PCI-Express 3.0 Motherboard - Chipset Z170

Chipset Intel Z87 big jump compared to its predecessor Z77 chipset because it introduced support for higher speed interfaces and a multitude of programming technologies supported any part of the contents of the BIOS or blend in the operating system. Chipset Intel Z97 is an improved (refreshed) version of the 'Haswell' system based on the Z87 chipset. The existing possibilities predecessors are improving in version Z170, which features support for multiple PCI-e lanes and more USB ports of the new generation, so without some massive upgrades. The most important novelty is the support for advanced processors made in brand new 14 nm technology, 'Skylake' series of processors as successor of 'Broadwell' technology according to TICK-TOCK principe, one year (the Tick) sees a process shrink to smaller transistors and better efficiency, the next year (Tock) ushers in a brand new microarchitecture. Intel successfully stuck to the Tick-Tock model until Broadwell, where the shrink from 22 nm to 14 nm was heavily delayed. There's more news but the most important is better direct media interface (DMI), connection between the chipset and processor has been upgraded to version DMI 3.0, and support for DDR3 and DDR4 type of memory with dual memory controllers.

The basic concept is chipset shown in the following example in version for desktop PC.

Example XIII

In this example shown in the block diagram of the chipset Z170. Shown in the example motherboard supports Core i5 and Core i7 microprocessors of sixth generation, planned for the socket LGA 1151.

• Processor
  Processors codenamed 'Skylake' are based on brand new 14 nm technology. Base and Turbo frequency is higher than its predecessor. Dynamically increases the processor frequency up to 4.2 GHz when applications demand more performance. Higher speed operation when you need it, and energy efficient when not. Integrated two controllers of memory so as to ensure support for DDR3 and DDR4 memory type. The major expected changes between the 'Haswell' and 'Skylake' architectures include the abandonment and removal of the fully integrated voltage regulator (FIVR) introduced with 'Haswell'. Instruction set enhancements are also implemented (MPX, ADX). Dynamically allocates shared cache to each processor core, based on workload, reducing latency and improving performance. M.2 slots now get access to four PCI-E 3 lanes, rather than PCI-E 2 lanes, improving SSD performance. 'Skylake' uses ring based topology bus between CPU cores, caches and graphics system with dedicated local interfaces for each connected part. This 'SoC ring' interconnect is a bi-directional ring that has a 32-byte wide data bus, with separate lines for request, snoop and acknowledge.
  
  Integrated processor Graphics 'Intel HD 530' has architecture features arrays of Execution Units (EU) that are grouped together in clusters called a subslice. Each EU is capable of 7 threads each, so a single subslice of 8 EU’s has dedicated hardware resources and register files for a total of 56 simultaneous threads. Up to three subslices in graphics system, has a total of 24 EU's. That means it has up to 168 Hardware Threads. Pretty much! Intel processor graphics includes many refinements throughout the microarchitecture and supporting software. Generally, these changes are across the domains of memory hierarchy, compute capability, and product configuration. Uses Intel 'Quick Sync' hardware video encoding and decoding technology, hardware accelerated decoding of H.264, MPEG2, and VC-1 video is widely available today. DirectX 12 API is also supported. Supported audio standards are AC-3, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD.
  Characteristics of 'desktop' processors are:
  
  
  • Socket: LGA 1151 (Socket H4); 37.5 mm × 37.5 mm
  • Lithography: 14 nm; over 1.9 billion of FinFET transistors
  • Base frequency 3.5 GHz / 4.0 GHz (Core i5 / Core i7)
  • Turbo frequency 3.9 GHz / 4.2 GHz (Core i5 / Core i7)
  • Max Memory Size: 32 GB / 64 GB ; Dual-channel DDR3L 1600 / DDR4 2133
  • non-ECC type of memory
  • Cores: 4
  • Threads: 4 / 8 (Core i5 / Core i7)
  • L1 Cache:256 KB
  • L2 Cache:1024 KB
  • L3 Cache: 6 MB / 8 MB (Core i5 / Core i7)
  • Features: SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4, SSE 4.2, EM64T, F16C, AVX 2.0, Turbo Boost 2
  • TDP: 91 W
  • Intel HD 530 GPU (1150 MHz).
  • Support for Microsoft DirectX 12
  • Multimedia support: HEVC, VP8, VP9
  • Graphics Output: eDP / DP / HDMI / VGA / DVI
  • DP: 3840×2160@60Hz / 4096×2304@60Hz (Core i5 / Core i7)
  • HDMI: 4096×2304@24Hz
  • Quick Sync Video
    
    
  Maximum TDP is higher, but its effective control over the dynamics of consumption.
  
