Alpenföhn unveiled the Ben Nevis Advanced Black RGB CPU cooler, with market availability set for later this year. This tower-type cooler features an aluminium base from which four 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes make direct contact with the CPU to draw heat. These black heatpipes convey heat to the black aluminium fin-stack along the peripheries of the fins, while a central 8 mm-thick heat-pipe dubbed "shock killer pole" spreads heat between the fins, and dampens mechanical shocks. The signature feature of this cooler is an off-set fin-stack progression, which adds to clearance towards the memory area of your motherboard. Even with its fan installed, Alpenföhn promises clearance for the tallest DIMMs installed on the slot closest to the CPU socket.

Another key feature is its large 130 mm fan with RGB LED lighting. Four multi-color LEDs studded into the inner wall of the fan-frame projects light onto the white impeller of the fan. The fan takes in 4-pin PWM input, spins between 500 to 1,500 RPM, pushing up to 95.4 m³h of air, with a noise output ranging between 8 to 25.8 dBA. The cooler is capable of handling thermal loads of up to 150W. Measuring 130 mm x 74 mm x 159 mm (WxDxH), it weighs 630 g (including fan). The cooler supports most modern CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA2066 (up to 140W), LGA2011(v3), LGA115x, and LGA775.

Size matters! For years, Big powerful and tons of expandability has been the golden rule for high-end motherboards especially for Intel X299 Platform, but powerful machine doesn't have to be huge and bulky, ASRock has successfully crammed all amazing spec and features into a Mini-ITX sized motherboard, the world's first Mini ITX X299 motherboard is here.

The ultimate Mini-ITX has to have everything, X299E-ITX/ac was built on a X299 platform to give ultimate processing power, dual Intel Gigabit Lan along with dual band 2.4/5GHz 802.11ac WiFi provides the best connectivity, USB3.1 Gen2 Type A+C are also available at the rear of the motherboard, more amazingly this little beast also supports quad channel memory up to DDR4 4000 MHz(OC), stunning performance on such a small motherboard.

MSI today introduced the X299M-A Pro, a socket LGA2066 motherboard in the micro-ATX form-factor, its second micro-ATX board for the platform after the X299M Gaming Pro Carbon. The X299M-A Pro sticks to the "no frills" design of products such as the X299 Raider and X299 SLI Plus. Unlike the X299M Gaming Pro Carbon, this board is designed for two processor models only - the Core i5-7640X, and the i7-7740X. The board physically lacks DDR4 memory slots for channels 3 and 4, and makes do with the limited PCIe lane budget of the "Kaby Lake-X" processors. This is similar to the Aorus X299 Gaming.

Built in the micro-ATX form-factor, the MSI X299M-A Pro draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 6-pin PCIe (optional). It uses a 9-phase CPU VRM to condition power for the 112W TDP chips. The CPU socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel memory; and two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x8/x8 with both populated). The third x16 slot is electrical x4, and wired to the X299 PCH. Storage connectivity includes two 32 Gbps M.2 slots, and eight SATA 6 Gbps ports. USB connectivity includes two 10 Gbps USB 3.1 ports (including a type-C port). The onboard audio solution combines a Realtek ALC1220 CODEC with audio-grade capacitors and ground-layer isolation. The board's sole gigabit Ethernet interface is driven by an Intel i219-V controller. The board is expected to be priced around USD $170.

ASRock today introduced its new flagship socket LGA2066 motherboard, the X299 Taichi XE, recommended for Core i9 processors. This board is quite similar to the X299 Taichi, but features a completely redesigned CPU VRM, which is rated for higher current, and draws power from two 8-pin EPS connectors, instead of one 8-pin EPS on the original X299 Taichi. The CPU VRM heatsink is heavier, and offloads some of its heat onto a secondary heatsink that doubles up as a sort of I/O shroud, using a heat-pipe. This is in contrast to the ASUS ROG Strix X299-E vs. X299-XE, which are practically identical, but for a heavier VRM heatsink on the latter.

Everything south of the CPU VRM on the ASRock X299 Taichi XE is identical to the X299 Taichi, including the 4-phase memory VRM, four reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, three 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, ten SATA 6 Gb/s ports, networking that includes Intel-made 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, and gigabit Ethernet controllers; and the onboard audio solution. The rear I/O shroud no longer spans the entire length of the board, and shrouds only the I/O, and an aluminium fin-stack heatsink. ASRock could charge a small premium for the X299 Taichi XE, even though the original X299 Taichi can very much run Core i9 "Skylake-X" processors, including the flagship i9-7980XE.

