Intel 900 in detail. Forget about cheap motherboards
In just a few weeks, Intel Arrow Lake Refresh processors will hit the market. However, as the name suggests, this will only be a refresh of the offer. Selected models will receive more cores and/or higher clock speeds. So it doesn’t arouse much enthusiasm. It’s a different story when it comes to Intel Nova Lake, which is expected to offer new lithography, architecture and bLLC memory.
Intel Z990 and Z970 strongly resembles the division into AMD X870E and X870
Of course, traditionally for the Blues, this also means new motherboards. The existing LGA 1851 socket will be replaced by LGA 1954and this will be complemented by chipsets Intel 900. It so happens that their specifications have been revealed pre-premiere (and unofficially). He’s waiting for us five different models – Intel B960, Z970, Z990, Q970 and W980.
The first three are addressed to the consumer and home PC segment, the next two to companies and business. The suggestion for an ordinary person is Intel B960 – overclocking has been limited to a minimum here, because it only applies to RAM. The support for the PCI Express 5.0 interface is also not very good, because it has one connector each for the GPU and SSD.
Intel 900 Series Chipset Specifications. pic.twitter.com/vJzhBQWk4o
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Consumers who are slightly more familiar with PCs will get the Intel Z970which also allows you to OC the processor. These models will probably have a stronger and better cooled power supply section. However, this is where the differences from the B960 end.
The Intel Z990 has been prepared for the biggest enthusiasts. Here, the number of PCI Express lanes is increased from 34 to 48. This means more SATA, USB 4 and Thunderbolt ports as well as PCIe 5.0 connectors. Plus it comes better RAID support and third party liability insurance with the help of BCLK. This will allow both overclocking locked models and squeezing the last juices when we have already reached the barrier for the multiplier itself.
The source claims that there will be no cheaper motherboards with Intel H910 or H970 chipsets. However, it cannot be ruled out that they will appear later – e.g. in 2027. Despite everything, their specification (even preliminary) should already be known to the producers, from whom this leak probably comes.
