Early rumors about the eight-core Coffee Lake processors suggest that Intel could reduce support for these new CPUs to Z370-Z390 chipset motherboards. This idea has been a pretty credible possibility for some weeks, but today we can say that it is completely out of the question thanks to ASRock.
The well-known motherboard manufacturer has confirmed by the enclosed picture that even the most economical motherboards with H310 chipsets will be able to mount 8-core Coffee Lake processors without major problems, although it is important to note that due to the limitations of this chipset it will not be possible to use the models with unlocked multiplier as they will still require a model with Z370 or Z390 chipsets.
This is good news both for users who have put together a low-end Coffee Lake-based team and for those who plan to build a team that bets on Intel but has a small budget. H310 motherboard compatibility naturally confirms support for motherboards with top chipsets, including the B360 and H370.
Competition forces Intel to be sensible
It’s no secret, in recent years Intel has dominated the CPU market and has done and reversed as it pleases. The lack of competition from AMD allowed Intel to overstretch quad-core processors in the general consumer market, in fact, it is enough to see that from 2007 to 2017 the maximum total number of cores did not increase from four to six.
This means that Intel has held quad-core processors in the lead for ten years and only decided on an increase when Ryzen with six-core twelve-wire processors came to the table for just over 200 euros and eight-core twelve-wire processors for just over 300 euros (introductory prices).
The return of AMD and the surprise it has found with Ryzen has surprised Intel and had a great impact on the market. The price war between the two companies benefited consumers, who can now buy six-core processors for less than 156 euros and eight-core processors for only 206 euros.
We have experienced an enormous change in a very short time, which is reflected not only in the prices of today’s processors but also in the platform support and the quality of the next Intel processors. The fact that the chip giant has decided to make the 8-core Coffee Lake processors compatible with its cheaper chipsets is one way to encourage and attract users and give them the opportunity to set up cheaper configurations or take advantage of the benefits they already have. This also prevents them from choosing AMD processors.
But that’s not all, according to the latest information, these new eight-core Coffee Lake processors are supplied with the welded IHS. All AMD Ryzen (except their APUs) are supplied with the IHS welded, an important detail as it affects (significantly reduces) the working temperatures and improves the life of the processor. Interestingly, Intel has stopped welding with the Core 3000 (Ivy Bridge), but has now decided to return to this higher quality. That’s no coincidence, that’s for sure.
Is an H310 motherboard worth an 8-core CPU?
That is a good question and the answer is yes. If Intel launches a model with the multiplier, the idea of mounting a PC with a motherboard with H310 chipset and an 8-core Coffee Lake processor would be as good as mounting such a board with a Core i5 8400 Six-Core today.
It is important to note that not all users need a motherboard with advanced features or support for SLI and CrossFire configurations, a reality that makes more economical models a great value for those with fewer requirements and tighter budgets.
In terms of quality of construction, most of today’s low-end motherboards are very close to a high level and have nothing to do with what was on the market a few years ago, so no problems are to be expected in this respect.
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