Review and testing of the motherboard ASUS ROG STRIX X470-I GAMING: Mini-ITX for connoisseurs of AMD Ryzen. ASRock AM1B-ITX motherboard test results

Overview of Mini-ITX Enclosures | Introduction

We have not published reviews of compact cases for a long time and are pleased to announce that we are now ready to tackle them again. Over the next few months, starting today, you will see reviews of over a dozen different models. Perhaps not all of them will be published in the Russian version, but we will try not to miss the most popular models.

In preparation for new reviews, we have put together a new test platform for Mini-ITX and HTPC cases. Then we sent out letters to manufacturers whose products we would like to see on tests. About two weeks later, one body after another began arriving from Corsair, Cougar, Deep Cool, ID Cooling, Lian Li and others.

In today's roundup, we will compare cases from Cougar, ID Cooling and Lian-Li.

Specifications of the tested enclosures

Model	cougar_qbx_ecomm Cougar qbx	id_cooling_t60_sfx ID Cooling T60-SFX	lian_li_pc_q10 Lian-Li PC-Q10
Price in USA, $	55	135	130
Price in Russia, rub.	4100	n / a	n / a
Format	Mini tower	Mini tower	Mini tower
Motherboard support	Mini-ITX	Mini-ITX	Mini-ITX, DTX
Dimensions (HxWxL), mm	178 x 291 x 384	251 x 160 x 328	277 x 206 x 335
Space above the motherboard, mm	31,7	-	38,1
Length of supported video cards, mm	350	263	270
Weight, kg	4,4	3	2,3
External Access Bays	1x Slim ODD	-	1x Slim ODD
Internal Access Bays	1x 3.5 ", 4x 2.5"	1x 3.5 ", 2x 2.5"	2 x 3.5 "(or 3x x 2.5")
Expansion card slots	one (double wide, full size)	2	2
Front fans	1x 80mm (not included)	-	-
Rear fans	1x 90mm	1x 92mm	1 x 120mm
Top fans	2x 120mm (not included)	-	supports 1x 120mm \| 1x 120/240 mm wide
Fans on the left cover	1x 120mm (not included) or 120mm radiator with 120mm fan or 240mm radiator with 1x 120mm fan	-	-
Bottom fans	2x 120mm (not included)	-	supports 2x 120 mm
Noise / vibration isolation (front / side / top)	-	-	-

Overview of Mini-ITX Enclosures | Cougar qbx

Chassis manufacturer QBX claims superior expansion and cooling performance, including the ability to fit full-size graphics cards and multiple fans, along with support for water cooling. However, the cooling orientation challenges the acoustic performance of the QBX.

Exterior

At first glance, QBX has a simple and elegant design. The front, top and bottom panels are made of plastic reminiscent of brushed aluminum, while the left and right panels feature mesh windows. The panels are thick and made of quality material that matches the price of the case. Apart from the Cougar logo on the front and the standard set of ports on the right, there is nothing on the outer surfaces of the case that could disturb the overall styling of the product. The QBX lacks support for external 3.5-inch and 5.25-inch bays, although users can install a slim optical drive in a dedicated slot in the front and insert drives through the slot between the top and front bezels. If no optical drive is available, QBX suggests covering the slot with a rubber plug to prevent dust from entering.

The power / backlight button, HDD activity indicators and front ports are hidden on the right side of the case. It's not entirely clear why Cougar chose to place the ports on this side, as most users would likely prefer to see these ports from the side where the inside of the PC is best viewed. There are no outdated USB 2.0 ports in the case, only USB 3.0 and a standard set of audio connectors. Some devices will be difficult to plug into the front ports because the gap between the frame and the bezel protrusion limits space.

The QBX supports dual 120mm fans at the bottom of the case and has a removable dust filter. The filter itself looks very durable. For ease of maintenance, it simply slides out of the back of the case. To install the filter back, you need to push it in until it clicks.

