Early in 2017, Intel released their brand new Kaby Lake platform, featuring a plethora of CPUs and motherboards. The Kaby Lake platform introduced nothing new over what Skylake and its boards already offered. It was simply part of Intel's yearly refresh and brought some modest clock speed upgrades and boards with added features (mainly by AIBs rather than the chipset itself).
But, a few months after Kaby Lake launched, AMD introduced Ryzen. A significant update to their processor family that not only brought IPC on par with modern Intel cores, but also delivered a mainstream platform with feature level parity with Intel's mainstream offerings. Ryzen also offered more cores on the mainstream platform, with multi-threading support and the major blow to Intel came in price to performance. Ryzen had done one thing, it had disrupted Intel's long running reign in the mainstream market by itself, we won't even mention Threadripper here as that is a whole other story.
Meanwhile, Intel already had plans to update their mainstream family to higher cores, but AMD surprised them with the Ryzen lineup. As such, while the plans to bring higher core count CPUs were formulated long before Ryzen was even announced, the roadmap changes were made about a few months ago. So, what was expected to launch in early 2018 is launched slightly earlier in late 2017, Intel's first mainstream core count bump in more than 10 years.
Intel has officially launched the 300-series platform. Designed to support 8th generation core processors that are codenamed Coffee Lake, the 300-series offers new features and updates in the form that were essentially made to house the new generation of mainstream processors. The latest launch comes just a few months after Intel's 7th Generation core family which is very surprising, even for Intel. Today, I'll be testing Gigabyte's flagship Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 model with the Core i7-8700K processor which we tested back in October.
Intel Z370 Express Chipset - The Top 300-Series PCH
With the launch of Coffee Lake processors, Intel is also offering a new platform that is marked as 300-series. The Intel 300 series platform will feature several chipset SKUs but the first to hit the retail market is Z370.
The Z370 platform is exclusively built to support Coffee Lake CPUs meaning that while we can expect later CPU launches to feature support on the current platform, all CPUs that came before will not work on the new motherboards. We have more details on this in the LGA 1151 socket section so here, we will be taking a look at the Z370 featureset and what it offers over the previous 200 and 100 series platforms.
Intel Z370 PCH Features:
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:
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)
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
Up To 5 (USB 3.2 Gen 2z2)
Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1)
Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1)
Up To 14 (USB 2.0)
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
Intel TET
Intel Boot Guard
N/A
N/A
N/A
Intel SGX 1.0
Intel SGX 1.0
Intel SGX 1.0
Power Management
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
C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby
C8 Support
Launch
2024
2022
2021
2021
2019
2018
2017
Intel LGA 1151 Socket Again - Now With Only 8th Generation Processor Support
Intel isn't moving away from the LGA 1151 socket anytime soon. We are once again looking at the same socket which has been doing the rounds in the mainstream market since 2015. There is however a major difference. There's no backward compatibility with Skylake and Kaby Lake processors.
That brings us to the next significant detail about the Intel 300-series platform. Intel is confirming that the Coffee Lake processors are only compatible with the 300-series chipset. 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.
A more detailed analysis was posted by David Schor a few days ago which confirms the change in pin configuration on Coffee Lake processors, hence keeping the LGA 1151 socket on Z370 boards exclusive to Coffee Lake chips.
According to David, the reason we don't have Coffee Lake processors compatible with older series motherboards that feature the LGA 1151 socket is the change in pins. For instance, if the pin config changes on a processor, the sockets on the motherboard need to be configured as such. It's not a process that can be done via software as its more of a hardware level change.
When compared, the Coffee Lake processors have 391 VSS (Ground) pins which is an increase of 14 compared to Kaby Lake, 146 VCC (Electrical) pins which is an increase of 18 pins compared to Kaby Lake and about 25 pins that are reserved and a decrease of 21 pins from the 46 reserved on Kaby Lake.
Kaby Lake -> Coffee Lake
VSS (Ground): 377 -> 391 (+14)
VCC (Power): 128 -> 146 (+18)
RSVD: 46 ->25
Intel LGA 1151 CPU Pin Configuration (Coffee Lake vs Kaby Lake):
So one thing is clear, Intel was in fact telling the truth about electrical changes to the processors and socket in the 300-series platform. Furthermore, it's not just the reserved pins from Kaby Lake that have simply been populated. There are pins aside the reserved ones that were swapped with VCC pins and indicate a design tweak.
