Earlier this month Intel quietly launched its W680 chipset, the corporate’s workstation-focused chipset for its twelfth Gen Core (Alder Lake) processors. In contrast to the present technology of client desktop chipsets equivalent to Z690, H670, B660, and H610, the W680 provides the potential to make use of ECC DRAM, together with each DDR5 and DDR4 variants. At current, there have not been many W680 motherboard bulletins, though a few distributors, together with ASRock Industrial and Supermicro have a number of choices listed. So we’re supplying you with the lowdown on W680, what it has to supply, and what applied sciences it brings for customers seeking to construct a workstation-class desktop with Intel’s newest Alder Lake structure.
The Intel W680 Chipset: Enabling Alder Lake Workstations
Usually when Intel launches a brand new sequence of processors for the desktop market, it releases a number of chipsets with various ranges of options. For its twelfth Gen Core household, Intel initially launched its CPUs and premium Z690 chipset, and adopted that up with its extra inexpensive H660, B660, and H610 chipsets. In most generations the product stack is rounded out a bit later with a W-series workstation-focused chipset, and eventually a wide range of Xeon-E sequence.
Enter the Intel W680 chipset, which is Intel’s designated workstation chipset for its twelfth Gen Core platform. The Intel W680 chipset is attention-grabbing for a wide range of causes, not the least of which is that that it formally opens up ECC reminiscence assist for Intel’s Alder Lake-S desktop processors.
Intel W680 Chipset Block Diagram
A number of the major options of the W680 chipset embrace a PCIe 4.0 x8 DMI hyperlink, which connects the processor to the chipset for improved bandwidth over Intel’s earlier W-series chipsets. Different options embrace assist for as much as eight SATA ports and built-in Wi-Fi 6E PHY/2.5 GbE MACs for distributors to hook within the newest networking controllers. Intel contains assist for 16x PCIe 5.0 lanes from the CPU, with the same old 16/0 or 8/8 bifurcation choices.
Intel W680, Z690, W580, and W480 Chipset Comparability | ||||
Characteristic | W680 | Z690 | W580 | W480 |
Socket | LGA1700 | LGA1700 | LGA1200 | LGA1200 |
uArch | Alder Lake | Alder Lake | Rocket Lake | Comet Lake |
PCIe Lanes (CPU) | 16 x 5.0 4 x 4.0 |
16 x 5.0 4 x 4.0 |
20 x 4.0 | 16 x 3.0 |
PCIe Lanes (Chipset) | 12 x 4.0 16 x 3.0 |
12 x 4.0 16 x 3.0 |
24 x 3.0 | 24 x 3.0 |
PCIe Specification (CPU) | 5.0/4.0 | 5.0/4.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Reminiscence Help | DDR5-4800B DDR4-3200 |
DDR5-4800B DDR4-3200 |
DDR4-2933 | DDR4-2933 |
ECC Reminiscence | Y | N | Y | Y |
DMI Lanes | x8 4.0 | x8 4.0 | N/A | N/A |
Max USB 3.2 (Gen2/Gen1) | 10/10 | 10/10 | 6/10 | 6/10 |
USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) | Y | Y | ASMedia | ASMedia |
Complete USB | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Max SATA Ports | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Reminiscence Channels (Twin) | 2/2 | 2/2 | 2/2 | 2/2 |
Intel Optane Reminiscence Help | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Intel Fast Storage Tech (RST) | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Built-in Wi-Fi MAC | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
Intel Sensible Sound | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Overclocking Help | Y | Y | N | N |
Intel vPro | Y | N | Y | Y |
ME Firmware | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
TDP (W) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Different options with W680 embrace native assist for USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20 Gbps) Sort-C connectivity. Nevertheless, a lot of the value and implementation of networking and connectivity nonetheless rely on distributors utilizing options by means of proprietary CNVi connections. That is a lot the identical story on common Z690, H670, B660, and H610 choices, the price for the goal market is an enormous issue right here on what distributors determine to incorporate or omit. The purpose is the potential is there ought to a vendor want to put it to use.
Intel W680: Now with Official Overclocking Help for CPU & Reminiscence
On the entire, there is not a lot distinction between the W680 and Z690 chipsets when evaluating technical specs. This contains package deal dimension (each are 28 x 25 mm), USB, PCIe, and storage assist, however apparently there is a new addition to Intel’s newest desktop workstation chipset. This ‘new’ inclusion is official assist for overclocking, which is one thing each of the earlier W-series chipsets – W580 and W480 – omitted.