A 90mm 3-pin exhaust fan is installed on the back of the case, the quality of which is reflected in the price of the case. The fan is not very noisy when running at full speed, but it makes a grinding noise at lower speeds, most often caused by a cheap bearing. The QBX has two full-size expansion slots allowing for a wider range of graphics cards than most other Mini-ITX chassis.

Considering the price of the case and the number of expansion slots, we did not expect to see removable slot covers instead of cheap disposable plates. Expansion slots also have protection that mounts over the top of the lid and locks into the case for more secure attachment of heavy graphics cards. In addition to everything, there is a removable power connector on the back panel, from which an extension cord is led to a power source installed in the front of the case.

Interior

QBX offers pretty good cooling configuration options, including water cooling, which is not often found in small-format cases. The case supports two 120mm and 240mm radiators for water cooling, although only one 120mm fan is available for the 240mm radiator. The radiators are mounted on a removable side panel that sits directly behind the left outer side panel. The same panel has room for one 3.5-inch hard drive, which can be replaced with a 240mm radiator.

If you do not plan to install a 3.5 "hard drive or use a different mounting pad for fan or water cooling, the entire panel can be removed and removed from the case to reduce weight and provide better air circulation.

At the front of the case, you can see a removable bay for one thin 2.5-inch hard drive or SSD, as well as a place to install an 80-mm case fan for improved airflow. To the right of the motherboard cutout there are vents for cooling the power supply. The PSU itself is attached to the upper wall and releases warm air through it. The photo below shows the electronics and cables for the ports on the front panel.

A 90 mm fan is already installed in the back of the case. We also see a large slot for the motherboard and many holes next to it for connecting and routing cables.

The top panel of the case is also removable and allows you to install up to two 120mm case fans. It's worth noting that there isn't much room between the top of the motherboard and the top cover. In addition, the extension cable is routed to the power supply at the front along the top cover. With these factors in mind, you may have trouble actually installing the two 120 fans, although it depends on how thick they are.

Assembly

The small booklet that comes with the QBX case provides more information on the features of the case rather than assembly instructions. This can be difficult for newbies building their first PC. Fortunately, the design and functionality of the case is simple enough that hardly anyone will have any major problems. It also comes with a standard package of screws, zip ties, and a filter for an optional front fan, which honestly isn't likely to help.

A set of cables is quite expected for a case with such functionality. It is suggested to connect USB 3.0 cable, HD Audio cable and standard set of front panel connections with bifurcated LED-wire for compatibility with standard motherboards and ASUS models. Note the absence of the old audio and USB 2.0 connectors. Today, many modern enclosures are abandoning their use.

We screwed our 2.5-inch SSD to the back of the motherboard tray. Unlike other cases in this review, the QBX model allows you to use the mounting holes in the bottom of the case to fix the drive to the case. Installing an SSD in this way is much easier, plus there is a lot of space between the motherboard and the side panel of the case for additional cables.

After we installed the SSD and moved on to assembling the rest of the case, there were some complications. Although the QBX is quite spacious for a Mini-ITX format, there is still little space. In the later stages, when the main components were already installed, it was rather difficult to get to some places for owners of large hands. But in general, despite the difficult access to some components in the finished system, the process of assembling a PC in a QBX case can be assessed as relatively simple. In the assembled system, a fairly good air passage is organized. You could even install an ATX power supply and a full-size graphics card and still have room for additional SSDs or case fans.

Speaking of nutrition. QBX does not actually support SFX power supplies due to their small size. We managed to install our PSU using an SFX to PS / 2 adapter. There is no such adapter in the PSU and case, and it would be nice if Cougar added it to the box, it is not expensive and can save the user a lot of time.

With the last side panel in place, we have finished assembling the case. If you like it when the PC hardware is visible through the side wall, then you might be a little disappointed as the mesh obscures the view a little (but improves ventilation). It would be nice if Cougar released an additional version of the side window body.

The range of ASRock products cannot be called modest, but compared to competitors, the number of solutions is much smaller. Perhaps, thanks to this, it is still possible to keep their clear positioning in the lines, and models of miniature dimensions make up a small representation there, so each board turns out to be interesting and original. What exactly the engineers offer together with the Intel Z370 hub, we will find out today.

