Z690 Vs H670 Vs B660

Four exciting CPU chipsets were announced this week! Z690, B660, H670, and H610— we’ll start off with those. One thing you need to know about is the clear disparity between them all. You see, the most expensive option available has so many extras that it would be foolish not to go for it! Oh…did you want to read about the cheapest motherboard? Well sorry but no dice. Nobody wants a chip like that hanging around in their computer; it’s underwhelming!

These chipsets are part of the same line that Intel has been using for several years now. They begin with Z690, B660, and H670 respectively; then come Z590, B560, and H570. However, there is one thing you can find out about them just by looking at their names- they’re different in price and features as well.

Our latest comparison between the i5-12900K and Ryzen 7 5900x revealed that Intel’s Alder Lake processors have much greater performance than AMD’s first-generation Threadripper CPUs. With this knowledge, it makes sense that people are excited about the release of Intel’s second generation of Threadripper CPUs! But what motherboard would work best with either of these chips? We’ve got all the answers in this article.

The 12th Generation Chipsets

From Intel comes the newest line of processors that are compatible with this series of chipsets. In case you’re wondering, this is Intel’s 12th generation of Core-i family CPUs. They’re designed to operate using the socket LGA 1700 – but don’t worry if you don’t know what these things mean because they’ll make sense soon enough!

The newest generation of this chipset comes with a lot of new advancements over its predecessors, including PCIe 4.0, DMI 4.0, and 6 GHz Wi-Fi speeds – which we will now explore in-depth.

DDR5 Memory

Intel’s newest addition to its Alder Lake Generation has just become the first CPU line-up to boast support for DDR5 Memory, while other competitors opt for cheaper alternatives. The difference between these two? Well, if you compare the latest Intel motherboard versus one built specifically for a different generation of processors, you’ll notice that Intel opted for expensive memory modules over others.

DDR5 Memory is an optional upgrade for Z690 boards, which provide both DDR4 and DDR5 supported models. The new Memory brings many improvements over DDR4 including increased bandwidth, higher base frequency, and more capacity per module. It does come at a much greater cost than its predecessor though – having said that, it isn’t something you need to consider just yet. You can read our article on DDR5 Memory to learn all about it!

DMI 4.0

DMI 4.0 – also known as Direct Media Interface – is an Intel feature that takes charge of moving information from the CPU and chipsets to be used by your peripheral devices. The Northbridge handles connecting data between the CPU, PCIe slot, RAM slots, and Southbridge chip– whereas the latter (named I/O Controller Hub) lets peripherals like PCI slots, USB ports, motherboard info like BIOS number or SATA ports connect easily to the CPU itself.

Intel’s latest DMI is DMI 4.0, which has a data transfer rate of 16 GT/s for eight lanes – twice that of its predecessor, DMI 3.0.

PCI Express 4.0

PCI Express (or PCI-E) is a bus that accommodates powerful graphics cards and NVMe SSDs. Current motherboards are coming equipped with the latest revision of this technology, called PCIe 4.0, which was just introduced in Intel chipsets last month when the company launched its Alder Lake CPUs; AMD has had PCIe 4.0 for its latest Ryzen 3000 series CPUs for about four months now.

PCI-e 4.0 has been designed to cater to the increased bandwidth needs of future graphics cards which will require this technology while running high-end games on the most advanced platforms available today. What it means is that you would want at least one, two, or four lanes if you intend to run some of the best drives around; these are PCIe 4.0 SSDs as they become mainstream and allow users to experience speeds that were never before possible.

Thunderbolt 4.0

The 600 series chipsets will feature an updated Thunderbolt 4.0, which adds new features without improving the speed of transfers. It supports up to two separate screens at a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels when connected using DisplayPort 1.2; whereas, previous versions only supported one display screen at resolutions below 1920×1080 pixels.

Wi-Fi 6E

Get Alder Lake’s boost for 5 GHz Wi-Fi in the form of Wi-Fi 6E which offers an immense 1200 MHz bandwidth and speeds over 1 Gbps (1 Gigabyte Per Second).

6 GHz Wi-Fi is tough to find nowadays, but it’s worth it. If you want maximum speed for your internet connection, then I recommend getting a router that supports this frequency.

Z690

The Z690 chipset was the first in its line to offer Intel’s brand new Alder Lake CPUs. Released just hours after the new Alder Lake CPUs, this chipset offers Memory and CPU overclocking and is capable of holding up to 16GB RAM modules. This makes it an attractive option for gamers who want to play on high settings while using less physical space than they would need with a full desktop computer.

