SuperO C9Z390-PGW CPU Performance Tests
Intel has come a long way with their mainstream processor platform. The platform has largely seen stagnation in terms of core and thread count over many generations since the first Core series CPU that launched back in 2010 but last year brought a big change to the CPU giant. What seemed to be a generational core clock bump has now turned into a generational core count bump while keeping the clock speed improvements.
The Coffee Lake-S 8th Generation family, was the first big core count jump on the mainstream 300 series platform. It was an opportunity for Intel to show that they don't only hold the IPC or clock speed advantage on the mainstream segment but they can also offer good multi-threading CPU performance. While the jump to 6 cores and 12 threads was great, the competition was offering up to 8 cores and 16 threads on their mainstream platform.
Intel is now unleashing their own 8 core parts with their new 9th Generation lineup, also known as the Coffee Lake Refresh. The interesting part is that while there is the famous Core i7 SKU with 8 cores, they are also launching their first mainstream Core i9 part with 8 cores. Both parts are very interesting in their own right and the price to performance difference is something which gamers have been looking forward to, especially when Intel is terming the Core i9 SKU as the best gaming processor on the planet, which is something I'd extensively be looking into in the performance benchmarks.
At the same time as the CPUs launched, motherboard partners of Intel also released a wide range of Z390 chipset based products. These products range from budget to mainstream and go all the way to the high-end tier, offering diverse designs and features, aimed at overclockers, gamers and both.
Today, I will be taking a look a the flagship arrival in Supermicro's latest gaming motherboard portfolio, the SuperO C9Z390-PGW. SuperO is the official gaming brand of Supermicro which produces high-end and mainstream motherboards for the gaming audience. These boards are known to utilize the high-quality precision and components of the server level design that you expect from Supermicro and that is essentially what I am going to test out in this review.
Intel Z390 Express Chipset - The Top 300-Series PCH
Since the launch of Coffee Lake processors, Intel is also offering a new platform that is marked under the 300-series family. The Intel 300 series platform features several chipset SKUs but the top of the line is the Z390 PCH which replaces the Z370 PCH as the flagship mainstream SKU.
The Z390 platform is designed to support both 8th and 9th Generation Coffee Lake CPUs. Since the new processors are part of a refresh, Intel did not restrict 9th Gen compatibility to just Z390 boards or 8th Gen compatibility to just Z370 boards. We have more details on this in the LGA 1151 socket section so here, we will be taking a look at the Z390 feature set and what it offers over the previous 200 and 100 series platforms.
Intel Z390 PCH Features:
The 9th gen desktop platform has a range of new features that mainly include:
- First performance Intel Core i9 desktop S-series processor
- Up to 8 cores
- Intel Z390 chipset compatible
- Solder Thermal Interface Material (STIM)
- Intel Wireless-AC 802.11 AC and Bluetooth 5.0
- Intel Wireless-AC Adapter
- Up To 6 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Ports
- Up to 16 threads, 5.0 GHz, 16 MB cache, and 40 platform PCIe lanes (16 CPU + 24 PCH)
- 9th Gen CPUs Compatible with all Intel 300 series chipsets
- Intel Optane memory and Intel Optane SSD support
- Thunderbolt 3 support
Intel Desktop Platform Chipset Comparison
| Chipset Name | Arrow Lake-S (ARL-S) PCH / 800 Series (Z890) | Raptor Lake-S (RPL-S) PCH / 700 Series (Z790) | Alder Lake-S (ADL-S) PCH / 600 Series (Z690) | Rocket Lake-S (RKL-S) PCH / 500 Series (Z590) | Comet Lake-S (CML-S) PCH / 400 Series (Z490) | Coffee Lake S (CFL-S) PCH / 300 Series (Z390/H370, B360, Q370, H310) | Coffee Lake S (KBL-R) PCH / Z370 Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process Node | 7nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 22nm |
| Processor | 24C, 20C, 14C, 12C, TBD) | 24,16C,12C,10C,6C,4C | 16C,12C,10C,6C,4C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 10C, 8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C, 4C (6 Consumer SKUs at Launch) |
| Memory | Up To DDR5-6400 (Native) | Up To DDR5-5600 (Native) Up To DDR4-3200 (Native) | Up To DDR5-4800 (Native) Up To DDR4-3200 (Native) | Up To DDR4-3200 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2933 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2666 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2666 (Native) |
| Media, Display & Audio | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | DP 1.2 & HDMI 2.0, HBR3 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) 12-bit AV1/HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP With USB Audio offload SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP |
| I/O & Connectivity | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 (Maple Ridge) | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2 Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4 | Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4 | Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Thunderbolt 3.0 (Alpine Ridge) |
| Storage | PCIe 5.0 (CPU Lanes), 8x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 5.0 (CPU Lanes), 6x SATA 3.0 | 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 9th 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 9th Gen Coffee Lake processors retain compatibility with the 300-series chipset. It's nice to see compatibility retained but it was also expected since 9th Gen is a refresh of Coffee Lake CPUs and high-end motherboards based on the Z370 chipset still allow for full overclocking support on the 8 core processors, even though the Z390 series is tailored around those CPUs with better PWM supplies.
