H610 is the entry-level chipset for Intel's LGA1700 socket. It launched in early 2022 with 12th generation Core and stayed the budget option for the whole life of the platform, because Intel never made a 700-series replacement for it. It runs 12th, 13th and 14th generation processors at stock speed, with no overclocking of the CPU or the memory and a short list of slots and ports. See what is on sale on the H610 deals page.
Cheapest H610 boards right now
All 41 H610 motherboards, with price drops and price history
Amazon Warehouse offers on H610 boards
What H610 is and who it is for
H610 sits at the bottom of the LGA1700 range: a low-cost chipset for the small, inexpensive boards used in office PCs, family computers and budget gaming builds.
It suits a Core i3 or a non-K Core i5, such as a 12100F or 12400F, with one graphics card or the processor's own graphics, and one or two drives. The chipset does not make the processor slower. Its limits are elsewhere: memory slots, memory speed, storage slots and ports. If you want XMP memory, four memory slots or more than a couple of SSDs, a B760 board is the better buy.
Key specifications
| Feature | H610 |
|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1700 |
| Processors | 12th, 13th and 14th gen Intel Core (BIOS dependent) |
| Memory | DDR4 or DDR5, depending on the board; typically two slots |
| CPU overclocking | No |
| Memory overclocking | No |
| PCIe from the chipset | PCIe 3.0 only |
| RAID | Typically not supported |
| Launched | Early 2022 |
Compatible CPUs and the BIOS question
This is the point to get right on H610. The chipset supports all three LGA1700 generations, but H610 is a 600-series chipset designed around 12th generation Core, and a board needs a new enough BIOS before it will start a 13th or 14th generation chip. Boards manufactured later in the platform's life ship with one; older stock and open-box units may not.
The difficulty is that updating the BIOS normally needs a working processor, and budget H610 boards often lack the flashback button that gets round that. Before you pair an H610 board with a 13th or 14th generation chip, check the CPU support list for the BIOS version required, and check whether the board can update without a CPU. If it cannot and you have no 12th generation chip to borrow, pick a different board or buy from a seller who confirms the BIOS version. BIOS updates and CPU compatibility covers the options.
Power delivery is basic on most H610 boards. A Core i3 or 65 W Core i5 is what they are designed for. Some list Core i7 and i9 chips as supported, but sustained heavy loads may be held back, so read motherboard VRM explained before pairing a big chip with a small board. If you will use the processor's built-in graphics, avoid F-suffix processors, which have none.
Memory: DDR4 or DDR5, and two slots
Like every LGA1700 chipset, H610 comes on DDR4 boards and DDR5 boards, and a board takes one type only. Most H610 boards are DDR4, which suits a budget build, but check the memory line of the listing. DDR4 vs DDR5 motherboards explains the difference.
H610 supports one module per memory channel, so boards typically have two slots. H610 is also locked for memory overclocking: modules run at the speed Intel rates the processor for, not at a faster XMP overclock, so a high-speed kit is money wasted here.
PCIe, storage and ports
The graphics slot is fed directly by the processor, so a graphics card is not held back by the chipset. 12th to 14th generation chips offer PCIe 5.0 x16, but many H610 boards wire the slot for PCIe 4.0, which makes no practical difference to current graphics cards.
The chipset's own lanes are PCIe 3.0 only. M.2 slots on H610 boards commonly run at PCIe 3.0 speed, and there are typically one or two of them. Expect up to four SATA ports, fewer fast USB ports than on B760, and typically no RAID support.
How H610 compares with its neighbours
| H610 | B660 | B760 | H810 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1700 | LGA1700 | LGA1700 | LGA1851 |
| Memory overclocking | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Memory slots | Typically two | Two or four | Two or four | Typically two |
| Chipset PCIe | 3.0 | 4.0 and 3.0 | 4.0 and 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Launched | Early 2022 | Early 2022 | Early 2023 | Early 2025 |
See the B660 guide for the step up within the same generation, and the H810 guide for the equivalent chipset on Intel's newer socket.
What to check on the listing
- Memory type. DDR4 or DDR5.
- BIOS support for your processor. Essential for 13th and 14th generation chips.
- Video outputs. Some of the most basic boards have only HDMI and VGA; make sure your monitor is covered.
- M.2 slots. How many, and at what speed.
- Size. Nearly all are micro-ATX, with a few mini-ITX models.
- WiFi. Usually absent. Motherboard WiFi explained shows how to add it.
Is H610 worth buying now?
LGA1700 ended with 14th generation Core, so an H610 board has no upgrade path beyond processors already on sale. For its intended job that hardly matters: a basic PC is rarely upgraded, and a 12th to 14th generation chip with DDR4 remains one of the least expensive routes to a capable Intel system. It is also the obvious replacement if a board fails in an existing LGA1700 PC and you want to keep the processor and memory.
If you expect to add memory, tune it or fit several SSDs, spend a little more on B760; how much to spend on a motherboard gives budgets by build. Otherwise compare the H610 deal list with the Warehouse offers, and inspect the socket pins on any open-box board as soon as it arrives.
Questions people ask
Does H610 support 13th and 14th gen Intel processors?
Yes, with a new enough BIOS. Boards made for 12th generation may need an update first, and many budget H610 boards cannot update without a working CPU, so check the support list and BIOS version before buying.
Can H610 use XMP memory?
H610 does not support memory overclocking, so memory runs at the speed Intel rates the processor for instead of a faster XMP overclock. For XMP on LGA1700, choose B660, B760 or above.
How many RAM slots does an H610 motherboard have?
Typically two, because the chipset supports one module per memory channel. Buy your full capacity as a pair at the start.
Is H610 good enough for a gaming PC?
For a budget build with a Core i3 or non-K Core i5 and one graphics card, yes: the graphics slot is fed by the processor. B760 is the better choice if you want faster memory, more storage slots or a higher-end chip.
Will a PCIe 4.0 SSD work on an H610 board?
Yes. If the M.2 slot runs at PCIe 3.0, as is common on H610, the drive works at PCIe 3.0 speed.