Motherboard chipset. Choosing a motherboard for a home PC for Intel processors. ATI chipsets for AMD processors

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 look at the Intel X299 chipset, which is the basis motherboard and 90% (conditionally, of course) determines it 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 technology RST is supported not only for SATA ports, but also for drives with a 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.

Implemented this technology differently. 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 computers based on Intel based Core 8th generation, 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 comprise 2-core models entry level. 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 USB controller 3.1 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 in total.

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 is only USB ports 3.0.

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 layer 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 speaking of Russian market, that is, only four motherboard manufacturers: 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, boards 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 special attention mode of operation 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 game 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 thrown around 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 board Prime X299-Deluxe

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 else, 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, motherboards 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, boards based on the Intel X299 chipset differ in the set additional features, and, of course, the package.

A new trend is the presence of RGB lighting 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’s not a fact that your super-powerful computer is based on, for example, an 18-core Core processor The i9-7980XE will be faster than a computer with 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 above its H370, B360 and H310 siblings. 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 work Wi-Fi connections(802.11ac, up to 1.733 Gbps) and Bluetooth 5.0 ( a new version 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. Let's add an assortment here Gigabyte boards, ASRock and MSI, and it will become 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 other words, in simple language, 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, a maximum of one M.2 connector (or none at all), a gigabit network controller, four SATA port 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.

Everyone probably knows that a computer consists of many components that are integrated into the motherboard. So that the component is created to perform its task. The processor does the calculations, the graphics adapter (video card) displays information on the monitor screen, the network adapter provides access to the network, etc.

Chipset is a technical term. If you go deeper, this phrase consists of two words. Chip – chip, microcircuit; Set – set, installation and it turns out Chipset. Chipset means a set of specific chips that connect independent components on the motherboard. So what is a chipset on a motherboard and what is it for, you will learn from this article.

What is the chipset for?

Now we will figure out why and what this chipset is needed for. The most important chipset on the motherboard is the processor (CPU), it controls all system components, but it cannot do this directly. The CPU chipset is installed with other components: RAM, input/output system, adapters and controllers peripheral devices. Communication is carried out via a bus system.

To connect to different system components, there are different buses:

with processor – system bus;
with memory – memory bus;
with graphics adapter – PCI, PCI-Express or AGP;
with LPT, PS/2 devices – Low Pin Count bus.

The chipset only helps interact with the components, but does not interfere with their operation in any way.

Here's what the chipset can detect:

number of components in subsystems: possible number of processors, memory slots, graphics adapters, expansion slots and ports on the motherboard.
bus frequency and bit depth through which it communicates with the subsystem;
Is it possible to increase the characteristics of individual subsystems: clock frequency processor(s), memory voltage;
technology support by subsystems: dual operation mode of video cards – CrossFire and SLI; Dual memory mode - DUAL RAM, caching on SSD - Smart Response Technology.
support for interaction with special or legacy controllers: RAID, PCI, AGP.

How the chipset works

A chipset consists of one or more chips. Since 1995, microcircuits began to be called bridges. A typical chipset is dual-bridge. This chipset is divided into two segments: north and south bridge.

The Northbridge only connects to the memory and processor. The south bridge, on the one hand, is connected to the north bridge through an internal bus, and on the other hand, to peripheral controllers with expansion slots PCI type, female drive controllers SATA, IDE; Ethernet controller, Audio controller and BIOS.

At the heart of each bridge is a controller hub.

The northern one is a memory hub that is connected to the CPU via system bus(FSB for Intel processors, HyperTransport for AMD) and ensures interaction between the CPU and memory. Sometimes a graphics subsystem is added to this bundle, which is connected to the chipset via PCI-Express.

The southern one has an I/O hub. Communicates with the CPU through an intermediary - north bridge. Manages the interaction between the CPU and hard controllers drives (SATA, IDE, SCSI), USB solid-state drives.

Modern chipset models are single-chip or single-bridge, where the north bridge is combined with the processor.

By combining:

production becomes cheaper;
frees up space on the motherboard, which is occupied by the server bridge chip;
energy consumption is reduced;
The heat dissipation from the chip is improved due to the powerful processor cooling system.

How to find out the motherboard chipset

If for some reason you need to find out your chipset, you can do this through the device manager by opening the “system devices” tab.

Lines with the words Chipset, this is your chipset.

