Intel making B365 Express chipset in 22nm process

Posted on Thursday, December 13 2018 @ 10:44 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
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In an effort to move some of its product mix away from the 14nm node, Intel rolled out a new B365 Express chipset fabbed on the older 22nm process. It's not just an optical enlargement of the B360 though, this new model has some enhancements and subtractions, and may potentially be a rebranded Z170.

The B365 received 20 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, quite a bit more than the 12 lanes found on the B360. This will enable B365 based motherboards to offer more M.2 and U.2 connectivity. Some features have been cut though, the B365 does not have integrated USB 3.1 Gen 2 support and it also lacks Wireless AC integrated MAC. The TDP remains at 6W.

As TPU reports, various clues point to this being a rebranded version of the Z170:
According to the ARK specifications page for the B365 Express, this chip completely lacks integrated 10 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2 connectivity. Perhaps the expanded downstream PCIe is really meant for motherboard vendors to use third-party USB 3.1 gen 2 controller chips. You still get eight 5 Gbps USB 3.0 ports (notice we didn't say USB 3.1 gen 1, because don't expect fast-charging features). The chipset also loses the latest generation Wireless AC integrated MAC. All of these point to the possibility of the B365 Express being a re-branded Z170 with locked CPU overclocking. Adding credence to this theory is the fact that while the B360 uses ME version 12, the B365 uses the older ME version 11. Much like the H310C, the B365 could include platform support for Windows 7.
By moving some stuff to the 22nm node, Intel is freeing up capacity on its fully utilized 14nm process nodes, enabling the production of more higher-value products like Core processors.


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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