A more detailed analysis was posted by David Schor a few days ago which confirms the change in pin configuration on Coffee Lake processors. This allows support for both 8th and 9th Gen CPUs without any major issues.
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 Z390 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 remain 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 the press that their new Coffee Lake Refresh is on the same architectural level as Kaby Lake (which is similar to Skylake) 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. Under the same 95W package, Intel is now offering up to 8 cores and 16 threads on their Core i9 SKUs, 8 cores and 8 threads on their Core i7 SKUs, and 6 cores and 6 threads on their Core i5 SKUs.
Actual power consumption may vary during testing real-world applications since Intel lists the TDP at the base clock which means power consumption at boost clocks would vary so it's very workload dependent. 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 is a true but not entirely accurate representation. As you see, Intel does have 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 Z390 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 9th Gen, Unlocked Core Desktop Family Full Specifications and Prices
Intel is initially launching three "K" unlocked CPUs in the 9th Gen Core lineup. As of right now, the 9th Gen unlocked family consists of the Core i9-9900K, Core i7-9700K, and the Core i5-9600K. The processors retail for $488 US for the Core i9, $374 US for the Core i7 and $262 US for the Core i5 SKUs.
Following are the detailed specs for these CPUs:
Intel Core i9-9900K, Intel’s First 8 Core and 16 Thread Mainstream CPU With 4.7 GHz All 8 Core Boost Frequency For $488 US
The Intel Core i9-9900K is the flagship SKU of the 9th Generation Core family. This will be the first mainstream desktop Core i9 part and also the first Intel chip to boast 8 cores and 16 threads. In terms of cache, the chip will feature 16 MB of L3 and will come with an Intel UHD 620 graphics chip.
The clock speeds are something to check out here, we are going to get a 3.6 GHz base clock out of the box and a 5.0 GHz boost clock in single and dual core operations. 4 core boost is rated at 4.8 GHz while 6/8 core boost is rated at 4.7 GHz. This is the highest frequency we have seen on an 8 core part across all cores. All of this is done under a 95W package so we can expect some hefty cooling solutions to go along with this chip.
Intel Core i7-9700K, Intel’s First 8 Core, Core i7 Mainstream Desktop CPU With Up To 4.6 GHz Clocks Across All Cores at $374 US
Coming to the top Core i7 part, we get 8 cores and 8 threads. This the complete opposite of what we have been hearing as previous rumors identified the chip as a 6 core and 12 thread part. The chip will have 12 MB of L3 cache and as you might tell, it has fewer threads than the Core i7-8700K but comes with a higher core count. So, maybe, we will get the same or even better performance from the chip.
In terms of clock speeds, the chip has a base clock of 3.6 GHz and boosts up to 4.9 GHz in single, 4.8 GHz in dual-core, 4.7 GHz in four core and 4.6 GHz in 6/8 core operations. The TDP for this part is maintained at the same 95W.
