One question, will this configuration support the full 40G of Thunderbolt 3 - and who makes the card. This might one of first signs that Intel open of Thunderbolt 3 to other manufactures.
Oh, they publicly committed to opening up a little while back. Combined with the type-C connector, it's all very exciting stuff for businesses with high end workstations.
It looks like the article was updated today to mention that Thunderbolt support is in Limbo because graphics requirements. It probably at least another year before AMD users can used this exiting technology.
type-c connector is limited in desktop environment - except if Thunderbolt 3 - but really nice in mobile environments - excellent use when connected to docking station which turns it into a true desktop replacement.
I think u.2 is mostly useless atm anyways. The only somewhat consumer u.2 ssd I can think of is the 750 and that thing is way worse than all the modern M.2 ssds
The U.2 connector allows you to put an SSD anywhere else in the case though. Think of it as a better form of SATA. You're thinking way too limited. There's plenty of M.2 adapters that connect to U.2. There's SO many options actually. You could even do multiple M.2 with them. M.2 ports on an ATX board actually LIMIT choice because they take up way more space than just x8/x16 PCIe slots (if in that sector). With those x8 or x16 slots you could add 2, 3 or 4 M.2 drives instead with an adapter!
It's not very useful if no one makes a U.2 SSD. Seeing as the 750 is now discontinued, it would be a port that doesn't have any supported drives at all.
Yeah, 10Gbe missing is a bit disappointing. That said, it can also be had quite cheaply as an add-in card now (ASUS XG-C100C) thanks to Aquantia 's amazingly competitive chips.
If you call upwards of $100 "cheap". Really, there isn't any excuse for a manufacturer not to ship at least one high-end board with 10GbE; Asrock has been doing it for ages, and Asus is now on the same bandwagon, but Gigabyte and MSI seem to be avoiding this new-fangled piece of tech like it's a plague.
Having been tracking 10Gbe for several years now, trying to justify the upgrade cost for an office, I definitely call $100 cheap! In the world of high-end video editing workstation costs, it's practically a bargain.
Also, those Asrock boards use the exact same chip (they're not cheap boards). But yes, all of these Threadripper boards should have it. One doesn't buy Threadripper for compromise. Thunderbolt's absence is only excusable because it was Intel exclusive until very recently.
I suspect the Intel Z370 boards, with their rumored 6 3.1g2 ports will be the first to fulfill your (and my) multiple C ports desire. (I'd like to see 4 A and 4C on the back plate and front panel headers for 2 of each.)
AMD only includes 2 3.1g2 ports on the x399; and mobo OEMs are determined to split them 50/50 between A and C; despite AFAIK a total of 0 3.1g2 devices using an A plug existing. The situation on Intels current 2xx chipsets is marginally worse since they have no native support and some OEMs cheap out with single port controllers so you can't even fudge it with a C to A cable.
You're assuming USB type C is successful... Few devices now use full usb-c to c. Most use A to C connections. Even then, the market hasn't been keen on the tech.
Are you smoking? It's winning smartphones, tablets, and laptops at an abrupt rate. Once desktops transition more dramatically, USB-C peripherals and devices will become the norm rather than the exception.
heck, most of my devices dont saturate USB2 spec. But I need lots and lots of USB ports no matter the speed. Now things are moving to USB-C... they don't need the speed... but I would rather transition to all USBC equipment sooner rather than later for the form factor, speed be damned.
What exactly does the TB3 AIC need the onboard header for? Isn't the TB controller just another PCIe-connected device as far as the system is concerned?
The AIC is connecting to some GPIO (general purpose I/O) on the motherboard. It isn't really documented what it does but it could be anything from Power Sequencing to configuration etc etc.
It connects the add in card to some GPIO (General Purpose I/O) in the system board. The usage of these pins is undocumented but could be anything from sleep/power control, bios integration, routing displayport signals etc etc...
Hm. Now, I have no idea about the actual requirements of TB3 in communicating with the BIOS and other system functionality, but it still seems like a more or less arbitrary addition meant to limit use of these AICs on other systems. I suppose now that Intel seems to be opening up TB3 for wider adoption, we might see more universal solutions appear in a while - or at least an explanation as to why there aren't any.
I bought the Aorus X399. As a recovering Apple user, I have some Thunderbolt equipment, so this is the board I would have bought if I had known it was coming out and was a bit more patient.
I imagine it comes with all the buggy Gigabyte utilities, however.
I don't believe this motherboard has full TB3 - if you look at update on 20th (today), only if you have Raven Ridge processor - which I would think would be quite limited for AMD platform.
