Z490 vs. 12th Gen: Which Chipset Is More Future-Proof?

Z490 vs. 12th Gen: Which Chipset Is More Future-Proof? If you’re building a new PC and want to know whether your Z490 or Z390 motherboard will last longer, you’ve come to the right place. Our goal here is to help you compare these two chipsets so that you can make an informed decision about which one works best for your needs. Let’s dive in!

What is the difference between H270, H370, Q370, B360, and Q250?

It’s easy to get confused about Intel’s confusing lineup of chipsets—even if you’re familiar with them, it can be hard to keep track of which chipset is best for a specific processor or motherboard. The bad news is that Intel has changed its brand strategy so much over time, with multiple brands using numbers and letters at once, that there isn’t really any set way to think about what each letter means in combination with each number; it depends on your exact processor and motherboard model. The good news is that you don’t need to understand it all perfectly!

What’s So Good About B360 Anyway?

Intel’s B360 chipset is cheaper and less powerful than Z390 but it still offers a couple of benefits worth considering, especially if you’re looking to build a gaming PC that can double as an excellent budget machine for tasks like streaming or video editing. With fewer PCIe lanes than Z390, B360 limits your ability to expand your system, but if you plan on getting a new motherboard in 5–6 years anyway (and if you don’t care about X299’s huge capabilities), then I wouldn’t be too concerned about that tradeoff.

Should I Get a New Motherboard Now or Wait For Z390?

There's a lot of hype surrounding Intel's new 9th-gen processors, but unless you're in need of a new PC immediately, we'd hold off on buying an 8th-gen motherboard until Z390 is released. Although Z390 will support 12nm Coffee Lake CPUs (like Intel's upcoming i9-9900K), there are also plenty of high-end chips that will work with current chipsets like Z370 and H370 (like Intel's i7-8700K). But if you do plan to buy a new board now, expect it to cost somewhere between $50 and $150, depending on your specs. Either way, be sure to check out our motherboard guide for all things related to choosing one.

Should I Buy an i7 8700K or i5 8600K?

The answer to that question will depend on your budget and how heavily you intend to overclock your PC—but there’s one thing we can say for certain: Unless you’re building a PC with multiple video cards or other high-end components, buying an i7 is probably not worth it. The truth is, as AMD’s Ryzen CPUs have shown us time and again, even four cores (the number in both Intel's Core i5 and Core i7) is more than enough for a single system—unless you plan on gaming at 4K resolutions, or perhaps using up to three monitors for serious production work.

The Best CPUs for Gaming in 2022

While most of our CPU guides over time have focused on gaming, we wanted to make sure we kept you up to date with what’s new and exciting in processors overall. The market has changed a lot over time, with higher core counts, higher clock speeds and more efficient architectures taking center stage. That said, there are still a few areas where gamers are looking for value and that’s exactly what our guide is all about! So how do you know which CPUs are best for your favorite games?