Intel Motherboard Differences: H670 Specs Explained vs. Z690, B660, & H610 (2022)

[@GamersNexus]

Grab a PC building modmat (anti-static work surface) on the GN store! store.gamersnexus.net/products/modmat-volt-large Watch the latest roundup of Intel’s B&H motherboards: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5rPiWdoZ9-fb6s Check out the coverage of Z690 motherboards: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHbOdYmiq5Z5fMk AMD B550 chipset explained: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5e3gX98bbR-gZY These chipsets are designed for Intel’s latest CPUs. Check out our reviews. i9-12900K: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJmsaqeChMxgbKs i7-12700K and 12700KF: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGKXmWVrm7CAprs i5-12600K: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZyrfptuqLqGq68 i5-12400: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYHCcnqsYql9mLc i3-12100F: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnOnd3alfM2Nask

[@kriskeersmaekers233]

Currently 12600k is cheaper than non k in Europe

[@vedranb87]

Hey, are you, or have you, doing this for AMD chipsets?

[@straya_au_]

can the ddr4 be compatible with ddr5 Asus boards

[@diegorz5612]

Buena capo!

[@richardalfaro8886]

If my pre-built acer claims a h670 chipset but mother board says acer on it And acer claims the computer is upgradable dyi and can be take apart with no tools.. does this mean the case can let me put any mother board i want ?

[@OneOfTheLostOnes]

I haven't build a PC in about 8 years... and now trying to get back into it.... I really appreciate the effort in simplifying the info. People really underestimate how much you lose if you're not constantly updating your knowledge on tech.

[@9nxt]

Bro. Same. Kinda why I follow and just watch Linus, jays2cent, and a few other KZbinrs that break everything down every season. Gives me just enough info to not be completely out of the loop.

[@reaalitykinggs]

Same here bro…. My build is so damn old

[@TheCristacker]

@ZyklonBeezy I've been in the same place, so I suggest you to try to research part by part. Start with you budget, then depending on that, get a GPU. From the GPU, decide on the CPU (nowadays its either ryzen 5 5600 or intel i5 12400f for a budget build). Then for the mobo and the others, just research one by one, that fits into your budget

[@AintPopular]

Same. its like you came out of a hibernation everything's changed

[@enduringwave87]

my build is i7 3770 from Jan 2013 and now its Jan 2023 lingering on our head and my i7 3rd gen is still running like brand new. But i do want to move on from this build. My 13th gen 13600KF is on the way tomorrow and now waiting for some BF deals on MOBO, RAM, NVME and by DEC hopefully my new build will be ready. I was out of the TECH NEWS for a very long long time since i did not even feel the need to upgrade my system. Though I am myself a PC tech geek and a programmer but yet you can become ignorant if you stay out of touch with the ever changing TECH world and the latest innovations.

[@Arewmon]

Just one thing about the comment at around 2:30 that if you have a K SKU CPU, Z690 is all you should be looking at. It's true for the reasons he says, that the K means it's an unlocked chip and you need a Z690 to take advantage of that, but for at least one set of SKUs in Alder Lake there's a bigger difference than just the K SKU being unlocked. The 12600K has 4 efficiency cores, the 12600 has 0. I can think of a definite niche of people who might want to have those 4 extra cores but not care about overclocking. When you look at the benchmarks of the 12600K vs less expensive Intel Alder Lake CPUs, like the 12400, that have no efficiency cores, it becomes clear how big of an impact those extra cores have in productivity workloads, even if they have almost no impact on pure gaming. For someone who wanted bang for the buck in productivity, I think the 12600K seems like a really strong choice in the Alder Lake lineup, but not everyone who wants the chip for that reason is going to care about overclocking, or even know how to overclock a CPU proper. Those people might not want to spend the extra money on a Z series board.

[@Spido68_the_spectator]

Also, K versions have higher clocks. If you can have it for the same price as a non K, you have some pre OC for free. I got a 10600K for the price of a 10400. Nice bump in GHz for the best B460 :)

[@Archmage1809]

@@Spido68_the_spectator K version have higher clock, but ADL i5 have 4 extra E-core, so it's worth go 12600K (and 12600K is like $70 more than 12600 non-K on the street here)

[@FabianW262]

I think its true. I dont care about OC anymore and ordered a B660 motherboard and the 12600k.

[@pietrmuffei8874]

12600 is just 100mhz less than k. If you strictly game and don’t want windows 11 the 12600 does 4.8Ghz on a cheaper b660 platform and thus the fastest 6 core. The 12400 is enough for 1440p/4K gaming, though the 12600 should be more capable to generate 10-25 frames more due to 400mhz higher boost. The 12600 will need a better cooling. In my country the 12400 is only 35€ cheaper. The 12400f is about 180, 12400 ~205, 12600 ~240, 12600k ~300

[@Anderson_LS]

There is 12700 non-k CPU which cost a little bit more but faster than 12600k. 12700 non-k with good b660(h670) DDR4 motherboard will be the best for rendering or video editing kind of work for that amount of money. Obviously you'll need to remove power limits from 65 watts because its limiting performance of non-k CPU and buy good CPU cooler.