If no drivers are installed, another way is to read the technical documentation for the motherboard and read there. You can also read it on the box. The “name” of the chipset in the full product name comes after the manufacturer’s brand:

MSI H110 VD-PRO, ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Professional Gaming i7, MSI 970 GAMING.

If the box is lost, and the instructions and technical documentation you lit the stove on a cold night, you can open it system unit and look at the motherboard. The name of the chipset on the motherboard is hard to miss.

The easiest option is to use the AIDA64 utility. Download the program from the official website, install it, and launch it from the desktop shortcut.

Open the “motherboard” tab. Select the “motherboard” item and voila:

If you wish, you can go to the chipset tab, but the program is paid and will not allow you to find out complete information.

A free alternative is the CPU-Z utility.

Download and install (English and Chinese only). Launch the utility from your desktop. Go to the "MainBoard" tab

Information about the chipset is in the ChipSet line. About the South Bridge - in the SouthBridge line.

Each user has their own opinion about where a computer starts. Some people prefer to build a system “around” the monitor, selecting components in such a way that they provide comfortable performance at the required screen resolution. Some people prioritize the performance of a video card, choosing first the desired model of graphics accelerator, and then a power supply of suitable power and a case with sufficient cooling. Finally, for some it is most important highest speed work with data, and the computer is essentially assembled around a central processor and a pair of RAID arrays of SSD and hard drives.

But when the user has already decided on the model of the highest priority devices, he has to choose something that will allow him to assemble them into unified system, corresponding to the user’s initial ideas about the appearance and characteristics of the PC.

And, as you may have guessed, today we will talk about choosing a motherboard.

What you shouldn't pay attention to when choosing.

Board manufacturer.

A very large number of companies are engaged in the design and production of motherboards, and not all of them are represented in the DNS assortment. Moreover, the most famous vendors are already familiar to you from video cards and other computer components. ASUS, Gigabyte And MSI- the “big three”, from whose products users most often have to choose.

The paradox is that system performance in games does not depend on the motherboard. At all. The effectiveness of overclocking the central processor may depend on it, if such a function is available - this is a separate conversation. But if we exclude overclocking from attention, the same set of processor, video card and two to four memory sticks will produce the same performance when installed in a top-end motherboard or in one of the lower-end models.

Why? Because they determine gaming performance.

Recommendation #2: If you are planning to overclock a processor, pay attention to the number of phases in the board's power supply system, its cooling efficiency, voltage stability during overclocking, and BIOS capabilities. Yes, you cannot do without thoughtful and lengthy reading of reviews, but the result of your choice can also please you a lot. Again, these characteristics have nothing to do with the board’s positioning as “gaming/non-gaming” or even its price tag.

If overclocking is not planned at all, choose a board based on the characteristics that are more important to you: the number and type of peripheral connectors, the number of slots for memory modules, form factor, connectors for connecting case fans, and so on.

What is REALLY important for you to keep in mind.

Board form factor

It would seem that this is not the most serious aspect, but it is better to start with it. Agree, it’s not much fun if you choose the most suitable board, but it simply won’t fit into the case?

In addition, thanks to various motherboard standards, a personal computer today can be built in anything. There is no need to buy a bulky midi-tower case if you need a compact system that will fit in a desk niche. And it’s not at all necessary to place such a “box” next to the TV, if compact motherboards of mini-ITX or mini-STX formats can be “housed” in a small low-profile case, stylized as a multimedia player!

And don’t think that small systems always mean limited performance. Today, in a compact package you can assemble a powerful gaming system, and thanks to modern cases, coolers and energy efficiency of current processors, it is not even in danger of overheating.

But let's get back to the point. So, what form factors of motherboards are presented in the DNS catalog?

Recommendation #5: The chipset does not affect performance, but as a rule, it allows you to clearly determine the positioning and functionality of the board. If you are not considering overclocking the processor, there is no point in chasing top models. Moreover, we are talking here not only about Intel platforms - for normal work AMD processors Ryzen and Bristol Ridge/Raven Ridge APUs are enough for motherboards based on the budget AMD A320 chipset.

However, if you plan to overclock the processor, connect a lot of high-speed peripherals, or build SLI/Crossfire systems, you should pay attention to older chipset models. In addition, since top-end motherboards are traditionally characterized by the best equipment, there is a chance that you will find among them models with built-in wi-fi and bluetooth modules, as well as other things useful to you.