They took care of the increased power supply of the processor. This concept also includes a composite cooler that combines two radiators into a single structure through a heat pipe. The Thunderbolt controller developed by Intel is unsoldered, there is a preinstalled wireless network adapter from the same company, six SATA sockets, an older audio codec from Realtek, a compact M.2 socket.

In a word, excluding a large number of PCI-E slots, the capabilities of the device can be safely presented as quite sufficient for preparing a system for both gaming and professional purposes. You can get acquainted with the capabilities of the device in more detail by studying the table with characteristics.

Model
Official product page on the web	asrock.com
Chipset	Intel Z370
CPU socket	Socket 1151
Processors	Core i7, Core i5, Core i3 (Coffee Lake-S)
Memory	2 DIMM DDR4 SDRAM 2133/2400/2666/2800 * / 2933 * / 3200 * / 3600 * / 3733 * / 3800 * / 3866 * / 4000 * / 4133 * / 4266 * / 4333 + * (OC), max 32 GB
PCI-E slots	1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16
M.2	1 x PCI Express 3.0 x4 SATA 6Gb / s (Key M, 2260/2280)
Integrated video core (in the processor)	Intel HD 630
Video Connections	DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI, Thunderbolt
Number of connected fans	3x 4pin
PS / 2 ports	1 (keyboard / mouse)
USB ports	1 x 3.1 Gen2 (1 x rear panel (C), Intel JHL6240) 8 x 3.1 Gen1 (6 rear connectors, Z370) 2 x 2.0 (no rear panel connectors, Z370)
VR Ready	+
Serial ATA	6 x SATA 6Gb / s (Z370)
RAID	0, 1, 5, 10 (SATA, Z370)
Built-in sound	Codec - Realtek ALC1220 (7.1, HDA) Op Amp - Texas Instruments NE5532
S / PDIF	Optical (output)
Networking capabilities	Intel I219V (Gigabit Ethernet), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (Wi-Fi 2.4 / 5GHz (802.11a / b / g / n / ac), Bluetooth 4.2)
COM	-
TPM	-
UEFI	AMI UEFI
Form Factor	Mini-ITX
Dimensions, mm	170 x 170
Additional features	Shoe for connecting RGB LED strip, CMOS reset button (on the rear panel), complete with external Wi-Fi antenna, Fatal1ty Mouse Port, Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 3
Retail price, $	256

Packaging and equipment

The design is entirely characteristic of all products from the manufacturer's "game" series, the size of the box is small.

At the back, the Thunderbolt interface capabilities are described in detail, implemented here. You can also find the presence of a bonus utility for the sound system and antenna for wireless networks. There is a schematic drawing of the rear panel and a small table with the main features.

In addition to the board, inside the box is:

multilingual quick installation instructions;
UEFI and F-Stream manual in English;
postcard with the emblem of the series (there is a place for the stamp);
CD with drivers and proprietary software;
company logo sticker;
one mounting screw for M.2 device;
cover for the case, supplemented by a black sticker with color and symbol designation of all slots;
two SATA 6Gb / s cables, one of which has an L-shaped connector at one end;
remote Wi-Fi antenna, it is intended to use double-sided tape for fixing and fixing the position (a small piece is attached, on a foam base).

Appearance

There is nothing on the surface of the board that could facilitate the operation of the system and diagnose possible problems - buttons, switches, jumpers, and various status indicators are excluded. But even without them there is absolutely no free space, even the battery had to be glued to the shielded case of the wireless network adapter. The latter uses an M.2 slot of the Key-E type.

A lot of elements are also taken out on the reverse side of the product. Of particular concern is the PWM controller and its accompanying parts, soldered very close to the mounting hole for the CPU cooling systems. There were no problems with the clamping bar from the composition of our cooler due to its equipping with rubberized legs, but a number of other structures use plastic elements, there can definitely be conflicts with them.

As I already noted, the cooler forms a single structure of two heatsinks with the assistance of a connecting heat pipe, which are screwed to the board.