Whereas the final couple of W-series chipsets allowed customers to overclock the reminiscence on supported processors, Intel has opened this as much as unlocking the core frequency when mixed with its Okay-series processors on W680. And whereas this performance is appreciated, it is admittedly unlikely customers will wish to considerably overclock an already sizzling working and high-powered Alder Lake processor, particularly on a motherboard that does not have a strong energy supply system like Z690 motherboards do.
The purpose to that is Intel is giving customers a selection, and whereas it sounds nonsensical in observe, it is a reasonably large transfer for conservative Intel. It must be famous that its H610 chipset does not assist CPU overclocking; it is an attention-grabbing shift from Intel’s earlier standpoint on the subject of overclocking.
W680 Motherboards: What’s At present Introduced (As of March ninth)
Regardless of Intel choosing a gradual ramp up for its W680 chipset, a number of motherboard choices are formally listed, together with from ASRock Industrial and Supermicro. As time goes by, and maybe when Intel pulls the set off on its compulsory Xeon E-3300 household of processors, motherboard distributors may decide to formally announce extra fashions.
The important thing ingredient with W680 is that whereas they provide assist for present Alder Lake-S processors, they’re designed round its Xeon sequence, which are not normally overclockable. These fashions typically characteristic decrease core frequencies and TDPs, given their larger concentrate on reliability versus efficiency.
ASRock Industrial W680
Because it stands, ASRock Industrial has 4 W680 motherboards listed on the time of writing. This contains one thin-ITX mannequin (IMB-X1233-WV), one mini-ITX mannequin (IMB-X1231), one micro-ATX mannequin (IMB-X1314) and one full-sized ATX mannequin (IMB-X1712).
The ASRock Industrial IMB-X1712 ATX (W680) motherboard.
All of ASRock Industrial’s W680 choices embrace assist for ECC DDR4-3200 reminiscence and provide various ranges of PCIe 4.0 and storage assist. The PCIe 4.0 assist depends upon the shape issue because the ITX sized choices are restricted to only one full-length PCIe 4.0 slot, whereas the IMB-X1314 and IMB-X1712 have two full-length PCIe 4.0 slots out there. For the ITX sized fashions, each profit from twin 2.5 GbE, whereas the bigger fashions have three 2.5 GbE controllers, all of which use Intel I225-LM controllers to energy every Ethernet port throughout all fashions. It is price noting that the IMB-X1712 contains two PCI slots for legacy gadgets.
The ASRock Industrial IMB-X1231 mini-ITX (W680) motherboard.
Each the IMB-X1233-WV and IMB-X1231 ITX sized choices enable assist for Alder Lake-S processors with a most TDP of 65 W, whereas the micro-ATX IMB-X1314 and ATX IMB-X1712 allow customers to make use of processors with a base TDP of as much as 125 W. Help and compatibility listed here are aligned and decided by the bottom frequency TDP score on these fashions.
On the time of writing, ASRock Industrial hasn’t introduced any availability or pricing for any of its W680 fashions.
Supermicro W680
For Intel’s W680 chipset launch, Supermicro has listed two motherboards designed across the new chipset. This contains the X13SAE and the X13SAE-F motherboards. These fashions are ATX in dimension and embrace assist for DDR5-4400 reminiscence, each ECC and non-ECC DRAM sorts.
The Supermicro X13SAE ATX (W680) motherboard.
Regardless of each the Supermicro X13SAE and X13SAE-F that includes the identical base specs, together with twin Ethernet, one powered by an Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE and the opposite by an Intel I1219-LM Gigabit controller pairing, there may be one key distinction. The Supermicro X13SAE-F contains IPMI performance which is powered by an ASPeed AST2600 BMC controller and features a supplementary Realtek RTL8211F administration LAN port.
Each of the Supermicro X13 (W680) enable customers to make use of Alder Lake-S processors with a base TDP of 125 W, and each are utilizing a Realtek ALC888S HD audio codec. They share the identical connectivity choices, together with HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and DVI video outputs, in addition to three USB 3.2 G2 Sort-A and one USB 3.2 G1 Sort-A port on the rear panel.
On the time of writing, Supermicro hasn’t shared any info concerning the provision or pricing on its X13 (W680) motherboards.
For different LGA1700 choices equivalent to Z690 motherboards, under we’ve an inventory of our detailed Intel Alder Lake protection: