ASRock confirms Coffee Lake CPUs need new motherboards

by Mark Tyson on 3 August 2017, 10:11

Tags: Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), AsRock

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We are seeing mixed signals concerning Intel's upcoming Coffee Lake processors, which will be built on the 14nm++ process. We thought it likely that the third range of CPUs built on 14nm, as part of Intel's new Process-Architecture-Optimisation (PAO) scheme, would be compatible with existing LGA1151 socket 100 and 200 series motherboards with BIOS support updates. However, a reply by ASRock to a user query concerning Coffee Lake CPU compatibility with its Z270 Supercarrier motherboard makes it pretty clear this will not be the case.

Above you can see a screenshot of the Tweeted question and reply, as recorded by Forbes Magazine. At the time of writing the Twitter exchange has already been deleted.

While AMD Threadripper and Intel Core i9 processors will become widely available in the coming month these are high end CPUs and not for everyone. Thus many mainstream users are eagerly awaiting Intel's first mainstream processors to come packing 6C/12T.

Intel Coffee Lake processors are due by the 'holiday season' this year. At Computex a couple of months ago Intel demoed a Coffee Lake powered laptop and announced that these 8th generation Core processors would provide a 30 per cent step up in performance compared to Kaby Lake. A couple of weeks ago we saw an Acer laptop advertised with a 15W quad-core i5-8250U CPU.

There could be a number of reasons for a new socket for Coffee Lake, the new CPUs might physically require different pin connections for new power management, graphics or IP features, or it could simply be a commercial decision to segment the market for better profits.



HEXUS Forums :: 20 Comments

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Not surprised, but would like to see the actual reasoning and the pin array specifications conpared between the z270 and new socket.

If they're pretty much the same or only had a little shuffle then it's another intel cash venture for their mobo manufacturers
What a surprise this is, said noone.

Is there something special about the Core series which causes the necessary socket changes, or is it just forced obsolescence?

I guess this is potentially another plus point for AM4.
Same old tactics… needs to be a big step up for me for this generation else I'm going Ryzen
I've got an i7-6700 and have no real need to upgrade currently, but if there was a drop in replacement 6c/12t I may well have gone for it. If this rumour proves correct then I'll just tick along with my current CPU and see what Zen+ brings.
I cant wait, and I don't care if coffee lake needs a new socket, because I want and need a new chipset anyway. I'm looking forward to what Z390 brings.