chipset, which is completely castrated, differs from the others not only in that it has some HSIO ports blocked, but also in the fact that the PCIe ports here are only version 2.0, and not 3.0, as is the case with other chipsets. In addition, the USB 3.1 controller is also blocked here - in other words, there are only USB 3.0 ports.

The distribution diagram of high-speed I/O ports for Intel 300 series chipsets is shown in the figure.

If you have already become confused, then the easiest way to understand how the Intel 300 series chipsets for desktop PCs differ from each other is from this table.

	Q370	Z390	Z370	H370	Q360	B360	H310
Total HSIO ports	30	30	30	30	26	24	15
PCIe 3.0 lanes	up to 24	up to 24	up to 24	up to 20	14	12	6 (PCIe 2.0)
SATA 6 Gb/s ports	until 6	until 6	until 6	until 6	until 6	until 6	4
USB 3.1 ports	until 6	until 6	No	up to 4	up to 4	up to 4	No
USB 3.0 ports	to 10	to 10	to 10	up to 8	up to 8	6	4
Total number of USB ports	14	14	14	14	14	12	10
Intel RST for PCIe 3.0 (x4/x2 M.2)	3	3	3	2	1	1	No
Overclocking support	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
PCIe 3.0 processor lane configurations	1x16 2x8 1x8 and 2x4			1x16
Memory support	DDR4	DDR4	DDR4	DDR4	DDR4	DDR4	DDR4
Number of memory channels/ number of modules per channel	2/2	2/2	2/2	2/2	2/2	2/2	2/1
Intel Optane Memory support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
PCIe Storage support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
PCIe RAID 0, 1, 5 support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Support SATA RAID 0, 1, 5, 10	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
CNVi (Intel Wireless-AC) support	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Built-in gigabit network MAC level controller	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Motherboard Manufacturers

There were times when there were dozens of motherboard manufacturers. But natural selection led to the fact that there were very few of them left - only the strongest survived. And if we talk about the Russian market, there are only four manufacturers of motherboards: ASRock, Asus, Gigabyte and MSI (do not pay attention to the order - everything is in alphabetical order). There is, however, also a company called Biostar, but you can safely forget about it.

Talking about whose products are of better quality is pointless and incorrect. The factories where boards are produced are the same for all companies in the sense that they use the same equipment. In addition, motherboards from the same Asus can be produced at Gigabyte factories and vice versa. It all depends on the workload of the factories, and not a single company disdains OEM production. In addition, there are companies such as Foxconn and ECS that are exclusively engaged in OEM and ODM manufacturing, including for ASRock, Asus, Gigabyte and MSI. So the question of where exactly the board was made is not so important. It matters who developed it.

Features of boards based on the Intel X299 chipset

First of all, we note that boards based on the Intel X299 chipset are aimed at expensive PCs. The peculiarity of these boards is that they support processors with different numbers of PCIe 3.0 lanes - 16, 28 and 44 lanes. Based on PCIe 3.0 processor lines, primarily PCI Express 3.0 x16/x8/x4 slots are implemented, as well as sometimes M.2/U.2 connectors. The difficulty in this case is that each type of processor must have its own implementation of slots.

In a simple case (not very expensive boards) the implementation is as follows. The processor version with 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes will have two PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, one PCI Express 3.0 x8 (in the PCI Express x16 form factor) and one PCI Express 3.0 x4 (again, can be in the PCI Express x16 form factor) ).

In the processor version with 28 PCIe 3.0 lanes, one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot will become unavailable, that is, there will only be one PCI Express 3.0 x16, one PCI Express 3.0 x8 and one PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot.

In the processor version with 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes (Kaby Lake-X), another PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot is simply blocked and only PCI Express 3.0 x8 and PCI Express 3.0 x4 slots remain.

But it may also be that in the processor version with 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes, two slots will be available: PCI Express 3.0 x16/x8 and PCI Express 3.0 x8 - which operate in x16/- or x8/x8 modes (an additional PCIe 3.0 line switch is required ).

