Intel's Z990 chipset could use more power than Z890 despite a smaller footprint

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Rumor mill: Intel's next Nova Lake desktop platform is coming together, and it's not just the CPUs that are changing. Leaked specifications for the Z970 and Z990 chipsets suggest a smaller PCH that consumes more power and runs hotter than the current Z890 hardware.

The latest leaks focus on the platform controller hub, which handles most of a motherboard's connectivity. For Z990, that hub is said to be significantly smaller than the one found on today's Z890 boards. The die is estimated to measure about 72.5 square millimeters, down from roughly 92.9 square millimeters. The package is smaller as well, shrinking from about 658 square millimeters on Z890 to 600 square millimeters.

The surprise is that the smaller chip doesn't consume less power. Instead, the Z990 chipset is expected to draw more. Its...

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