Battle Of The Titans: Amd’s X670 Vs Intel’s Z790 – Who Will Rule The Socket?

In the realm of PC hardware, the motherboard chipset plays a pivotal role in determining the capabilities and performance of your system. When it comes to the latest and greatest CPUs from AMD and Intel, the AMD X670 and Intel Z790 chipsets stand out as the top contenders. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the intricacies of these two chipsets, comparing their features, performance, and suitability for various user needs.

Chipset Overview

The AMD X670 and Intel Z790 chipsets are the latest offerings from their respective manufacturers, designed to support the latest generation of high-performance CPUs. Both chipsets offer a plethora of features and capabilities, but each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

AMD X670

• PCIe Gen 5 Support: The X670 chipset fully supports PCIe Gen 5, providing up to twice the bandwidth of PCIe Gen 4. This allows for blazing-fast data transfer speeds for NVMe SSDs, graphics cards, and other peripherals.
• USB 4 Support: The X670 chipset also supports USB 4, the latest version of the USB protocol. USB 4 offers up to 40 Gbps of bandwidth, allowing for high-speed data transfer and charging.
• DDR5 Memory Support: The X670 chipset supports DDR5 memory, which offers significantly faster speeds and lower power consumption than DDR4.

Intel Z790

• PCIe Gen 5 Support: The Z790 chipset also supports PCIe Gen 5, but only on a limited number of lanes. This means that only a single PCIe Gen 5 slot is typically available, while the rest of the PCIe slots will be PCIe Gen 4.
• PCIe 5.0 M.2 Support: The Z790 chipset supports PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, which provide even higher bandwidth for NVMe SSDs than PCIe Gen 5.
• DDR4 + DDR5 Memory Support: The Z790 chipset supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, giving users the flexibility to choose between lower-cost DDR4 or higher-performance DDR5.

Performance Comparison

In terms of performance, the AMD X670 and Intel Z790 chipsets are both capable of delivering excellent performance for gaming, content creation, and other demanding tasks. However, there are some key differences to consider.

CPU Overclocking

• AMD X670: The X670 chipset typically offers better overclocking capabilities than the Z790 chipset, allowing users to push their CPUs to higher clock speeds.
• Intel Z790: The Z790 chipset has improved overclocking capabilities compared to previous Intel chipsets, but it still falls short of the X670 chipset in this regard.

Memory Overclocking

• AMD X670: The X670 chipset supports higher memory overclocking speeds than the Z790 chipset, enabling users to achieve faster memory performance.
• Intel Z790: The Z790 chipset offers decent memory overclocking capabilities, but it is not as good as the X670 chipset in this area.

Features Comparison

Apart from performance, the AMD X670 and Intel Z790 chipsets also offer a range of features that cater to different user needs.

Connectivity

• AMD X670: The X670 chipset offers a wide range of connectivity options, including multiple USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and USB 2.0 ports. It also includes support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.
• Intel Z790: The Z790 chipset offers similar connectivity options to the X670 chipset, including multiple USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and USB 2.0 ports. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2.

Storage

• AMD X670: The X670 chipset supports multiple NVMe SSD slots, including PCIe Gen 5 and PCIe Gen 4 slots. It also supports SATA ports for connecting traditional hard drives and SSDs.
• Intel Z790: The Z790 chipset supports multiple NVMe SSD slots, including PCIe Gen 5 and PCIe Gen 4 slots. It also supports SATA ports for connecting traditional hard drives and SSDs.

Audio

• AMD X670: The X670 chipset includes support for Realtek ALC4080 audio codec, which provides high-quality audio output.
• Intel Z790: The Z790 chipset includes support for Realtek ALC4082 audio codec, which offers even better audio quality than the ALC4080.

Suitability for Different Users

The AMD X670 and Intel Z790 chipsets are both excellent choices for high-performance PC builds. However, the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

AMD X670

• Ideal for: Gamers, content creators, and enthusiasts who want the best possible performance and overclocking capabilities.
• Not ideal for: Users who are on a budget or who do not need the absolute highest performance.

Intel Z790

• Ideal for: Gamers, content creators, and users who want a well-rounded chipset with good performance and overclocking capabilities.
• Not ideal for: Users who need the absolute highest performance or who want the latest and greatest features.

The Bottom Line: AMD X670 vs Intel Z790

Both the AMD X670 and Intel Z790 chipsets are excellent choices for high-performance PC builds. The X670 chipset offers better performance, overclocking capabilities, and memory support, while the Z790 chipset offers more flexibility with memory support and slightly better audio quality. Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

Top Questions Asked

Q1: Which chipset is better for gaming?
A: Both the AMD X670 and Intel Z790 chipsets are excellent for gaming. However, the X670 chipset offers slightly better performance and overclocking capabilities, which can result in higher frame rates in games.

Q2: Which chipset is better for overclocking?
A: The AMD X670 chipset offers better overclocking capabilities than the Intel Z790 chipset. This means that users can push their CPUs and memory to higher clock speeds on the X670 chipset.

Q3: Which chipset is more expensive?
A: The AMD X670 and Intel Z790 chipsets are typically priced similarly. However, the X670 chipset may be slightly more expensive on some motherboards due to its additional features and capabilities.