Intel Core i5-9600K, 6 Cores, and 6 Threads With Higher Clocks Than 8th Generation i5 ‘K” SKU, $262 US Official Price
The Intel Core i5-9600K is a 6 core and 6 thread part with 9 MB of L3 cache. This makes it very similar to the Core i5-8600K. The difference is that it features higher clock speeds of 3.7 GHz base, 4.6 GHz boost (1 core), 4.5 GHz (2 core), 4.4 GHz (4 core) and 4.3 GHz (6 core). All of this is done at the same TDP of 95W.
Intel 9th Generation Core Family CPU Official Specifications:
| Processor Name | Process | Cores / Threads | Base Clock | Boost Clock | Cache | TDP | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core i9-9900KS | 14nm++ | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 5.0 GHz (8 Cores) | 16 MB | 127W | $513 US |
| Core i9-9900K | 14nm++ | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 16 MB | 95W | $488 US |
| Core i9-9900KF | 14nm++ | 8 / 16 | 3.6 GHz | 5.0 GHz | 16 MB | 95W | $488 US |
| Core i7-9700K | 14nm++ | 8 / 8 | 3.6 GHz | 4.9 GHz | 12 MB | 95W | $374 US |
| Core i7-9700KF | 14nm++ | 8 / 8 | 3.6 GHz | 4.9 GHz | 12 MB | 95W | $374 US |
| Core i5-9600K | 14nm++ | 6 / 6 | 3.7 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 9 MB | 95W | $262 US |
| Core i5-9600KF | 14nm++ | 6 / 6 | 3.7 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 9 MB | 95W | $262 US |
| Core i5-9600 | 14nm++ | 6 / 6 | 3.1 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 9 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Core i5-9500 | 14nm++ | 6 / 6 | 3.0 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 9 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Core i5-9400 | 14nm++ | 6 / 6 | 2.9 GHz | 4.1 GHz | 9 MB | 65W | $182 |
| Core i5-9400T | 14nm++ | 6 / 6 | 1.8 GHz | 3.4 GHz | 9 MB | 35W | TBD |
| Core i3-9350KF | 14nm++ | 4/4 | 4.0 GHz | 4.6 GHz | 8 MB | 91W | TBD |
| Core i3-9100 | 14nm++ | 4 / 4 | TBD | 4.2 GHz | 6 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Core i3-9000 | 14nm++ | 4 / 4 | 3.7 GHz | N/A | 6 MB | 65W | TBD |
| Core i3-9000T | 14nm++ | 4 / 4 | 3.2 GHz | N/A | 6 MB | 35W | TBD |
Intel Details Overclocking and Gaming Performance Figures - Our Advice, Wait For Reviews
Intel 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 is 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 SuperO Z390 motherboard lineup is made of three full-sized ATX and a single ITX board. The three main areas that SuperO has really put attention to is providing users with 24/7 Reliability, a server grade quality, and power efficient design. Following are the four motherboards that will be offered in the SuperO Z390 family.
- SuperO C9Z390-PGW
- SuperO C9Z390-CG-IW
- SuperO C9Z390-CGW
- SuperO C9Z390-CG
Looking at the flagship SuperO C9Z390-PGW, this motherboard comes with the LGA 1151 socket that is designed to support a higher TDP of 140W for maximum overclocking potential. We can tell that there's a 10 phase VRM on the board that is powered by a single 8-pin power connector. The board features four DIMMs slots that can house up to 64 GB of memory at speeds of up to 4000 MHz (OC+). In addition to that, there are four PCIe 3.0 x16 expansion slots, a single PCI-e 3.0 x1 slot and two M.2 slots that are hidden beneath the massive M.2 heatsinks that extend over from the PCH heatsink.