ASUS today rolled out its latest socket LGA2066 motherboard under its Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix brand, the ROG Strix X299-XE, hinting at "readiness" for 18-core i9-7980XE processors, which Intel plans to launch before the end of this year. This board is 99.999% identical to the ROG Strix X299-E Gaming, except for one difference that should make it to the "Spot the Difference" puzzle of your favorite tabloid - the VRM heatsink.

ASUS has given the X299-XE Gaming a slightly heavier CPU VRM heatsink, and has rigorously tested the VRM to not run into thermal throttling issues, especially when powering high core-count Core i9 processors. The Core X socket LGA2066 platform has already been criticized by professional overclockers as being "a VRM disaster." As we mentioned earlier, the Strix X299-XE is otherwise identical to the Strix X299-E, and it would be disappointing if ASUS attaches a premium for a few extra grams of aluminium and quality-control that should have been done for the Strix X299-E in the first place.

After whitewashing the Captain 240 EX RGB cooler, DeepCool turned its brush to its bigger sibling, the Captain 360 EX RGB, equipped with a 360 mm x 120 mm radiator. The new DeepCool GamerStorm Captain 360 EX White features an RGB LED element in the pump-block, and even as the radiator frame is white, the cooler features contrasting black highlights in the form of the radiator fins, coolant tubes, and the impellers of the three included Silent TF-120 fans. Besides power, the cooler takes in standardized RGB LED input, so you can control its lighting with popular software such as ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light, or GIGABYTE RGB Fusion. The cooler supports most modern CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA2066, LGA2011(v3), and LGA115x, with a notable exception of socket TR4. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Jonsbo rolled out the TW-120 and TW-240 all-in-one, closed-loop, liquid CPU coolers. The two are differentiated by radiator sizes - 120 mm x 120 mm, and 240 mm x 120 mm, respectively; and characterized by a rather tall hexagonal pump-block that's illuminated by RGB LEDs. The included 120 mm fans feature RGB LED diodes along fan-frames as well, and lighting on the fans and the block are kept in sync.

You can control the RGB LED color, brightness, and lighting patterns by either plugging the cooler into a standard 4-pin RGB header on your motherboard (and using software such as ASUS Aura Sync or MSI Mystic Light); or use an included module to switch between 7 color presets. The LEDs otherwise support 16.8 million colors. The TW series coolers support most modern CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA2011(v3), LGA2066, and LGA115x. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Intel today announced availability of its Core i9-7920X high-end desktop (HEDT) processor in the LGA2066 package, designed for motherboards based on the Intel X299 Express chipset. The chip is priced at USD $1,199 in the retail market, a $200 premium over its previous flagship part, the i9-7900X. The new i9-7920X is a 12-core/24-thread processor based on 14 nm "Skylake-X" silicon, and has a rated TDP of 140W.

The Core i9-7920X features a nominal clock speed of 2.90 GHz, with a maximum Turbo Boost frequency of 4.30 GHz, and Turbo Boost Max 3.0 frequency of 4.40 GHz. It features 1 MB of dedicated L2 cache per core, and 16.50 MB of shared L3 cache. The chip features the full 44-lane PCI-Express gen 3.0 root complex available on the silicon, and its quad-channel DDR4 integrated memory interface, supporting up to 128 GB of memory.

GELID today introduced its Phantom series CPU coolers. Available in two variants, the Phantom (model: CC-Phantom-01-A), featuring a clear chrome finish with all-black fans; and the Phantom Black (model: CC-Phantom-Black-01-A), featuring a black nickel-plating on the aluminium fins and copper heat pipes; the Phantom is a "D-type" dual fin-stack heatsink cooler. From a copper base, seven nickel-plated copper heat-pipes pass, with aluminium fin-stacks along their two ends. The cooler is designed for thermal loads of up to 200W.