However, such sophisticated circuits are used only in expensive boards. Manufacturers do not pay much attention to the operating mode of the board with Kaby Lake-X processors. Moreover, there is even a motherboard based on the Intel X299 chipset, which simply does not support Kaby Lake-X processors.

Actually, this is quite logical and correct. There is no point in using Kaby Lake-X processors in combination with boards based on Intel X299 chipsets - this greatly limits the functionality of the board. First, there will be fewer PCI Express 3.0 x16/x8 slots available for use. Secondly, out of eight slots for memory modules, which are usually found on boards with the Intel X299 chipset, only four will be available. Accordingly, the maximum amount of supported memory will be two times less. Thirdly, Intel VROC technology will also be unavailable. That is, if a board based on the Intel X299 chipset is used with a Kaby Lake-X processor, then you will get an expensive solution that will be inferior in both performance and functionality to solutions based on the Coffee Lake processor. In a word, expensive and pointless.

In our opinion, boards based on the Intel 299 chipset only make sense in combination with Skylake-X processors, and it’s better if these are Core i9 series processors, that is, models with 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes. Only in this case can you take advantage of all the functionality of the Basin Falls platform.

Now about what the Basin Falls platform is needed for.

Most motherboards with Intel X299 chipsets are positioned as gaming ones. The names of the boards either contain the word “Gaming” or they generally refer to the gaming series (for example, Asus ROG). This, of course, does not mean that these boards are somehow different from those boards that are not positioned as gaming ones. It's just easier to sell. Now the word “Gaming” is plastered everywhere, simply because there is at least some demand for it. But an extra word on the box, of course, does not oblige the manufacturer to anything.

Moreover, we would say that motherboards based on the Intel X299 chipset are least suitable for gaming. That is, you can, of course, build a gaming computer based on them, but it will be expensive and ineffective. Just The main highlight of the Basin Falls platform is multi-core processors, and games do not need this. And using a 10-, 12-, 14-, 16-, or 18-core processor will not provide any advantage in games.

Of course, boards with the Intel X299 chipset have a lot of PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots and, it would seem, you can install several video cards. But this is good just to show off to your neighbors: two video cards can be installed on a system with an Intel Z370 chipset, but three video cards simply do not make sense (however, two either).

But if the Basin Falls platform is not the most suitable option for games, then what is the best way to use it? The answer will disappoint many. The Basin Falls platform is very specific and most home users do not need it at all. It is optimal to use it for working with specific applications that can be well parallelized by more than 20 threads. And if we talk about the applications that home users encounter, there are very few of them. These are video conversion (and editing) programs, 3D rendering programs, as well as specific scientific applications that were originally developed for multi-core processors. In other cases, the Basin Falls platform simply will not provide any advantages over a platform based on Coffee Lake processors, but it will be much more expensive.

But if you still work with applications where 36 threads (18-core Skylake-X processor) would not be superfluous, then the Basin Falls platform is just what you need.

How to choose a board based on the Intel X299 chipset

So, you need a board on the Intel X299 chipset for Skylake-X processors. But the range of such boards is quite large. Only Asus offers 10 models based on this chipset in four series. Gigabyte has an even larger list of models offered - 12 pieces. Further, 10 models are produced by ASRock and 8 models by MSI. The price range is from 14 to 35 thousand rubles. That is, there is a choice, and it is very wide (for every taste and budget). What is the difference between these boards that they can differ so much (more than twice) in cost? It is clear that we will not describe the features of each of the 40 board models that are on the market, but we will try to highlight the main aspects.

The difference is primarily in functionality, which, in turn, is determined by the set of ports, slots and connectors, as well as various additional features.

If we talk about ports, slots and connectors, these are PCI Express 3.0 x16/x8/x4/x1 slots, USB 3.1/3.0 and SATA ports, as well as M.2 connectors (PCIe 3.0 x4/x2 and SATA). Not so long ago, there were also SATA Express and U.2 connectors on boards (there are such connectors on some models of boards sold), but still, these are already “dead” connectors, and they are no longer used on new models.

