Intel’s upcoming lineup of 11th Gen Core processors (code-named “Rocket Lake-S”) will not be compatible with motherboards leveraging cheaper 400 Series Chipsets. This is according to a recently published document on Intel’s official support site, which includes the following warning: “Motherboards based on Intel B460 or H410 chipsets are not compatible with upcoming 11th Gen Intel Core processors.” The support page also points out that Z490 and H470 motherboards may not boot with Rocket Lake-S chips until the relevant BIOS updates are installed.
“The Intel 400 Series Chipset is a scalable chipset designed for motherboards that support the 10th Gen and upcoming 11th Gen Intel Core desktop processors,” Intel explained. “The motherboard BIOS is a key component to maintaining this broad compatibility while enabling processor innovations on the platform.”
“Intel Z490 and H470 chipset-based motherboards may require a BIOS update to boot the upcoming 11th Gen Intel Core desktop processors. Intel recommends that you update the BIOS on your Intel 400 Series Chipset-based systems for compatibility with the upcoming 11th Gen Intel Core desktop processors.”
Intel’s 11th Gen Core “Rocket Lake-S” desktop processors are scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2021. The chips are said to offer a double digit, 19 percent IPC performance improvement over the previous generation for marked gains in gaming, content creation, and multitasking. Intel’s 11th Gen Core processors will also benefit from PCIe 4.0 support and an iGPU powered by the company’s new Xe Graphics architecture.