The innovation here is in the thickness of these heat pipes. Three of these are 8 mm-thick, and four are 6 mm-thick. The thicker heat pipes pass through the center of the base, while two of the thinner ones pass through the edges, and two of the thinner ones layer up on top of the central heat pipe. The cooler can mount up to three 120 mm fans, although two are included. The included fans take in 4-pin PWM input, spin between 750-1,600 RPM, with a static pressure of up to 2.18 mmAq, and a noise output of 12-26.7 dBA. Measuring 120 mm x 126 mm x 160 mm (WxDxH, minus fans), the cooler weighs a little over 1 kg. Among the CPU sockets it supports are AM4, LGA2066, and LGA115x. The company didn't reveal pricing but mentioned that the coolers will be backed by a 5-year warranty.

Update: Corrected socket compatibility. This is a specially-designed cooler by Arctic for AMD's HEDT platform, As such, it offers limited compatibility with CPUs of lower die sizes, which means it's only compatible with TR4, AM4, LLGA2011(v3) and LGA2066 sockets.

Arctic announced the Freezer 33 TR, a tower-type CPU air cooler, designed for AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors, with out of the box support for AMD socket TR4/SP3r2. The cooler comes in two variants based on color - black with red accents, and black with silver accents. The cooler features a conventional tower-type design, in which four 6 mm-thick copper heat-pipes, which make direct contact with the CPU at the base, pass through an aluminium fin-stack, which is ventilated by an included fan.

Compared to other Freezer 33 variants, the TR variant features an elongated base, for higher coverage of the Threadripper integrated heatspreader (IHS). The aluminium fins and heat-pipes feature matte-black nickel-plating. The included fan takes in 4-pin (PWM) input, spinning between 200 to 1,800 RPM. The cooler can cope with thermal loads of up to 320W, which makes it good for CPU TDP rating up to 200W, according to Arctic. Besides socket TR4, the cooler also supports AMD's AM4 socket, while Intel support stands at their LGA2011(v3), LGA2066. Available now, and backed by a generous 10-year warranty, the Freezer 33 TR is priced at 47.99€.

Intel created quad-core "Kaby Lake-X" processors for its latest HEDT platform as they provide an affordable entry to the segment, with a potential to upgrade to larger 6-core, 8-core, 10-core, 12-core, 16-core, and even 18-core processors. The two "Kaby Lake-X" SKUs launched are merely adaptations of the Core i7-7700K and i5-7600K for the LGA2066 socket, as they feature just 256 KB of L2 cache per core (and not 1 MB per core of "Skylake-X"), just a dual-channel DDR4 controller, even though the socket supports quad-channel memory; and just a 16-lane PCIe (while the platform supports up to 44 lanes). While the Core i7-7740X and i5-7640X are priced more or less on par with their LGA1151 twins, motherboards on this platform aren't cheap, with the cheapest LGA2066 motherboard priced a little over $200. GIGABYTE senses an opportunity in all this, in launching the Aorus X299 Gaming. This LGA2066 motherboard only supports the i7-7740X and i5-7640X, and no other LGA2066 Core i7 or Core i9 chip.

Built in the ATX form-factor, you could be mistaken for thinking the Aorus X299 Gaming to be a mainstream-desktop motherboard based on the Z270 chipset, were it not for the unmistakable LGA2066 socket. The board features four DDR4 DIMM slots, all towards the east of the socket, and so it only supports up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory. On boards with four DDR4 slots, yet quad-channel memory support, you typically find the memory slots split in groups of two, on either sides of the CPU socket. This "Kaby Lake-X" specificity carries over to even the PCI-Express slots, where there's only one slot with full x16 wiring, the second slot only features x8 wiring, while the third slot is x4. You can use up to two graphics cards in multi-GPU, where the first and second x16 slots configure as electrical x8/x8.

ASUS today introduced its flagship socket LGA2066 motherboard for Intel Core X processors, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage VI Apex. Originally announced alongside the Rampage VI Extreme, the Apex is positioned above it in the company's product stack; and is targeted at professional overclockers chasing down CPU and VGA performance records. Although built in the ATX form-factor, the PCB of the Rampage VI Apex features an asymmetric polygonal design. It draws power from a large number of connectors to stabilize each of its power domains; these include the 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, a 4-pin ATX, and a 6-pin PCIe power.

