No CPU launch is complete without a full range of motherboards and with the upcoming Intel 8th generation family, manufacturers have prepped up a large army of Z370 motherboards that come with a broad variety of features.
Entire Range of Z370 Motherboards For Intel Coffee Lake Processors Pictured and Detailed
Being part of the 300-series chipset family, the Z370 PCH will be the flagship for 2017. There are other SKUs that arrive early in 2018 and even a replacement 2018 chipset which will be known as the Z390 PCH. There are several manufacturers who will be offering their Z370 PCH boards on launch day including ASUS, ASRock, GIGABYTE, MSI, EVGA, ECS, Biostar, Supermicro and Maxxsun. So before we look at the motherboards, let's take a quick look at what the Z370 PCH has to offer.
Intel Coffee Lake Is Only Supported by The 300-Series Chipset - LGA 1151 On Z370 Offers No Backward Compatibility - Full Platform Details
The Z370 motherboards come with a socket known as LGA 1151 and that is the same socket we have seen on the consumer platform since Skylake. But with Coffee Lake, LGA 1151 on Z370 is no longer compatible with older CPUs. Even Coffee Lake processors are not backward compatible to 100 or 200 series motherboards.
The reason cited by Intel is the change in electrical lanes and power delivery that Z370 improves substantially. We did have a word with some motherboard manufacturers and while they reveal that Coffee Lake may work with older motherboards, it won't deliver the same level of stability or clocking as on the Z370 series motherboards.
So with one of the controversies explained, let's head over to the platform details. The 8th gen desktop platform has a range of new features that mainly include:
- More Cores
- More Intel Smart Cache
- Best In Class Design
- Enhanced Overclocking
- Improved 14nm Process
And of course, powering the new platform is the Z370 PCH. The PCH offers the following:
- Improved Power Delivery for 6 Core processors
- Enhanced Package Power Delivery For overclocking
- Memory routing support for DDR4-2666
- Rec.2020 & HDR Support, HEVC 10-bit HW Decode/Encode, VP9 10-bit HW Decode
- Integrated USB 3.1 Gen2 (10 Gbps)
- Support for integrated Intel wireless AC (Wi-Fi 802.11ac R2 & Bluetooth 5)
- Intel Optane memory support
- Intel Smart Sound Technology with quad core audio DSP
- 24 Chipset PCIe 3.0 Lanes
- 10 USB 3.1 Ports With Up To 6 USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Ports
- Up To 6 SATA 3.0 Ports
- Intel Rapid Storage Technology 16
- PCIe 3.0 x4 Storage Support
Intel Desktop Platform Chipset Comparison
| Chipset Name | Meteor Lake-S (MTL-S) PCH / 800 Series (Z890) | Raptor Lake-S (RPL-S) PCH / 700 Series (Z790) | Alder Lake-S (ADL-S) PCH / 600 Series (Z690) | Rocket Lake-S (RKL-S) PCH / 500 Series (Z590) | Comet Lake-S (CML-S) PCH / 400 Series (Z490) | Coffee Lake S (CNL-H) PCH / 300 Series (Z390/H370, B360, Q370, H310) | Coffee Lake S (KBL-R) PCH / Z370 Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process Node | TBD | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 22nm |
| Processor | 22, 14 (TBD) | 24,16C,12C,10C,6C,4C (TBD) | 16C,12C,10C,6C,4C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 10C, 8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C, 4C (6 Consumer SKUs at Launch) |
| Memory | Up To DDR5-5600+(Native) | Up To DDR5-5600 (Native) Up To DDR4-3200 (Native)? | Up To DDR5-4800 (Native) Up To DDR4-3200 (Native) | Up To DDR4-3200 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2933 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2666 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2666 (Native) |
| Media, Display & Audio | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | DP 1.2 & HDMI 2.0, HBR3 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) 12-bit AV1/HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP With USB Audio offload SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP |
| I/O & Connectivity | TBD | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 (Maple Ridge) | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2 Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4 | Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4 | Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Thunderbolt 3.0 (Alpine Ridge) |
| Storage | PCIe 5.0 (CPU Lanes), 6x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 5.0 (CPU Lanes), 6x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 5.0, 6x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 4.0, 6x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0 | Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0 | Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0 |
| Max PCH PCIe Lanes | Up To 24 (Gen 4) TBD (Gen 3) | Up To 20 (Gen 4) Up To 8 (Gen 3) | Up To 12 (Gen 4) Up To 16 (Gen 3) | Up To 24 (Gen 3) | Up To 24 (Gen 3) | Up To 24 (Gen 3) | Up To 24 (Gen 3) |
| Max CPU PCIe Lanes | Up To 20 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4) | Up To 16 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4) | Up To 16 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4) | Up To 20 (Gen 4) | Up To 16 (Gen 3) | Up To 16 (Gen 3) | Up To 16 (Gen 3) |
| Max USB Ports | TBD | Up To 5 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 4 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 3 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 10 (USB 3.2) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 10 (USB 3.1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 10 (USB 3.0) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) |
| Security | TBD | N/A | N/A | N/A | Intel SGX 1.0 | Intel SGX 1.0 | Intel SGX 1.0 |
| Power Management | TBD | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C8 Support |
| Launch | 2024 | 2022 | 2021 | 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
ASUS Z370 Motherboard Lineup
First up, we have ASUS who are one of the top motherboard manufacturers in the world. They will be offering a total of 13 new motherboards ranging from their ASUS ROG Maximus, ROG STRIX, PRIME and TUF series. All motherboards will feature a top model followed by more cost optimized variants.
