Reportedly, Intel B760 Motherboards Will Cost 10% More Than B660.

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ITHome claims that Intel will increase the price of their new B760 chipset motherboards when they become available early in 2019. In comparison to Intel's B660 platform, which is the previous generation, prices are expected to rise by 10%. 



This means that the entry price for Intel's next mainstream CPU platform, B760, will be 10% higher than for B660, and that there may be some competition between the two inside Intel itself, as both platforms support Intel's latest Raptor Lake CPUs.

Since the introduction of Raptor Lake, information about B760 has been sketchy at best. We do know, however, that the feature set of the B760 will be mostly similar to that of the B660, with the only alterations being modifications to the PCIe Gen 4 and PCIe Gen 3 architectures. This includes a reduction from eight to four lanes on PCie Gen 3, but an increase from six to ten lanes on PCie Gen 4.

B760s may be more of a downgrade than an improvement. While B760 will support additional PCIe Gen 4 enabled devices, it will have the same connectivity as B660 if no such devices are installed. This could make it harder for potential purchasers to justify the B760's higher pricing. Intel's B series platform is aimed at low-cost systems like gaming PCs and workstations, hence the chipset's Gen 4 features are rarely used. These machines require little more than enough PCIe lanes for the graphics card and enough USB ports for a keyboard, mouse, and headset, and the CPU supplies the PCIe lanes the GPU needs.

The B760, on the other hand, may come with BIOSes that are already factory-ready to support Intel's latest CPU series, Raptor Lake. However, this will only be successful if the majority of B660 motherboards do not already come with factory-installed BIOS patches that support Raptor Lake. Motherboard makers may also choose to improve their own B760 boards with additional features over their B660 boards, which might be seen as a benefit for B760. This could be in the form of improved power delivery systems, enhanced audio integration, or redesigned rear I/O. For this reason, it is important that motherboard makers make their B760 boards stand out from their previous B660 equivalents.

Regardless of any benefits B760 might provide, its price increase is not promising. Since B660 can accommodate Raptor Lake CPUs, B760 will perpetually face competition from it.

Reportedly, Intel B760 Motherboards Will Cost 10% More Than B660.


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