SuperO C9Z390-PGW Motherboard Specifications:
- Intel 8th/9th Generation Core i9/Core i7/Core i5/Core i3/Pentium/Celeron series Processor., Single Socket LGA 1151 supported, CPU TDP support Up to 140W
- Intel Z390 Express
- Up to 64GB Unbuffered non-ECC UDIMM, DDR4-4000MHz (O.C), in 4 DIMM slots
- 4 PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots (16/NA/16/NA or 16/NA/8/8 or 8/8/16/NA or 8/8/8/8),
1 PCI-E 3.0 x1
M.2 Interface: 2 PCI-E 3.0 x4, RAID 0 & 1 and 1 CNVi
M.2 Form Factor: 2260/2280/22110, 2260/2280, 2230
M.2 Key: M-Key, M-Key, E-Key (RAID 0,1 support)
M.2-M1 port shares PCI-E link with U2-1 port;M.2-M2 port shares link with SATA port4 and port5; M.2-E1 port pre-installed one 802.1ac WiFi+BT5.0 module
U.2 Interface: 2 PCI-E 3.0 x4 and PCI-E 3.0 x4 - 2 DP (DisplayPort) ports, 1 HDMI port,
Display port up to 1.2, HDMI up to 2.0 - Intel Z390 Express controller for 6 SATA3 (6 Gbps) ports; RAID 0,1,5,10
- Single LAN with Intel single Ethernet PHY i219V
Single LAN with Aquantia AQC107 10G Ethernet Controller
SuperO C9Z390-PGW Motherboard Gallery:
Storage options include six SATA III ports, two U.2 ports and we can find some nifty overclocking and tuning buttons on the top right corner of the board too. SuperO is using metal shielding on the DDR4 DIMM and PCIe 3.0 x16 expansion slots while the top I/O cover is placed right over the aluminum heatsink that rests over the VRMs. One thing to note here is that SuperO is using the Broadcom PEX8747 switch that offers higher PCIe lanes than the standard count. This is essential for powering the insane amount of expansion available on this motherboard. This offers an x8, x8, x8, x8 configuration on all four PCIe x16 slots available on the board.
I/O includes an M.2 E-Key for WiFi module, 2 Display Port 1.2, 1 HDMI 2.0, a 10 GB Aquantia AQC107 Ethernet LAN, a single Gigabit Intel i219V LAN port, 5 USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports and 2 USB 2.0 ports. There's a Realtek ALC1220 powered 7.1 channel HD audio jack too.
The SuperO C9Z390-PGW comes in the standard cardboard packaging. The front is themed in black and has the large branding in the middle. The quote below the SuperO logo reads "Server Quality, Built for Gaming". SuperO rids the box of additional marketing materials or logos which are usually present on gaming-eqsue motherboards from other manufacturers.
The back side of the package lists down the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 10G LAN, Gigabit Wireless and Bluetooth v5.0 module, Double PCI-e 3.0 M.2 slots, and USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A + Type-C connectors. A full picture of the motherboard along with key points is also provided on the back.
There are several accessories included in the package such as an IO shield, a Quick Reference Guide, 4 SATA cables, a Driver Disk, a Metal Badge, a Cable Sticker, and two antennas for the WiFi and Bluetooth module.
The full list of accessories in the package include:
- Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield
- 4 x SATA Data Cables
- 1 x Metal Badge
- 2 x WiFi + Bluetooth Antennas
- 1 x Cable Sticker
The motherboard is housed underneath the accessories and has the anti-static wrapping to protect it from any built up electrical resistance that can affect the board.
The Supermicro SuperO C9Z390-PGW really stands out from the rest of the Z390 motherboards I have tested so far. It has a really rigid design layout with block heatsinks which look to be solid in function. SuperO is going for functionality over aesthetics for this product and I guess if it performs well, it should make for a worthy competitor in the mass array of Z390 offerings that are out in the market.
Looks are one thing but I am very curious to find out how this performs against the other Z390 boards we have tested in the past few months.
The SuperO C9Z390-PGW is styled in black and silver while the PCB is colored black. The mot. This is a top-tier product that retails at $375 US which is a really steep price but considering you get the extra features and server level durability, the cost should be expected. The board comes in the ATX standard form factor.
The board uses the LGA 1151 socket to support Intel Core processors. The socket is compatible with Intel's 8th & 9th Generation core family. The socket has a protective cover on top of it that points out the exclusivity with Coffee Lake CPUs and refrains users from running an older 6th or 7th generation CPU as they won't work with these motherboards at all.
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 4000 MHz (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation.
The SuperO C9Z390-PGW packs a 10 phase server-grade quality VRM design with an emphasis on power efficiency and pure reliability. The design is packed with Premium 60A power chokes, Premium Memory Alloy Chokes, Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM), Combo Caps and Nichicon 12K Blackcaps that deliver an unprecedented amount of stability and overclocking capabilities.