Power is conditioned for the CPU using a high-current VRM, which is cooled not just by the VRM heatsink, but also a secondary heatsink block under the I/O shroud, to which heat is conveyed by a heat-pipe. The board may not be as heavy as the Rampage VI Extreme in expansion, in featuring just four DDR4 DIMM slots (one per channel), for example; but makes up for with higher overclocking headroom. It features a plethora of overclocker-friendly features, including onboard buttons for key OC functions, voltage measurement hard-points for every voltage domain around the board, and diagnostic LEDs all around. The company didn't reveal pricing or availability.

ID-COOLING a cooling solution provider focusing on thermal dissipation and fan technology research and production for over 10 years, announced FROSTFLOW+ Series AIO water cooler, featuring classic black and white theme design, high performance pump and new radiator design. The pump is designed with a simple C character with an improved light diffuser which can provide smooth and even lighting effect. Pump header has white LED lighting.

Copper base contacts CPU to help the heat transfer. Micro fin submerged design increases the heat dissipation surface. The dimension of the whole water block is ⌀65 × 43 mm. Solid connectors are used on both ends of the premium sleeved tubing, more reliable & performance efficient. Inside the tubing is self-contained highly efficient and eco-friendly liquid coolant.

GIGABYTE today rolled out the Aorus ATC 700 tower-type CPU cooler. The company had first exhibited this cooler at the 2017 Computex event. Its design involves a large yet conventional tower-type aluminium fin-stack heatsink, to which heat drawn by three 10 mm-thick copper heat pipes, is conveyed to the fin-stack, which is ventilated by a pair of 120 mm fans in push-pull configuration. The heat pipes make direct contact with the CPU at the base.

The topmost aluminium fin is topped off by an ABS shroud with a glowing Aorus logo, which has an RGB LED element that can be controlled using GIGABYTE RGB Fusion software. Each of the two fans takes in 4-pin PWM power input, features double ball-bearings, spins between 500 to 1,700 RPM, with 14 to 53 CFM of air-flow, and noise output proportionately ranging between 12 to 31 dBA. The cooler supports most modern CPU sockets, including AM4, LGA2066, LGA2011(v3), AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA115x, LGA1366, and LGA775. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Colorful today launched its flagship socket LGA2066 motherboard, the iGame X299 Vulcan X, which it showcased earlier at the 2017 Computex. The board is available in two variants based on their color-schemes, white and black. The white model features a white PCB, I/O shroud, and white PCH and VRM heatsinks, while the black variant is almost completely black. Both variants have an identical feature-set. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 6-pin PCIe power connectors, and uses a 10-phase VRM to power the CPU. The CPU is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots.

Storage options include a 32 Gb/s M.2-22110 slot, a 32 Gb/s M.2-2280 slot, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports (one each type-A and type-C), six USB 3.0 (four on the rear panel and two by headers); and two special USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel which are optimized for gaming input devices, with additional electrical stabilization. Of its two gigabit Ethernet connections, one is driven by an Intel i211-AT controller, and the other by Realtek DragonLAN 8118AS. Audio includes a Realtek ALC1220 CODEC with 120 dBA SNR; a headphones amp, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. The board features dual-BIOS with manual switching, and a host of overclocking features. The company didn't reveal EU pricing.

ID-Cooling introduced the second edition of its Hunter Duet dual-block CPU + VGA closed-loop cooler. The new Hunter Duet II features improvements to the CPU and VGA pump-blocks that increase coolant pressure, and 50% higher heat dissipation thanks to the larger 360 mm x 120 mm radiator, compared to its predecessor's 240 mm x 120 mm. Like its predecessor, the design of the Hunter Duet II includes two pump blocks - a conventional block over the CPU, and one over the GPU. The GPU component features a cooler shroud with a fan which ventilates aluminium heatsinks over the memory and VRM.

The two blocks are attached in serial, while the heat is dissipated by the radiator, ventilated by three included 120 mm fans. The cooler has a combined thermal capacity of 500W. The Hunter Duet II supports newer CPU socket types, including AM4, LGA2066, LGA2011(v3), LGA115x, AM3(+), and FM2(+). Its VGA component supports most GPUs with mount-hole spacing of 58.4 mm and 53.3 mm. Its blocks feature ceramic bearings. The company didn't reveal pricing or availability information.

In response to the soon to be launched new Intel LGA 2066 socket, PC thermal solution brand CRYORIG announces that all existing LGA2011v3 supported models will support the new LGA 2066 socket.

