Intel Suspends H310 Chipset Production

Low Supply for Entry Level H310 Chipset

Intel has announced new affordable motherboards for their Coffee Lake CPUs last month. This is after months of only having the top end Z370 chipset option for the mainstream desktop segment available. However according to DigiTimes, their sources within the motherboard industry is saying that the chip supplier’s 14nm process capacity is too tight. In turn, they have run out of supply for these affordable chipsets just after a month.

The H310 is the lowest-end and most affordable chipset in Intel’s 300-series line. However, manufacturers are now forced to adapt a more expensive B360 chipset option instead. Together with the entry-level H310, is the mainstream H370 and B360, as well as the enterprise Q360 and Q370 chipsets. With the exception of the flagship Z370 chipset which launched in Fall 2017, these 300-series chipsets were meant to boost motherboard sales from the usual Q1 slump.

Why Did This Happen?

There are several possible reasons why this happened. However, DigiTimes is pointing towards the recent 10nm delay as the culprit. Intel has failed to meet the supposed 2017 timeline for it, and has pushed its release to 2019. That means that 14nm is enduring and production is strained since even the most recent chips are still on the same process.

This means Intel has to choose and prioritize which they are manufacturing, and the entry-level H310 chipset got the short end of the straw.

The H310 chipset supply relief is not expected to resume until July at the latest. This might not mean a lot to end consumers. However, many system integrators are relying on this chipset’s availability and lower cost.