| Characteristic | Z690 | H670 | B660 | H610 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Overclock | Yes | No | No | No |
| PCIe Gen 5 (via CPU) | x16 // x8 + x8 | x16 // x8 + x8 | x16 | x16 |
| PCI Gen 4 | 12 lines | 12 lines | 6 lines | 4 no |
| PCIe Gen 3 | 16 lines | 12 lines | 8 lines | 4 lines |
| SATA | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
From the outset we cannot tell you, this will depend on your budget and the components that you have studied to connect to it throughout its life. After all, a chipset is nothing more than a hub that takes the signal from different interfaces for different peripherals and expansion cards and unifies them at a common point to communicate with the processor.
However, not everyone needs the same number of expansion bays or exit ports, and not all users require support for memory or CPU overclocking. That is why we have taken the four Intel 600 chipsets (Z690, H670, B660 and H610) for the Intel Core 12 with Alder Lake-S architecture and we have compared them according to the capabilities that each one grants.
CPU and memory overclocking capability
Not all users need the ability to overclock their processors, but in the event that we need to do so, it is important that the motherboard has the necessary characteristics in terms of CPU power to be able to perform the clock speed increases. corresponding.
In the case of motherboards with an Intel 600 chipset, only the Z690 have support for CPU overclocking. So if what you are looking for is to rev up your Core 12 then the only option you have is the top of the range. On the other hand, in the face of XMP 3.0 support for DDR5 or DDR4 speed boosts, we can opt for any of the chipsets except the H610, which does not support memory overclocking either.
Interfaces from the CPU
All the peripheral interfaces that are connected to the PC are concentrated and unified in a single face to communicate with the processor with the aim of reducing the circuitry and the complexity of the motherboard. The DMI 4.0 on the 600 series with a bandwidth of 16 billion transfers per line per second. The Direct Media Interface is Intel’s proprietary variation on PCI Express that is used for the connection between the chipset and the CPU. To communicate the memory controller, known as Northbridge, with the peripheral controller, named Southbridge. In the Intel 600 chipsets, version 4.0 has been reached, with 8 lines for the Z690 and H670 chipsets, although 4 lines in the case of B660 and H610 and, therefore, with less bandwidths.
Apart from the I / O interfaces provided by the different chipsets, there are others that are provided directly by the CPU, this means that it is the processor in charge of managing them and not the chipset, however it is necessary that the motherboard have integrated connections necessary to connect peripherals.
PCI Express from CPU
The capacity for PCI Express 5.0 is provided by the CPU, however the communication interface in the form of bays is required to connect the graphics card. If we have a motherboard with a Z690 or H670 chipset, we can choose a 16-line or 8-line connection, but in the case that our choice for a B660 or H610 board we cannot use the second option.
The second point related to the processor are the 4 PCI Express 4.0 lines that it provides to connect an NVMe SSD, in that case, all chipsets except the H610, which lacks the connection lines to said interface, give us the ability to connect a high speed solid state drive. If you opt for the more discreet option of the Intel 600 chipsets, you will not be left without the option of connecting a unit of this type, however, it will use the lines provided by the chipset itself and not by the processor.
PCI Express lanes on Z690 H670 B660 and H610
Despite the existence of PCI Express 5.0, we still have a large number of peripherals that support the fourth generation interface. In the event that our choice is a board with a Z690 or H670 chipset, our options in this case will be the same. We can use the PCI Express 5.0 interface to connect two expansion cards with two M.2 units inside that take advantage of the two sets of 8 PCI Express lanes each.
This is ideal for mounting low-end workstations based on high-speed storage, however we are left unable to make use of the 5th Gen interface for the graphics card and both the Z690 and H670 only provide 12 PCIe Gen lanes. 4 on the chipset. Well, in that case these are combined with the 4 granted by the CPU to be able to connect a graphics card under the fourth generation interface.
The case of the B660 is different, it does not have support to unfold the PCIe Gen 5 interface from 16 to two 8-rails, which is why it is advisable to use it for the graphics card and leave the Gen 4 interfaces for the NVMe SSDs. Where we have up to 10 in total, a figure at least strange, since if this chipset granted 8 lines then we could see plates with 3 bays for M.2 drives, but that is why we will see only two. As for the H610, it is surprisingly the only Intel 600 chipset that does not have support for PCIe Gen 4.
PCI Express 3.0
To finish we have the case of the third generation PCI Express lines, the Z690 chipset supports up to 16 of them, the H670 12, the B660 is left with 8 and in the last place the H610 with 4 lines, in the latter case the the only way you can connect an NVMe SSD to the PC.
Although the chipset supports an interface, this does not mean that it is physically present, for most users the fourth and fifth generation interfaces are enough and we will not see PCI Express bays with third generation speed, more than anything for space. This is an atavistic interface that outside of the H610’s 4th Gen PCI Express support is really of little use to the bulk of users.
USB interfaces on Z690 H670 B660 and H610
The next point in this comparison is the USB or rather how many ports a motherboard can carry at most to connect peripherals and at what speeds. That is why we have prepared a table for you so that you know the speed of each of them and the maximum amount that you can find of each one.
| USB port speed | Z690 | H670 | B660 | H610 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Gbps (USB 3.2) | 4 ports | 2 ports | 2 ports | None |
| 10 Gbps (USB 3.2) | 10 ports | 4 ports | 4 ports | 2 ports |
| 5 Gbps (USB 3.2) | 10 ports | 8 ports | 6 ports | 4 ports |
| USB 2.0 | 14 ports | 14 ports | 12 ports | 10 ports |
The fact that, for example, a board with an Intel Z690 chipset supports up to 14 USB 2.0 ports does not mean that we will see them on the back of the board, this is nothing more than a maximum. Of course, when buying a motherboard, look at how many USB connections your peripherals require and which of them. Having too many universal serial bus ports is way better than coming up short, especially when it comes to high-speed ones.
SATA
Although the SATA interface has its days numbered, there are still people who make use of conventional hard drives that use this interface. IF we opt for a board with a Z690 or H670 chipset, we can connect up to 8 units to our PC, while with B660 or H610 it will be 4 the maximum number. Be that as it may, it is more than enough for the majority of users who do not usually have more than 2 hard drives plus the increasingly absent drive for optical discs. So none of the Intel 600 chipset motherboards fall short in this regard.