As you can see, the VRMs are getting ample cooling from the two metallic heatsinks that server their purpose pretty good. This motherboard is designed for both stability and overclocking so expect a smooth flow of current through the components when this board is running.
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 four PCI Express 3.0 x16, a single PCI Express 3.0 x1 and dual M.2 slots. The board can support quad-way multi-GPU (CrossFireX / SLI). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCIe gen3 x4 and Intel Optane series memory. SuperO is using the Broadcom PEX8747 PCIe switch which offers more lanes than the standard 16 PCIe lanes from the CPU and 24 PCIe lanes from the Z390 PCH.
The PCIe switch allows for an additional 16 PCIe lanes which can be utilized for multiple GPU or SSD configurations. Do note that this board has a target market towards workstation builders and if you plan on running multiple NVIDIA Quadro or Radeon Pro graphics cards, then this board does offer a lot of upgradability paths.
SuperO is using their steel braced design on the sides of the expansion slots which provides protection to some extent. It adds more retention and shearing resistance by reinforcing the slots with metal plates. Aside from adding more protection, they do look really sweet.
Both M.2 slots are covered by a heatsink that extends from the PCH heatsink, and further includes a thermal pad that can sustain higher temperatures when storage devices (M.2 SSDs) are stressed for long durations.
The PCH is cooled off by a large metallic heatsink which runs next to the SATA ports. The PCH heatsink has embedded RGB LEDs and provide a good light show for those that are interested in RGBs trend.
Storage options include 6 SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support eight different storage devices at once. There are also two U.2 ports on the motherboard and a top-facing Debug LED panel can be seen right below them.
SuperO is using the Realtek ALC1220 audio codec for audio which provides 7.1 channel config. There are three buttons on the top right corner of the motherboard. The purpose of these switches is to allow users to easily Power or Reset the board in overclocking and system tuning cases. A bunch of other connectors for chassis power, RGB and fan headers can be spotted next to them.
The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.
- 1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
- 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
- 2 x CPU fan header
- 3 x System fan headers
- 1 x Chassis Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector
- 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C header
- 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 header
- 1 x USB 2.0 header
- 2 x U.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4)
- 2 x M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4, 2260/2280 + 2260/2280/22110)
- 1 x M.2 (E-Key for WiFi module)
- 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
- 1 x COM port header
- 1 x TPM header
- 1 x Clear CMOS button
- 1 x Power button
- 1 x Reset button
- 1 x Diagnostic LED
- 1 x FP Audio Header
- 1 x System Panel
- 1 x Chassis intrusion header
- 2 x RGB Header(s) (+12v/G/R/B)
Finally, we have the I/O panel which includes the Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac module, PS/2 port, HDMI, Display Port, Dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, a single 2.5G Ethernet LAN port, 4 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, four USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (Type-A + Type-C), a clear CMOS button and a 7.1 channel audio jack.
Finally, we have the I/O panel which includes the following ports:
- 5x USB 3.1 Gen 2 (1 Type C + 3 Type A + 1 Type C header)
- 4x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (2 rear + 2 via header)
- 2x USB 2.0 (via header)
- 1x 1GB LAN (Intel i219V)
- 1x 10Gb LAN Port (Aquantia AQC 107)
- 2x Wi-Fi 802.11ac dual-band 2.4/5Ghz + Bluetooth 5.0
- 2x DisplayPort 1.2
- 1x HDMI 2.0
- 1x PS/2 connector for mouse and keyboard
- 1x 7.1 HD Jack
- Optical S/PDIF out
SuperO Z390 Series Programmable RGB
Instead of giving their RGB implementation a fancy name, SuperO just calls it "Programmable RGB". Following is their tagline from the official site:
Customize and put your personal signature on our motherboards! Fully customizable with our SuperO Booster software, we have installed RGB LEDs on the Play Harder PCH, HD audio area, and the SuperO I/O cover. Not only is the motherboard equipped with LEDs, but we have also gone a step above including an additional 2 RGB LED headers so you can light up your rig from the inside out.