PCI Express 3.0 x16/x8 slots are implemented via PCIe 3.0 processor lines. PCI Express 3.0 x4 slots can be implemented via both processor lines and PCIe 3.0 chipset lines. And PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots, if any, are always implemented via PCIe 3.0 chipset lines

Expensive board models use complex switching schemes that allow maximum use of all PCIe 3.0 processor lines in the version of all processor types (with 44, 28 and 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes). Moreover, switching between processor and chipset PCIe 3.0 lines is even possible. That is, for example, when a processor with 28 or 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes is used, some slots with the PCI Express x16 form factor are switched to PCIe 3.0 chipset lines. An example would be a board or. It is clear that such opportunities do not come cheap.

Asus Prime X299-Deluxe board

As we have already said, the Intel X299 chipset has exactly 30 HSIO ports, which are PCIe 3.0, USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s ports. For inexpensive (by the standards of this segment) boards, this is quite enough, that is, everything that is implemented on the board (controllers, slots, ports) can work without being separated from each other. Typically, boards with the Intel X299 chipset have two M.2 connectors (PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA), a gigabit network controller and a Wi-Fi module (or two gigabit controllers), a pair of USB 3.1 controllers, and a PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot. In addition, there are 8 SATA ports and 6-8 3.0 ports.

More expensive models can add more network controllers, USB 3.1 controllers, more USB 3.0 ports, as well as PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots. Moreover, there are also network controllers that meet new standards. For example, the 10-gigabit network controller Aquantia AQC-107, which can connect to the chipset via two or four PCIe 3.0 lanes. There are also Wi-Fi modules of the WiGig standard (802.11ad). For example, the Asus ROG Rampage VI Extreme board has both an Aquantia AQC-107 controller and an 802.11ad Wi-Fi module.

But... you can’t bend it above your head. And the fact that there is a lot of stuff on the board does not mean that all of it can be used at the same time. No one has canceled the chipset limitations, so if there is a lot of everything, then, most likely, something must be separated from something, unless the board uses an additional PCIe line switch, which allows, in fact, to overcome the limitations on the number of PCIe lanes . An example of a board that uses a switch (albeit PCIe 2.0 lines) would be.

ASRock X299 Taichi board

The presence of such a switch certainly increases the cost of the solution, but the feasibility of such a switch is questionable, since the basic capabilities of the Intel X299 chipset are quite sufficient.

There are also boards where switches are used not for chipset lines, but for PCIe 3.0 processor lines, this allows you to increase the number of PCI Express 3.0 x16/x8 slots. For example, the Asus WS X299 Sage board, which is positioned as a workstation, has seven slots with PCI Express 3.0 x16/x8, which can operate in x16/x8/x8/x8/x8/x8/x8 mode. It is clear that even 44 PCIe 3.0 lanes of Skylake-X processors will not be enough for this. Therefore, the board additionally has a pair of PCIe 3.0 PLX PEX 8747 switches. Each such switch is connected to 16 PCIe 3.0 processor lines and provides 32 PCIe 3.0 lanes at the output. But this, of course, is a specific and expensive solution.

Asus WS X299 Sage board

The range of motherboards based on Intel X299 chipsets also includes quite exotic and expensive solutions. For example, boards or Asus ROG Rampage VI Extreme. The first of them is designed for extreme overclocking and has a reduced number of memory slots (one module per memory channel). Asus ROG Rampage VI Extreme is different in that it does not support Kaby Lake-X processors at all. In addition, both boards have proprietary DIMM.2 connectors, which are visually similar to slots for memory modules, but provide a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface and are designed for installing special expansion cards. Each such card allows you to install up to two SSD drives with an M.2 connector.

Asus ROG Rampage VI Apex Board

Asus ROG Rampage VI Extreme board

There is practically no demand for such solutions and it is almost impossible to sell them. But such boards are not made for sale - they are a kind of calling card of the company. Of all the motherboard manufacturers, only Asus can afford to make such boards.

