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Rumor mill: Intel's next Nova Lake desktop platform is coming together, and it's not just the CPUs that are changing. Leaked specifications for the Z970 and Z990 chipsets suggest a smaller PCH that consumes more power and runs hotter than the current Z890 hardware.
The latest leaks focus on the platform controller hub, which handles most of a motherboard's connectivity. For Z990, that hub is said to be significantly smaller than the one found on today's Z890 boards. The die is estimated to measure about 72.5 square millimeters, down from roughly 92.9 square millimeters. The package is smaller as well, shrinking from about 658 square millimeters on Z890 to 600 square millimeters.
The surprise is that the smaller chip doesn't consume less power. Instead, the Z990 chipset is expected to draw more. Its base power is reportedly 7.9 watts, up from 6 watts on Z890, and it can reach 14 watts when the chipset's PCIe 5.0 lanes are fully utilized. The Z970, while positioned lower in the stack, isn't far behind with a base power draw of 6.4 watts. Both chipsets are also rated for higher maximum operating temperatures, reaching 113°C – 5 degrees higher than their predecessors.
