Intel Skylake-supporting Z170 motherboards coming in August

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intel skylake-supporting z170 intel msi motherboard cpu skylake z170 biostar

According to MSI and Biostar representatives on the Computex 2015 show floor, speaking to PC Gamer, motherboards that feature Intel's new Z170 chipset will become available this August.

The Z170 is the flagship chipset in Intel's upcoming 100-series line, all of which have been designed to support Intel's new 'Skylake' processors. Like with many of Intel's past CPU launches, Skylake requires a new CPU socket as well as a new chipset, with Intel moving to LGA 1151 in this release.

Skylake also brings support for DDR4 RAM, bringing the new memory technology to Intel's standard consumer platform after it first debuted in the company's enthusiast Haswell-E and server platforms last year. A Z170 chipset paired with a Skylake CPU will also support more PCIe lanes than the previous generation, thanks to increased bandwidth from the CPU to the chipset.

Now that motherboard manufacturers have revealed that 100-series motherboards will hit the market in August, we're beginning to get a clear picture of when Intel will launch Skylake. Supporting motherboards typically hit the market shortly before a processor launch, making a late-August or early-September Skylake launch likely, especially as system builders will begin selling Skylake-powered PCs in September.

The launch of Skylake will come just a few months after the delayed launch of performance Broadwell parts, which Intel says will hit the market in around a month following their announcement at Computex just a few days ago. With Skylake's launch just around the corner, it's not surprising to see Intel only launch two socketed Broadwell CPUs, neither of which are particularly exceptional.

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It better come with Thunderbolt 3 included, if they want to attract PC enthusiasts.

On a related subject, this new Thunderbolt 3 isn't as good as we hoped...
Thunderbolt 3 also includes an update to the DisplayPort side of matters, though likely not what everyone has been expecting. With the increase in bandwidth, Thunderbolt 3 is able to carry twice as much video data as before. However Intel is not implementing the latest version of DisplayPort – DisplayPort 1.3 – in to the Thunderbolt 3 standard. Instead they are doubling up on DisplayPort 1.2, expanding the number of equivalent DisplayPort lanes carried from 4 to 8, essentially allowing one Thunderbolt 3 cable to carry 2 full DisplayPort 1.2 connections. The end result is that Thunderbolt 3 will not be able to drive the kind of next-generation displays DisplayPort 1.3 is geared towards – things like 8K displays and 5K single-tile displays – but it will be able to drive anything 1 or 2 DisplayPort 1.2 connections can drive today, including multiple 4K@60Hz monitors or 5K multi-tile displays.

source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/9331/intel-announces-thunderbolt-3

So, basically, they had all the opportunity to have DisplayPort 1.3 included, but decided not to. That is just wrong... It won't even support a single-tile 5K screen. And if so, then what good is it, really?
 
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I think I'll bypass this release, I'd rather buy into the 'tock' (or is it the 'tick'? I'm never sure) it'll be more refined by then.
 
I think I'll bypass this release, I'd rather buy into the 'tock' (or is it the 'tick'? I'm never sure) it'll be more refined by then.

I think Skylake is the tock (architecture being the same, just the shrink in die). Basically, this would be the more "refined" release.
...unless I'm wrong :p
 
Pretty sure it's the 'tick'. Haswell was the 'tick' and then Broadwell was the 'tock' being the more refined version. Skylake will be the next 'tick' which is the same size as Broadwell, then the next version (Cannonlake?) will be more refined than Skylake and will be the 'tock'...

I think.
 
I think Skylake is the tock (architecture being the same, just the shrink in die). Basically, this would be the more "refined" release.
...unless I'm wrong :p
Perhaps we're both wrong but seeing I'm on Z97 right now I don't mind skipping the next one and saving a few bob.
 
It better come with Thunderbolt 3 included, if they want to attract PC enthusiasts.