While we can put many theories to rest with this new detail, I think much of the confusion could have just been avoided if Intel clarified this themselves. Of course, if you are making the boards with a new PCH and new series of processors on the same socket that ran the previous CPU line, consumers would definitely want to know more about why the new platform that has the same socket cannot support their older chips. We previously heard about the LGA 1151 V2 naming scheme and that may have sorted some confusion but as we can tell, all motherboards still use the LGA 1151 naming scheme which may lead to people thinking that their 6th and 7th generation processors can run on the newer boards.
Cooler Compatibility With LGA 1151 Socket
Keeping the same socket has some advantages in the form of cooler compatibility. All users who are running the LGA 1151 socket or even LGA 1150 boards can use the same cooler on the Z370 boards without any hassle. The socket has the same dimensions and no changes are made aside from electrical changes that are specific to socket and processor pins. The socket assembly and mounting remains the same.
Intel does offer a separate boxed cooler but it will be a much better choice to get an AIB cooling solution since those offer better cooling performance. It is recommended for the unlocked SKUs that users run them on a high end air cooler or liquid cooling solution. Custom loop cooling will deliver even better results.
First of all, what is Coffee Lake? In simple terms, Coffee Lake is an improved Kaby Lake that has been made possible with the latest 14nm++ process node. Intel briefed in their webinar that Coffee Lake is on the same architectural level as Kaby Lake with no changes at all. Aside from that, the new 14nm process allows for improved power efficiency and higher clock speeds. There's a reason that Intel is bumping up the core count across their entire range of processors. The Intel Core i7 and Core i5 lineup gets 6 cores (HT/Non-HT) while the Core i3 lineup gets 4 cores.
The Intel Core i7 and Core i5 processors with 6 cores feature the same TDPs as their predecessors so bumping up the core count hasn't changed the TDP numbers. Actual power consumption may vary during testing real world applications but for that, you'd have to wait for our review in the coming weeks. You will also note that Intel has given a fairly good bump to both CPU and integrated GPU clock speeds which is only possible with the new and improved 14nm++ process.
Intel Coffee Lake CPUs Have 16 PCIe 3.0 Lanes, PCH Supports 24 PCIe 3.0 Lanes - These Make Up The 40 PCIe Platform Lanes
Now one thing you might have noticed in other articles is that they state the Intel Coffee Lake platform will feature 40 PCIe Lanes. That's true but not entirely an accurate representation. As you see, Intel does has 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes on their upcoming family but those are a combination of CPU and PCH lanes. All Coffee Lake CPUs feature 16 PCIe Gen 3.0 lanes while the Z370 PCH features 24 PCIe 3.0 lanes. These make up the 40 PCIe 3.0 lanes that Intel claims of.
This means that people can add in two GPUs for SLI or mGPU support which will be given to the CPU while PCH can allow for additional devices such as PCIe / M.2 storage or Intel Optane support.
The Intel 8th Gen, Core Desktop Family Full Specifications and Prices
At launch, Intel will introduce 6 new Coffee Lake CPUs to consumers. These include the flagship Core i7-8700K, Core i7-8700, Core i5-8600K, Core i5-8400, Core i3-8350K and Core i3-8100. Intel includes three "K" unlocked CPUs in the lineup while the rest are locked CPUs that don't feature overclocking but great for budget users in their own place.
Following are the detailed specs for these CPUs:
Intel Core i7-8700K – The Coffee Lake Flagship With 6 Cores and 4.3 GHz Boost Across All Cores
The Intel Core i7-8700K will be the flagship processor of the lineup. It will feature 6 cores and 12 threads. The chip will be compatible with the LGA 1151 socket on the Z370 chipset only. The chip will be Intel’s first hexa core product and will be based on the 14nm process node.
In terms of clock speeds, we are looking at a 3.7 GHz base frequency which boosts up to 4.3 GHz (6 core) and 4.7 GHz (1 core). These clocks are really impressive so we can expect much faster gaming performance on Coffee Lake parts than the current generation of CPUs. The chip is fully unlocked allowing for overclocking and comes with a TDP of 95W. There’s 12 MB of L3 cache on board along with a GT2 tier iGPU. The chip supports DDR4-2666 MHz memory (native) and up to 4400 MHz+ (OC). The Intel Core i7-8700K will cost $359 US at launch.
Intel Core i5-8600K – The Gamer Aimed Hexa Core With Overclocking Capability and 4.3 GHz Boost
The Intel Core i5-8600K is the second unlocked chip in the lineup and features a hexa core design. We have learned that the Intel Core i5 series will stick with 6 cores but they will not feature a multi-threaded design. The chip probably features 9 MB of L3 cache while being supported on the LGA 1151 socket.
In terms of clock speeds, we are looking at 3.5 GHz base, 4.2 GHz (6 core), 4.3 GHz (1 core) boost clocks. The chip will feature a TDP of 95W and the pricing will be set at $257 US which is just a few bucks over $242 US Price of the Core i5-7600K making it a great option for gamers who want some extra cores inside their rigs.