M.2 devices can be mounted in lengths of six and eight centimeters. You will have to perform this operation before installing the board in the case. At the bottom edge there are three multi-color LEDs, the number is small, but they will be responsible for the illumination effects. In any case, until the user begins to use an external LED strip, one socket is prepared for it.

The component density is very high. The block under the system "speaker" was lowered to the very bottom. We had a conflict when using a discrete video adapter - it rested against the most common type of cabinet loudspeaker, or rather, its cable connector (elements on the video card itself interfered). There is no need to talk about longitudinal types of sockets, all soldered on the board are transverse. In particular, both pads for case USB cables are of the second and third generations.

It is interesting to note two different stands for audio outputs. There are only two special capacitors, but there was also a place for an operational amplifier.

There is enough space to place the processor cooling system in the vicinity of the socket. The radiator on the power elements is not too high, so here the problems can be solely due to the RAM modules. Speaking of them, a pair from the G.Skill TridentZ kit was installed very close to each other, probably even here one or two millimeters played an important role for the developers.

The power system is based on a PWM controller, which we have already met when considering a larger model from ASRock. This is ISL69138 from Intersil Corporation. Moreover, the power supply scheme turned out to be exactly the same - 5 + 2 "phases" for the CPU and the integrated GPU. But instead of external drivers and transistors, assemblies from the same manufacturer are soldered here - ISL99227F (Smart Power Stage module in the terminology of developers). It is very interesting how such elements will manifest themselves in work. In addition, five of them are reserved for the CPU voltage, and two more are for the integrated GPU, these will work without a heatsink.

Perhaps someone could not immediately see it, but the heat pipe is not located at the base of the main heat sink, but is built somewhere closer to the middle of the radiator, so it is he who will dissipate the main heat, and not the whole system. Of course, a part will go to the chipset cooler. There are no comments on the clamp and the area of the thermal pads.

The back panel looks very rich and quite modern. There is even a button for resetting the settings, but I never had to use it during my experiments.

The topic of compact PCs does not cease to be relevant, especially since today even the smallest case can accommodate powerful hardware. Accordingly, the segment of mini-ITX cases continues to grow rapidly. Hulls have arrived in our test laboratory BitFenix Prodigy, Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced, Lian Li PC-Q18 and SilverStone FT03-MINI- four new Mini-ITX chassis that target different applications and budgets. But will they all be able to show their best side in our comparative tests?

Mini-ITX components continue to evolve, which is why the mini-ITX case segment is also gaining attention. In recent months, a whole range of new models have appeared on the market, and we asked the manufacturers to send one representative to our test laboratory.

Clockwise from top left: Lian Li PC-Q18, SilverStone FT03-MINI, Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced, and BitFenix Prodigy. Even just in appearance, you can see how different the selected cases are. They are different both in format and in materials there are differences. BitFenix and Cooler Master have opted for steel and plastic, while Silverstone has a steel frame with aluminum panels. Lian Li's body is traditionally aluminum.

In terms of prices, the spread is also great. The Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced case is sold in Europe for 45 euros, while the Lian Li PC-Q18, on the other hand, costs 140 euros. BitFenix and Silverstone cases are in the middle. The Prodigy sells for 70 euros and the FT03-MINI for 120 euros. In Russia, all four corpuses had not yet appeared at the time of publication.

For our comparison, we decided to abandon the previous mini-ITX configuration and opted for a completely new build. Therefore, before testing the cases, let me tell you more about the hardware stuffing. The Zotac Z77-ITX WiFi motherboard is a great base for a powerful yet compact computer. This motherboard with LGA 1155 socket supports both Intel Sandy Bridge processors and the newer Ivy Bridge models, so it can deliver high computing performance despite its compact size. You also get an mSATA slot, USB 3.0, SATA 6.0 Gb / s ports, two integrated Gigabit LAN ports, 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 - ZOTAC has done a great job. The 8-phase power regulator will provide enough power headroom even to overclock an Intel CPU.