The supported models include: all A series liquid coolers, the R1 Ultimate/Universal, R5, C1, H5 Ultimate/Universal and the H7 Quad Lumi. Models that support only AMD or AM4 will not support the Intel LGA 2066 socket. The mounting mechanism of LGA2011v3 and LGA2066 are identical, thus no additional kits will be required to support the new socket.

Intel announced retail availability of its new Core X-series HEDT (high-end desktop) processors in the LGA2066 package, designed for motherboards based on the Intel X299 Express chipset. These include the 4-core/4-thread Core i5-7640X and 4-core/8-thread Core i7-7740X based on the "Kaby Lake-X" silicon; and 6-core/12-thread Core i7-7800X, 8-core/16-thread Core i7-7820X, and 10-core/20-thread Core i9-7900X chips based on the "Skylake-X" silicon. Compatible socket LGA2066 motherboards based on the X299 chipset began selling, too.

The Core i5-7640X features 4.00 GHz clocks with 4.20 GHz Turbo Boost, and 6 MB of L3 cache. The i7-7740X tops that with 4.30 GHz core and 4.50 GHz Turbo Boost out of the box, 8 MB of L3 cache, and HyperThreading. Both these chips feature just dual-channel DDR4 memory controller, meaning that you'll be able to use just four out of eight DIMM slots in most LGA2066 motherboards. The i5-7640X is priced at USD $242, while the i7-7740X goes for $339. These are the same prices at which you can buy the LGA1151 Core i5-7600K and i7-7700K, respectively, so an attempt is being made to transition all PC enthusiasts over to the HEDT platform.

Intel announced the release schedule of its Core X HEDT (high-end desktop) processors and compatible socket LGA2066 motherboards. The first wave of Core X processors, which includes two quad-core SKUs, and one each of 6-core, 8-core, and 10-core (detailed in the table below); will be available from 26 June, 2017. Pre-orders for these chips will open from 19 June, on popular online stores. The first wave includes the quad-core Core i5-7640X, and Core i7-7740X "Kaby Lake-X;" six-core i7-7800X, eight-core i7-7820X, and ten-core i9-7900X "Skylake-X."

Intel plans to release the Core i9-7920X 12-core processor some time in August 2017, followed by 14-core, 16-core, and 18-core parts by October 2017. A large selection of compatible socket LGA2066 motherboards based on Intel X299 chipset, will be available for pre-order on 19 June, followed by retail availability from 26 June. With socket LGA2066 having a similar cooler mount-hole layout to the current LGA2011v3 socket, most current coolers which can cope with thermal loads of Core i7 "Broadwell-E" processors should be able to handle the Core X "Skylake-X" and "Kaby Lake-X" parts being launched this month.

EVGA at its Computex 2017 booth showed off its premium socket LGA2066 motherboard, the X299 FTW. The company also unveiled its micro-ATX X299 Micro. Built in the ATX form-factor, the X299 FTW is positioned below the X299 DARK, and features a clean layout with conveniently located connectors. It draws power from a pair of 8-pin EPS connectors besides an optional 6-pin PCIe, and the 24-pin ATX. The CPU socket is flanked by eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. An open-ended x4 and another x1 make for the rest of its expansion.

The X299 FTW is characterized by a groovy RGB LED lighting system that covers not just the PCH heatsink, but also the CPU VRM heatsink, and the I/O shroud, which runs the entire length of the motherboard. Storage connectivity includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots (a 110 mm and an 80 mm, each); two 32 Gb/s U.2 ports, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Other connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports (including a type-C port), eight USB 3.0 ports, high-grade onboard audio with Realtek ALC1220 codec; and two GbE network interfaces.

Noctua showed off protoypes of variants of its various high-end CPU coolers, which come with support for Intel's Core X family socket LGA2066 processors. While LGA2066 has a higher pin-count, it has the same exact CPU cooler mount-hole spacing as LGA2011(v3), and as such, any LGA2011-compatible cooler should run on LGA2066. All Core i7 LGA2011(v3) chips are either 140W or below. Noctua on its part, is confident that that all its LGA2011(v3)-compatible coolers run on LGA2066 by default, and is willing to giveaway LGA2066-supporting SecuFirm 2 retention modules for free, for users of older Noctua heatsinks which can handle such high thermal loads.

