Intel Z399 Chipset Motherboards To Replace X299 Platform, Alleges Rumor – Maximum of 22 Cores on The LGA 2066 Socket
The latest rumors regarding Intel’s high-end desktop platform has emerged from Pcbuildersclub according to which the successor to the X299 chipset would be Z399. Intel’s current Skylake-X line of processors which are part of the Core-X family includes up to 18 core SKUs but those would see an update in the coming generation too.
Intel Z399 Platform To Succeed X299 – Will Support Skylake-X Chips With Up To 22 Cores
The rumor reports that the X299 successor would be known as Z399. The reason is that AMD is already using the X399 chipset naming scheme on their HEDT platform and reusing it would just cause lots of confusion. So instead of using X399, Intel can cleverly change the “X” with “Z”. This does cause some other sort of confusion as the “Z” series platforms are known to house Intel’s mainstream processor lineup whereas the Z399 chipsets would be aimed at the HEDT market.
Maybe board partners would do some aggressive marketing and highlight the board packages with proper labels that this is a high-end platform and not something that the mainstream audience should consider. Intel is also planning to announce their Z390 chipset platform soon for the 9th Gen mainstream processor lineup which should launch in the coming weeks.
In addition to the Z399 and Z390 platforms, Intel is also reportedly working on their ultra high-end and premium platform based on the X599 chipset. The Z390 platform uses the LGA 1151 socket, the Z399 platform should use the LGA 2066 socket, and the X599 platform should use the LGA 3647 socket. The new socket is named one generation ahead, skipping the X499 name since that is a potential AMD next-gen platform which will be introduced with new Ryzen Threadripper CPUs.
Intel HEDT Processor Families:
| Intel HEDT Family | Gulftown | Sandy Bridge-E | Ivy Bridge-E | Haswell-E | Broadwell-E | Skylake-X | Skylake-X | Skylake-X | Cascade Lake-X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process Node | 32nm | 32nm | 22nm | 22nm | 14nm | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm++ |
| Flagship SKU | Core i7-980X | Core i7-3960X | Core i7-4960X | Core i7-5960X | Core i7-6950X | Core i9-7980XE | Core i9-9980XE | Xeon W-3175X | TBD |
| Max Cores/Threads | 6/12 | 6/12 | 6/12 | 8/16 | 10/20 | 18/36 | 18/36 | 28/56 | 18/36? |
| Clock Speeds | 3.33/3,60 GHz | 3.30/3.90 GHz | 3.60/4.00 GHz | 3.00/3.50 GHz | 3.00/3.50 GHz | 2.60/4.20 GHz | 3.00/4.50 GHz | 3.10/4.30 GHz | TBD |
| Max Cache | 12 MB L3 | 15 MB L3 | 15 MB L3 | 20 MB L3 | 25 MB L3 | 24.75 MB L3 | 24.75 MB L3 | 38.5 MB L3 | 24.75 MB L3? |
| Max PCI-Express Lanes (CPU) | 32 Gen2 | 40 Gen2 | 40 Gen3 | 40 Gen3 | 40 Gen3 | 44 Gen3 | 44 Gen3 | 44 Gen3 | 44 Gen3? |
| Chipset Compatiblity | X58 Chipset | X79 Chipset | X79 Chipset | X99 Chipset | X99 Chipset | X299 | X299 | C612E | X399? |
| Socket Compatiblity | LGA 1366 | LGA 2011 | LGA 2011 | LGA 2011-3 | LGA 2011-3 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 3647 | LGA 2066? |
| Memory Compatiblity | DDR3-1066 | DDR3-1600 | DDR3-1866 | DDR4-2133 | DDR4-2400 | DDR4-2667 | DDR4-2800 | DDR4-2800 | DDR4-2933 |
| Max TDP | 130W | 130W | 130W | 140W | 140W | 165W | 165W | 255W | 165W? |
| Launch | Q1 2010 | Q4 2011 | Q3 2013 | Q3 2014 | Q2 2016 | Q3 2017 | Q4 2018 | Q4 2018 | 2H 2019 |
| Launch Price | $999 US | $999 US | $999 US | $1059 US | $1700 US | $1999 US | $1979 US | TBD | TBD |
The Intel Z399 chipset production is said to be in full swing but since it is a niche market, the overall chipset production won’t be much of an issue to the highly constrained Intel 14nm supply. It should be pointed that the Z390 platform would feature a maximum of 8 cores and 16 threads, the Z399 platform would feature a maximum of 22 cores and 44 threads while the X599 platform would be featuring support for CPUs with up to 28 cores and 56 threads. More information on these chips is expected in the coming weeks so stay tuned.
Of the three Intel CPU platforms launching soon, which are you most interested for?