[@ericwinberg5302]

This Gamers Nexus video is rated E for everyone.

[@asuchemist3371]

👍🏽👏

[@andrewvirtue5048]

Tactical! xD

[@user-rc9jf8ng2k]

Fuck that

[@sTrollZhimself]

E for Entry-level friendly

[@silverthorngoodtree5533]

Rated Zeeeeee for... Error 101 joke not found.

[@KrisKustomPaint]

The last pc I built had a Cyrix 686, so I really appreciate the beginner info. It's helped a lot in my recent build. Thank you.

[@kylea6629]

This is how u get millions of views work at 9pm on Saturday night. Keep grinding good stuff

[@GamersNexus]

Slow but steady growth for sure!

[@defyiant]

I know this is late in the year but thank you for breaking this down. I have been out of the building game for a few years since x299. Finding all these older videos makes my choices easier in knowing what to get.

[@Garth2011]

Finally ! A chipset review in detail. Very few "reviews" have much to say about the subject. I might add that there are times when the K vs non K prices are within $10 of each other which means...buy the K because, sources say, it is about 10% faster out of the box than the same non K CPU. The Intel printed specs between them suggest they are the same however, there are sources suggesting that is not accurate. However, folks never talk about the K cost factor requiring a CPU cooler and that expense which will add a fair $50 to the K cost vs non K that comes with a cooler.

[@LuxTheSlav]

Intel stock coolers are trash anyway.

[@poiuytrewq8ff]

$170 Australian for a NH-D15 and core temps below 70oC for a 5Ghz 10600K everyday oc is not a major cost when you consider the big performance difference vs a stock 10600 non k, also a good cooler coupled with raised limits means you don't need to worry about thermal or power throttling so you ride max turbo boost on non K CPUs with a mobo that will override the limits like the asus mobos (strix z690 disables them 😀)

[@Garth2011]

@@LuxTheSlav That is true however, Intel has improved them as of gen 10 I believe. They usually do just fine for the slower non k models but for those with upper non K models such as the xx500/xx600, the stock coolers are noisey. I have no experiences yet with the newer Intel coolers as we typically use K models.

[@Thee_Sinner]

Yo GN, when you zoom in on specific parts of the graph shown at 4:30, can you not blur the list of specification names in the left column? Maybe zoom that column as well so it stays lined up.

[@GamersNexus]

Sure. Thanks, we'll pay more attention to that.

[@GeekNerdNoir]

@@GamersNexus when we are having some B660 and H670 motherboards comparisons and benchmarks? I can’t find any videos on KZbin and the motherboards are already launched.

[@douglaspianta4187]

@@GeekNerdNoir those tests take time to run. Hardware Unboxed does really good ones but they are still working on it. Keep an eye on their channel.

[@HardWarewolf]

@@GeekNerdNoir Remember that GN benchmarks to the intel spec; meaning any weird mobo settings like 101mhz bclk or unlimited power budget would be ignored. mobos should function identically until you start messing with settings (which most mobo manufacturers already do out-of-the-box). This is probably a main reason why performance tests aren't done at GN... because most mobos are preset to run out-of-manufacturer-spec when you plug them in, meaning it's not a manufacturer benchmark comparison; it's a mobo default settings comparison.

[@zachariahm.kemper7406]

@@GamersNexus maybe making it darker on the ones you want to keep the viewer from being distracted by, blurring can mess with my eyes but thats a me thing so if not or if that messes with some other type of eyes that's fine cause I already enjoy the channel and it would just be a nice to have in my perspective

[@axelord4ever]

Bought a Z690 mobo. Bigger number, betterer, right?

[@GamersNexus]

Imagine how much easier this video would have been to make!

[@ImStormX1]

Yep and mobo is an extra 100hp

[@pilotpencil3959]

Bigger number not better H610 vs Z590 which mainboard would you buy ? XD

[@upendrasharma9137]

And it has 69.

[@wildanrosyada7787]

NICE!

[@OldBuford]

this is perfect, as a long time user of Ryzen systems, ive pretty much let my knowledge of Intel chipsets escape my brain in favor of the competition, seems like the rivalry is heating up and its time to add some wrinkled to my brain and remember how the hell Intel chipsets are even divided by chipset class (with ryzen it was fairly straight forward: A series was entry level "i just want it to work on a shoestring budget" B series was "id like a little headroom without spending a lot/i want to overclock and want a few bells and whistles without going crazy for stuff ill rarely use" X series was "just give me everything even if i wont use it" (yes i know these are simplified assumptions, its ok to not be 100% accurate in a YT comment, embrace the jocularity)

[@atwcjpg]

pretty accurate lol

[@pkt1213]

I've even kind of dumped AM4 board information at this point. I forgot about the A series. B550 PCIE gen 4 only to the x16 slot. X570 has 4.0 chipset link so more 4.0 available. Probably some other stuff but that is all I can think of. No insane support mattix.