Intel Core i3-8350K – A Quad Core i3 Processor With 4 GHz Clock Speed
The Intel Core i3-8350K might be the only Core i3 chip in the 8th Gen family that enables overclocking support. Intel’s 8th Gen Core i3 family is also the first to feature 4 cores which will be a great deal for budget builders. The Intel Core i3-8350K comes with 4 cores and 4 threads that are clocked at 4.0 GHz. The chip features 6 MB of cache and will feature a TDP of 91W.
The Intel Core i3 chips will not feature boost clocks but they will have a more stable base clock speed and pricing is set at $168 US for the unlocked model.
Intel Core i5-8400 - A 6 Core Chip Under $200 US, Is This The Dream Gaming Chip?
The one other chip that is worth mentioning is the Intel Core i5-8400. This is a 6 core processor with no hyper threading and no overclocking enabled so what makes it so special? The pricing. The Intel Core i5-8400 has been priced at a remarkable $182 US range which is under the $200 US pricing range. This makes it a very competitive chip for the gaming desktop market as you can have a modern 6 core gaming processor for a fantastic price. We are very interested to test the chip out ourselves.
Intel Coffee Lake 8th Gen Desktop Core Lineup:
CPU Name
Intel Core i3-8100
Intel Core i3-8350K
Intel Core i5-8400
Intel Core i5-8600K
Intel Core i7-8700
Intel Core i7-8700K
Intel Core i7-8086K
CPU Family
Coffee Lake-S
Coffee Lake-S
Coffee Lake-S
Coffee Lake-S
Coffee Lake-S
Coffee Lake-S
Coffee Lake-S
CPU Process
14nm
14nm
14nm
14nm
14nm
14nm
14nm
CPU Cores
4
4
6
6
6
6
6
CPU Threads
4
4
6
6
12
12
12
Base Clock
3.60 GHz
4.00 GHz
2.80 GHz
3.60 GHz
3.20 GHz
3.70 GHz
4.00 GHz
Boost Clock (Max)
N/A
N/A
4.00 GHz
4.30 GHz
4.60 GHz
4.70 GHz
5.00 GHz
Boost Clock (6 Core)
N/A
N/A
3.50 GHz
4.40 GHz
4.20 GHz
4.30 GHz
4.30 GHz
L2 Cache
1 MB (256 KB per Core)
1 MB (256 KB per Core)
1.5 MB (256 KB per Core)
1.5 MB (256 KB per Core)
1.5 MB (256 KB per Core)
1.5 MB (256 KB per Core)
1.5 MB (256 KB per Core)
L3 Cache
6 MB
6 MB
9 MB
9 MB
12 MB
12 MB
12 MB
Overclocking Support
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Socket Support
LGA 1151
LGA 1151
LGA 1151
LGA 1151
LGA 1151
LGA 1151
LGA 1151
PCH
300-Series
300-Series
300-Series
300-Series
300-Series
300-Series
300-Series
TDP
65W
91W
65W
95W
65W
95W
95W
Price
$117 US
$168 US
$182 US
$257 US
$303 US
$359 US
$429 US
Intel Details Overclocking and Gaming Performance Figures - Our Advice, Wait For Reviews
Intel has also detailed some performance numbers for their Coffee Lake processors. First of all, we have overclocking details. Intel claims that Coffee Lake processors are the best chips designed for overclocking. There are a range of new features supported by the chips which include:
Per Core Overclocking
Max Memory Ratio Up To 8400 MT/s
Real-Time Memory Latency Control
Extended PLL Trim Controls
Enhanced Package Power Delivery
The combination of these tools and features will presumably deliver better overclocking and even faster performance out of the chips. In terms of pure gaming performance, Intel says that the Core i7-8700K, when paired with a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti class graphics card delivers up to 195 FPS in the Gears of War 4 title, that's a 25% increase in FPS over the Core i7-7700K. The extra number of cores also deliver better streaming performance that is a must in today's gaming ecosystem. We can see up to 45% better performance in Player Unknown Battlegrounds while gaming, streaming and also recording at the same time versus a Core i7-7700K. Compared to a 3 year old PC with something like Haswell or Ivy Bridge inside it, we can see a difference of 2X which sounds great.
