Gigabyte launches a Kaby Lake-X only X299 motherboard

But why not just use Z270?

Gigabyte launches a Kaby Lake-X only X299 motherboard

Gigabyte launches a Kaby Lake-X only X299 motherboard

Kaby Lake-X is a strange product, offering what is an almost identical CPU architecture as Kaby Lake-S (Z270 Desktop variant) while coming on a more expensive motherboard platform, lacking an integrated GPU or the ability to fully utilise all of X299's features. 

Now it looks like motherboard makers are aiming to address this imbalance by offering X299 motherboards that only support Kaby Lake-X, releasing with no unnecessary features like unusable PCIe lanes and DIMM slots and only bringing the bare essentials that are required to support Kaby Lake-X.
Below we can see Gigabyte's new X299 Aorus Gaming, which offers exclusive support for Kaby Lake-X and lacks support for Skylake-X, which means that higher-core count X299 CPUs are unusable with this motherboard. This should allow Gigabyte to offer an X299 motherboard at a lower pricepoint than others, though at the cost of Skylake-X compatibility.  


Gigabyte launches a Kaby Lake-X only X299 motherboard  


The question that is raised here is why? Given the similarities of Kaby Lake-S and Kaby Lake-X there is no real reason why users should go for the more expensive model, aside from slightly better overclocking potential. When Z270 motherboards and Kaby Lake-S already exist this new motherboard socket combo makes little sense. 

What buyers trade away when using this motherboard is upgrade headroom, as these motherboards are unable to use higher core count Skylake-X CPUs, leaving users with what is effectively Z270 on a larger socket. 


You can join the discussion on Gigabyte's Kaby Lake-X exclusive X299 Aorus Gaming motherboard on the OC3D Forums


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Most Recent Comments

04-08-2017, 04:45:18

I like this move from Gigabyte. But i like more the move from ASUS where on Rampage VI page, as little as there is says: "Rampage VI Extreme does not support Intel® Core i7-7740X and i5-7640X processors".Quote

04-08-2017, 06:07:48

Dark NighT
This is a dumb motherboard and a waste of time by gigabyte, it is bad enough intel put that processor on the market, making a specific motherboard for a cpu range that has no business being there is just weird.Quote

04-08-2017, 06:17:09

Apparently these CPUs will overclock better than Kaby. Time will tell I guess, they may be soldered. Still stupid though, like nearly all of Intel's low end HEDT CPUS.

Take the 3820 for example. It cost more than the 2600k, didn't overclock as well and you needed a £300 (at launch) board for it ! Then they cracked out the 4820k, more of the same. They only really changed that with the launch of the 5820k.Quote

04-08-2017, 10:14:14

MSI too, was in the link in quick news Quote

04-08-2017, 11:57:00

I imagine their customer base for this motherboard is going to be very small.Quote

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