Intel 300-series Motherboards Explained: Z390 Vs. Z370 ... - PCWorld

Which Intel motherboard should you buy? After initially launching with the Z370 chipset alone in October 2017, Intel fleshed out the 300-series lineup with a full range of motherboard options in April, complete with nice extra features not included in Z370. It then plopped a cherry on top by releasing enthusiast-class Z390 motherboards alongside the 9th-gen Core processors in October 2018. These motherboards should work with both 8th-gen and 9th-gen Core CPUs (though older models may need a BIOS revision to support the new chips) so you’ve got options galore now.

Should you buy a Z390, H370, B360, or H310 motherboard for those fancy features that weren’t available when Z370 rolled out? Does it make sense to splurge on a high-end Z370 or Z390 chipset anyway? Let’s examine what each Intel 300-series motherboard chipset offers so you can make the right decision when you buy an Intel CPU.

Editor’s note: Last updated to include the release of new Z390 motherboards.

Z390 vs. Z370 vs. H370 vs. B360 vs. H310

You need a new Intel 300-series motherboard if you buy an 8th-gen or 9th-gen “Coffee Lake” processor. Older motherboards don’t work with Intel’s current CPUs, and that includes the recent 100- and 200-series options for Skylake and Kaby Lake chips. While Coffee Lake chips are largely based around the same architecture as those predecessors, the new processors pack in more cores, which means they have different power requirements.

Here’s a look at raw specifications for each of the Intel 300-series motherboard chipsets available to consumers. You won’t see the new Z390 motherboards in the chart; they mirror the basic loadout of the Z370 chipset, but with a handful of additional features added, including up to six speedy USB Gen. 2 ports.

Rob Schultz/IDG

Z370 motherboards and Z390 motherboards are the gold standard, built for enthusiast PCs. These are the only Intel motherboards that support CPU and memory overclocking (if you have an unlocked K-series chip), or handle gaming rigs with multiple graphics cards, at least until Z390 boards become available. They’re loaded with the most PCI-E lanes, potential USB ports (with one notable caveat—more on that after), and RAID storage options. As flagship chipsets, they also offer the most high-speed I/O lanes. More HSIO lanes let board makers divvy out more features, like NVMe SSD connections and SuperSpeed USB ports, as they see fit.

Z390 motherboards released a year after Z370 and added the niceties introduced in the more mainstream options. Its basic loadout matches Z370’s capabilities, but you’ll also get Intel wireless networking, native SDXC support, and up to six USB 3.1 Gen. 2 ports integrated, as well as a newer Intel Management Engine (IME) firmware version. If you’re building a new system from scratch, opt for Z390 and its abundant USB 3.1 ports over Z370, unless you can find a comparable Z370 board at a steep discount. If you already own a Z370 board, it doesn’t make much sense to upgrade to Z390.

Gigabyte

Here are some of the options in Newegg’s Z370 selection. The higher you go up in price, the more extra features you receive.

• Gigabyte Z370M DS3H for $105.
• MSI Z370-A PRO for $120.
• ASRock Z370 Pro4 for $130.
• MSI Z370 Tomahawk for $150.
• ASRock Z370 Extreme4 for $175.
• Asus ROG Strix 370-I Gaming for $190. (Mini-ITX)
• Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming 7 for $250.
• Asus ROG Maximus X Hero for $280.

And here are some of the options in Newegg’s Z390 selection. Again, spending more gets you more extras, but the base configurations tend to be fairly similar.

• Gigabyte Z390 UD for $130
• MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk for $160
• ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming for $195
• Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming for $245
• Gigabyte Z390 Aorus Master for $290
• Asus ROG Maximus XI Code for $350

EVGA

H370 motherboards are only a notch below Z370 and Z390, and perfect for people who don’t like to tinker. These boards don’t support overclocking, multiple graphics card setups, or some of the more exotic Intel Rapid Storage Technology features. Other than those niche enthusiast features, and some differences in USB 3.1 support, H370 largely mirrors Z370.

Here are some of the options in Newegg’s H370 selection:

• Gigabyte H370M D3H for $90.
• ASRock H370M-ITX/ac for $109. (Mini-ITX)
• MSI H370 Gaming Plus for $120.
• Asus ROG Strix H370-F Gaming for $140.

MSI

B360 motherboards start shaving more off. You’ll get fewer USB ports, fewer HSIO and PCI-E lanes, and barely any RAID support via Intel’s Rapid Storage Technology. But they still pack speedy USB 3.1 Gen. 2 ports and Optane Memory support to boost hard drive speeds to near-SSD speeds. Look at these as solid-value motherboards for mainstream computers.

Here are some of the options in Newegg’s B360 selection. Once you start creeping too far north of $100, however, you might be better off opting for an H370 motherboard, unless a B360 selection includes a specific key feature that isn’t available in your budget with H370.

• Gigabyte B360M DS3H for $70.
• MSI B360M PRO-VH for $80.
• Asus Prime B360M-A for $90.
• ASRock B360 Pro4 for $95.
• Asus ROG Strix B360-G Gaming for $110.
• Gigabyte Aorus Gaming 3 Wi-Fi for $120.

Gigabyte

H310 motherboards really strip things back. Far fewer USB and SATA ports are supported. It doesn’t support PCI-E 3.0, only the slower PCI-E 2.0, and you can’t use Intel’s Optane Memory technology like you can with the other options. The memory setup only supports a single DIMM per channel, reducing overall bandwidth. RAID options are nonexistent. These ultra-basic motherboards should only be considered for bargain-basement systems with simple needs. They lock you out of a lot of niftier new features that’ve blossomed in Intel’s ecosystem in recent years.

Here are some of the options in Newegg’s H310 selection. There isn’t much variety here, nor fancy gaming brands.

• ASRock H310M-DGS for $58.
• MSI H310M PRO-VDH for $65.
• Asus Prime H310M-D for $70.

Intel 300-series motherboards: Feature comparisons