GIGABYTE showed off what could be the company's most affordable socket LGA2066 motherboard, the X299-UD4. It features a minimalist design with features the platform provides. Built in the ATX form factor, the board draws power form a single 8-pin EPS connector, besides 24-pin ATX. The CPU is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, besides three out of the five PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. Two of the slots are electrical x4 and wired to the PCH.

Storage connectivity on the X299-UD4 includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports (both type-A), and eight USB 3.0 (four on the rear panel, four by headers). Networking includes a single GbE connection driven by an Intel i219-V controller, and audio is care of a Realtek ALC1220 (120 dBA SNR) codec with ground-layer isolation and WIMA capacitors. It wouldn't surprise us if this board goes for under $200.

A brief stroll through G.Skill Computex 2017 booth showed us the company's latest Trident Z series DDR4 memory kits that come with clock speeds way beyond the DDR4-4000 mark. Achieving DDR4-4000 with a 16 GB-dense module is no small feat, and G.Skill has new 2x 16 GB (32 GB) DDR4-4000 Trident Z RGB series memory kits. In the wake of the new LGA2066 platform, one can expect 4x 16 GB kits, too. These modules do DDR4-4000 with timings of 17-17-18-38 CR2T. G.Skill has three higher clock speeds targeted with its lineup, DDR4-4200, DDR4-4400, DDR4-4800, though using 8 GB modules.

The Trident Z RGB DDR4-4200 runs at 19-21-21-41, and comes in dual-channel 16 GB (2x 8 GB), and quad-channel 32 GB (4x 8 GB) and 64 GB (8x 8 GB) kits. Next up, is the Trident Z RGB DDR4-4400, with timings of 19-19-19-39, and available in the same capacities. A step higher is the DDR4-4800 Kit. This kit has the same timings as the DDR4-4400 kit, with 19-19-19-39. These four kits require Intel machines with XMP 2.0 to run at their advertised speeds.

AMD today talked a little more about the Ryzen Threadripper, its upcoming line of HEDT (high-end desktop) processors, which will compete with Intel's recently launched Core i7 and Core i9 X-series processors. The chips will still be launched "later this Summer," and AMD hasn't mentioned models, yet. We know of at least two features which will spell trouble for Intel, and it's not the CPU core performance.

The first of two killer Threadripper features is that it has 64 PCI-Express gen 3.0 lanes across all its models - 12-core and 16-core. This is unlike Intel, where you get 44 (not 64) PCIe lanes to begin with, and those start with the $999 Core i9-7900X ten-core processor. Models below this are relegated to 28 lanes, removing the biggest advantage of the HEDT platform - to be able to run more than one graphics card at full x16 PCIe bandwidth. The second killer Threadripper feature is its memory controller. AMD announced that Quad-channel DDR4 memory will be available across the lineup. This again is unlike Intel, where the Core i5-7640X and Core i7-7740X quad-core LGA2066 chips feature just dual-channel memory. All Threadripper chips further feature 32 MB of shared L3 cache. ASUS, ASRock, GIGABYTE, and MSI are said to be developing Ryzen Threadripper motherboards based on the X399 chipset as we speak.

Two days ago, we brought you a sneak peek of the X299 Aorus Gaming 9 flagship motherboard by GIGABYTE. Here are the other three boards, the X299 Aorus Gaming 7, the X299 Aorus Gaming 3, and the X299 Ultra Gaming. The Gaming 7 is positioned a notch below the Gaming 9, yet is based on the same PCB. You lose out on two out of three the M.2 heatsinks, and the PCIe add-on card with additional M.2 slots. That's pretty much all that set the two apart.

Next up, is the X299 Aorus Gaming 3, which could be one of GIGABYTE's cheaper LGA2066 motherboards. This board, based on a simpler PCB, does away with much of the paraphernalia of its bigger siblings. It draws power from just a single 8-pin EPS power connector besides 24-pin ATX; has just two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, and a simpler onboard audio solution with ALC1220 CODEC instead of the ESS Sabre chips on the higher models. Then there's the Z299 Ultra Gaming, positioned between the Gaming 3 and Gaming 7. This board too is based on the same PCB as the Gaming 7 and Gaming 9, but features simpler onboard connectivity features.