But we nevertheless chose the economical Intel Core i5-2400S processor, which has a TDP of 65 W, so as not to rest on the cooling capabilities of the mini-ITX system. We used a boxed CPU cooler, which should be sufficient. And let's not forget that large "tower" coolers can not fit into all mini-ITX cases.

The combination of a well-equipped Z77 motherboard and an Intel quad-core processor means that a mini-ITX system has absolutely nothing to hesitate even before a full ATX build. However, due to the compact form factor, you will have to limit yourself to one expansion card and two DIMM slots.

We equipped our test system with 8GB DDR3 Corsair Vengeance LP-1600 memory and a WD Raptor hard drive. Three and four test cases offer ample room for a powerful graphics card. For these models, we used the time-tested Radeon HD 5830 graphics card. Only the Silverstone FT03-MINI case could not accommodate the graphics card, so we had to limit ourselves to the integrated GPU of the Intel processor.

Because of the Silverstone case, we had to be dualistic when choosing power supplies. All other models allow you to install a regular ATX power supply, but only an SFX power supply is suitable for the FT03-MINI case. But, despite this limitation, the Silverstone case is even more compact in size. The difference between the power supplies is clearly visible in the photo.

Below we will look at each case separately. In the tests section and in the conclusion, we will conduct a comparative analysis of the presented models.

The confrontation between AMD and Intel continues, and each is fighting for the hearts of buyers, attracting them with products. Most recently, the latter introduced an updated line of CPUs for its mainstream and mainstream platform. They are the long-awaited eight-core processors and.

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The fans of the company rejoice and save money, saying “sell the kidney, but buy a new stone”. The novelties turned out to be interesting, because the solder was even returned under the lid, at the numerous requests of the company's fans and people who were simply tired of scalping. It turns out that the processor giant can, if it wants, listen to the opinion of potential buyers. And everything would be fine if not for the pricing policy. However, let's not talk about the sad, since there is also an alternative in the form.

It is important to note that Intel is positioning its models as uncompromising solutions for gamers. It's hard to argue that in gaming applications, and even then not in all, they are slightly ahead. However, this difference is unlikely to be equivalent to the difference in price. As for the integrated video core, AMD has more interesting options. Obviously, when using discrete graphics, integrated video is not needed, and if an "embedded" is planned, then it should be at the level of a budget video card. We see this picture with.

And in order not to go broke on an expensive motherboard, you can choose a simpler model, on a chipset. And who does it well and relatively inexpensively? For example, .

We will take a look at ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX / ac - another model with a Gaming prefix (today it is difficult to find an option without it), and find out what to expect from it.

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ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX / ac Review

Packaging and equipment

- how much there is in this nickname for a player's heart ... ASRock continues to use this brand, but, in my opinion, it is already outdated, and not everyone knows who it was, Fatal1ty.

For those who have forgotten, there is a Gaming prefix so that it is clear to which category the product belongs. The packaging of the motherboard is small.

The design and decoration are simple, concise and unassuming. The surface of the box is glossy. The design traditionally for the company contains red and black colors.

The entire front of the package is occupied by an abstract image on a completely black background.

In the upper right corner there is an emblem and inscription Fatal1ty. Below is the ASRock logo, and then the name of this model. The name is openly encrypted that the motherboard is based on a chipset, is made in a mini-ITX form factor and is equipped with a wireless adapter supporting the Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard. In the lower right corner, for those in doubt, the chipset model is again indicated.

A few more icons and logos are on the bottom left. We are informed about support for AMD Ryzen 2000 series processors, which is logical, because the "new" chipset was released to this tune. Next, we see the proprietary emblem of the Ryzen processors. And then we come across the ASRock Polychrome Sync icon. This is a proprietary technology of the company, but in essence it is similar to ASUS Aura Sync. HDMI is next, and the icon labeled Sound Blaster Cinema 5 closes it all.

Let's see what's on the other side.