As we have already noted, in addition to the diversity in the set of slots, connectors and ports, motherboards based on the Intel X299 chipset differ in the set of additional features and, of course, in the packaging.

A new trend is the presence of RGB backlighting on the board, as well as separate connectors for connecting LED strips. Moreover, there are even two types of connectors: four-pin and three-pin. A non-addressable RGB strip is connected to the 4-pin connector, in which all the LEDs glow the same color. Naturally, the color can be any and can change, but synchronously for all LEDs.

An addressable strip is connected to the 3-pin connector, in which each LED can have its own color.

The LED lighting on the board is synchronized with the lighting of the connected LED strips.

Why backlighting is needed on boards with the Intel X299 chipset is not very clear. There are all sorts of whistles, tricks and various lights - it's all aimed at pioneers. But when it comes to expensive, high-performance PCs that are designed to run highly specialized applications, LED backlighting hardly makes sense at all. However, it, like the word Gaming, is present on most boards.

So, let's summarize briefly. Boards based on the Intel X299 chipset are aimed at high-performance PCs that are designed to work with well-paralleled applications. It makes sense to use these boards in combination with Skylake-X Core i9 series processors. Only in this case can you take advantage of all the functionality of the boards. Not all home users need computers based on boards with the Intel X299 chipset. First of all, it's expensive. Secondly, it is not a fact that your super-powerful computer based on, for example, an 18-core Core i9-7980XE processor will be faster than a computer on a 6-core Coffee Lake processor. It's just that in some cases it is better to have fewer fast cores than many slow ones.

Therefore, the Basin Falls platform only makes sense if you know for sure that the applications you are working with can be parallelized by more than 20 threads. But if not, then a computer with a Coffee Lake processor will be optimal for you, which, accordingly, will require a board based on the Intel 300 series chipset.

Features of boards based on Intel 300 series chipsets

Of the seven Intel 300 series chipsets, only five models are aimed at motherboards for home users: Intel Z390, Z370, H370, B360 and H310. The Intel Z390 chipset has not yet been announced, so we won’t talk about it yet, but boards based on the other chipsets are already available. The top of the remaining list is the Intel Z370 chipset. Next in terms of price and features are the H370, B360 and H310. Accordingly, boards based on the Z370 chipset are the most expensive. Then, in order of decreasing cost, there are boards based on the H370, B360 and H310 chipsets.

All Intel 300 series chipsets with the exception of the Z370 have built-in CNVi and USB 3.1 controllers (with the exception of the younger Intel H310 model). So why then is the Intel Z370 the top one, and the boards on it the most expensive?

Firstly, of the four (Z370, H370, B360 and H310) chipsets under consideration, only the Intel Z370 allows you to combine 16 PCIe 3.0 processor lines into x16, x8+x8 or x8+x4+x4 ports. All other chipsets only allow grouping into an x16 port. From a user's point of view, this means that only boards with the Intel Z370 chipset can have two graphics card slots based on PCIe 3.0 processor lines. AND Only Intel Z370 based boards can support Nvidia SLI mode. Accordingly, two slots with the PCI Express x16 form factor on boards with the Intel Z370 chipset operate in x16/— (when using one slot) or x8/x8 (when using two slots) modes.

Note that if a board with an Intel Z370 chipset has more than two slots with the PCI Express x16 form factor, then the third slot is a PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot, but in the PCI Express x16 form factor, and it can already be implemented on based on PCIe 3.0 chipset lines. The combination of x8+x4+x4 ports based on PCIe 3.0 processor lines on boards with the Intel Z370 chipset is found only in the most expensive models.

All other variants (H370, B360 and H310 chipsets) can only have one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot based on 16 PCIe 3.0 processor lanes.