ASUS ROG Maximus X Apex Motherboard
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ASUS ROG Maximus X Formula Motherboard
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ASUS ROG Maximus X Code Motherboard
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ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero Motherboard
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ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-E Gaming Motherboard
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ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-F Gaming Motherboard
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ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-G Gaming Motherboard
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ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-H Gaming Motherboard
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ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-I Gaming Motherboard
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ASUS PRIME Z370-A Motherboard
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ASUS PRIME Z370-P Motherboard
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ASUS TUF Z370-PRO Gaming Motherboard
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ASUS TUF Z370-Plus Gaming Motherboard
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ASUS Z370 Motherboard Lineup:
| Motherboard Name | ASUS ROG Maximus X Apex | ASUS ROG Maximus X Formula | ASUS ROG Maximus X Code | ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero | ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-E Gaming | ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-F Gaming | ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-G Gaming | ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-H Gaming | ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-I Gaming | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | ASUS PRIME Z370-P | ASUS TUF Z370-PRO Gaming | ASUS TUF Z370-Plus Gaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Support | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs |
| Form Factor | EATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | microATX | ATX | Mini-ITX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX |
| Socket Type | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 |
| Power Phases | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| CPU Power Connectors | 2 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin | 1 x 8 pin |
| DDR4 DIMM Slots | 2 x DDR4 up to 4266+ (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 4266+ (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 4133+ (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 4133+ (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 4000 (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 4000 (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 4000 (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 3866 (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 4333+ (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 4000 (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 3866 (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 3866 (OC) | 4 x DDR4 up to 3866 (OC) |
| Multi-GPU | 2 SLI, 4 CrossFireX | 2 SLI, 3 CrossFireX | 2 SLI, 3 CrossFireX | 2 SLI, 3 CrossFireX | 2 SLI, 3 CrossFireX | 2 SLI, 3 CrossFireX | 2 SLI, CrossFireX | 2 SLI, CrossFireX | NA | 2 SLI, 3 CrossFireX | 2 CrossFireX | 2 SLI, CrossFireX | 2 CrossFireX |
| PCI-e 3.0 Expansion Slots | 4 x16 2 x1 | 3 x16 3 x1 | 3 x16 3 x1 | 3 x16 3 x1 | 3 x16 4 x1 | 3 x16 4 x1 | 2 x16 2 x1 | 3 x16 3 x1 | 1 x16 | 3 x16 4 x1 | 2 x16 4 x1 | 3 x16 3 x1 | 2 x16 4 x1 |
| M.2 | 2 x4 | 3 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 | 2 x4 |
| SATA III 6 GB/s Ports | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Ethernet | Aquantia 5G Intel 1G | Aquantia 5G Intel 1G | Intel 1G | Intel 1G | Intel 1G | Intel 1G | Intel 1G | Intel 1G | Intel 1G | Intel 1G | Realtek 1G | Intel 1G | Intel 1G |
| WiFi | NA | 802.11ac | 802.11ac | 802.11ac | 802.11ac | NA | 802.11ac | NA | 802.11ac | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Audio | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220 ESS Sabre DAC | SupremeFX S1220 | SupremeFX S1220 ESS Sabre DAC | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | Crystal S1220A | Realtek ALC887 | Realtek ALC887 | Realtek ALC887 |
| USB 3.1 Gen2 | 1 Type-C 1 Type-A | 1 front 1 Type-C 1 Type-A | 1 front 1 Type-C 1 Type-A | 1 front 1 Type-C 1 Type-A | 1 front 1 Type-C 1 Type-A | 1 Type-C 1 Type-A | 2 Type-A | 1 Type-C 1 Type-A | 1 Front | 1 Type-C 1 Type-A | NA | 2 Type-A | 2 Type-A |
| Aura Sync headers | 4 strip | 4 strip | 4 strip | 2 strip 1 address | 2 strip 1 address | 2 strip 1 address | NA | 1 strip | 1 address | 1 strip | NA | NA | 1 strip |
| Price | TBC | TBC | TBC | $259.99 US | $216.99 US | $208.99 US | $189.99 US | $169.99 US | $189.99 US | $174.99 US | $139.99 US | $159.99 US | $149.99 US |
AORUS Z370 Motherboard Lineup
The GIGABYTE Z370 motherboard lineup consists of 11 new motherboards. GIGABYTE is also preparing AORUS motherboards which is their new division dedicated to gaming products. The AORUS based products feature splendid new designs that would attract many gamers and PC builders to them.