  
• Z170 - Platform Controller Hub (PCH)
  Chipset is a link to an external PC devices (I / O Controller Hub), a basic feature of the chipset and support for processors manufactured in enhanced 14 nm technology and LGA 1151 package.

Figure* 3.5.41 Block schema of Intel-Z170 / Die inside Processor. ( + / - )

Unlike 3.5.37c image, which shows a considerable bunch of transistors at map of processor die that are only strong microscope can distinguish (worse than well filled hamburger), the figure 3.5.41b illustrated a processor with removed casing on which one can see the fine structures of wires from the die of processor to pins. It is very interesting that Intel is offering no more own desktop motherboards, but relies on other manufacturers. Different manufacturers of computer equipment used in various ways presented products, but unlike the above described products following figures related to two simpler motherboards designed with the Z170 chipset.

Figure* 3.5.42 MSI 'Z170A PC MATE' / GIBABYTE 'GA-Z170-D3H'. ( + / - )

Not shown ATX motherboards for the players, which support up to four graphics cards, but cheaper products that support of older PCI cards. Additional PCIe-PCI control integrated circuit allows the use of an older product available through standard PCI slots. However, it is unclear who will write the drivers for such cards for example. 'Windows 10' operating system. No animated descriptions of the individual components of the motherboard, because they can be easily compared to the previously described products. Comparison of these two products is shown in the following table.

The connectors on the rear of the motherboard are physically similar. The connections shown in Figure 5.3.43 refer to the motherboard MSI 'Z170A PC MATE' and GIBABYTE 'GA-Z170-D3H' motherboard.

Figure* 3.5.43 Connectors at 'Z170A PC MATE' & 'GA-Z170-D3H'. ( + / - )

If you are using multimedia to figure 5.3, there is no need to use a motherboard that supports all audio capabilities, but is suitable MSI motherboard, which in addition has a separate PS/2 ports for the mouse and keyboard are supported in BIOS and has advanced support for USB devices. BIOS (Basic Input and Output System ) records hardware parameters of the system in the CMOS on the motherboard. Its major functions include conducting the Power-On Self-Test (POST) during system startup, saving system parameters and loading operating system, and many setting options. BIOS includes a BIOS Setup program that allows the user to modify basic system configuration settings or to activate certain system features.

But thanks to advances in technology for new motherboards CMOS memory is quite an enabling expansion of standard features BIOS, which is reflected in the extension called UEFI. UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is the standard interface to the PC hardware and created to complement the BIOS. This standard was created by more than 140 technology companies in a consortium for UEFI, including Microsoft. It was created to enhance the interoperability of software and overcomes the limitations of the BIOS. Some of the benefits of UEFI include: better security with protection of the process before starting the system, faster boot and resume from hibernation, support for drives with capacities of more than 2.2 terabyte (TB), and support for modern device drivers. In the previous chapter shows more about the described expansion BIOS.

SUMMARY:

Size elementary transistor becomes smaller, the concept of working transistors are improving, but it is getting harder existing technology to make further reducing its size. The transition from 22 nm technology to 14 nm technology primarily relates to the physical reduction of an existing design, and next-generation microprocessors followed the ritual of to Intel should be 14 nm microprocessors with improved technologies, better energy efficiency and a new way of packaging (new socket). Intel has long been used as described principle called 'tick-tock model'. Thus, the first phase of 14 nm chip-making to be a 'collapse' models from the second stages in the previous 22 nm technology with the introduction of new features, and thus follows new architecture in the 14 nm process.

As the microprocessor than their preceding models already pretty reduced it is expected that the chipset moved to a socket with a microprocessor (similar concept in Figure 3b in the Chapter of chip), and at the next phase may become an integral part of the architecture of microprocessor.

In chapter 4.6.2 shows one simple, stable and reliable motherboard with the graphics card of the middle class and not very powerful processor offers the user very acceptable results. Built-in modified version of z170 PCH manufactured in 22 nm technology, for the new series of processors 'Intel Skylake-S IMC', which with a lot of unexpected good features supporting DDR4 SDRAM type of memory. The PCH series z270 and z370 are made in the same 22 nm technology, but have been upgraded and supported a newer, more powerful series of 7th and 8th generation of microprocessors. It is not changed the position of the notch at the socket of microprocessors, but care that the sockets of the 7th and 8th generation of microprocessors are electrically incompatible (LGA 1151, respectively LGA 1151v2).