Secondly, of the four chipsets under consideration only Intel Z370 allows overclocking of the processor and memory. You can change both the multiplication factor and the base frequency BCLK. Changing the base frequency is possible for all processors, but changing the multiplier factor is only possible for K-series processors that have this factor unlocked.

As you can see, the Intel Z370 chipset has undeniable advantages over its brothers H370, B360 and H310. But, if you are not planning to overclock the system, then the advantages of the Intel Z370 chipset are no longer so obvious, since the need for two video cards is rather an exception to the rule. However, one more circumstance must be taken into account. The Intel Z370 chipset is top-end not only because it allows you to overclock the processor and group PCIe 3.0 processor lines into different ports. This chipset does not have blocked HSIO ports, and, accordingly, its functionality is wider. That is, based on the Intel Z370 chipset, most can be implemented.

True, the Intel Z370 chipset does not have a USB 3.1 controller or CNVi. But can this be considered a serious drawback?

As for USB 3.1 ports, on boards with the Intel Z370 chipset they are implemented, as a rule, using a dual-port ASMedia ASM3142 controller. And from the user’s point of view, there is no difference in how exactly USB 3.1 ports are implemented: through a controller built into the chipset, or through a controller external to the chipset. Another thing is more important: what exactly to connect to these ports. And the vast majority of users do not need USB 3.1 ports at all.

Now about the CNVi (Connectivity Integration) controller. It provides Wi-Fi connections (802.11ac, up to 1.733 Gbps) and Bluetooth 5.0 (a new version of the standard). However, the CNVi controller is not a full-fledged network controller, but a MAC controller. For a full-fledged controller, you also need an Intel Wireless-AC 9560 card with an M.2 connector (E-type dongle). Moreover, no other card will do. Only Intel 9560, which supports the CNVi interface.

Again, from the user’s point of view, it makes absolutely no difference how exactly the Wi-Fi network interface is implemented. In this case, the situation is approximately the same as with the Intel i219-V and Intel i211-AT gigabit network controllers. The first of them is a PHY-level controller, which is used in conjunction with a MAC controller built into the chipset, and the second is a full-fledged network controller.

How to choose a board based on the Intel 300 series chipset

So, there is an awareness of the fact that you need a board for a Coffee Lake processor with an LGA1151 socket. The range of such boards is very large. For example, Asus alone has 12 models of boards only on the Intel Z370 chipset, 10 models on the Intel B360 chipset, 6 models on the Intel H370 chipset and 5 models on the Intel H310 chipset. Add here the range of motherboards from Gigabyte, ASRock and MSI, and it becomes clear that there are a lot of possible options.

Intel H310

In the line of Intel 300 series chipsets, the H310 is the entry-level model or, in simple terms, this chipset is aimed at the cheapest motherboards with minimal capabilities.

In addition, only 15 of the 30 HSIO ports (6 PCIe, 4 SATA, 4 USB 3.0 and one port dedicated to LAN) are not blocked on the Intel H310 chipset; all ports are PCIe version 2.0. There is no USB 3.1 controller here either. It is also important to note that boards with Intel H310 can only have two slots for memory modules, since one module is supported per memory channel.

With such a limitation of the chipset, you won’t be able to get much faster. That's why all boards based on Intel H310 are very similar to each other, and the price range here is not very large. In a typical version, the board has one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot for a video card (based on PCIe 3.0 processor lines). In addition, there is a maximum of one M.2 connector (or none at all), a gigabit network controller, four SATA ports and a pair of PCI Express 2.0 x1 slots. There are also several (no more than 4) USB 3.0 ports. That's all, actually.

An example of a cheap (4800 rubles) version of a board based on the Intel H310 chipset could be the model. A more expensive option (6500 rubles) is a board.

Conclusion

We reviewed two modern platforms for Intel processors: the Basin Falls platform on the Intel X299 chipset, compatible with processors from the Intel Core-X family (Skylake-X, Kaby Lake-X), and the platform on Intel 300 series chipsets, compatible with processors from the Intel Core-X family of processors. Coffee Lake. We hope our story will help you more confidently navigate the huge range of motherboards and make the right choice for your specific tasks.