In the upper left corner we see a miniature photograph of the motherboard itself. It is clear that the box is small, but it was possible to take a larger picture, because absolutely nothing is visible on it. Below and on the right - a few more inserts with a description of proprietary technologies and new solutions. But the two on the right send us back ten years ago, when it was fashionable for manufacturers to measure themselves against loud slogans "faster, higher, stronger." Who are you going to surprise with USB 3.1 ports or M.2 PCI-e x4 Gen3 storage? Well, just write about it in the specification, and make a bigger picture of the board.

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The specification is located in the lower right corner, and to the left you can see a schematic representation of the rear panel ports with their captions. Let's take a look at the box.

Above is the motherboard, which lies on a cardboard tray and is packed in a mirrored translucent antistatic bag. The delivery set is located under the tray.

Among the information carriers, you can find the following:

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Quick Installation Guide (user manual);
Software Setup Guide
ASRock Fatal1ty postcard;
DVD disc with drivers and software for various operating systems;
Body sticker.

These are the accessories included in the package.

Two SATA 6 Gb / s cables;
Mount screw for M.2 drives;
Back panel cover;
Two Wi-Fi antennas.

SATA cables could be added a couple more for a complete package. And there are no cables for RGB tapes, although some manufacturers put them in the kit.

Board design and features

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The ASRock motherboard is packed in an anti-static bag and rests on a polyethylene foam backing.

Before us is a format model, and this could be understood from the name. Its dimensions are classic for this form factor and are 170 x 170 mm.

This is not a top model of the manufacturer, since there is an ASRock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming-ITX / ac, which looks almost the same, but apparently there are some differences besides the chipset.

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The dimensions of the ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX / ac are small, so we can see that the components are very tightly packed. Connectors and connectors are also closely grouped. As for the radiators, they seem miniature.

Since everything is placed very tightly on the front side (even the battery had to be taken out separately), some of the elements had to be soldered from the back side. And among them is the slot for M.2 drives. There is simply nowhere to place it in front, but such a decision turns out to be controversial.

Firstly, changing the SSD will not be so easy if the motherboard is installed in the case. Secondly, when using it on an open stand, it is somehow scary to put it on a drive, and if you use a substrate, it will overheat.

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There is only one option left - mount and forget. And here the cooler mounting plate looks very powerful.

Power is supplied to the motherboard through the main and auxiliary ATX connectors in a 24 + 8 scheme.

You can forget about weak and outdated PSUs with a four-pin additional power connector. Therefore, cases with built-in units for 100-200 W will not work. Most likely, you will need to consider a case without a power supply and select a power supply separately. I could not find information on the characteristics of the power supply in the instructions, but many other manufacturers recommend 350 watts or more.

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There are two black slots for DDR4 memory modules. To activate dual channel mode, you just need to install two bars.

The manufacturer claims support for DDR4 2133, 2400 (2666, 2800, 3000, 3200, 3300, 3333, 3400, 3466 (overclocking)) MHz operating modes with a nominal voltage of 1.2 V, which can be increased. Many memory modules run at 1.35V when overclocked.

The maximum capacity of 32 GB is achieved by installing two 16 GB modules. Having visited the manufacturer's page on the compatibility of memory modules, I realized that only one modules are officially taken higher than DDR4 3200 MHz - Team TCD48G3600C18ABK, which cannot be found in the daytime with fire.

The processor is powered according to an eight-phase scheme, or rather 6 + 2. This deserves respect, since the motherboard is compact.

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Six phases each have one Fairchild Semiconductor FDPC5030SG transistor assembly and one super ferrite coil.

For the remaining two phases, two exactly the same assemblies are provided.

As the main PWM controller, you can find a microcircuit labeled Intersil ISL95712. It can provide a maximum of 4 + 3 phases, and it seems to work in a 3 + 2 scheme, which means that six phases are obtained by doubling.

The new model is not positioned by the manufacturer as an uncompromising overclocking solution, so this power subsystem is sufficient even for a slight overclocking. Capsule solid-state and tantalum capacitors, soldered from the back of the board.

One small radiator removes heat from transistor assemblies, and only from the side ones. The upper ones are cooled only by air. To be fair, the upper ones, even under heavy load during overclocking, do not heat up above 55 ° C, which cannot be said about the side ones.