CPU compatibility

Generally, if the motherboard and processor share the same socket, it means they are compatible. However, there are exceptions to every rule. So, not every LGA 775 board supports Wolfdale and Yorkfield processors, not every AM3+ socket board supports Piledriver processors, and not every LGA 1155 board supports Ivy Bridge processors without additional manipulations, and so on.

Recommendation #6: Before you go to the store for a new one motherboard, visit the page for this model on the manufacturer’s website and see the list of compatible processors. It's completely easy and doesn't even take much time. But returning the board to the store or updating the BIOS at the service center will take time. Moreover, the BIOS update service at the service center is paid. And does it make sense to pay for it if the same money could simply be added to the budget and bought a more suitable motherboard?

Number of memory slots

RAM is an element of the PC that you can ignore for a long time, until one fine moment it is no longer enough. And it’s very good if at this moment you have the opportunity to increase the amount of memory. After all, if your PC has free slots, you just need to purchase the appropriate number of modules and continue to use the computer.

But if all the slots are occupied, you will have to sell the existing memory sticks, losing in price, and then buy larger capacity sticks, which in total will cost much more money, and will also take a lot of time... but you must admit, time can be spent with much more more benefit!

Recommendation #7: Save money by buying the entire motherboard with two RAM slots, it’s worth it only when you are firmly convinced that the PC should survive as long as possible without an upgrade and be replaced entirely. Otherwise, you will end up in the situation described above and make a hole in the family budget.

The "gold standard" in this regard is board with 4 memory slots. So, if you build a PC with two memory sticks of 8 gigabytes each, then in the future, if there is a lack of memory, it will be enough to just add two more sticks of 8 gigabytes each, which will be quite affordable.

8-slot boards Memory, as expected, belongs to the LGA 2011 and LGA 2011-3 platforms. With them everything is simpler: there the amount of memory is determined by the tasks for which the system is assembled, and is used immediately and completely.

Number of interface connectors

Since, when assembling a PC, you already have a rough idea of what components and how many peripherals you will use, it is worth ensuring that the board allows you to connect everything you need without a clutter of adapters and splitters. It only seems at first that you can save money here, but in reality all sorts of USB hubs, external adapters and other extraneous parts make life very difficult.

So, what is desirable to provide?

Quantity and type USB connectors on the back panel. You shouldn’t get carried away here, especially since these ports are used primarily for connecting a keyboard, mouse, graphics tablet and other stationary peripherals. Nevertheless, it is advisable to have at least four, and preferably six, connectors of the appropriate type on the back of the PC.

It is also advisable that at least two of which belonged to the 3.0 standard - high-speed peripherals such as portable hard drives will thank you.

Not necessary, but it wouldn’t hurt to availability of USB 3.1 ports. Today this is exotic, but in the foreseeable future the standard has every chance of becoming ubiquitous, so why not provide for it right away?

Having chosen a board that seems suitable at first glance, ask on the manufacturer’s website or in the “” service on the DNS website whether it has the ability to output USB ports to the front panel of the case. This doesn’t seem to be the most important thing to you now, but believe me, you will get tired of moving the system unit from place to place to connect a flash drive or cable from a camera/smartphone to the port on the back very quickly. And extension cords are just extra clutter on the desk. And besides, they love to fall at this very table.

It is also important to pay attention to the number and type of SATA connectors. You should pay attention to boards that support the highest speed this moment version - SATA 6 Gb/s. This will not require overpayment - connectors of this type are found even on completely budget devices. But one or two This type of connector will have a very good effect on the speed of the SSD.

Availability of type connectors SATA Express not necessary today, but it will be a good start for the future, when high-speed SSDs with such a connector become more common.

In some cases, a good bonus will be the presence built-in wi-fi adapter. For multimedia PCs living in the living room under the TV, this is practically a necessity, and for a large drawer with a separate table it may not be superfluous. Still, with the spread of smartphones and tablets, local networks in houses and apartments are most often implemented via wi-fi: it is more convenient to install one router / access point to which all devices will connect at once, than to make holes in the walls by laying a cable.

Most owners are satisfied with a very simple audio system, but if you have something other than the “two speakers, one subwoofer” setup in your home, pay attention to this point as well. Boards that allow you to connect surround sound systems like 5.1 or 7.1 , can seriously improve the sound in movies and games. Although the most demanding audiophiles, of course, cannot do without a discrete sound card.