In the future, we plan to make a similar article dedicated to motherboards for AMD processors.

Almost two months ago, on April 9, Intel officially announced the release of the new seventh series chipsets. And although information about these chipsets had been discussed previously for almost a year, I think it makes sense to once again bring together all their main characteristics and functions in one text. After all, it’s one thing to just discuss it, and quite another thing to go to the store after the discussion and purchase the selected device or set of components.
So, the seventh series chipsets (codenamed Panther Point) are designed for the new generation Ivy Bridge processors; in addition, previous generation Sandy Bridge processors are also supported. In general, the chipset picture looks like this:
To begin with, let's highlight the common features of all chipsets:

Integrated video on the graphics core of the processor (that is, in fact, motherboards “without video” are now absent as a class, although they do not have video as such);
Connect up to 3 independent monitors;
Integrated 10/100/1000Base-T network card;
Integrated Intel High Definition Audio;
DDR3 memory (up to 1600 MHz).

Now let's look at each of the families separately.

Chipsets for home PCs

The logic for constructing the lines is approximately the same as that in the sixth series. In the class of desktop home PCs, the top one will be the Z-series with great overclocking potential. The flagship of the series, the Z77, like the previous “mass” charged model Z68, will be able to satisfy the needs of most demanding home users - but for maniacs there is still the X79. H77 is a workhorse with a target audience who should ride, not checkers.
All chipsets support Intel Rapid Storage Technology. Rumors about the death of the PCI bus in home motherboards turned out to be somewhat exaggerated - PCI slots are still present, but the PCI controller is located outside the chipset and made by a third-party manufacturer - a sure sign of its imminent elimination.
*Here and below, the second PCI Express x4 is dedicated to the bus.

Chipsets for business PCs

As usual, the line of business chipsets focuses on remote monitoring and administration tools, as well as corporate security. Here is the current flagship technology vPro (we’ve already talked about it), and Intel Standard Manageability (ISM) and Intel Small Business Advantage (SBA). The youngest chipset in the line, the B75, is positioned as a solution for small and medium-sized businesses; more expensive analogues are proposed for use in large corporate networks with developed centralized IT infrastructure management.
Unlike home chipsets, corporate chipsets still contain a “native” PCI controller, but I think this will also not last long.

Chipsets for mobile PCs

In the category of mobile chipsets, HM77 has the richest functionality, but UM77, on the contrary, is a chipset with reduced functionality but lower power consumption. In general, we can say that mobile chipsets, in a somewhat reduced form, inherit the capabilities and technologies of their desktop counterparts, naturally reflecting the nuances of mobility.

	HM75	HM76	HM77	UM77	QM77	QS77
PCI Express 2.0 lanes	8	8	8	4	8	8
SATA2 (SATA3) ports	4 (2)	4 (2)	4 (2)	3 (1)	4 (2)	4 (2)
USB2 (USB3) ports	12 (0)	8 (4)	10 (4)	6 (4)	10 (4)	10 (4)
Intel Rapid Storage	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

The list of optional features of mobile chipsets also includes:

(protection against laptop theft);
Intel Rapid Start Technology (extended hibernation mode and faster recovery from it);
Intel Smart Connect Technology (support for network activity during sleep).

Dry residue

So, what does Intel have the honor to offer us in the seventh family? There is perhaps only one significant feature - PCI Express 3.0. Less significant, but very pleasant, is native rather than hinged USB 3.0. Everything else has been carried over virtually unchanged from at least the sixth series. Is it a lot or a little? Let's say, for the transition from the same Intel 6x - most likely, it is not enough. However, let's not forget that the chipset is just a pleasant addition to the processor. If the new family of Ivy Bridge processors is as popular as the previous one, then the Intel 7x chipsets will forget the lack of growth in the memory line and only 2 high-speed SATA ports.
So the future of the seventh series of chipsets depends entirely on how much users like the new “ivy bridge” from Intel.