AORUS Z370 Gaming 7 Motherboard:
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AORUS Z370 Gaming 5 Motherboard
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AORUS Z370 Ultra Gaming Motherboard
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AORUS Z370 Gaming 3 Motherboard
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AORUS Z370 Gaming K3 Motherboard
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AORUS Z370 GAMING WIFI Motherboard
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Gigabyte Z370XP SLI Motherboard
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Gigabyte Z370 HD3P Motherboard
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Gigabyte Z370 Motherboard Lineup:
| Motherboard Name | AORUS Z370 Gaming 7 | AORUS Z370 Gaming 5 | AORUS Z370 Ultra Gaming | AORUS Z370 Gaming 3 | AORUS Z370 Gaming K3 | AORUS Z370 GAMING WIFI | Gigabyte Z370XP SLI | Gigabyte Z370 HD3P | Gigabyte Z370 HD3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Support | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs | Intel 8th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs |
| Form Factor | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX | ATX |
| Socket Type | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 | LGA 1151 |
| Power Phases | 10 Phase | 10 Phase | 7 Phase | 7 Phase | 7 Phase | 7 Phase | 6 Phase | 7 Phase | 7 Phase |
| CPU Power Connectors | 1 x 8 Pin | 1 x 8 Pin | 1 x 8 Pin | 1 x 8 Pin | 1 x 8 Pin | 1 x 8 Pin | 1 x 8 Pin | 1 x 8 Pin | 1 x 8 Pin |
| DDR4 DIMM Slots | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4133 MHz (O.C)+ | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4133 MHz (O.C)+ | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4000 MHz (O.C)+ | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4000 MHz (O.C)+ | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4000 MHz (O.C)+ | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4000 MHz (O.C)+ | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4000 MHz (O.C)+ | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4000 MHz (O.C)+ | 4 x DDR4 DIMM at 4000 MHz (O.C)+ |
| PCI-e 3.0 Expansion Slots | 3 x PCIe x16 3 x PCIe x1 | 3 x PCIe x16 3 x PCIe x1 | 3 x PCIe x16 3 x PCIe x1 | 2 x PCIe x16 4 x PCIe x1 | 2 x PCIe x16 4 x PCIe x1 | 3 x PCIe x16 3 x PCIe x1 | 3 x PCIe x16 3 x PCIe x1 | 2 x PCIe x16 4 x PCIe x1 | 3 x PCIe x16 3 x PCIe x1 |
| M.2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| SATA III 6 GB/s Ports | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Ethernet | 1 x Intel GbE LAN chip 1 x Rivet Networks Killer E2500 LAN chip | Intel GbE LAN chip | Intel GbE LAN chip | Rivet Networks Killer E2500 LAN chip | Intel GbE LAN chip | Intel GbE LAN chip | Intel GbE LAN chip | Intel GbE LAN chip | Intel GbE LAN chip |
| WiFi | N/A | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | N/A | N/A | N/A | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Audio | Realtek ALC1220 codec | Realtek ALC1220 codec | Realtek ALC1220 codec | Realtek ALC1220 codec | Realtek ALC1220 codec | Creative Sound Core 3D chip | Realtek ALC1220 codec | Realtek ALC1220 codec | Realtek ALC892 codec |
| USB 3.1 Gen2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | N/A |
| USB 3.1 Gen1 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| USB 2.0 Ports | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| Price | $249.99 US | $199.99 US | $169.99 US | TBD | TBD | TBD | $149.99 US | $139.99 US | $124.99 US |