Let's go back to the radiator. It is very small and clearly not enough. The heat dissipator is made of aluminum alloy and painted in gray.

Fastening is carried out with two rigid screws. A gray thermal rubber with a thickness of about 1 mm is used as a thermal interface.

Another fun heatsink removes heat from the chipset.

It is absolutely symbolic, very small and practically without ribs. This radiator is made of aluminum alloy and painted in gray. However, we can still see the black inscription ASRock Fatal1ty. The thermal rubber is again used as a thermal interface. Thanks to her, manufacturers do not bother with fastening and fasten everything with screws. In my opinion, in this case it was possible to do without a radiator, because it is practically not blown out and there is little sense from such a tiny piece of aluminum.

Under the heatsink is the AMD B450 chipset.

It was made in the sixth week of 2018. We have already studied all the characteristics of this set of logic inside and out, in fact it is not much different from its predecessor. For example, the chipset supports four SATA 6Gb / s ports, which are located along the right edge.

Below is the connector for connecting buttons and indicators of the case, and next to it is the LPC1 connector. At the very bottom is the ClrCMOS jumper, which is quite convenient.

Above the SATA ports, two pads are soldered: one USB 2.0, the second USB 3.0. They provide connectivity for up to four devices. Above there are two connectors for fans.

Moreover, you can connect a pump to one of them and configure it in the BIOS. Here we see three connectors for connecting RGB tapes. One for the tape itself, one for synchronizing effects, and one for AMD cooling systems.

In the lower left corner is the audio codec.

There are only two Nichicon electrolytic music capacitors next to it, which the manufacturer announces with a special sticker. The Realtek ALC1220 chip is used as the audio codec. This is a common 8-channel audio chip.

Slightly higher is the M.2 slot, which is used to install the wireless module. It combines both a Wi-Fi adapter and Bluetooth.

The module is almost completely packed in a metal case and equipped with two antenna leads. Hidden inside is a wireless M.2 adapter made by Intel.

In this case, the Intel 3168NGW model was chosen, and this choice, it should be noted, is not the best one. I may have had no luck with the instance, but the module was performing poorly. In the older model ASRock Fatal1ty X470 Gaming-ITX / ac some other module is installed and, judging by the characteristics, it is much better.

It does not limit the installed video card in any way and is framed by a steel casing for reliability.

The rear panel houses the following interfaces.

One PS / 2 connector for mouse or keyboard
Two USB 2.0 connectors;
Two USB 3.0 connectors;
Two USB 3.1 connectors (one Type-C);
One HDMI 2.0 video output;
One Display Port video output;
One Gigabit RJ-45 network connector;
Two antenna leads of the wireless module;
Five audio jacks of minijack type;
One optical audio output.

ASRock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX / ac Specifications

Supported processors	AMD Ryzen 1st and 2nd Generation, AMD Ryzen with Vega Graphics, AMD Athlon X4 (see the official model page for a full list of supported CPUs)
System bus, frequency	PCI-e 3.0 x4
System logic	AMD B450
RAM	2 x 288-pin DDR4 DIMM, dual channel, up to 32 GB @ 2133 (2400/2666/2800/3000/3200/3300/3333/3400/3466 (overclocked)) MHz
Expansion slots	1 - PCI-e x16 Gen3
Multi-GPU support	No
SATA / RAID support	4 x SATA 6.0 Gb / s ports - AMD B450; RAID 0, 1, 5, 0 + 1, JBOD; 1 x M.2 port - 1 x PCI-e x4 Gen3 or SATA3 (there are limitations depending on the processor model, more details on the manufacturer's website)
M.2 SATA / PCI-e support	Yes Yes
Network	1 x Intel I211-AT
Audio	Realtek ALC1220 - 8 Channel HD Audio Codec
USB 2.0	2 + 2 x USB 2.0 (AMD B450)
USB 3.0	2 + 2 x USB 3.0 (AMD B450)
USB 3.1	2 x USB 3.1 (AMD B450)
System monitoring	Nuvoton NCT5562D
Motherboard power	ATX 24 pin, 8 pin ATX 12V
Rear Panel Connectors and Buttons	1 x PS / 2; 2 x USB 2.0; 2 x USB 3.1 (1x Type-C); 2 x USB 3.0; 1 x RJ45; 1 x HDMI; 1 x DisplayPort; 2 x Wi-Fi ant; 5 x 3.5 mm Jack; 1 x Optical out
Proprietary technologies	Sound Blaster Cinema 5; ASRock Polychrome Sync; ASRock Polychrome RGB; Ultra M.2; Copper Layer 2oz; Steel Slot; F-Stream; Super Alloy; Gaming Armor; Full Spike Protection; Live Update; App Shop; Key Master; XFast LAN; Instant Flash; Easy RAID Installer
Dimensions, mm	170 x 170
Form Factor	.

