Intel has been producing many chipsets over the decade and it is improving its technology better by day. Each of the latest chipsets come with some major or minor upgrades with extra benefits. However, some features in the upgraded versions remain the same as in the previous model. And in this article, you will find some notable differences between Intel Z590 and Z690 chipsets.
Difference Between Intel Z690 Vs. Z590
Compatible CPUs
The first difference you’ll notice between the Intel Z690 and Z590 is their CPU incompatibility. While the Z590 supports Comet Lake-S (10gen) and Rocket Lake-S (11gen), the latest Z690 supports Alder Lake-S (12gen) and Raptor Lake-S (13gen).
There’s another major difference you’ll notice, between these two. The socket compatibility has been upgraded from the LGA1200 to the new LGA1700. In addition, the latest version has different physical dimensions as compared to the previous one.
Socket:
You will notice many changes in the socket. The new 12gen Intel Z690 chipset is compatible with the latest LGA1700 socket. And this new socket has a higher pin-count and better power delivery as compared to the older LGA1200. Moreover, the size of LGA1700 is quite different and it has 4 keys unlike the 2 keys in LGA1200.
PCI-E and RAM:
While looking for the differences between Intel Z690 and Z590, the two major things that come out are the PCIe and RAM support. And here you’ll see a massive difference between the two. The Z590 supports PCIe 4.0 and DDR4 RAM and on the other hand, the Z690 supports the latest PCIe 5.0 including the previous 4.0 and 3.0, and both DDR4 and DDR5 RAM.
However, you should consider the price point while purchasing the new technology because the Z690 will cost you some extra bucks for RAM and PCIe. But, looking at the performance like DDR5-4800 and PCIe 5.0 is undoubtedly better for the future.
Motherboard Socket:
Now let’s talk about the motherboard socket. The new Intel Core 12th generation processors come with an LGA1700 socket. Basically, all Z690 chipset motherboards have an LGA1700 socket. Whereas their previous version Z590 chipset motherboard has an LGA1200 socket. Make sure to read the guide for a good z690 motherboards review. You can easily get a good Z690 motherboard for under $300. But, if you are a power user who needs high-end performance, then you have spent around $400-$500.
Connectivity:
A good PC or laptop must have a good connectivity system to cope with today’s live world. With the new chipset, new technology has come to the connectivity part. The Z690 from Intel is compatible with both WiFi 6E and 2.5G LAN, whereas the older Z590 has WiFi version 6. In addition, the latest chipset also supports USB 3.2 gen. In addition, the new model supports x8 DMI 4.0 interconnect as compared to the Z590 with 3.0 x8.
Overclocking:
Overclocking is the most desirable thing that every gamer and content creators want to have on their PC. Both the Z690 and Z590 support overclocking for boosting your processor speed and RAM memory. Thereby, you may not find a big difference here.
- CPU: Both the P-Cores and E-Cores are capable of overclocking individually.
- RAM: You’ll find a lot of improvements in RAM memory overclocking. The latest chipset has BCLK and IA support, and the Extreme Memory Profile 3.0 (XMP)
Budget:
Price is undoubtedly one of the most important things to consider while comparing the chipsets Z690 and Z590. When new technology comes to the market, it becomes costlier than its ancestors. And it has no doubt that the Z590 chipset is cheaper compared to the Z960. While the former’s price ranges from $150 – $350, the latter comes at $200 – $450.
Final Word
After reading this guide, I hope you understand the difference between these two chipsets. Now you can pick any chipset base mobo without any hesitation. The main difference between Z690 and Z590 is the LGA1200 and LGA1700 socket, PCIe 5.0 supports, and DDR5 RAM. Also, read the guide about buying a good motherboard. If you are building your PC and have less budget then go for Z590 chipset motherboard and if you need latest technology then you should go for Z690 motherboard.