On a related subject, this new Thunderbolt 3 isn't as good as we hoped...
Thunderbolt 3 also includes an update to the DisplayPort side of matters, though likely not what everyone has been expecting. With the increase in bandwidth, Thunderbolt 3 is able to carry twice as much video data as before. However Intel is not implementing the latest version of DisplayPort – DisplayPort 1.3 – in to the Thunderbolt 3 standard. Instead they are doubling up on DisplayPort 1.2, expanding the number of equivalent DisplayPort lanes carried from 4 to 8, essentially allowing one Thunderbolt 3 cable to carry 2 full DisplayPort 1.2 connections. The end result is that Thunderbolt 3 will not be able to drive the kind of next-generation displays DisplayPort 1.3 is geared towards – things like 8K displays and 5K single-tile displays – but it will be able to drive anything 1 or 2 DisplayPort 1.2 connections can drive today, including multiple 4K@60Hz monitors or 5K multi-tile displays.

source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/9331/intel-announces-thunderbolt-3

So, basically, they had all the opportunity to have DisplayPort 1.3 included, but decided not to. That is just wrong... It won't even support a single-tile 5K screen. And if so, then what good is it, really?

http://www.kitguru.net/laptops/mobi...t-3-usb-type-c-connector-and-40gbs-bandwidth/
 
Hahahanoobs, great link brother. I've been reading a lot into Skylake, Thunderbolt, and lanes/bandwidth etc lately. I am liking everything so far; and am so glad I didn't waste money upgrading from my Bloomfield build with an i7 930 @ 4.0GHZ to Ivy or Sandy yet (from a gaming perspective).
This architecture paired with next years GPU's should make for a nice gaming 21:9 4K setup. My first purchase will be that Predator X35, god that thing makes me horny!
 
Too much hype for skylake for it to be a tock. It's a tick. It's like a new step, and thus it will suck in areas and ironed out on the tock. I for one will buy the tock, when a few more tick tocks have come along and made the tock that follows this tick cheaper .... you follow me right ?
 
Makes me feel old with my X58, they've come so far, yet still dragging their feet. If only I had a reason to upgrade, well Sata 3 would be nice to have, but I feel so little desire to spend money on something that's not really going to revolutionize my PC experience.
 
You are correct. The Tick is a die shrink and the tock is an architecture change.
 
Maybe you mistyped SKYLAKE IS A TICK.
Straight from your anadtech link:
"As part of Intel’s tick-tock strategy, this would be considered a tick:"
 

lol. you link to the right place and then write the wrong text into your article. Intel tick-tock cycle is bullshit for they say tick is die shrink (maybe it's a big thing for intel because they have to kinda start using new production lines and tech and all this stuff, but for everyone else it's just refresh of old and thus "MEH" release) and tock is new architecture (for everyone else it's THE NEW THING, but for intel it's ... I have no clue) => WHICH MAKES NO SENSE TO ANYBODY.

anyway:

Haswell = tock (new tech)
Broadwell = tick (die shrink)

Skylake = tock (new tech)
Cannonlake = tick (die shrink)

so for a normal person Intel's clock goes tock-tick, tock-tick, tock-tick ..... deal with it :)
 
I think Skylake is the tock (architecture being the same, just the shrink in die). Basically, this would be the more "refined" release.
Leaving aside the confusing stuff what which is tick and which is tock, Skylake is NOT the same architecture with a die shrink. Skylake is a new architecture, built with the same process used on Broadwell (which is the die shrink of Haswell). Skylake is a new architecture still on the 14 nm process, while later it will get the Skymont die shrink to 10 nm.
 
Leaving aside the confusing stuff what which is tick and which is tock, Skylake is NOT the same architecture with a die shrink. Skylake is a new architecture, built with the same process used on Broadwell (which is the die shrink of Haswell). Skylake is a new architecture still on the 14 nm process, while later it will get the Skymont die shrink to 10 nm.
Just a correction, I went to double-check it after posting, the die shrink has apparently been renamed "Cannonlake", no longer "Skymont".
 
Anyway ... what I am really looking forward to is
Z170 mITX motherboard, that has:
- LGA 1151 socket;
- PCIe 3.0 x16 slot (duh... obviously);
- at least one M.2 slot on PCIe 3.0 x4 connected to CPU PCIe (not to southbridge PCIe) with NVMe support. (additional M.2 slots connected to southbridge are plus, but not really necessary);
- gigabit LAN with VLAN support;
- support for at least 32GB DDR4 RAM (maybe 64GB... asrock somehow managed to pull that off for X99 mITX board with SODIMMS);
- Thunderbolt 3.0 USB-C port;
- DP 1.3 port;
- PS/2 port(s) for keyboard (and mouse);
- all the ordinary stuff, like enough USB and SATA ports;
... did I mention WIFI? ... NO I DID NOT... so I don't want it on my super mITX board! I have no frigging clue why manufacturers waste space with those on itx boards. If we really wanted wifi on desktop computer we will add some wifi USB dongle.
 
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