Z97

Z97 is an Intel motherboard chipset released in late 2014 for the LGA1150 socket, primarily supporting 4th‑generation “Haswell” and later 5th‑generation “Broadwell” Core processors. As part of Intel’s “Z” series, it is aimed at enthusiast and high‑performance desktop platforms, offering a range of features for overclocking, multi‑GPU configurations, and high‑speed I/O.

Key specifications of the Z97 chipset include support for up to 40 PCI Express 3.0 lanes, enabling dual‑GPU setups via NVIDIA SLI or AMD CrossFireX, and up to six SATA 6 Gb/s ports for storage devices. The chipset also integrates eight USB 3.0 ports and, when paired with compatible CPUs, provides native support for Intel Rapid Storage Technology, allowing RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations. Additional features comprise Intel Smart Response Technology for SSD caching, Intel Rapid Start Technology for accelerated wake‑from‑sleep, and optional integrated graphics support through CPU‑based HD Graphics channels.

Z97 was marketed alongside the Z87 chipset, sharing many core capabilities while adding improvements such as increased bandwidth, more flexible PCIe lane allocation, and enhanced overclocking controls via the Intel Extreme Tuning Utility. The chipset was succeeded by the Z170 platform, which introduced native support for DDR4 memory and additional PCIe lanes, but Z97 remains compatible with a broad range of existing hardware and continues to be used in legacy systems and custom builds.