X399 vs. X299 – Intel and AMD Motherboard Chipsets Specifications Comparison
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Both x299 and x399 are one of the most popular chipsets respectively from Intel and AMD. Today we are going to discuss the main features of both these chipsets and discover what they have to offer us. At the end of the discussion, we will also have a look at some of the best motherboards, with come with these chipsets, x299 and x399. We will discuss these products along with their full specification so it would be easy for our readers to choose the right product for them. So before we jump to the list of products featuring x299 and x399 chipsets, here is a quick look at the main features offered in both X399 vs. X299 chipsets.
Both AMD and Intel’s HEDT platform is overkill for normal workloads. These platforms are targetted for serious workloads and for professionals looking to run workstation level graphics or 3D modeling. Here is a quick comparison chart between the two platforms, see below:
Feature
X399 – sTR4 Threadripper Family
X299 – Intel X Series HEDT Family
Segment
High-End Enthusiast
High-End Enthusiast
Chipset
X399
X299
Socket
sTR4
LGA2066
USB Gen 3.1
Native Support
Native Support up to 10
SATA
12
10
GPU & PCI-E Lanes Support
3 x16 + 1 x 8 or 1 x 16 + 3 x 8 or 1 x 16 + 5 x 8
60 G3 + 8 G2 Lanes
PCIe 3.0 x 4
20 – 24 PCIe Lanes
DDR4 Support
Quad Channel DDR4 Controller
Quad Channel DDR4 Support
X299 Chipset – Key Features:
The x299 chipset by Intel promises to offer 8 GT/s DMI3 bus speed along with Lithography of 22nm. Moreover, the TDP is 6W that is quite reasonable and the motherboards are fully compatible with overclocking. Like most of the mid-end Intel motherboards, it does not feature any integrated graphics and offers 2 DIMMs per channel. It does not come with PCI support. However, offers PCIe revision for PCIe 3.0. On PCIe lanes, three configurations are available to use consisting of x1, x2, and x4. It supports total 24 PCIe lanes at a time.
There are 14 USB ports in total, using 2.0 and 3.0 version of USB. The chipset allows to use up to 10 USB 3.0 connections and up to 14 USB 3.0 connections at a time. Moreover, up to eight SATA 6.0 Gbps ports can be used, with RAID 0 / 1 / 5 / 10 support. Intel offers a lot of performance enhancing technologies. It contains Optane memory support, Virtualization technology for directed I/O, ME firmware version 11.0, HD Audio, Intel Rapid Storage, Intel Smart response, and Intel Rapid Storage for PCIe, etc. technologies. It supports most of the Intel X series processors.
X399 Chipset – Key Features:
X399 chipset by AMD is highly scalable. It makes it highly suitable for both gamers and creators, or people who do both. With serious Multi-GPU and NVMe arrays, it is the ultimate expansion beast. Additionally, quad channel Unbuffered DDR4, ECC memory support, and ultimate overclocking capacity make x399 a perfect choice for people depending on intensive computing operations. Following are some key features:
Multi-GPU support along with AMD CrossFire and SLI technologies
Up to 2x Native USB 3.0 Gen2, 14x Native USB 3.0 Gen1 ports, 6x Native USB 2.0 ports supported
Up to 12 SATA ports with RAID 0 / 1 / 10 support
List of Best X399 Motherboards:
We are listing out some of the recommended boards for the sTR4 platform, which is known for its stability and overclocking options. Check it out below:
1 x CPU
8 x DIMM 288-pin
4 x PCIe 3.0 x16
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1
Storage Interfaces
SATA-600 -connectors: 8 x 7pin Serial ATA – RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 10
SATA-600 / PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 3 x M.2
Internal Interfaces
4 x USB 2.0 – header
4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 – header
1 x audio – header
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 – Type C
Power Connectors
24-pin main power connector, 6-pin ATX12V connector, 2 x 8-pin ATX12V connectors
Miscellaneous
Product Type
motherboard
Included Accessories
Bluetooth / Wi-Fi module
Networking
Data Link Protocol
Bluetooth 2.1, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0, Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a
1 x USB-C Gen 2 + 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 + 8 x USB 3.1 Gen 1
Internal Interfaces
Type
USB 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, audio
Connector Type
header
Qty
1, 2, 4
Cable Details
Type
SLI bridge, Serial ATA cable
Included Qty
1, 3
Dimensions & Weight
Width
12 in
Depth
10.9 in
Software
Software Included
ASUS AI Suite III, ASUS EZ Flash 3, ASUS ROG RAMCache II, ASUS Turbo App, Overwolf, ROG CPU-Z, ROG CloneDrive, ROG GameFirst IV, drivers & utilities
List of Best X299 Motherboards:
If you are looking for an Intel based HEDT platform, this one should be your choice. Launched in March 2017, it still is the high-end platform of choice for most enthusiasts until the Intel x399 platform arrives. Check them out below:
1 x CPU
8 x DIMM 288-pin
4 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (44-lane CPU (x16/x16/x8 mode), 28-lane CPU (x16/x8/x4 mode), 16-lane CPU (x8/x8/x0, x8/x4/x4 modes))
2 x PCIe 3.0 x1
Storage Interfaces
SATA-600 -connectors: 8 x 7pin Serial ATA – RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 10 / RAID 5
SATA-600 / PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 2 x M.2 – RAID 0 / RAID 1
PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 1 x U.2
Internal Interfaces
4 x USB 2.0 – header
4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 – header
1 x audio – header
1 x USB-C Gen2 – header
Power Connectors
24-pin main power connector, 8-pin ATX12V connector
1 x USB-C Gen 2 + 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 + 8 x USB 3.1 Gen 1
Internal Interfaces
Type
Thunderbolt, USB 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, audio
Connector Type
header
Qty
1, 2, 4
Cable Details
Type
3-way SLI bridge, 4-way SLI bridge, SLI bridge, Serial ATA cable
Included Qty
1, 3
Dimensions & Weight
Width
12 in
Depth
10.9 in
Software
Software Included
ASUS AI Charger, ASUS AI Suite III, ASUS EZ Flash 3, ASUS ROG RAMCache II, ASUS Turbo App, Overwolf, ROG Aura, ROG CPU-Z, ROG CloneDrive
Conclusion
We hope you like our comparison of X399 vs. X299 chipsets based on AMD’s & Intel’s HEDT platform. Your friendly suggestions and questions are welcome in the comment section below. Thanks for visiting!