Important considerations for E3 configurations of this generation! No longer fond of B150
2021-09-29 16:46
Important Note on E3 Compatibility This Generation! B150 is No Longer Supported
Before we begin the review, let's address the most pressing question on everyone's mind—motherboard compatibility! Those who have followed our PConline reports on the Xeon E3 V5 series know that this generation of E3 CPUs has been unfortunately discontinued by Intel, losing support for 100-series motherboards. This almost completely cut it off from the DIY market. Thankfully, motherboard manufacturers stepped in, releasing C200 chipset motherboards specifically for the DIY market. This prevented the E3 V5 from becoming obsolete...
Therefore, those looking to use this CPU need to adjust their thinking. Unless there's an unexpected BIOS unlock, "E3 V5 + B150" will only result in a black screen (failure to boot). To successfully use this CPU, you must use a motherboard with the dedicated server C200 chipset. However, motherboard manufacturers promoting server motherboards in the DIY market are operating in a gray area, leading to a number of issues that need to be addressed.
1. What should we call this CPU's motherboard? C232 or X150?
C200 chipset motherboards are completely unfamiliar to the DIY market, with very low recognition. Intel certainly won't promote this gray-area product, so the task of educating consumers falls on motherboard manufacturers. However, it will take a considerable amount of time to make DIY novices aware that E3 V5 requires a C200 motherboard. So, clever manufacturers stepped in, with Gigabyte cleverly calling their C232 desktop model—X150.
I think this is a very appropriate name. The name alone suggests a similar positioning to the B150, and it easily conveys its special "X" characteristic—compatibility with the CPU. Furthermore, including it in the 100 series is beneficial for categorization. Even after many generations, people will know that 100 series motherboards support Skylake architecture CPUs, avoiding the confusion of, for example, the i7-3960X, which belongs to the second generation but has a third-generation name. Therefore, I suggest we call these motherboards X150 from now on.
