Not all major motherboard vendors are interested in releasing a new motherboard lineup for the Arrow Lake Refresh.
MSI Expected to Focus on DDR4 Motherboards as it Plans to Skip Motherboards for Arrow Lake Refresh Alongside ASUS
If you have been wondering why MSI and ASUS haven't released any new Z890 motherboards for the Arrow Lake Refresh, then we have the answer. As far as MSI is concerned, one of our sources told us that MSI will be focusing on DDR4 motherboards instead. Since the existing Z890 motherboard lineup is already sufficient for the Arrow Lake Refresh, it doesn't need to release newer motherboards.
Most vendors didn't pay much attention to the Refreshed Z890 motherboards because the current models support Arrow Lake Refresh without issues. Moreover, due to lower sales of Arrow Lake processors, the existing Z890 stack doesn't sell that much. While it makes sense to skip the refresh of motherboards, seeing MSI taking a step back in producing DDR4-compatible motherboards is a bit surprising.
We know that due to higher DDR5 memory prices, the sales of DDR5 motherboards have reduced significantly. Some vendors like ASRock also started to release Combo motherboards, featuring both DDR5 and DDR4 DIMM slots. MSI looks interested in bringing back DDR4 motherboards, too, but it isn't clear whether it will increase the production of existing DDR4 Intel/AMD motherboards or launch newer models.
Colorful too, appears to be interested in reintroducing its DDR3 motherboards as DDR4 memories are also witnessing a sharp price hike. As reported by ChannelGate (via Videocardz), Colorful is expected to launch the D3 series in early May as the company has been impacted by the DRAM shortages immensely.
As far as ASUS is concerned, GFF Events (via @unikoshardware) revealed that ASUS seems uninterested in launching new Z890 motherboards for Arrow Lake Refresh as well. Basically, both ASUS and MSI think that the existing models are adequate for the new Core Ultra 200S Plus CPUs, which is true. Even if they planned to release newer boards for better memory optimizations, it wouldn't make much sense due to the DDR5 RAM shortage.
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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