[@mparagames]

@@pkt1213 b550 can have a 16x pcie and slot while having a nvme 4.0 slot too

[@benderbg]

H610 boards are perfectly fine for running 12400f since they give the same performance as any other more expensive boards with that cpu. Only reason not to go with them is if you dont like IO options. As for B660 boards In my country Asus TUF B660-plus D4 costs same as Gigabyte z690 UD and MSI B660M Mortar costs same as MSI z690-A pro. Zero logic to go for higher end B boards no matter the cpu choice. You should look into ASRock B660 Pro RS which is widely available, costs $120-150 and can support 12700 without thermal throttling.

[@MyKharli]

i agree , it was an overly offhand dismissal , gaming performance can easily equal and sometimes exceed more expensive boards with the 12400f

[@Mike7064]

Can I go for h610 with i3 12400f? I don't have any future plans for upgradation.

[@ozobuco]

Great content, I started watching your videos recently to select what components to buy on my PC (my last build was in 2016). Your channel provides a lot of good information directed to consumers and the advice given it's always amazing.

[@pooki-dooki]

I've always been confused by the H-series board names. What makes H670 and H610 both "H" boards? what's the common link? why isn't H670 a "B" series board for example?

[@Tirth-Patel]

Because your mom

[@Tirth-Patel]

🤩

[@Jsteeezz]

H series has double the dmi link between chip and chipset. So you can get more IO. Basically if you don’t need overclocking but need all the extra usb, thunderbolt and use expansion cards. But the price difference between h670 and z690 means you can always find a z690 at a similar price where you still get the same amount of IO on the z690, but also have overclocking unlocked if you ever do get a k sku. Basically unless you see an h670 at $50 or more less than z690 AND have no plans to overclock go with h670. But if you need the IO most likely you can find a z690 at a similar price of h670

[@RafitoOoO]

@@Jsteeezz then why h610 is called h too?

[@ericwright8592]

H series has been around longer than b series. Hx7x was the best non-overclocking board you could get, basically all the features of Z just no overclocking. This is good for high end business and office PCs where they may need lots of IO but don't want to mess with OC stuff. Hx1x was also not overclocking but was more aimed at budget builds really stripped of high end features. Think of running a cash register. It's the number that differentiates these non-overclocking H boards. H77 vs H71, H87 vs H81, H97 vs H91, H170 vs H110. B series is newer. It is a more budget focused option between the two H series. It has recently been marketed mainly towards gamers. Before B series existed, I bought Hx7 boards for regular non-K Intel cpus. There's also Q series motherboard chipsets from Intel which is sometimes similar to the Hx7x. It's even more business and oem focused though.

[@thisnameistaken]

I'd love an updated version of this video

[@paladin906]

Awesome video. Thanks for explaining. I was going stir crazy trying to figure the difference between these boards.

[@Morpheus-pt3wq]

I bet H610 will be the most used chipset by OEMs. I can already see a Dell machine with it, with huge marketing banner over it, claiming: "We no longer use proprietary custom hardware!"

[@TH3C001]

Then perhaps Dell themselves will win an It’s Better Than Dell™️™️ award.

[@Jackpkmn]

I'm glad i found this breakdown, no one ever talks about the H610 chipset in any of the CPU reviews so i didn't understand the difference. H610 was $40-50 cheaper so i bought that. Fortunately despite all the huffing and puffing about it the H610 will actually still be fine for my gaming computer since i'm gonna put a gen3 nvme in it and can't imagine needing 20gbps USB when every USB device i own can't saturate 5gbps USB. I seriously think you overblow the difference between the B660 and H610 here with the 'not suitable for gaming PCs' talk.

[@rokosoldat9912]

It's always like that. I haven't used any form of RAID for my private computer in decades either. And tech reviewers treat it like most of their viewerbase has RAID5 on their grandma's media center. Like no, fam. The H610 itself is already priced from €90 upwards in comparison to older socket cheap MOBOs that I could find from €55+. I am not paying another €20 premium on top of the inflated €90.

[@jamesbrooks9321]

@@rokosoldat9912 I, and many, many others, do use RAID and this is a video about the latest tech available not your grandma's media center.

[@Alford425]

I built an entry level gaming rig for a friend with an i3-12100F + H610M + RTX2060 (old card), it plays Elden Ring, Valheim whatever they throw at it without issue. So yeah, I think tech reviewers get caught up comparing all the current hardware, but the lowest end chips, mobo's, etc are often way better than what was top end a few years ago, and the software takes years to catch up.

[@angrysocialjusticewarrior]

@@Alford425 Why did you buy an i3-12100F + H610M instead of just buying an i9-12900K + Z690?

[@ITalented]

@@angrysocialjusticewarrior wtf

[@JESUSsaves997]

Thank you Steven for bringing it back to basics as i needed a refresher,it has been two years since i last kept up with tech improvements

[@RefrigeratedTP]

As someone who used to watch every one of your videos to build my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd PCs but has since fallen off since life got in the way, I appreciate you dumbing it down a bit for people like me who are just getting back into the hardware world. Super helpful to get back up-to-date on all of it.

[@MortalityUnleashed]

H610 is fine for basic office machines. I built 12100F rigs for both of my parents, and they work quite well. Paired with RX 460 2GB cards(the OEM ones that were $50 for a long time some years ago) 16GB in 8x2 configuration and 500GB Gen3 M.2 drives. They love them.

[@ErwalDeeas]

Dude. I’m looking at building an intel PC and this helps a ton. PCIe lanes get confusing fast. Great vid!!!

[@Gilgamesh347]

I appreciate you “dumbing the language down” for us n00bs to PC building…and appreciated the structured approach to the video, thanks.

[@thelawnet]

H610 is not as bad as you make out. At all. You get M.2 PCIE 3.0 x 4 (on most boards), which is the same as any budget M.2. You get 1 DIMM slot per channel, which is just fine - 2 x 8GB is sufficient for any user considering this level of board. You get a PCIE 4.0 x 16 slot for the GPU, which works with all GPUs in existence at full speed. And the USB ports are more than adequate. Ok, you will have to run your RAM at DDR4-3200, but that's more than fast.

[@thelastcat8406]

i really didnt get the difference between 660 vs 610, is it only overclocking? i m trying to get build with i7 12700, rtx 3060, 8*2 ddr4 ram , 1tb ssd + 250gb ssd any advise?

[@Mike7064]

@Chris nah it's 4.0 for the GPU

[@itayraviv2422]

This is just so much information that passed so perfectly. The first time i actually understood a video of this kind with ease. Earned a like and a sub

[@yorkipudd1728]

I think it's great you cover the basics. Excellent Customer Service!

[@xXxCobraCommanderxXx]

Hey guys, great video, thanks for explaining this! This topic is probably the single greatest source of confusion for people (both new and experienced) in building PCs.

[@Jonathan_T]

I don't get the part at 5:15 : I have an Asus Prime H610M-A D4 and I'm indeed in Dual Memory (confirmed by Asus specs and CPU-Z) and I was able to activate XMP on my RAM (I just can't OC manually beyond even if the option to OC above 5000 Mhz is available on the Bios.). Some exceptions ?

[@Ironclad17]

4:30 We're all waiting on that external clock generator list.

[@eugkra33]

It be nice if you and every other hardware reviewer could come up with a motherboard list of B660 boards that are capable of BCLK overclocking locked CPUs like the 12400f. Like der8auer showed how it's possible to OC a locked 12400 to like 5.2GHz on a B660 Strix. But I think most people would like to know if there are cheaper B660 boards out there with external clock gens, or have the BCLK feature enabled by some other way.

[@neoqueto]

Just wait till people on Reddit make a spreadsheet.

[@mirzadaullymun7129]

The performance you get from an overclocked 12400 is incredible

[@rdmz135]

@@mirzadaullymun7129 the price you pay makes it a waste of money

[@rdmz135]

All the boards are expensive ddr5 boards

[@AeonMW2]

STRIX B660-G GAMING WIFI STRIX B660-F GAMING WIFI here is whole list of b660 boards with BCLK oc

[@jm9371]

Great review as always. Thank you. Still waiting on my awesome GN T-shirts.

[@rogue93ying]

Thanks for interpreting what the differences between each chipset would mean to our systems. I like how he stands with the community in terms of getting the best motherboard configurations for our use, not encouraging the OEMs to add more gimmicky stuff

[@heathdunn1999]

Great content for us regular people. I'm really glad someone explained all this to me.

[@AECFXI]

Just wanted to say thank you so much for going over the basics in this video. I haven't built a machine in nearly 10 years and it was really important to hear you spell out the fundamentals like what boards and chips support OC as I try to look at my options for upgrading.

[@TheNorwgianChef]

Thanks for taking it down a bit, I needed a refresh on the terms and acronyms. Got back into the "master race" last year, luckily had a nerd friend upgrading so I got some parts for cheap, and hunted down a used 2080ti for around 450$. I have a scrap rig going and am looking forward to getting into the game of upgrading down the years to come. You guys have helped me understand a lot of the things that have gone under my radar the past years. What products to avoid like the plague that's been rolling around and others to keep an eye on for sales. Dropped out of the game around 2010/2011. Love the videos and the way you lay down harsh facts. Keep the good work going and hope this year brings less disappointments then the previous year. Love from Norway

[@semp224]

I need this for the AMD too. But I was so much into AMD that I don't know about Intel mobos. And the video dropped 30 min ago! What a blessing

[@wertywerrtyson5529]

I wonder if part of their business plan is to confuse as many as possible with all the alternatives to just make people buy the Z chipset because it is easiest to know you get everything rather than researching exactly which chipset you need for your use case.

[@frizzlefry1921]

When I was building and fixing computers a lot more than I am now I’d ask the customer what are you trying to do with the machine. If you ask them what they want most just say what’s new? So a lot of people that didn’t need it spent $300 instead of $1k+.

[@dive_whale]

the chipset difference in non z series boards are mostly targeted to OEM-builders where a majority of the other stuff is not needed.

