Intel’s 11th generation Rocket Lake-S architecture processors are right around the corner! Just before we look at those new processors, there are a fresh batch of 500 series motherboards on their way as well to check out!

The new set of motherboards are branded as 500 series desktop chipset boards, with a few different options which will target a range of feature sets and price points. Some of the main features that Intel is bringing to the table with these new boards paired with 11th gen CPUs are:

• PCIe Gen4 support for the latest graphics cards and high-speed storage devices.
• Support for DDR4-3200 right out of the box.
• CPU to chipset link bandwidth doubled from DMI x4 to DMI x8.

Starting from the top with the Z590 chipset, this will replace the current Z490 chipset used for high-performance systems running 10th gen CPUs. Z590 is still using the same LGA 1200 socket found on 400 series boards and shares many of the same features. This includes support for multiplier and memory overclocking, the latest Wi-Fi 6 support, a ton of high-speed USB connectivity and many other features. The difference comes from the native DDR4-3200 support up from DDR4-2933, support for up to 20 PCIe Gen4 lanes from an 11th gen CPU and a higher bandwidth connection from the CPU to the chipset. Boards running the Z590 chipset will be great when paired with an unlocked Rocket Lake-S processor for the best performance.

The B560 chipset is replacing the current B460 chipset, H570 replacing H470 and H510 replacing H410. These lower tier chipsets are also getting some minor upgrades, with one of the bigger changes being support for memory overclocking on B560 and H570 chipset boards. To take advantage of this feature you will need a K-series unlocked processor. This means that consumers can now take full advantage of DDR4-3200MHz memory just like on AMD's more affordable B550 chipset, as well as have more control over memory tuning to get the tightest possible timings and lowest latency for maximum performance alongside the lower cost of the B560 chipset.

You can expect all the big players in the industry to be producing new 500 series boards e.g. ASUS, MSI and Gigabyte. At the moment, ASUS has a bunch of Z590 boards in their lineup:

• ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial
• ROG Maximus XIII Extreme
• ROG Maximus XIII Hero
• ROG Strix Z590-E Gaming WIFI
• ROG Strix Z590-A Gaming WIFI
• ROG Strix Z590-I Gaming WIFI
• TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WIFI
• Prime Z590-A

These are what ASUS have listed at the moment, but we do expect that there may boards in other form factors (mATX and mITX) boards available in the future.

Gigabyte 13 boards in total listed currently, which includes a mix of standard ATX boards as well as a couple of mITX boards for small form factor systems.

• Z590 AORUS XTREME
• Z590 AORUS MASTER
• Z590 AORUS ULTRA
• Z590 VISION G
• Z590 AORUS PRO AX
• Z590I AORUS ULTRA
• Z590 AORUS ELITE AX
• Z590 AORUS ELITE
• Z590 VISION D
• Z590I VISION D
• Z590 GAMING X
• Z590 UD AC
• Z590 UD

Gigabyte's lineup includes a range of boards at different price points and feature sets, covering the entry level boards like the Z490 UD all the way up to the flagship Z590 AORUS XTREME.

MSI has information available for most of their Z590 boards at the moment. Just like ASUS and Gigabyte, their naming scheme and feature set for each board remains similar to what is currently available in their Z490 series of motherboards.

• MEG Z590 GODLIKE
• MEG Z590 ACE
• MEG Z590I UNIFY
• MPG Z590 Gaming Carbon WIFI
• MPG Z590 CARBON EK X
• MPG Z590 GAMING FORCE
• MPG Z590 GAMING EDGE WIFI
• MPG Z590 GAMING PLUS
• MAG Z590 Tomahawk WIFI
• MAG Z590 Torpedo
• Z590 PRO WIFI
• Z590-A PRO

To check out our full range of Z590 motherboards from Intel click here! We will be updating our site with new 500 series boards as they come in, so stay tuned for more updates!

If you are interested our range of motherboards and other PC components to upgrade or build a system, have a chat with our team in-store or online today!