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Z370 / Z390 VRM Discussion Thread

1M views 4K replies 497 participants last post by  teachmeluv 
#1 · (Edited)
#4 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kanashimu View Post

The Asrock boards are out too. This is something I'm very interested in as well. I simply want to pick the board with the best OC performance, and I'm pretty stuck between the Taichi, Fatality i7, and the Hero.
When they were speaking of "DSMs" with 1.2mOhm RDS(on) in the past they were using TI NexFETs CSD87350 so most likely we'll see these FETs on the Z370 boards again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sin0822 View Post

Yea i was really surprised to find the new Intersil smart power stages int he gaming 7, like damn (they are very expensive)!
Yeah I do really appreciate that too.
thumb.gif
 
#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kanashimu View Post

ASUS boards are out.
Can't find anything interesting in there.
frown.gif

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kanashimu View Post

Sorry for the silly question, but once you know all the VRM parts, how do we know if a board will be a quality overclocker?
There are quite a lot of good indicators. Just check out common guides on this topic, e.g. Sins.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kanashimu View Post

If I understand correctly, the Gigabyte Z370 Gaming 7 has a high quality power stage controller?
Yeah the controller is a high quality one, also the power stages themselves are high quality too.

 
#16 ·
I am waiting for the Asus' Z370-A information.

It seems for most people that is the baseline board.

As far as the other boards, I think Asrock's K6 / Extreme4 / Taichi trio are good value. The difference is the Taichi has the Hyper BCLK feature that adds cost. The K6 appears to have power/reset/Debug LED so that's a good sign on top of the 60A chokes and "DSM" marketing drivel that is likely TI NexFETs.

edit: also the Asrock K6 / Extreme4 / Taichi / Fatal1ty Pro Gaming i7 (stupid long name) all have two BIOS chips, although likely due to branding they can't call it Dual BIOS.
The specifications list "2 x 128Mb AMI UEFI Legal BIOS with multilingual GUI support (1 x Main BIOS and 1 x Backup BIOS)"

Unless the Asrock K6 veers sharply away from previous price points, it will likely be a ~ $160-180 board on par with the Asus Z370-A in pricing. The Extreme4 was lower than the K6 at around $160 (although the Z270 one used Sinopowers) and the Taichi was ~$220 for Z270.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GBT-MatthewH View Post

Alas I don't have a board in front of me, but I am reading off a spec sheet from our R&D... 99% sure the review is wrong because it should be 8+3, not 8+2. I also have ISL 6625A listed. My guess is they got an early engineering sample and not a final board.

Pretty much the entire stack is 95866 + 6625. Top-mid range is 8+3, mid-entry level is 4+3.
A bit disingenuous since it's using doublers to achieve the "8+3". Anyhow, unless Gigabyte gets their act together with respect to midrange boards , I suspect Asrock and ASUS will be the boards to buy for the Z370 platform. Gigabyte boards at the high end are decent, but they're laden with RGB garbage and not really good price/perf.

The Z370 platform isn't a longterm socket, so I think for most users the best bet is to get a low-midrange board with USB 3.1 gen 2 , ALC1220, Thunderbolt support (the main reason to go Intel over AMD) , half decent VRM (unless delidding), and a Debug LED if possible for troubleshooting. From what I see, the Gigabyte boards except the Gaming 7 and Gaming 5 are using On Semi parts that can only push about 25A without heating up. (the Lab501 review has 4C06N it appears)

I understand that most of the "gaming" userbase wouldn't know an inductor if it slapped them in the face. However, Gigabyte has to realize that these Coffee Lake CPUs are going to be more power hungry than the Kaby Lake CPUs.

On the geizhals.eu price comparison tool , the Gigabyte Gaming 7 is showing up as € 355.65 , while the Gaming 5 is listed as € 297.69. ShopBLT shows the Gaming 7 at $271.29 and the Gaming 5 at $219.54.
 
#18 ·
I didn't want to spend more than 800 on the cpu motherboard combo. I was considering going high end with them and using it for 3 years or so. I'm not a huge gamer so I already decided my 980 ti will be great for now.

I mean, how much more could 390 bring to the table? 6 cores would be great but after that I'd be expecting diminishing returns.

Most of my work is cataloging photos and video editing.

So what is an inductor?
 
#19 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by GBT-MatthewH View Post

Wow... I can't even blame this one on Monday. I pulled a board and realized I was looking at the wrong spec sheet >< Apologies all around!

VRM for Gaming 7 is ISL69138, 8+2, not doubled.

Ultra gaming is ISL95866 4+3.
The ISL69138 is a digital, dual output, flexible, multiphase (X+Y ≤ 7) PWM controller designed to be compliant with Intel VR13 and IMVP8 specifications. The digital multiphase controller can be configured to support any desired phase assignments up to a maximum of seven phases across the two outputs (X and Y). For example, 6+1, 5+2, 4+2, 3+3, 3+2, or even single output operation as a 7+0 configuration are supported.

https://www.intersil.com/en/products/power-management/computing-power-vrm-imvp/digital-multiphase-controllers/ISL69138.html


I don't see how that is possible.

There's probably some ISL6617A doublers.

----
Quote:
Originally Posted by CrazyHeaven View Post

I didn't want to spend more than 800 on the couch mbps combo. I was considering going high end with them and using it for 3 years or so. I'm not a huge gamer so I already decided my 980 ti will be great for now.

I mean, how much more could 390 bring to the table? 6 cores would be great but after that I'd be expecting diminishing returns.

Most of my work is cataloging photos and video editing.

So what is an inductor?
An inductor (aka "choke") resists changes in current , it acts as a filter for AC current ripple.

