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Recent reports from Uniko’s Hardware’s editor have speculated the next-generation Intel and AMD platform launch dates – and the wait isn’t all that long. If rumours are to be believed, Intel and AMD are clearly ramping things up in preparation for their next-gen core and Ryzen series CPU lineups.
Intel Z690 ‘Alder Lake’ Motherboards Expected Q4 2021, Z790 ‘Raptor Lake’ In Q3 2022, and AMD AM5 Motherboards In Q2 2022
As far as the race for next-gen hardware goes, team blue seems to be winning – with Intel users getting a taste of the next-gen platform within this year (if rumours are to be believed). Each of the platforms will get a range of chipsets aimed at a variety of users and budget restrictions – including high-end, mainstream, and budget consumers. Reports suggest that the Intel 600-series chipset platform will consist of Z690, B660, and H610 SKUs.
Intel 600-series Motherboards For 12th Gen CPUs
The latest Intel 600-series platform will offer up a variety of SKUs, including Z690, B660, and H610 variants. At this early stage, there is still no mention of workstation chipsets – however, we expect that to come later down the road.
Regarding release dates, early reports suggest that the Z690 flagship SKU will be the first to hit shelves – with a target date of Q4 2021. That’ll put the Z690 launch date bang in line with the most recent DDR5 release date estimates.
Looking forward to 2022, Intel plans to expand the 600-series platform with more budget-oriented & mainstream SKUs such as B660 and H610. These alternate SKUs look set to hit shelves in Q1 of 2022, with an announcement likely at CES 2022. All of the motherboards will feature Intel’s LGA 1700 socket which supports the 12th Gen Alder Lake CPU lineup. That said, it looks like the flagship Z690 motherboards will be unique with their DDR5 support. Entry-level alternatives will likely stick to DDR4, for now.
Intel 700-series Motherboards For 13th Gen CPUs
Alongside the 600-series, users can also expect the arrival of Intel’s 700-series platform. It has been reported that the first motherboards should officially launch around Q3 2022 – around 9 months after the arrival of the 600-series. When compared to previous launches, that fits nicely into Intel’s timescale for 500 to 600-series platforms.
The 700-series platforms will likely be equipped with many of the 600-series features, only with a more advanced I/O. Furthermore, the 700-series will likely offer greater support for DDR5 and PCIe 5.0. It will also feature the LGA 1700 socket with compatibility for Alder Lake & Raptor Lake CPUs.
AMD AM5 Motherboards For 5th Generation Ryzen CPUs
Last, but most certainly not least, is team red and the arrival of its AM5 platform. AMD plan to launch its hugely anticipated AM5 series boards after both of Intels – with reports suggesting arrival by Q2 2022. This comes from reports and AMD themselves who stated that a new Ryzen family would launch prior to Zen 4 CPUs in early 2022. As many already know, the company’s Zen 3 chips with 3D V-cache technology are expected to launch into production later this year.
All being said, Zen 3 V-cache will not be coming to the AM5 platform – meaning, AM4 technology will still be around for some years to come. AMD have already showcased its Ryzen 9 5900X/5950X prototype CPUs with 3D V-cache – with both coming to shelves in the very same AM4 packaging that we’ve become accustomed to.
All in all, these rumours have sparked up excitement within the tech community that has recently decreased thanks to the increasingly annoying hardware shortage we’re encountering right now. Hopefully, come launch day, we’ll finally be able to actually purchase this next-gen hardware.