[@weasle2904]

Intel licensing fees are absolutely insane... I know the 12600k is technically faster, but I bought the 5600x purely because it was more efficient, cheaper, and the motherboard was literally a 1/3 the cost of the same quality Intel board.

[@angrysocialjusticewarrior]

@@weasle2904 5600x is a slower CPU, so of course it is cheaper. But the 5600x is actually the one that has bad value for money. In terms of performance, the 5600x is closer to the 12400 than it is to the 12600k. The 12400f is significantly cheaper than the 5600x, and you will pay less for the intel system (CPU + motherboard + ram) than you will for the Ryzen system. AMD is no longer the budget option like they were in 2017 and 2018. They are no overpriced compared to intel.

[@weasle2904]

@@angrysocialjusticewarrior AMD recently reduced their pricing recently, and their motherboards are so much cheaper it's actually a better value to get AMD. Not to mention AMD CPUs are waaaaaaaaaay more efficient

[@timserious7678]

H610 seems fine to me if using like i3 and no need of raid , rest stuff is too expensive for budget stuff anyway

[@MitternachtAngel]

I can't find an i3 12th at MSRP

[@jeffmarvincruzada6015]

@@MitternachtAngel I bought i3 12100f with h610 mobo gigabyte for 215 dollars . Which has almost the same price for i3 10105f but more expensive for 25-35 bucks , (10105f plus h510 = $175) . Hahhahaha that was a very good deal , and now it's out of stock. The performance of i3 12th from 10th gen is kinda huge.

[@kahrhoshe]

I love it when yall talk normal but still keep it technical.

[@joshuabowen5617]

This was such a useful video and it's going to be a great help in picking a motherboard

[@thevoid6756]

Wow Steve you just saved me so much headache! I have been trying to put together a new PC for weeks, after being stuck with apple for the last 6 years. I had totally forgotten K-series chips are wasted on non-Z boards. I was about to buy a B660 board for a 13600K.

[@chandans9846]

Hey, could you please make a list of good B660 mobos which have good thermals, VRM etc so we can go for a budget build. Really looking forward to it! Love the channel! Thank you

[@f3rns]

I think BuildZoid will do this with GN in a future video.

[@benderbg]

The problem is that most of the B660 boards with good VRMs cost as much as cheapest Z690 boards but still dont have better VRMs than their counterparts.

[@nathangamble125]

@@benderbg Not really a problem. You don't need good VRMs on B660 because Alder Lake is much more efficient than Comet/Rocket Lake. You just need VRMs that aren't absolute trash. Anything with a VRM heatsink and at least 3 MOSFETs per phase should be fine for up to an i7-12700. If you're looking for a cheap B660 motherboard, the Gigabyte B660M DS3H, ASUS Prime B660M-A, and MSI Pro B660M-A all have VRMs that would easily be good enough for an i7-12700. (MSI, why did you change your naming scheme to be basically identical to ASUS?). Prices seem very variable between regions.

[@paradigmnnf]

Thank you for presenting some deep & sound technical stuff!

[@DDxRaptor]

I disagree with the statement at 2:15 that in order to properly use a K series, you'd have to stick to a Z690. However, that is only true if you want to overclock your CPU. If you don't want to, everything else works just fine because boost clock speeds are not locked anyway. Imho the biggest factor to run a K or KF on a non Z690-board is because a 12700k has a base clock of 3,60 GHz with 5,0 GHz boost, where the normal 12700k only has 2,10 GHz with 4,80-4,90 GHz boost. And the TDP of the K/KF is also nearly double as high compared to the normal one (125W to 65W).

[@casedistorted]

Steve really shampoo’s his hair well today, he looking fly as heck

[@grospoulpe951]

Thanks for that review and advice, too (18:58) :)

[@RepsUp100]

There are no bad products, only bad prices.

[@AngelRivera-wp9bg]

The best info here bar none. Detailed info and more then most can handle.

[@jonasziegler3025]

5:10 that doesn't mean you don't have dual channel though? You can just use a max of 2 dimms versus 4 on the others, but you still get dual channel with these two dimms?

[@Abu_Shawarib]

I see H610 being used in OEM and mid to low end pre-builds.

[@edwardmacnab354]

You should have tagged a few major sites providing specs for all this . It's much easier to see in a long detailed list how this stuff goes together plus the spec sheets are essential .

[@Jumbo_Engineering]

I waited for this Video Thx

[@mrclark44]

Thanks!