H670

The H670 chipset was announced along with the B660 chipset and is aiming to provide the user with the best possible experience on their Z690 motherboard while minimizing costs. On January 5th, 2020, Intel released both their non-K SKUs and started production of these new chipsets at an affordable price range for consumers. One notable feature missing from these new chipsets is that they do not offer Overclocking – which may be an issue for some users.

B660

Although its features are slimmed down in comparison to other chipsets – such as reducing input and output capabilities – it manages to stand out against competing products at an entry-level cost. This product is sure to hit home with those looking for a low-cost option.

Key Differences Between Z690, H670, and B660

To start off, we’ll go over some of the key differences between different motherboard chipset types. After this, we’ll summarize the major points of interest that are relevant to each type.

You may be wondering why the H670 chipset is not seen as a downgrade from Z690, or why it falls so much shorter than B660. Well, let me tell you all about what makes them stand out among one another; so that you can appreciate their differences and similarities alike!

Overclocking

This trend was matched in intel’s past chipset that used the same naming hierarchy. When comparing z690 vs h670 vs b660, the z690 is the only chip that supports CPU overclocking while b660 and h670 do not. bulk or base clock overclocking, which increases memory, CPU, and PCIe frequency altogether is also only supported on z690. having said that, memory overclocking and XMP (extreme memory profile), are available on all three chipsets.

The base rule is that if you have a Z690 motherboard, then you need an unlocked processor and vice versa. If you get a non-K CPU because of the price tag, then even though it will run on a Z690 board through BClk overclocking; It doesn’t make sense because all they do is allow you to overclock them faster – and if your goal was to lower the cost so then why buy them in the first place? With this logic we can also say that if you have an unlocked Alder Lake processor then don’t purchase a Z390 board or something else without overclocking capability; However, this argument can be counteracted with one exception: If those extra core features are desired for increased productivity.

Direct Media Interface 4.0

With all three chipsets having an identical maximum bandwidth, it would seem fair to assume that they would behave identically when accessing data from other components. However, this is not the case as the Z690 and H670 are superior in terms of speed with their 16 lanes per second while the B660 has only 8 lanes per second. As such, there can be cases where one chipset seems faster than another even if they have comparable specs.

No. of PCI-e Lanes and SATA Ports

Want all the best hardware? Look no further than Z690. This sleek and powerful computer has everything you need to create an amazing machine! With up to 16 PCIe 3.0 lanes, you’ll never have to worry about bottlenecks or slowdowns again. However, if your needs are less demanding, then H670 is perfect for you!

In regards to the PCIe lanes available from an Intel Core i7-6700K processor, you can configure up to a 1×16 + 1×4 or 2×8 + 1×4 motherboard. Some motherboards will not allow for split operation, so make sure you take this into account before making your purchase.

Intel RAID Support

With the new high-speed solid-state drives (SSDs) becoming popular if one of these devices were to fail it would cause data corruption and eventual loss. And because RAID arrays are composed of multiple disks instead of a single disk; if one device fails then all information can still be recovered from at least one other device in the array. But what happens when you have an array containing a mix between SSDs and traditional hard disks? Well, this is where we draw the line between chipset types – some chipsets will allow for SATA AND PCIe arrays whereas others may ONLY support either type.

No. of USB 3.2 Ports

The three different chipsets also see a drastic difference in the number of USB 3.2 ports, which includes two types of the latest one (USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 – 20Gbps and USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 – 10Gbps), as well as one type of an older port (USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 – 5 Gb/s).

The Z690 offers four USB 3.2 (20G) ports, but both the H670 and B660 offer only two each. The Z690 has ten available USB 3.2 (10G) ports, while either the B660 or H670 offer four of these types of ports at most. Finally, the Z690 can support up to ten USB 3.2 (5G) ports, but neither of its competitors comes close to this number; they are limited to six and eight respectively.

Thermal Design Power (TDP)

Different motherboards can have different Thermal Design Power values. Motherboard type LGA1151 has a TDP of 6W while H310 has 14W. These values represent how much power it takes to run the motherboard which directly impacts what kind of thermal design can be used for the board. A lower TDP will necessitate an aluminum or copper style material, whereas higher values allow for fancier and more expensive materials such as silver or gold.

Prices: B660 vs Z690 vs H670

In terms of pricing, the best option is definitely Z690 because it has all the premium features. H670 and B660 are cheaper but don’t have quite as many benefits.