Intel Coffee Lake PCB Thickness Compared To Kaby Lake and Core X Processors
Gigabyte sent me their top of the line AORUS motherboard, the Z370 AORUS Gaming 7. This high end motherboard carries a top end design that boasts literally every feature that gamers demand. You can find quad way SLI/CFX GPU support, faster 4133+ MHz DRAM support, high-end audio driver, Killer E2500 LAN, tons of RGB and a solid power supply design scheme that can take true advantage of overclocking capabilities that Coffee Lake unlocked CPUs have to offer. The motherboard being aimed at the high-end also comes at a high price of $249.99 US. ($219.99 for the next 2 days).
ASMedia 3142 USB 3.1 Gen 2 with USB Type-C and Type-A
Front USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Header
Multi-Way Graphics Support with Dual Armor and Ultra Durable Design
121dB SNR AMP-UP Audio with ALC1220 & High-End ESS SABRE 9018 DAC with WIMA audio capacitors
Sound BlasterX 720, the top-of-the-line audio engine solution for 4K gaming and entertainment
Killer E2500 Gaming Network + Intel Gigabit LAN
RGB FUSION with Multi-Zone Digital LED Light Show design, support digital LED & RGB LED strips
Swappable Overlay for Accent LED
Smart Fan 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors and Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP
Triple Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 x4 interface and Thermal Guard
USB DAC-UP 2 with Adjustable Voltage
Precise Digital USB Fuse Design for Stronger Protection
Anti-Sulfur Resistors Design
Ultra Durable 25KV ESD and 15KV Surge LAN Protection
Lightning-Fast Intel Thunderbolt 3 AIC Support
APP Center Including EasyTune and Cloud Station Utilities
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 Motherboard Gallery:
Server-Class Digital Power Design
AORUS Z370 series motherboards use an all digital CPU power design which includes both digital PWM Controllers and Smart Power Stage controllers. Intersil is the world leading provider for high performance power IC solutions, capable of providing up to 60A of power. These 100% digital controllers offer incredible precision in delivering power to the motherboard's most power-hungry and energy-sensitive components, allowing enthusiasts to get the absolute maximum performance from their new 8 Gen Intel Core Processors.
Built-in Advanced Performance Tuning IC
Turbo B-Clock Tuning IC in the AORUS Z370 series motherboards enables overclockers to have the ability to change their BCLK frequency to a desired value of their choice. With the new linear range adjustment option of the Tuning IC, ranges from 90MHz to 500MHz are now possible, so that overclockers are not limited to the 5% ranges of traditional straps.
*Turbo B-Clock overclocking range may vary according to CPU, chipset and used devices capabilities.
SUPERCHARGED PERFORMANCE On AORUS Z370 GAMING Motherboard
The AORUS Z370 enthusiast motherboards are faster and more powerful than any other motherboards the world has seen. With aggressively redesigned armor and thermal heatsinks, its performance capabilities and durability are second to none. Performance is no stranger to AORUS, with exotic cooling and an ability to be tuned to peak performance, AORUS motherboards will exceed expectations.
RGB Fusion with Digital LEDs
With AORUS Z370 Motherboards, RGB Fusion is even better with Digital LEDs.* RGB Fusion offers users the option to control onboard RGB and external RGBW/ Digital LED light strips for their PC. Already feature filled with colors and patterns, RGB Fusion on Z370 Series AORUS Motherboards are now upgraded with Digital LED support. With external digital LED strips*, where each LED is digitally addressable, users can experience even more patterns, styles, and illuminations.
AORUS Gaming Motherboards will support either 5v or 12v digital LED lighting strips and up to 300 LED lights. RGB Fusion with Digital LEDs comes with 9 new patterns and various speed settings with more to come.
Multi-Zone Light Show Design
Now offering more LED customizations than ever, users can truly adapt their PC to represent their lifestyle. With full RGB support and a redesigned RGB Fusion application, the user has complete control over the LEDs which surround the motherboard.
Surround Lighting
Multi-light zones are equipped with high brightness RGB LEDs, namely the CPU, Memory, Armor, Audio, PCI-Express and Swappable Overlay for Accent LED. When it’s all set and done, your system will shine like never before.
Swappable Overlay for Accent LED
AORUS brings even more color and life to your system with an Accent LED Overlay. This overlay complements the RGB Fusion technology in AORUS Motherboards adding more flare and style to your gaming machine. With the swappable overlay users can utilize different patterns and designs to make their system their own.
Design your very own Accent LED Overlay with a 3D printer. Click here to download dimensions and 3D files for the Accent LED Overlay.
ESS SABRE DAC
AORUS AMP-UP Audio now offers ESS SABRE with a DAC that adopts the concept of a high-end audiophile sound system design into a micro system within the motherboard. It provides a pure yet powerful sound, resonating classical orchestral sounds or blasts in your virtual warzone.
