Asustek Computer and Gigabyte Technology are expected to each ship 5.1-5.2 million own-brand motherboards in the second quarter of 2014 and likely to ship more than six million units in the third, according to supply chain makers.

Since Intel already started distributing its K-series processors for overclocking in late-June and will start mass shipping the series in July, motherboard players are optimistic about demand from the PC DIY market in the third quarter and have released new motherboards for the demand.

The motherboard players pointed out that the Pentium G3258 processor under the Intel K-series family has a rather competitive price/performance ratio and is expected to ship one million units in the third quarter.

The Pentium G3258 is priced at CNY499 (US$80) and is compatible with H97, H87, B85 and B81-based motherboards.

In addition to the Pentium G3258, Intel's Core i7-4790K and Core i5-4690K are selling for US$339.99 and US$239.99, respectively on Amazon.

The Pentium G3258 is expected to assist motherboard players digest their H87, B85 and H81 motherboard inventories, allowing them to achieve 10-20% sequential shipment growths in the third quarter. Meanwhile, the combination of Haswell Refresh processors and 9-series motherboards is expected to help raise players' profitability.