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So Coffee Lake CPUs can run on modded z170/z270 motherboards.

The article linked in the OP is rather old, but work has continued in this. The iGPU and PCI Express problems have been fixed. There have been a couple of reports of ASRock and MSI boards booting to BIOS with a 6-core CPU once the extra power pins have been masked off. I doubt it is O/S stable, but still impressive/interesting.
 
8700K now confirmed working on a number of motherboards. However, it is not for the faint of heart:
  1. Need modified BIOS or ability to use BIOS modding tools
  2. Need to short two pads on the CPU (classic pencil method will do the trick)
  3. Some motherboard needs a fly-lead mod to adjust resistance or permit BIOS flash
So far I have read reports of success with:
  • Asrock Formula Drive
  • Asrock Z170 OC Formula
  • Asrock Z170M OC Formula
  • Asus Maximus VIII Impact
  • Asus Maximus IX Apex (HT not working on 6c)
  • MSI Z270-A Pro
With 4-core Coffee Lake CPUs, the motherboard list is much longer and doesn't require the physical mods.
 
From what I've heard still a lot of issues with things like USB peripherals, etc. even when people have managed to get an OS booting they've subsequently found glitchy things in more extensive use - outside of a curiosity I don't think it is particularly useful.
 
I've not seen reports of those issues, the Asrock boards in particular appear stable. I'm not sure it is something I would be brave enough try though. It does clearly demonstrate that with the higher spec boards, official support would have been possible. The pin change is simply a blocker to prevent usage on under spec boards.

Perhaps it indicates hope for 8-core on Z370.
 
IT Troll said:
....Perhaps it indicates hope for 8-core on Z370.
Click to expand...
A little more hope than previous generation but I still would not hold my breath. With the oft repeated mantra 'AM4 will take new CPU's up to 2021..." and with AMD clawing back in the dominant CPU stranglehold that Intel had for years, it might encourage Intel to at least give Z370 motherboards at 1 upgrade.
 
wam7 said:
A little more hope than previous generation but I still would not hold my breath. With the oft repeated mantra 'AM4 will take new CPU's up to 2021..." and with AMD clawing back in the dominant CPU stranglehold that Intel had for years, it might encourage Intel to at least give Z370 motherboards at 1 upgrade.
Click to expand...

Tbh if Intel allows to use 8core CFL on the Z370s I will get one. Otherwise I will hold and grab an R7 3700X next year.
 
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There was no technical reason to block the 4-cores at all. The only issue was 6-core CPUs on low spec boards. The power delivery on my Z170 is actually better than subsequent Z270/Z370 mATX boards.

This story is newsworthy because this is the first official support from a PC manufacturer.
 
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IT Troll said:
This story is newsworthy because this is the first official support from a PC manufacturer
Click to expand...

And by exactly the same token, it's a non-story with no weight because that manufacturer is Chinese tweaking a China-only product, and we all know how highly the Chinese regard the rules and IP of others.

If Asrock, for example, officially took all of the mods made to the Z170 OC Formula and made it an official upgrade to the product, THEN we'd have something to talk about.
 
you will never see such mods directly from the board manufacturers themselves without Intel permission. Instead, such bioses and workarounds got "leaked" through unofficial channels, one of the channel is pro-overclockers somehow walk into it. :p

Been using a 8086K @ 5Ghz with Z270 apex for the past 2 months and it's perfectly stable with all features.
 
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