ESS SABRE reference DAC
Hypertream Dynamic Range (DNR 121dB)
High-Res music (32bit, 384kHz PCM)
Super low THD+N (THD+N -115db)
True Hi-Fidelity Music
Provides surround sound audio and enabled DSD music playback.
Audiophile Grade Capacitors
Deliver true acoustic sound.
Independent Analog Power
Drives clean analog power for audio components to ensure minimal noise.
Precision Audio Stream
Provides precise time triggers to Digital-Analog Converters High resistance to corrosion and oxidation.
Gold Plated Audio Jacks
High resistance to corrosion and oxidation.
Smart Fan 5
With Smart Fan 5 users can ensure that their gaming PC can maintain its performance while staying cool. Smart Fan 5 allows users to interchange their fan headers to reflect different thermal sensors at different locations on the motherboard. Not only that, with Smart Fan 5 more hybrid fan headers that support both PWM and Voltage mode fans have been introduced to make the motherboard more liquid cooling friendly.
9 Temperature Sensors
8 Fan/Water Pump Connectors
All Fan Pin Headers Upgraded to Hybrid Fan Headers
Interoperable Fans and Sensors
Intuitive UI for Fan Control
Hybrid Fan Pin Headers & Temperature Sensors
Assume complete control over your liquid cooling setup! Smart Fan 5 receives up-to-the-second information on flow-rate and water-temperature through the Hybrid Fan Pin Headers or external thermistor sensors—giving you absolute mastery over your PC.
• All Hybrid Fan Headers can automatically detect the type of cooling device whether it be fan or pump with different PWM or Voltage mode.
• Includes support for one High-Current Pump up to 3 Amps with built-in overcurrent protection—a must for high-end high current fans.
Triple PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2
Extreme Performance with Gen3 x4 NVMe PCIe SSDs
AORUS' Z370 motherboards offer the industry’s best compatibility in terms of NVMe storage for users who demand high capacity and seek the best performance. AORUS' unique design which can be configured in RAID for record speeds of up to 3551 MB/s (Sequential Read), making AORUS the obvious choice for the ultimate PC.
Triple NVMe M.2 PCIe SSDs in RAID 0 Support
The advanced PCI-E Steel Slots packed with solid cover that prevent any signal interference with graphics cards. It also ensures the heavy graphics cards to be well-installed in the PCI-E slots safely.
AORUS M.2 Thermal Guard
With durability in mind, GIGABYTE provides a thermal solution for M.2 drives—Thermal Guard. The M.2 Thermal Guard prevents throttling and bottlenecks from M.2 devices as it helps to reduce and dissipate heat before it becomes an issue.
PERFORMANCE FUELED BY OPTANE
The AORUS Z370 Platform is the first enthusiast platform that supports Intel’s latest Optane technology. Optane fuels storage performance by acting as a cache drive giving users a significant boost compared to traditional mechanical drives.
Killer E2500 Gaming Network + Intel Gigabit LAN
Killer E2500 is a high-performance, adaptive gigabit Ethernet controller that offers better online gaming and media performance compared to standard solutions.
Intel Gigabit LAN networking, a popular choice with gamers, delivers several performance-enhancing features such as advanced interrupt handling to help reduce CPU overhead and Jumbo Frame support for extra large data packets.
AORUSExtreme USB 3.1 Motherboards
The ASMEDIA 3142 USB 3.1 controller utilizes 2 PCIe Gen3 lanes, offering a total of up to 16 Gb/s, which means you have extra bandwidth to take full control of the 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports. With twice the bandwidth compared to its previous generation, and backwards compatibility with USB 2.0 and 3.0, the much improved USB 3.1 protocol is available over the new reversible USB Type-C and the traditional USB Type-A connector for better compatibility over a wider range of devices.
USB Type-C Front Panel Connector
Equipped with next generation connectivity onboard AORUS Z370 Gaming Motherboards already support the chassis of the future. The onboard USB Type-C header for USB 3.1 Gen2 makes access convenient when connecting a USB 3.1 Gen2 drive or charging your new mobile device.
Ultra Durable PCIe & DIMM Armor
Never worry about your heavy graphics card damaging your motherboard again. AORUS’ proprietary Ultra Durable PCIe Metal Shielding reinforces the PCIe connector to prevent slot damage due to heavy graphics cards. The DIMM and PCIe metal shield also provide extra strength for when you forget to release the lock while replacing your components, adding a foolproof option which can save your PC’s life.
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
The Gigabyte AORUS Z370 Gaming 7 comes in the standard cardboard package. The front features a black and silver color scheme with orange accents which Gigabyte is known for. The boards uses the AORUS branding which is used for high-end gaming oriented motherboards.