[@cgfreeandeasy]

2:30....Since Overclocking isn´t realy neccessary (and often not even possible) anymore, because the boost-clocks are already high - espacialy with k-CPU´s, you do not need z-Mainboards anymore. For many usecases, the H610 mainboard/chipset would be enough. Albeit, then there is no Thunderbolt or USB3.2/4 only USB3.1, but that would be enough for most usual situations. Most PC-users buy a PC and never change its configuration. The times, were we needed PCI-slots for add-on additional hardware/abilitys, are practically over. It would be better to buy a additional System for the usecase, as to upgrade your PC with additional functions/interfaces. I have a Gaming-System with a H610 Mainboard. Albeit that was with a i5-12400, not a k-CPU. But as long, as the Powerstages of the motherboard can provide the needs of a Full load-state of the cpu (for maximum clocks), there is no need for a Z-Chipset, if you only want a gaming system. Thats also, why some youtuber espacialy focus on VRM ability and not chipsets only/anymore. I mean, for a 300plus watt CPU, you need propper VRM´s for maximum-boost clock. And thats the only reason, why looking for a B-/H- or Z-chipset: because of the better powerstages (and USB 20Gbps...and Ram overclocking/XMP capability). Casual gaming...with Full-HD, a 65 Watt CPU seems often enough, if not, a k-cpu may work better - because of higher Boost-clocks. But for that, a z Chipset Motherboard isn´t realy neccessary. It could be a H610-Motherboard.

[@Nafke]

Thanks a lot for this. Just setting out to build my first PC so perfect timing too 🤓

[@yakacm]

Notice that in Z590 block diagram Intel use MHz to describe memory speed but on Z690 they started using mega transfers?

[@drafecito]

I got an H610M S2H from gigabyte, and as far as I can tell the only drawbacks are the single m.2 slot (pcie 3.0) and there only are two memory channels. I was surprised to see the 4.0 pcie x16 slot honestly. It was really cheap too, and with two 8gb 3200 mhz ram sticks I don't think I will need more memory slots.

[@dragoljubzdravkovic1737]

Thats what I was surprised about the gen4 x16, Is it that different than the others, did you notice if it caps the cpu? Cause I found an itx h610 for 80eur (asrock) and was thinking about upgrading from my z170, to a locked 13th gen i5 or i7... Cause I already got 32gb 3200 ram and 1tb nvme pcie 3, could save a bit.. was either this or b660, maybe b550

[@Trikipum]

@@dragoljubzdravkovic1737 get a b660, a good one, most boards can handle the good cpus of this generation if you decide to upgrade later... which is the main point of these. right now.

[@tomthomas3499]

​​@@TrikipumI've heard the same advice back when 10th gen was released, fast forward 3 years later when i need to upgrade, now people said there's no point upgrading withn 10th gen, go 12th gen instead, so this whole idea of getting better board so that we can upgrade to better cpu down the line become falls apart when i have to change motherboard as well upgrading to 12th gen, though for me i was aiming at best an i5, if one decided to get i7 then there's no point getting a budget board

[@TheCRTProductions]

I'm thinking about a Z690 build in the near future so this helped! It most re-affirmed what I already knew, I didn't realize B660 was quite as cut down though. Z690 it is!

[@poiuytrewq8ff]

I went strix z690 gaming A (ddr4), 32gb g-skill 4000cl16, 12600k, samsung 980 evo+, strix 3080ti oc. CPU @ 5ghz, gpu power limit +12% & undervolt (strix already had massive factory power lim so it's around 450W now). My rig smashes my mates 5950x in multi threaded benchmarks and gpu benches better then most 3090's. Thermals are great too. Cost and arm and a leg but I don't regret it.

[@RandoBurner]

Why would a H610 not be enough if used with a 12100 or 12400???

[@JayzBeerz]

Need to add the power phases to the chart as they are all different on each board.

[@bowi1332]

Thank you very much for the video! It's very useful! I like to learn about more basic stuff.

[@RedbirdJaybird]

You are my new favorite! Truly a well-spoken professional that absolutely knows his stuff, especially relating to board architecture, but without any of the typical tech egomania or useless personal rabble-rant. I just graduated to a Z-690 Alder Lake system with an RTX 3070ti, after a decade of being a die-hard x79 Geekstress, with my wonderful little m-atx Patsburg-Romley PCH powerhouse which was worth every bit it’s weight and then some working for me … it was really hard to say goodbye! Thrilled to find an awesome new resource, and you are a pleasure to listen to - never once while watching your content do I find myself wishing to God it would just be over! 🤣😁 Thanks Steve!

[@bdoleza]

Thank you THANK YOU for including a few moments of simple, non-electrical-engineering-degree language in this video! The only problem I've ever had with this channel is that you get into the nitty gritty details without summing it all up for the rest of us. Example: I was "today" years old when I found that Intel "K" should be used with Z690 boards. Steve even said "most of you probably know that ." I was like REALLY.

[@thelawnet]

that's usually (kinda) true, because you pay a premium for 'K' which gets you overclocking, as well as a 100 MHz speed boost (which you won't notice). Confusingly it's not true for this generation, because the 12600K is basically an 'i6', because it has more cores than the 12600, and the overclocking support is almost completely incidental to the fact that it's a much better CPU than the 12600, whereas the 11600K was NOT much better than the 11600. So if you want 10 cores for streaming or programming or whatever, then there's no need to get Z690 if a particular B660 or H670 board meets your need.