Just like with 2.0 ports that're normally black but are occasionally colorcoded differently when they have something extra/special hooked up to them. From the markings on this board, the white port can probably be used to flash the BIOS. The two yellow ports have better power filtering which is supposed to benefit USB audio devices by reducing noise. I don't know much about it, but Tech Report's reaction when they started doing it was that it was a feature for the gold plated monster hdmi cables crowd.
Out of sheer curiosity, is it possible for motherboard manufacturers to design a prototype x399 motherboard, in which the following are directly connected to the CPU PCie lanes:
That particular config would leave the chipset completely unconnected and thus totally useless. 4 of the nominal 64 PCIe lanes are used for the chipset; meaning only 60 are available for general use.
Ok, then just remove one of the x4 connection from the above list (eg: front port headers ) Then wouldn't it be an innovation in the motherboard space?
That'd be technically feasible, but the >90% of the market that look at price and the number of feature boxes checked and are going to see you either have 2 x16 slots instead of 4, or have your lanes allocated 8/8/8/8 instead of 16/8/16/8 in 4 way mode and decide to drop your board as being gimped.
If this was going to be done anywhere it'd probably be on an mATX board where 2 16x slots is a reasonable config. OTOH so far none of them have been announced yet.
It has long occurred to me that fully digital DP could act as a HB digital bridge between multiple teamed discrete gpuS, to bypass the restrictive pcie bus.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
38 Comments
Back to Article
BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
That motherboard name...I can't help but think of Designasaurus 2 for MS-DOS when I read it.Slaveguy - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
When I see your username I can't help but think of all the very long nights I've had melting hot wax onto your dad's nipples while I suck him offJoeyJoJo123 - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
Can I retweet this?HStewart - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
One question, will this configuration support the full 40G of Thunderbolt 3 - and who makes the card. This might one of first signs that Intel open of Thunderbolt 3 to other manufactures.Cyanara - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
Oh, they publicly committed to opening up a little while back. Combined with the type-C connector, it's all very exciting stuff for businesses with high end workstations.HStewart - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
It looks like the article was updated today to mention that Thunderbolt support is in Limbo because graphics requirements. It probably at least another year before AMD users can used this exiting technology.type-c connector is limited in desktop environment - except if Thunderbolt 3 - but really nice in mobile environments - excellent use when connected to docking station which turns it into a true desktop replacement.
osteopathic1 - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
Wow, what doesn't that motherboard do....except save you money.ddriver - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
No 10gbit lan. No u.2. Other than that it looks ok, provided they do it right too.Dr. Swag - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
I think u.2 is mostly useless atm anyways. The only somewhat consumer u.2 ssd I can think of is the 750 and that thing is way worse than all the modern M.2 ssdsCheapSushi - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
The U.2 connector allows you to put an SSD anywhere else in the case though. Think of it as a better form of SATA. You're thinking way too limited. There's plenty of M.2 adapters that connect to U.2. There's SO many options actually. You could even do multiple M.2 with them. M.2 ports on an ATX board actually LIMIT choice because they take up way more space than just x8/x16 PCIe slots (if in that sector). With those x8 or x16 slots you could add 2, 3 or 4 M.2 drives instead with an adapter!Flunk - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
It's not very useful if no one makes a U.2 SSD. Seeing as the 750 is now discontinued, it would be a port that doesn't have any supported drives at all.Cyanara - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
Yeah, 10Gbe missing is a bit disappointing. That said, it can also be had quite cheaply as an add-in card now (ASUS XG-C100C) thanks to Aquantia 's amazingly competitive chips.The_Assimilator - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
If you call upwards of $100 "cheap". Really, there isn't any excuse for a manufacturer not to ship at least one high-end board with 10GbE; Asrock has been doing it for ages, and Asus is now on the same bandwagon, but Gigabyte and MSI seem to be avoiding this new-fangled piece of tech like it's a plague.Also, only one USB 3.0 header? In 2017?
Cyanara - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
Having been tracking 10Gbe for several years now, trying to justify the upgrade cost for an office, I definitely call $100 cheap! In the world of high-end video editing workstation costs, it's practically a bargain.Also, those Asrock boards use the exact same chip (they're not cheap boards). But yes, all of these Threadripper boards should have it. One doesn't buy Threadripper for compromise. Thunderbolt's absence is only excusable because it was Intel exclusive until very recently.
ddriver - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
The correct term would be "affordable" ;)fazalmajid - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
It's 2017, and a high-end design workstation desktop should have a design lifetime of 5 years. A single USB-C port just doesn't cut it.DanNeely - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
I suspect the Intel Z370 boards, with their rumored 6 3.1g2 ports will be the first to fulfill your (and my) multiple C ports desire. (I'd like to see 4 A and 4C on the back plate and front panel headers for 2 of each.)AMD only includes 2 3.1g2 ports on the x399; and mobo OEMs are determined to split them 50/50 between A and C; despite AFAIK a total of 0 3.1g2 devices using an A plug existing. The situation on Intels current 2xx chipsets is marginally worse since they have no native support and some OEMs cheap out with single port controllers so you can't even fudge it with a C to A cable.