If we are talking about discrete adapters, immediately evaluate the number, type and location PCI-express slots. There is no secret here - everything is visible in the photographs of the product. Sufficient for a gaming PC in most cases one x16 connector, since one top-end video card is more than enough for games at current resolutions. Boards with two x16 slots are needed if you plan to build SLI/Crossfire, but here you need to make sure that the slots can operate in the “8+8” or “16+16 lines” mode. In the "16+4" mode, SLI simply will not work, and the gameplay when using the "inferior" Crossfire will be far from comfortable.

Boards with three or more PCI-e x16 slots are necessary only if you use any rare and highly specialized expansion cards. Installing more than two video cards into the system makes no sense. In addition, in the latest generations (GeForce 1000) of video cards, even Nvidia officially abandoned support for SLI from more than two accelerators (or rather, support for 3-way SLI is in benchmarks, and in several games it is enabled unofficially...).

It would be more useful to have it on the board PCI-e x1 slots: If you need an alternative sound or LAN card, or a discrete controller of any interfaces that are not on the motherboard - most likely, these devices will use the x1 interface.

Legacy support PCI interface Today it is not necessary for an ordinary PC, but if you use some rare controllers or expansion cards in your work, it is worth considering it.

In addition, you should evaluate the number of connectors for connecting case fans. Of course, today's hardware has a predominantly calm disposition; you will no longer find real stoves among video cards and processors. And yet, it would be nice if the board allowed you to connect all cabinet turntables and control their speed without unnecessary adapters and reo-bass.

Recommendation #8: Of course, sometimes savings are at the forefront, and at many points you have to turn a blind eye just to assemble a PC faster and stay within the budget. And yet, the better equipped your motherboard is, the more convenient it will be to operate your PC. Moreover, again, it is not necessary to take exactly the top versions - sometimes even budget models can offer an interesting set of interfaces and connectors, you just need to carefully choose.

Overclocking options

If you are considering a motherboard for a platform that allows you to overclock central processors, you will agree that it would be nice to choose one that will allow you to achieve higher values and, as a result, get O better performance. A little careful analysis in this case can pay off many times over, but neglect of information can, on the contrary, lead to useless expenses.

Recommendation #9: When choosing an “overclocking” motherboard, focus primarily on reviews on reputable resources. Of course, you should remember that in overclocking everything depends on the capabilities of a particular processor instance, but if several authors on several sources have one board that allows you to achieve a higher frequency than its analogues, this is a clear signal to buy.

Criteria and selection options:

According to the above, motherboards from the DNS directory can be ranked as follows:

For a nettop in a custom case, a home file server, a CarPC or an entry-level multimedia PC, mini-ITX motherboards are suitable for socket AM1, or options with soldered on the board AMD or Intel processors. You shouldn't expect enormous computing performance from these platforms, but they solve simple tasks easily and without wasting energy.

For a home multimedia PC living in the living room and masquerading as a VCR or music Center, are best suited compact boards for AM4 socket, having digital interfaces for video output. APUs are much more preferable for these tasks than a combination of a CPU and a discrete video card: when the processor and video live under the same cover, the computer can be made smaller and the heating will be lower. The latter is even more important for a compact system than for a gaming machine.

Whether your PC will become an office tool, a universal home assistant, a top-end gaming machine or a workstation for a reasonable price depends primarily on the processor you choose. But you need to choose from two options: either socket AM4, or LGA 1151_v2. At the same time, for a gaming machine you should pay attention first of all to boards that support processor overclocking- the opportunity to add speed to the system will not be superfluous.

For a purely office PC, probably a more suitable choice would be budget boards based on LGA 1151_v2, which do not support overclocking, but have video outputs for the graphics built into the processor. Discrete video cards For obvious reasons, they are not needed in most office workstations, and the graphics in the APU for the AM4 socket are too powerful for these purposes.

For a top-end workstation you will have to choose a motherboard either socket TR4, or under LGA 2066. The choice in this case will be determined only by which of the platforms will perform better in professional tasks, while the functionality and equipment of the boards themselves belonging to the top segment are at an approximately comparable level.

The motherboard is the main component of any desktop PC. It must have a sufficient number of necessary connectors so that the user can install a powerful video card, large random access memory and several storage devices. In addition, do not forget about the need to connect various peripherals. We tried to find out which motherboards can now be called the best.