[@Dogzilla07]

A question about PCie lanes from the CPUs, @16:43 you mention 4 lanes from the Core Processor, but doesn't the Core Processor provide more than 4 lanes (5.0 ?), even when paired with the H610 chipset ?. H610 motherboard manuals mention full 16x PCIe 4.0 for the primary graphics slot. Is there an undocumented limitation ?. (i can't find a H610 chipset diagram).

[@Dogzilla07]

After sleeping on it, I think it's as likely I misunderstood, and maybe Steve meant the DMI lanes going to the chipset from CPU @16:43~16:53. Information in H610 manuls from all the companies seems to indicate there is full 16 lane PCie 4 support on the main graphic slot.

[@everything-has-a-handle-now]

The timing of this video could not be more perfect for me

[@FULLYBAKED74]

The thermal in the begging of the vid!!!! 0:49 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭

[@willpower1177]

Great, in-depth video as always!

[@BeeWhere]

Stock of some stuff is still hard to come by, I have a friend who has been wanting to build for a while. He was able to snag a 3080ti FE at MSRP which blew hes budget considering he has a 1080p 240hz monitor and only plays warzone. He can't find a 12600 in stock so is going with a 12600k even though he doesn't plan to overclock. Pairing with a $180 B660 Asus tuf because checks the other boxes. It still has PCIe 5.0 top slot, 2x PCIe 4.0 M.2, etc. Not a perfect pairing by any means but he's excited to build his first pc.

[@temporaltomato3021]

That is going to be one *monster* of a first pc, despite the mobo being an odd pairing.

[@thelawnet]

The 12600 is a weak choice due to the extra $$$ compared with a 12500 and just a tiny 200 MHz speed bump, so it's probably a good thing he got the much stronger 12600k with the 10 cores

[@BeeWhere]

@@thelawnet good to know thanks. At least there are options available and happy to see Intel hitting back against AMD I hope it encourage the choices when they release AM5.

[@SystematicHardware]

You guys are awesome! Thanks for the video

[@BKDDY]

And remember that Amazon usually never ships Mobos in boxes. The only way they'll use a box is if you combine it with other items & choose the the "get your order in fewer boxes" option (which is usually slower)

[@IslamGhonaym]

Very detailed 👍. Even tho most of viewers only needs a few seconds of this video telling them what is appropriate to consider before they buy. I watched this over 4 times because I was sleepy to listen to everything

[@P4NCH1]

Wait, so what about PCIe 5.0? It's one of the primary selling points of this gen but I don't see it anywhere...

[@LastSecBloomer]

You won't see it any time soon...it was the same with PCIe 4.

[@zonemanbobo]

Love this channel ❤️! The details make this my go-to tech channel.

[@pascaldifolco4611]

Super instructive, thx ! 😀😀

[@khaivalx2544]

Exactly the info i needed, thank you

[@AstolfoGayming]

When showing the spec table for H610, in the row for Mem channels/DPC you show h610 as having 2/1, which I'd read as 2 memory channels and 1 DPC I thought H610 had 1 memory channel and 2 dims for that channel? That's certainly what you said out loud earlier in the video

[@TheNinjaMarmot]

Nope it's dual channel with 1 dimm per channel

[@ThunderKat]

SLI/Crossfire always been hyper confusing, 2022 and still we can't get full hyper-speed on each hyper-PCI-Express connector. So the extra PCI-E are mostly hyper cut on performance and the extra hyper lanes provided by the CPU are hyper limited.

[@Alucard-gt1zf]

Who even uses sli now?

[@mirage8753]

are you stuck in the past? sli/crossfire arent supported by amd and nvidia for a while already

[@Quelkaima]

Thank you so much for this explainer! I'm currently in the process of getting my things in order to start building a new computer and this was exactly what I needed. Even though I'm looking at 11th gen Intel CPUs, this still mapped perfectly with the chipset numbers I was seeing (Z590, H570, B560, H510). I dare say this wasn't "dumbed down" at all, just "distilled" into the key differences.

[@storm209e]

So , one should not pair a h610 with rx 6500xt right? As there are no pcie 4.0 lanes.

[@jakacresnar5855]

one should not pair a 6500XT with anything because it's a turd of a GPU.

[@croissis]

16:13 does this mean i cant use both m.2 and a hdd at the same time?

[@ForzaE2]

- Why are you taking notes from a video on youtube ? - Because this will come up later on credit card summary in this year. - What :O ?

[@lisafairymeadow2034]

Relatedly I had a request for a video series A straight forward actual setup guide in bios settings and windows options for the new alder lake CPUs and these newer mobos. As a lot of us have been out of the hardware game for 3 years due to "Incidents" and that is roughly the time frame the Ryzen dominated the charts. That and 99.9 percent of videos are overclocking guides when most just want to know if they have the baseline setup right in the first place.

[@richardgomez8010]

KF can be overclock just doesn't have in board graphics

[@utp216]

And I thought choosing between X570 & B550 was tough. 🤯

[@Skiptrac3]

It isn't tough though. For 99.99% of applications, B550 is plenty. It's still an Unlocked platform, not that AMD's CPUs have that much manual OC head room.