Z690 Prices

The Z690 is by far the best chipset on offer. Offering the highest number of PCIe lanes, the greatest amount of USB ports, and even overclockable CPU & Memory – there’s no doubt why it ranks supreme amongst its competition. As one might expect from such an impressive chipset, its motherboards are priced accordingly; starting at an affordable $210 and going all the way up to 8 digits.

Do note that most DDR5 supported Z690 motherboards will generally not be available for the starting price of $210 and you may need to pay up to $400 just to find a high-quality motherboard. Furthermore, if you’re going with an expensive i9 12900K, then you may have to take this cost into consideration when buying a new motherboard because these boards can sometimes come with expensive VRMs which are needed when doing overclocking.

H670 Prices

Intel’s H670 chipset is very comparable to the Z690 chipset. Both offer a similar number of features, such as 4 x DDR4-3600 memory channels and 16 PCI Express 3.0 lanes per chip. One important note about the H670 is that it does not offer overclocking capabilities for CPUs, but if you want to overclock then you are better off purchasing a Z690 motherboard. Boards within this series range from around $160 – which may seem expensive at first glance – but considering how many pricey components go into these motherboards (and all other aspects of building out a PC), it becomes obvious how easy it can justify buying one without breaking the bank.

B660 Prices

There are three motherboards to choose from – B660, H670 and Z690. The best option would be the one which costs less but still has all the features you need. So out of these three motherboards, we recommend going for B660 if you’re looking for a motherboard that is cheaper but doesn’t sacrifice anything in terms of performance or other features.

Comparing Different Chipset Models

Now, let’s take a look at these 3 cheap and popular motherboard models – Z690, H670, and B660.

MSI Pro Z690-A Wi-Fi gets our vote for best chipset because it costs less than ASUS’ H670’s price of $160. GIGABYTE’s B660M DS3H AX comes in third out of all three choices, costing only $120 – however its warranty length was the shortest of all three choices at 2 years compared to MSI which is 3 years or ASUS which is 5 years.

So these are the core features for each of these Motherboard Models. They don’t seem much different until you look at it closely and one really stands out among them all – DDR5 Memory Support. It’s only available on this motherboard which will give you a slight edge over some other models without having to compromise anything else. But if it isn’t enough for you, then you can also go for this model that has some pretty cool benefits such as an unbeatable PCIe 5.0 (though none of our Drives or Cards need it) or Dual Band Wifi, so take your pick!

MSI has Memory Boost, Gigabyte has On/Off Charge, and ASUS has OptiMem – these three things are important for you to know about when purchasing a motherboard.

Choosing a good motherboard for your gaming rig doesn’t need to be difficult; just know what you’re looking for and make sure it has all the features you need! For instance, if you want an Intel chipset with dual video cards, then go with an H310 or Z370. However, if you don’t mind going the mainstream route for AMD chipsets and don’t need DDR4 ram, then check out our list of reliable motherboards which are perfect for gaming rigs.

Z690 vs H670 vs B660; Which Chipset Would Be Best For You?

If you’re still unsure about which chipsets are best for you, don’t worry – because we’ve got everything you need to know right here.

Why Choose Z690?

When considering which motherboard to buy, you should consider how much you’re willing to spend. If money isn’t an issue for you, then the Z690 is an excellent option. There are lots of features and abilities that come with this board so if it fits your needs, then go ahead and buy one!

If you’re willing to spend a little more than $200 but are still looking for something that has a variety of features and is high quality, the Z690 will be right up your alley.

Why Choose H670?

Now if you’re looking for the power and performance offered by the Z690, but don’t need to overclock your CPU – then look no further than the H670. The differences between these two chipsets are small. Both support memory overclocking, but only the H670 supports an unimpressive number of USB ports and PCIe slots. For roughly $50 more, this board will deliver everything you need without all those extra bells and whistles.

Why Choose B660?

After considering everything, the B660 is one of the best choices if you want to save money and still have access to all features like PCIe 4.0 and USB 3.2 20G capabilities – because it also supports Memory overclocking and has plenty of I/O options for users. If those things aren’t important for you or you’re looking for something cheaper, go with the H610 since it doesn’t support overclocking or enough I/O; there are only two DIMMs per channel supported instead of four.

Verdict

If you’re looking to upgrade or make a PC on the latest Intel platform, there are plenty of options out there. And if you don’t want to splurge on expensive components, fear not! There are affordable motherboards available in the $120-$180 range that work just as well. Out of all four H670 vs Z690 vs B660 competitors, there aren’t many differences between them – except for some overclocking capabilities and increased Direct Media Interface bandwidth. Otherwise, these features won’t matter much to someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.