On September 27, Intel will formally confirm the launch of its new 13th generation Raptor Lake desktop processors. With this in mind, it therefore always seemed likely (and more than a little logical) that motherboard partners would also choose this date to launch their original Z790 designs.
But will it really happen? Following what can only be described as a lead balloon hint, MSI has all but confirmed that September 27th will not only mark the launch of Intel’s Raptor lake, but also their own Z790 motherboard solutions!
MSI will launch Z790 motherboards on September 27th
The teaser can hardly be called one that contains an absolute amount of references to the Z790 and motherboards in general. Especially since there are more than a few references to models and designs from MSI that are already known to exist (at least in previous generation form). – With the event scheduled as part of their “The Next Playground – Refram” event on September 27th, however, this is the first official confirmation that the Z790 will make its debut on that date. Pokémon Go Spotlight Hour: Can Aron be Shiny?
The date, which Intel has not yet 100% categorically confirmed by the way, will mark the launch of their Raptor Lake processors. However, at this point, they might as well drop all pretense and just admit it! – If you are interested in Intel Raptor Lake or Z790 motherboards, the advice is clear. Keep your calendars open because September 27th is going to be a busy day!
What do you think? Are you excited for the release of Raptor Lake? If so, are you planning to be an early adopter or are you more curious to see what AMD has first? – Let us know in the comments!
It’s an exciting time to be a computer hardware enthusiast. After a quiet 2022 so far, we’ll be inundated with product launches and upgrade options, including AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series (opens in new tab), Nvidia’s RTX 40 GPUs (opens in new tab), and of course Intel’s 13th (opens se on a new card) series of CPUs and motherboards.
Along with the Z790 motherboards, the 13th generation processors will launch. MSI has started testing its Z790 boards ahead of a virtual unveiling event on September 27th. The event is expected to coincide with the launch of Intel’s 13th generation ‘K’ processors. Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Beta: All Killstreaks and Scorestreaks
MSI’s tweet teases several boards. MSI is expected to stick with its current product branding and divide its lineup into three broad segments. These are the high-end MEG series, the mid-range MPG series and the low-end MAG series. The MEG range includes models such as Godlike, Unify and Ace. The MPG series includes models such as the Carbon and Edge, while the MAG series includes the popular and highly regarded Tomahawk boards.
The Z790 motherboards are expected to bring evolutionary upgrades over the current Z690 boards. The chipset is expected to offer a higher number of I/O lanes, but the number of CPU PCIe 5.0 lanes will remain the same, meaning AMD will gain an advantage by offering dedicated PCIe 5.0 lanes for SSDs. However, board manufacturers have the option to split the 16 Gen 13 PCIe 5.0 lanes between the primary GPU slot and the M.2 slots.
Z790 boards and 13th generation CPUs will offer native DDR5-5600 support. That’s a nice increase over 12th Gen’s base support of 4800 MHz, though it’s no surprise given that 12th Gen CPUs and 600 series boards happily run at speeds of 6000 MHz or more. Return to Monkey Island: Casual Mode or Hard Mode?
DDR4 kit users will be pleased to know that vendors will offer select Z790 boards with DDR4 support. This gives Intel an advantage in the overall cost of the platform, while buyers of the Ryzen 7000 series have to use the more expensive DDR5. Google Photos just got a bunch of upgraded features — here’s what’s new
If you don’t want to buy a new motherboard but want to upgrade to a new processor, you can. Vendors have already released BIOS updates for 600 series motherboards that add support for 13th generation processors.
If you want to watch MSI’s virtual event (opens in a new tab), you’ll need to register, but even if you’re not ready to buy an MSI board, tuning in can help you make a more informed choice, regardless of brand. you end up with
PC Gamer will have a series of Z690 (and X670 and B650) reviews in the coming weeks and months, so keep an eye out for them.