In addition to the built-in RGB illumination, it also features onboard RGB headers and an addressable RGB header that allow the motherboard to be connected to compatible LED devices such as strip, CPU fans, coolers, chassis and so on.
For testing, we used the latest Intel Core i9-9900K which was sent to us by Intel. The Intel 9th Gen Coffee Lake Refresh family comes with a higher core count on the mainstream platform but prices are close to the predecessors in the same segment. The Core i9 SKU wasn't available last time but the Core i7 price matches around the same as what you paid for the Core i7-8700K. The CPUs was tested on the SuperO C9Z390-PGW motherboard.
Intel Z390 Chipset Motherboards Test Platform
| Processor | Intel Core i9-9900K |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 9 ASUS ROG Maximus XI HERO (Wi-Fi) ASUS ROG STRIX Z390-E Gaming ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate Z390 AORUS Master |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX1200i PSU |
| Solid State Drive | Samsung SSD 960 EVO M.2 (512 GB) |
| Memory | G.SKILL Trident Z RGB Series 32 GB (4 x 8GB) CL16 3600 MHz |
| Video Cards | MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X |
| Cooling Solutions | Corsair H115i GTX |
| 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 an MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X graphics card, a Corsair AX 1200i 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 Corsair H115i PRO cooler. At stock (out of the box) settings, all motherboards maintained a 100.00 MHz BCLK ratio out of the box.
We won't be focusing on Intel's Core i7-8086K 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 i9-9900KK @ 5.3 GHz With 1.385V (100 x 53) on SuperO C9Z390-PGW
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.
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, decompresses 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 for the clip as well as the encoder used is uniform.
Ashes of The Singularity
Stardock's Ashes of the Singularity RTS title is a new take on the historical 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The 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.
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.
The Coffee Lake architecture is meant to improve overall system power consumption and add to the efficiency. In the case of the 9th Gen CPUs, we are looking at refined 14nm++ process which allows Intel to gain improved clock speeds and increase the number of cores within 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 i9-9900K when overclocked, breaches the 400W barrier. Even the stock operation is higher than the previous generation flagship which tells that this part has may not be aiming the higher efficiency point as the previous generation parts. You can also note the VRM temperatures for the various Z390 motherboards we have tested so far:
The SuperO C9Z390-PGW is a very expensive motherboard for $374.99 US and for that, it had to live up to expectations because there are plenty of options in the Z390 lineup in the $200-$300 range which looks and perform almost as good as this. With that said, I should say that the Z390 flagship from SuperO is a very well fleshed out motherboard than some of the other flagship options from other manufacturers.
SuperO is a relatively new gaming brand but Supermicro has been in the game for a long time now and their expertise in the server market is well known of. SuperO did try to make their Z390 lineup conform to some of the new gaming-esque features such as RGB and silly IO covers but they don't overdo it. Instead, SuperO focuses on what matters to the audiences that will be using this board.
The server quality VRM design granted me a 5.3 GHz overclock, something which I was not so sure that this motherboard could handle but it did so really well. SuperO's new BIOS had some unique features and modern design but I would like them to make it refined in the next version to really stand out from the rest. I think that stand out feature of this motherboard is the whole server level design and SuperO further cements that by providing an extra 16 PCIe lanes through the PLX PCIe switch.
This motherboard is really targeted towards development folks who don't want to spend out on many expensive platforms just to run their Quad Quadro or Radeon Pro setups. This would allow you to run four graphics cards in x8/x8/x8/x8 mode. Although SuperO mentions gaming in their marketing for the PCIe switch, I think that won't be a real scenario as most modern graphics cards, especially from NVIDIA, are limited to only 2 cards (NVLINK). So I see workstation stuff as a more accurate use of this feature rather than gaming.
There's also the 10Gb Aquantia AQC107 ethernet LAN in addition to the standard 1Gb Ethernet. It's great to see that SuperO also offers WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless support on this motherboard which should be a standard for all upcoming motherboard given the large reliance on wireless devices on modern day PCs. I think the SuperO C9Z390-PGW is really a server-grade board designed for both, the gaming and entry-level workstation builders, providing one of the best OC support, a large number of PCIe lanes for additional graphics cards or storage and an impressive list of features which only a flagship tier motherboard could provide.
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