The back side of the package lists down the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as RGB Fusion, AMP-UP Audio, Smart Fan 5 with Fan Stop technology, M.2 Thermal Guard, 3x M.2 NVMe support, Killer + Intel Networking technologies and other features, including a table that shows all the specifications.
The front side also lists down support for Intel's 8th generation Core processors. There's also support for Intel Optane memory along with mention of LGA 1151, RGB Fusion, ESS Sabre HiFi, Smart Fan 5, Killer Ethernet E2500 and VR Ready.
Upon opening the package, I am first greeted by a very large piece of paper that include various stickers. It's a really nice addition which can be used to style up your rig and peripherals. Do note that the motherboard is right below this large sticker sheet.
There are several accessories included in the package which are stored in their own compartment. The middle section houses the Installation Guide, User's Manual, an AORUS Driver Disk (It is always recommended to download the latest drivers from the motherboard vendors official site) and a nice AORUS case badge.
The next compartment houses a pair of AORUS branded cable ties, the ever so useful G-connector, a High-Bandwidth SLI bridge, a pair of screws for the M.2 slots and a I/O shield. The AORUS shield comes with exhaust vents on the back which is useful to blow out extra air.
The last compartment houses the two plastic pouches with 2 SATA cables per pouch. There's also a few RGB extenders along with thermistors for the Smart Fan 5 features.
The motherboard itself is contained in the first box on top of the accessories. It's within electrical shielding package and has stickers on the PCH and I/O heatsink to prevent from dust build up.
Outside of the box, the Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 looks to feature a very futuristic design scheme and has appears to comes with a solid build quality. The motherboard definitely looks like a flagship design and I cannot wait to fire it up for the tests.
The Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 motherboard is styled in black and silver. This is a top tier product that retails for $250 US and has almost everything that a gamer would want to be in a flagship design. The motherboard comes in the standard ATX form factor.
The board uses the LGA 1151 socket to support Intel Core processors. The socket is compatible with Intel's 8th generation core family only at the moment. The socket has a protective cover on top of it that points out the exclusivity with Coffee Lake CPUs and refrains users from running a older 6th or 7th generation CPU as it could damage the socket.
Next to the socket are four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 64 GB dual channel memory. These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 4133 MHz (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. The board comes with over 1000+ validated memory support list making memory compatibility all the more easier. Another thing to note is that Gigabyte is using the Ultra Durable memory armor with anti-bending plate that improves durability for memory slots. These memory slots also feature RGB support which looks fantastic.
The Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 motherboard packs a 10 phase Server-Class Digital Power Design. The design is packed with 2 phase power for the DRAM and uses Premium 60A power chokes, Smart Power Stage IC and 100% Digital PWM that deliver unprecedented stability and overclocking capabilities.
As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from the two metallic heatsinks that are beefy in terms of overall size. This motherboard is designed for overclocking so expect stable operation of the electrical circuitry when this board is running.
The motherboards have a large base for the PWM area and as such, heat is quickly dissipate from the heatsink by air blowing within the chassis. On closer inspection, the heatstink features internal heatpipe cooling and further enahances the cooling performance by integrating a VRM fan under the I/O panel which is a great addition.
The CPU is supplied power through a single 8-pin power connector. This will feed the CPU with up to 150W of power. Most Intel CPUs will be shipping with TDPs under 100W but that changes when users overclock, since that changes the power limit based on applied voltages and clock speed.
Expansion slots include three PCI Express 3.0 x16, three PCI Express 3.0 x1 and three M.2 slots. The board can support four-way multi-GPU (CrossFireX / SLI). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCIe gen3 x4 and Intel Optane series memory.
Gigabyte is using their patented double locking bracket on the expansion slots along with their Ultra Durable PCIe Armor that adds a stainless shield on the sides of the PCI-e slots and additional anchor points that offer stronger grip with heavier graphics cards. These add more retention and shearing resistance by reinforcing the slots with metal plates. Aside from adding more protection, they do look really sweet.
The M.2 slots also come with Gigabyte's latest M.2 Thermal Guard technology which reduces thermal throttling on M.2 storage devices.
The PCH is cooled off by a large metallic heatsink which runs next to the SATA ports. The PCH heat sink has embedded RGB LEDs and provide a good light show for those that are interested in RGBs trend. You can also turn off the LEDs entirely through Gigabyte's bundled software if you are not a fan of such LEDs.
Storage options include six SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support up to six different storage devices at once. Many fan headers and jumpers can be found next to the storage ports.
The AMP-UP Audio onboard system powers the audio on this board. The latest generation of the AMP-UP Audio system now offers ESS Sabre with DAC that includes premium noise and audio clarity through the use of WIMA. Nichicon Fine Gold audiophile grade capacitors and other high-end components which make audio absolutely rich.
