Intel 700-series Chipset Motherboards Feature Higher Memory OC Headroom Complementing That of “Raptor Lake”

Intel 700-series chipset motherboards could come with improved memory overclocking capabilities, suggest an alleged leaked specs-sheet of an MSI Intel Z790 chipset motherboard. As the pioneering platform for DDR5, Intel 600-series chipset motherboards, particularly those based on the Z690, typically marketed DDR5 memory overclock speeds of around DDR5-6000 or DDR5-6200 in their specs sheets, as the then-expensive DDR5 memory kits started at JEDEC-spec speeds of DDR5-4800 in the entry-level, with performance-segment kits around the DDR5-6000 mark.

The unnamed MSI Z790 chipset motherboard supports DDR5 overclocked frequencies of over DDR5-6800 at 1DPC (one DIMM per channel) with single-rank modules; over DDR5-6400 with 1DPC + dual-rank modules; over DDR5-6400 with 2DPC + single-rank modules; and over DDR5-5600 with 2DPC + dual-rank. Earlier reports suggested that Intel is “discouraging” motherboard vendors from coming up with 700-series motherboards that feature DDR4 memory slots, but this doesn’t mean there won’t be any. MSI has an Intel Z790 motherboard with DDR4 slots in the works, and it’s capable of overclocks of up to DDR4-5000 in the most optimal configuration, and DDR4-4000 in the least optimal one.