With its 8th generation Core “Coffee Lake” processors bound for the second half of 2017, which consist of upper-mainstream quad-core and six-core chips, Intel is launching its companion 300-series chipset, namely the Z370 Express. The company could launch cheaper H370 and B350 chipsets in the first quarter of 2018 alongside cheaper quad-core and dual-core “Coffee Lake” processors. This platform could herald a new socket. What sets the 300-series chipset – at least the Z370 – apart from its predecessors, is that it integrates WLAN and USB 3.1 gen 2.0 controllers, which could hit the bottom-lines of third-party controller suppliers such as Realtek, Broadcom, and ASMedia, particularly hard.
Intel already has access to various WLAN and USB patents and licenses; which could enable it to deploy 802.11ac R2 and Bluetooth 5.0 on its integrated WLAN controller; besides the latest 10 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2.0 ports. As a clear indication that these features won’t be restricted to the premium desktop Z370 platform, it is being reported that integrated WLAN and USB 3.1 could also feature on the company’s entry-level “Gemini Lake” SoC, which succeeds “Apollo Lake.” This move is part of Intel’s drive to miniaturize the PCB footprint of the platform, so it could feature in low-power convertibles that compete with ones based on ARM SoCs, and is particularly important in the wake of Qualcomm courting Microsoft for a convertible that runs Win32 apps over emulated x86, a move that has irked Intel.
Source: DigiTimes via Techpowerup