Finally, we have the I/O panel which includes the Killer E2500 + Intel Ethernet LAN ports, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-A + Type-C) ports, five USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports including two of which that feature voltage adjustable for easier charging of mobile devices, an HDMI port, a DisplayPort and a 7.1 Channel HD Audio Jack.
In addition to the I/O ports, the motherboard features the following I/O connectors internally:
1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
1 x CPU fan header
1 x water cooling CPU fan header
4 x system fan headers
1 x 3 Amp fan/water cooling pump header
1 x system fan/water cooling pump header
2 x digital LED strip headers
2 x digital LED strip power select jumpers
2 x RGB (RGBW) LED strip headers
3 x M.2 Socket 3 connectors
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
1 x front panel header
1 x front panel audio header
1 x S/PDIF Out header
1 x USB Type-C header, with USB 3.1 Gen 2 support
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 header
2 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers
1 x Thunderbolt™ add-in card connector
1 x Trusted Platform Module (TPM) header (2x6 pin, for the GC-TPM2.0_S module only)
For testing, we used the latest Intel Core i7-8700K which was sent by Intel and the Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7. The Intel Coffee Lake family comes with higher core count on the main stream platform but prices are close to the predecessors in the same segment. We also slightly updated our test platform as Intel had sent us with their 32 GB Optane Memory which they say boosts performance of SATA based storage devices significantly and Coffee Lake can prove to be worthy demonstration for this type of memory product.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 Test Platform:
Processor
Intel Core i7-8700K
Motherboard
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7
ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero
ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-E Gaming
ASRock Z370 Professional Gaming i7
Power Supply
Corsair RM 750X Gold Plus
Solid State Drive
Samsung SSD 960 EVO M.2 (512 GB)
Hard Disk
Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 7200.12
Memory
G.SKILL Trident Z RGB Series 32 GB (4 x 8GB) CL16 3600 MHz
Case
Corsair Graphite Series 780T Full Tower
Video Cards
MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X
Cooling Solutions
Corsair H115i GTX
Cryorig R1 Ultimate
OS
Windows 10 64-bit
Our test rig includes the Samsung 960 EVO 500 GB SSD that boots up our main OS while a 2 TB Seagate HDD is used for demonstration purposes for the Intel Optane memory. In addition to these, we are running a MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X graphics card, a Corsair RM 750X Gold Plus power supply and 32 GB of G.Skill provided Trident Z RGB series memory which runs with a clock speed of DDR4-3600 MHz. For cooling, we used the Cryorig R1 Ultimate and Corsair H115i GTX AIO coolers to see how the new Coffee Lake CPUs perform on both air and liquid cooling solutions.
We won't be focusing on Intel's Core i7-8700K architecture in this review since it is entirely the same chip as Skylake along with minor improvements. The Skylake / Kaby Lake architecture analysis can be seen in detail here. For overclocking, I made the following tweaks to the CPUs:
Intel Core i7-8700K @ 5.2 GHz With 1.378V (100 x 52)
3DMark Time Spy CPU Performance
3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
3DMark Firestrike CPU Performance
3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
Blender
Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.
Cinebench R15
CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Iron Man 3, Oblivion, Life of Pi or Prometheus and many more.
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench is based on Maxon’s Cinema 4D. It is used to compare graphics as well as processor performance. We are using the CPU performance numbers for our comparison.
HandBrake
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.
POV-Ray
The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray-tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.
SuperPI
Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.
WinRAR
WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from the Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.