[@jellytoad3239]

Hey @gamers nexus, throughout the video your mic audio was popping. Pretty distracting, but great video

[@HDG-be7pb]

great information, thanks a lot🙏🙏

[@williamandaudreymenjivar85]

What do you think about Asus ProArt X570 Creator WiFi Motherboard just for a graphic design work station?

[@quintyss1290]

Thank you this was very helpful.

[@Agm1995gamer]

H670 + 12900T would be a top of the line setup considering performance, price, cooling and power consumption imo.

[@santananoah165]

is b660asusTUF paired with 12900k good? not thinking about overclocking at all But the z690 prices in our country kinda trash as if in right now (supply demand)

[@kylemckay5376]

Thank you again for the again for the informative vid

[@knightsljx]

honestly i hate that we're being forced to buy "features" we don't need. even factoring in the human malware issue, i got my Ryzen 3600 and X470 for way cheaper then the equivalent SKU now. Why? PCIe Gen 4. And for WHAT? We weren't even saturating Gen 3 with any meaningful purpose. Gen 3 NVME were PLENTY fast. But manufacturers ran out of shit to market, so Gen 4 was forced down our throats. There is absolutely ZERO reason to go PCIe Gen 4 and DDR5 right now. You graphics card perfectly well at Gen 3 x16, and no one needs Gen 4 NVMEs.

[@eukariootti1]

Currently, my Radeon 5700 XT is hogging all of the PCIe 4.0 x16 (PCIEX16_1). That GPU is roughly equivalent to todays 6600 XT and RTX 3060 (rasterization power). Half of that (PCIe 4.0 x8 or PCIe 3.0 x16) would still be plenty for 5700 XT. So, I've got lots of headroom for a future GPU, which is propably much faster. Since my mobo (Asus X570-E) supports splitting that x16, I could start using both straight-to-the-CPU slots, *without bottlenecking my GPU.* Well, at least with my current GPU. But... ...with PCIe 3.0 x8 (or PCIe 4.0 x4) I might bottleneck my GPU, more or less. Not to mention a new, much faster GPU I some day upgrade to. PCIe *4.0 x16* GPU (32 GB/s) or PCIe *4.0 x8* GPU (16 GB/s) PCIe *4.0 x8* a capture card, for example or PCIe *4.0 x8* GPU (16 GB/s) PCIe *4.0 x4x4* a card with two M.2 SSD's (RAID1 or RAID 0) or PCIe *4.0 x4x4x4x4* a card with four M.2 SSD's and an iGPU. Or an external, 1-slot GPU in PCIEX16_3 (PCIe 4.0 x4) When will be the first GPU actually, in practice, really requiring PCIe 4.0 x16 (or PCIe 5.0 x8) released? Two years from now? Three years from now? And at what price...

[@Wylie288]

I like my PCIE 4 NVME fuck off

[@nileshdarunde]

No offense, but this paper specifications is not much helping unless you test it in real life. I was thinking that you will going to test to show how good is the power delivery and VRM section because that's the most thing matters. This thing you explained can easily be taken out from Google, but how well the performance difference can be seen only when it would be tested. Supposed, I was going to buy i5 12400f but got confused between h610 and b660, so a benchmark test would have clearly shown me the difference, also which brand because I have seen same board performs different depending brand to brand, even if both are H, B or high end Z series.

[@SuperRutherr]

I was literally about to buy a B660 for 240. So I'm very happy to have seen this. Z690 are the same price if not some are cheaper! Thank you for the great info

[@calvin2042]

But the b660-a rog strix is better for a white PC build. It's the only nice white mobo unless you go for the $380+ z690.

[@yukariTheLalafell]

I wonder what kind of insurance policy Steve has on his hair I mean it’s a national treasure

[@zMeul]

there's another reason to go for Z690 over the rest, the number of SATA ports I want to build a home NAS with TrueNAS and the number of SATA ports diminishes with the B, H and Q boards the other major caveat is PCIe lanes, you'd want one or two 10gbe card, a HBA for future expansion

[@valkaielod]

H670 has the exact same number of possible (will vary by manufacturer) SATA ports. You can always throw a cheap IT mode controller in it and add another 4 or 8 ports.

[@zMeul]

@@valkaielod on paper, yes on actual sold mobos ... that's another deal

[@michaelfisher4319]

Very helpful, thanks!

[@memespeech]

is it PCI-E 5.0? official intel spec says PCI Express Revision 3.0, 4.0. But wiki says there's pci-e 5.0 and the slides at 7:20 too.

[@CuteLittleNeko]

Hello from the future. This video was very helpful because I didn't know what the difference was between Z,H, and B. While I don't plan to ever overclock I did buy a MSI B760 Gaming Plus WiFi with an I7 12700KF on Cyber Monday. Though if I watched this sooner I would have gotten a Z board instead since they were on sale then.

[@rickylee371]

Great information to recap just before black friday/ cyber monday deals! Bought i5-12600K/ B660 combo for ($240+$100)to replace my >10 years old i5-2500/H61M. What a great save from 13th gen!

[@paradigmnnf]

We need an updated version of this video for X700 series chipsets.