eek2121 - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
What device could you possibly be using that saturates the 10 gbps bandwidth of gen2 USB 3.1 controllers?DanNeely - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
Why should I have to buy a USB-C hub in a few years because all my new devices use C cables and I only have a single C port?XiroMisho - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
You're assuming USB type C is successful... Few devices now use full usb-c to c. Most use A to C connections. Even then, the market hasn't been keen on the tech.PixyMisa - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
That's a pretty safe assumption.lmcd - Wednesday, September 27, 2017 - link
Are you smoking? It's winning smartphones, tablets, and laptops at an abrupt rate. Once desktops transition more dramatically, USB-C peripherals and devices will become the norm rather than the exception.HomeworldFound - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
I think they're looking at the port for high-speed connectivity. The majority of devices that use Type C cables are coming with speed chargers.CaedenV - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
heck, most of my devices dont saturate USB2 spec. But I need lots and lots of USB ports no matter the speed. Now things are moving to USB-C... they don't need the speed... but I would rather transition to all USBC equipment sooner rather than later for the form factor, speed be damned.CheapSushi - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
All flash NAS?Valantar - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
What exactly does the TB3 AIC need the onboard header for? Isn't the TB controller just another PCIe-connected device as far as the system is concerned?jab701 - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
The AIC is connecting to some GPIO (general purpose I/O) on the motherboard. It isn't really documented what it does but it could be anything from Power Sequencing to configuration etc etc.jab701 - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
It connects the add in card to some GPIO (General Purpose I/O) in the system board. The usage of these pins is undocumented but could be anything from sleep/power control, bios integration, routing displayport signals etc etc...Valantar - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
Hm. Now, I have no idea about the actual requirements of TB3 in communicating with the BIOS and other system functionality, but it still seems like a more or less arbitrary addition meant to limit use of these AICs on other systems. I suppose now that Intel seems to be opening up TB3 for wider adoption, we might see more universal solutions appear in a while - or at least an explanation as to why there aren't any.Naql - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
I bought the Aorus X399. As a recovering Apple user, I have some Thunderbolt equipment, so this is the board I would have bought if I had known it was coming out and was a bit more patient.I imagine it comes with all the buggy Gigabyte utilities, however.
HStewart - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
I don't believe this motherboard has full TB3 - if you look at update on 20th (today), only if you have Raven Ridge processor - which I would think would be quite limited for AMD platform.ajp_anton - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
What is the color coding for USB 3.0? I thought it was supposed to be blue, but now also white and yellow?DanNeely - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
Just like with 2.0 ports that're normally black but are occasionally colorcoded differently when they have something extra/special hooked up to them. From the markings on this board, the white port can probably be used to flash the BIOS. The two yellow ports have better power filtering which is supposed to benefit USB audio devices by reducing noise. I don't know much about it, but Tech Report's reaction when they started doing it was that it was a feature for the gold plated monster hdmi cables crowd.https://techreport.com/news/25244/gigabyte-gaming-...
prateekprakash - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
Out of sheer curiosity, is it possible for motherboard manufacturers to design a prototype x399 motherboard, in which the following are directly connected to the CPU PCie lanes:Usb3.1g2 X2 4lanes
Usb3.1g1 X4 4lanes
10gbit Ethernet x1 4lanes
WiFi x1 4lanes
Tb3port x1 4lanes
SATA x4 4lanes
M.2 pciex4 x1 4lanes
Usb3.1g2 front X2 4lanes
Pciex16 X2 32lanes
That would mean no bottlenecking while concurrently using multiple of these ports... The chipset would then be almost redundant...
DanNeely - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
That particular config would leave the chipset completely unconnected and thus totally useless. 4 of the nominal 64 PCIe lanes are used for the chipset; meaning only 60 are available for general use.prateekprakash - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
Ok, then just remove one of the x4 connection from the above list (eg: front port headers )Then wouldn't it be an innovation in the motherboard space?
DanNeely - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
That'd be technically feasible, but the >90% of the market that look at price and the number of feature boxes checked and are going to see you either have 2 x16 slots instead of 4, or have your lanes allocated 8/8/8/8 instead of 16/8/16/8 in 4 way mode and decide to drop your board as being gimped.If this was going to be done anywhere it'd probably be on an mATX board where 2 16x slots is a reasonable config. OTOH so far none of them have been announced yet.
msroadkill612 - Thursday, September 21, 2017 - link
It has long occurred to me that fully digital DP could act as a HB digital bridge between multiple teamed discrete gpuS, to bypass the restrictive pcie bus.