X264 HD Encode Benchmark
This benchmark measures the encoding performance of the processor. It offers a standardized benchmark as the clip as well as the encoder used is uniform.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 - Ashes of The Singularity
Stardock's Ashes of the Singularity RTS title is a new take on the historic genre. The game incorporates several things that many pc gamers have been curious about and anxious to try for themselves such as Explicit Multi-Adapter Support and full Asynchronous Compute under DirectX 12 API. We tested the game at 1440P with 4x MSAA on Crazy Settings under DirectX 12.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 – Battlefield 1
Battlefield 1 is the kind of game that doesn’t need any real introduction. The latest installment of the Battlefield series is as beautiful as anyone would expect and comes right out of the gate with full DX11 and DX12. EA and DICE did a fantastic job with their AAA WW1 shooter this time by implementing some key gaming technologies. We tested the game at 1440P using Ultra settings and DirectX 11 API.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 - DOOM
In 2016, Id finally released Doom. My testing wouldn’t be complete without including this title. It's a hell fest featuring fast paced FPS action and tons of demons to kill. The latest title is based on both Vulkan and OpenGL APIs that take advantage of the latest multi-core and multi-GPU upgrades.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 - GTA V
GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It's scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 - Mass Effect Andromeda
Being a huge fan of the Mass Effect series, I was highly anticipating the arrival of Andromeda to store shelves. Now that it’s here, I put the fastest gaming card to the test. Using Frostbite, the latest Mass Effect title looks incredibly gorgeous and the open world settings on the different planets immerses you a lot.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 - Rise of the Tomb Raider
The latest Rise of the Tomb Raider title gets lots of graphical enhancements added by Crystal Dynamics and Nixxes, including hardware tessellation, increased anisotropic filtering, additional dynamic foliage, increased LOD, additional PureHair strands, sun soft shadows, and improved bokeh DOF. We tested the game at 1440P under DirectX 12 API.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 - Sid Meir's Civilization VI
Civilization VI is the pinnacle of the series. It's featured huge, sweeping changes, and nothing was left out. Everything has found a purpose, they all work together in tandem but also have a reason to stand alone. It uses a more fleshed out engine that now supports DirectX 12 capabilities. We tested the game with every setting maxed out (4x MSAA, 4096x4096 shadow textures) at 1440P in DirectX 12.
Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 - Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 once again takes us on a hacking tour, but this time in the city of San Francisco. Using a very evolved version of the OPUS engine the developers should have a better grasp on things this go around than they did with Watch Dogs. The new engine incorporates several NVIDIA Gameworks technologies and is seen as one of the most graphics intensive titles to launch this year. We tested the game on a mix of Ultra and high settings at 1440P (Temporal Filtering Disabled).
The Coffee Lake architecture is meant to improve overall system power consumption and add to the efficiency. In the case of the 8th Gen CPUs, we are looking at refined 14nm++ process which allows Intel to gain improved clock speeds and increase the number of cores with in the same power envelope.
With the frequency bump, the new chips do end up with higher power consumption both in idle and load states. The Intel Core i7-8700K when overclocked, breaches the 400W barrier although surprisingly, it's not as intensive when compared with Core-X or Kaby Lake processors. Following are the results of the processor when overclocked on the different motherboards.
Do note that the Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 motherboard was running the chip at 5.2 GHz when overclocked:
The Intel Coffee Lake processors feature higher clock speeds and more cores, this means that the temperatures can directly be affected by the updated design. In terms of packaging, the processors ship with the same TIM between the IHS that has been used on previous mainstream Intel CPUs. In short, they aren't as great as soldered ones but we should expect temps to stay under some what level of control due to tweaking. The results at stock were carried out with a Cryorig R1 Ultimate air cooler while the overclocked results were carried out with a Corsair H115i GTX AIO liquid cooler:
Gigabyte's Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 - The Best $250 US Motherboard For Intel's 8th Gen CPUs?
Testing the Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Gaming 7 was a nice experience for me. When Coffee Lake was launched, I got the chance to test it with a board that was priced almost around the $300 US tier. The Gigabyte motherboard is a different case, it's their flagship offering at the moment and costs $250 US in comparison. I was expecting it would miss out a few features but that wasn't the case.
Starting with the design, I must say that I was a big fan of Gigabyte's Z270 series design scheme but the Z370 lineup takes the design one step ahead and aims a more futuristic theme. It keeps some design elements such as the RGB Lighting points and the swapable overlay intact while improving upon everything else. It's a well build design and the color scheme would be perfect for several builds.
Talking about build quality, I was overwhelmingly impressed by the overclocking capabilities of the motherboard. Featuring 10 phases and lots of quality components meant that I was able to push the Core i7-8700K to 5.2 GHz with a breeze. There were some hiccups when reaching 5.3 GHz but the PC did boot and was able to run a few applications before crashing out due to stability issues but 5.2 GHz seems to be the sweet spot, although you would have to keep a good cooler (liquid is recommended) and supply higher voltages to the CPU.
When it comes to features, this motherboard is loaded with so many that it's just impressive what Gigabyte can offer in this price tag. There's a high-end audio PCB with upgradable AMPs, triple M.2 slots in which one comes with its own M.2 heatsink, the PCI-e and DRAM slots are shielded by metal and they embrace RGB lighting. The I/O heatsink looks absolutely gorgeous and Gigabyte is offering both Intel and Killer E2500 powered LAN ports which is a plus on my end. I would have loved for Gigabyte to add wireless connectivity on the motherboard since there are options below the Gaming 7 from Gigabyte which do offer wireless connectivity but that just isn't the case here.
Overall, these are very minor flaws with a motherboard that is in majority, an impressive $250 US product for the Intel 8th family.
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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