Right choice“mothers” are the basis for assembling a PC: if the processor within one socket can, if desired, be changed to a faster one, the memory can be increased, the video card can be replaced, then the motherboard usually lives in the case until a radical upgrade or serious breakdown. So you should choose a motherboard with long-term use in mind... Although Intel’s proverbial love for regularly changing processor sockets without backward compatibility already leads to the fact that even a small upgrade forces you to change the motherboard along with the CPU. In this regard, AMD’s conservatism looks more reasonable - remember how long the AM3+ socket has lived, which is only now being replaced by the incompatible AM4, and there is every reason to believe that the new assembly for Ryzen will be able to be updated on the same board for a long time.

LGA 1151- processors Intel Skylake, Kaby Lake, in version v2, incompatible with the previous one (well, this is Intel!), and Coffee Lake. This allows you to choose processors from the Celeron G4900 to the Core i9-9900K - that is, from a simple office build to a powerful workstation or gaming PC.
LGA 2011- socket originally for Intel Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge-E, but Intel wouldn't be themselves without creating a socket incompatible with it LGA 2011-3 under Haswell-E. On latest version we’ll stop there - this is an excellent platform for assembling a powerful workstation or server, and there are a lot of people who build Haswell-E PCs for home.
LGA 2066- the latest socket for top-end Intel Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processors - the same ones that are successfully trying to catch up and surpass the old AMD in terms of thermal package. But if you have almost 140 thousand for an 18-core Intel Core i9-7980XE, then you will definitely have money for cooling that can cope with its 165 W of heat dissipation.
AM4- a new socket from AMD that came with AMD Ryzen. And this is an opportunity to already use processors from the inexpensive AMD A6-9500E for “office-home” assemblies to the top-end Ryzen 7 2700X, and the AM4 socket is guaranteed to last for another year or two. In addition, new APUs (processors with integrated graphics that previously used their FM sockets) were also transferred to it.

2016-2017 will not be given to the market personal computers new platforms: fans of Intel products are actively mastering the recently introduced Skylake architecture, and AMD fans are patient until the end of this year or the beginning of next year, when the first products supporting the new AM4 socket are expected to go on sale. However, those consumers who want to radically improve an existing one or buy new computer, are in a difficult situation. Now the question of how to choose the best motherboard (system) board does not have a clear answer.

What should you pay attention to?

The motherboard is the basis of the computer. It is she who determines which processor, memory, HDD and other components can be installed on the system.

Some characteristics motherboards have become a de facto industry standard, therefore valid for all modern models. These include the presence of USB 3.0 ports (a universal means of communication with almost all external peripherals and gadgets), Ethernet (adapter local network), and one or more PCI-e x16 slots (video cards are connected to them). Thus, when choosing a suitable motherboard, you should only pay attention to:

form factor - the physical dimensions of the board. They determine the type of computer case and the possible number of expansion slots (it is impossible to place a large number of large parts on a small piece of PCB). Now mini-ITX, micro-ATX, ATX, extended-ATX (arranged in order of increasing size) are relevant. The first ones are designed for very compact computers; they contain only one expansion slot and, in some cases, the central one is already soldered to them. Extended-ATX boards are designed for systems with the highest possible power;

Motherboard - the basis of a computer

processor socket type;
a set of system logic (chipset), on which support for individual proprietary technologies depends, maximum volume RAM, list of expansion slots and ports for peripherals.

New or proven old?

The latest innovation on the personal computer market is Intel's Skylake architecture. It brought an LGA1151 processor socket, support for DDR4 memory, and a number of technologies that are not so important for the average consumer. However, at present, the practical benefits of these innovations are not obvious - the increase in productivity compared to the previous generation is not noticeable to the eye.

In most special test applications or computer games, the increase in computing power does not exceed a few percent. DDR4 has also yet to reach its potential, but this will require more advanced chipsets, memory modules and processors. As a result, the Haswell platform with an LGA1150 and DDR3 socket is still relevant.

Attention! Skylake processors support DDR4 and DDR3L memory. The latter works from more low voltage than DDR3 (1.35 V versus 1.5). DDR3 and DDR3L modules are not interchangeable. Installing memory that is not supported by the processor and motherboard may result in component failure.
The only choice for users who care maximum performance- motherboards with LGA2011-3 connector. This platform supports four-channel DDR4 memory and up to 40 PCI-e 3.0 lanes (up to 4-5 slots for video cards).
Relatively modern platforms from AMD are AM3+ and FM2+. Motherboards with these connectors support the basic set modern technologies. However, AMD processors are inferior to competing solutions from Intel in terms of performance, heat dissipation and power consumption. The feasibility of building a system based on the AM3+ and FM2+ platforms is now in question.