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/direct-current/chpt-15/magnetic-fields-and-inductance/
https://www.autodesk.com/products/eagle/blog/inductor-plain-english/
https://blog.octopart.com/archives/2016/07/how-to-select-an-inductor
http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/inductor/inductor.html
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/inductor1.htm

Oct 4 update:
Backside of Asrock Fatal1ty K6 from Newegg https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157788

4 doublers on top side , 3 doublers on the vertical
Nuvoton SuperIO
My guess is 4+3 PWM controller doubled to 8+6 , I'm not sure why they wrote 12 phases unless it is 6+2 doubled to 12+2

Asrock Z370 Extreme4

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157789

Asus Z370-A backside from Newegg https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813119038


Looks to be 2 mosfets at the top back of board

Similar for Asus Z370-E gaming
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813119033

asus Z370-I


https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813119036

Gigabyte z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813145037

MSI Z370 Pro Carbon using Onsemi
https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/msi-z370-gaming-pro-carbon-ac-motherboard-review/3/
" There are 12 NTMFS4C024N and 10 NTMFS4C029N MOSFET units on the high- and low-side, respectively, closely located to the CPU power delivery system, both provided by ON Semiconductor."

back has 3 doublers I think
Datasheets: http://www.onsemi.com/PowerSolutions/product.do?id=NTMFS4C024N , http://www.onsemi.com/PowerSolutions/product.do?id=NTMFS4C029N

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming
https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asus-rog-strix-z370-e-gaming-motherboard-review/3/


The CPU VRM is a 10 phase solution with 10 high-side (marked "RA14 GJ W72K") and 10 low-side (marked "RA12 BE WE68K") MOSFETs.

(My guess is Vishay SiRA12 & Vishay SiRA14)

Hardware.info PWM info
https://be.hardware.info/reviews/7597/8/intel-z370-moederborden-round-up-17-keer-coffee-lake-intern-stroomvoorziening
PhasesPWM-controller
ASRock Z370 Killer SLI11Intersil ISL95856
ASRock Z370 Extreme414Intersil ISL69138
ASRock Z370 Gaming K614Intersil ISL69138
ASRock Z370 Taichi14Intersil ISL69138
ASUS Prime Z370-A10Intersil ISL69138
ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero10Digi+ ASP1400BT
ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming10Digi+ ASP1400BT
ASUS ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming10Digi+ ASP1400BT
ASUS ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming8Digi+ ASP1400BT
ASUS TUF Z370-Pro Gaming6Digi+ ASP1400BT
Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Gaming 710 Intersil ISL69138
Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming7Intersil ISL95866
Gigabyte Z370-HD37Intersil ISL95866
Gigabyte Z370-HD3P7Intersil ISL95866
MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC10
MSI Z370 Godlike Gaming18IR35201
MSI Z370 SLI Plus10

Tek Syndicate claims Asrock is using Sinopower on Fatal1ty Gaming i7?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU0OHfoahQ8

(If that's true maybe it's SM7341EH)

https://news.xfastest.com/review/41734/asrock-z370-taichi/


FDPC5030SG MOSFET

https://news.xfastest.com/review/41736/gigabyte-z370-aorus-gaming-7/


Smart Power Stage MOSFET

https://www.hardwarebbq.com/aorus-z370-gaming-7-review/3/
(the author wrote 10+2 Smart Power stages, when it is 10 total...)

https://news.xfastest.com/review/41732/asus-rog-maximus-x-hero/


Unspecified (looks to be NexFET or other high+low side Powerblock)
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlphaC View Post

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming
https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asus-rog-strix-z370-e-gaming-motherboard-review/3/


The CPU VRM is a 10 phase solution with 10 high-side (marked "RA14 GJ W72K") and 10 low-side (marked "RA12 BE WE68K") MOSFETs.

(My guess is Vishay SiRA12 & Vishay SiRA14)
I dont know a whole lot about VRM, but i was looking at maybe getting this board and trying to get a decent OC. what does it VRM look like, also looks like this board uses alot more power then other z370s
 
#21 ·
ASRock Extreme4
http://www.xfastest.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=201096&cp=1

ASROCK TAICHI
http://www.xfastest.com/thread-201072-1-1.html

the extreme 4 and taichi have got some strange power design to me...
these two boards both use ISL69138, wihch is a X+Y<=7 pwm chip.
both have got total 14 phases, 2 of them are vccsa and vccio, therefore 12 phases for cpu and igpu.

for the taichi, there are 12 little chips on the back of the pcb.
for the extreme4, there are 7 little chips on the back of the pcb.

ASROCK KILLER SLI
http://www.xfastest.com/thread-201097-1-1.html
 
#23 ·
msi gaming pro z370m
using UP9508Q controller, but no way can its public datasheet be found.
the UP9508 (NON Q) public datasheet can be found, which is a 3+2 max mode design.
it is said that the UP9508Q is designed for 4+1 mode.
and the UP9508 has five pins for connecting five external mosfet drivers (or doublers).

there are four litte chips (FH UGF73N) found on msi gaming pro z370m, these should be drivers for the vcore??
and there are one extra little ic which is a doubler UP1961S, probably for the igpu.



3da59lzf

hdgobvaf
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by asdkj1740 View Post

msi gaming pro z370m
using UP9508Q controller, but no way can its public datasheet be found.
the UP9508 (NON Q) public datasheet can be found, which is a 3+2 max mode design.
it is said that the UP9508Q is designed for 4+1 mode.
and the UP9508 has five pins for connecting five external mosfet drivers (or doublers).

there are four litte chips (FH UGF73N) found on msi gaming pro z370m, these should be drivers for the vcore??
and there are one extra little ic which is a doubler UP1961S, probably for the igpu.
They will be doublers for the VCore.
The mosfets arent the crappy Nikos as on Z270, those are some high end onsemi mosfets.
LS should be NTMFS4C024N and HS NTMFS4C029N
 
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