Finally, there are boards with pre-installed processors and the AM1 platform from AMD. They're cheap, but they're only powerful enough to handle text, web browsing, and 10-year-old games.

What chipset should the motherboard have?

For each platform, manufacturers present several chipset models:

Intel LGA1150:
H81 – overclocking of components is not supported (a special setting that increases operating frequencies and performance), no more than 2 memory modules can be installed;

B85 – overclocking is not supported, installation of up to 4 memory modules, a set of proprietary technologies for building business infrastructure is supported;

Q87 differs from B85 in supporting more USB ports and software technologies for business;

The H87 is aimed at home users, so unlike the Q87 it does not support business technologies;

Z87's fundamental differences from other models come down to overclocking support.

Intel LGA1151:
H110 – no overclocking support, the number of memory slots is limited to 2;

H170 – the number of memory slots has been increased to 4;

The B150 supports fewer USB ports compared to the H170, and the chipset is designed for business users;

Q170 – support for more business technologies;

Z170 – overclocking support, more USB ports, increased throughput PCI-e bus (useful when installing multiple video cards).

Intel 2011-3:
X99 – supports overclocking, a large number of USB ports, business technologies, and provides the highest possible PCI-e bus bandwidth.

AMD FM2+:
A88X, A78, A68H, A58 – support up to 4 memory slots and overclocking. The big differences come down to availability CrossFire technologies(needed to install two video cards on GPUs AMD, present in A88X), number of USB and SATA ports (for connecting optical drives And ). Overclocking options vary depending on individual needs specific models motherboards.

AMD AM3+:
990FX – up to 4 PCI-e x16 slots, maximum stability during overclocking, 4 memory slots;

990X – up to 2 PCI-e x16 slots, overclocking support, 4 memory slots;

970 – 1 PCI-e x16 slot (motherboard manufacturers use third-party means to increase their number to 2), overclocking support, 4 memory slots.

Attention! For efficient overclocking the corresponding technologies must be supported not only by the motherboard, but also by the processor. Chips with an unlocked multiplier are marked with the K index, for example, A10-7870K or Core i7 6700K. At the same time, all processors for the AM3+ platform of the FX series have a free multiplier.

Intel Corporation produces quad-core processors under the Core i5 brand without support for multi-threading technology - Hyper Threading. It allows you to simultaneously process 2 computational threads on one core, while a four-core processor is approaching the computing power of an eight-core processor. The performance of Core i5 chips is enough to solve any problems that arise for home users.

Motherboards for Intel Core i5

Modern chipset models support the entire line of processors of the corresponding generation. Thus, for Core i5 chips of the Haswell architecture, motherboards on any system logic set are suitable - H81, B85, Q87, H87 or Z87. A similar situation arises with the Skylake architecture.

Advice. Overclocking support increases the cost of the processor and motherboard. If there are no plans to increase the factory frequency, there is no point in overpaying for components. The combination of a multiplier-locked processor and a Z-series chipset will not bring any practical benefit. The influence of system logic sets on the overall system performance (all other components being equal) is currently reduced to a statistical error.

Gaming Computer Motherboards

Throughout the history of personal computers, one of their main purposes has been games. This type of entertainment has come a long way from a hobby for geeks, children and teenagers to official recognition as a sports discipline. At its core computer game not much different from the other software, for example, a text editor or three-dimensional models.

The most latest news digital entertainment industry will work on any system that can provide a sufficient level of computing power - with a certain amount of RAM and graphics memory, free hard disk space, suitable graphics and central processor. However, component manufacturers are trying to break this axiom.

Motherboard for gaming computer

In the last 5-10 years, marketers have been actively promoting the concept of a “gaming computer”, meaning maximum computing power and bright, catchy design. This term is also used by motherboard manufacturers. Each of them has a specialized line of products for gamers.

Gaming motherboards have unusual PCB colors, LED backlighting, and large decorative panels or heatsinks on the chipset and key power supply components. Such components are more expensive than their analogues, but in essence they only demonstrate the external attributes of the gamer subculture. The key characteristics of a regular motherboard are no different from a product for a gaming computer made on a similar chipset.

The modern motherboard market allows you to choose a product that best suits the individual preferences of the end consumer. In this case, the main requirement may be a striking design, maximum practicality or system performance. A careful analysis of the basic characteristics of motherboards will protect you from rash purchases and help you save your money.