Test laboratory 3DNews three years ago that the leading Taiwanese manufacturers took seriously the creation of Mini-ITX-devices suitable for gamers and overclockers. Today we will be convinced of this once again, because comparative testing is devoted to the choice of a motherboard for a small but powerful gaming computer with a modern Intel Kaby Lake processor and a full-fledged discrete graphics card. In addition, the sale is full of interesting miniature cases, powerful SFX form factor power supplies are becoming more and more popular, and some manufacturers produce special shortened versions of 3D accelerators. The only thing left to do is to decide on a list of components and assemble your dream gaming computer.

The Mini-ITX format is not as popular as the same mATX and ATX, but there is something to “profit from” here too. I turned to the Regard computer store for help and took all the Mini-ITX boards based on the Z270 Express chipset that were on sale at that time. All six devices are quite suitable for the task outlined in the article - creating a productive, but compact gaming system unit. It remains to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each of the test participants.

Mini-ITX motherboards do not support AMD and NVIDIA video card arrays as they only have one PEG port. A slot for drives (including Intel Optane) M.2, which is connected to four PCI Express 3.0 lanes, is available in all solutions based on the 200th logic. It turns out that the Z270 Express is interesting only because of the overclocking and high-frequency RAM. In all other cases, motherboards based on the low-end H270 Express logic will have exactly the same functionality, but they will cost less. Motherboards based on the Z170 Express chipset are also compatible with Kaby Lake processors and provide overclocking capability. The reasons why you should still prefer a board based on the more modern 200th logic,.

The onboard memory controller of the Skylake and Kaby Lake processors supports up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, but since Mini-ITX boards only have two DIMM ports, the maximum amount of RAM is 32GB.

⇡ Specifications and equipment

All six devices share similar specifications and functionality. For example, each card has a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless module. The differences lie in the different number of ports such as M.2, SATA 6Gb / s, RJ-45 and USB. A complete list of the characteristics of the considered motherboards is given in the table.


CPU	Intel Core i7 / Core i5 / Core i3 / Pentium / Celeron of the sixth and seventh generations performed by LGA1151 (Skylake-S and Kaby Lake-S)
Chipset	Z270 Express	Z270 Express	Z270 Express	Z270 Express	Z270 Express	Z270 Express
Memory subsystem	2 × DIMM, up to 32 GB DDR4-2133-4000 (OC)	2 × DIMM, up to 32 GB DDR4-2133-3733 (OC)	2 × DIMM, up to 32 GB DDR4-2133-4266 (OC)	2 × DIMM, up to 32 GB DDR4-2133-4000 (OC)	2 × DIMM, up to 32 GB DDR4-2133-4000 (OC)	2 × DIMM, up to 32 GB DDR4-2133-3800 (OC)
Expansion slots	1 × PCI Express x16 3.0	1 × PCI Express x16 3.0	1 × PCI Express x16 3.0	1 × PCI Express x16 3.0	1 × PCI Express x16 3.0	1 × PCI Express x16 3.0
Storage interfaces	4 × SATA 6Gb / s 1 × SATA Express 10Gb / s	1 × M.2 (Socket 3, 2230/2242/2260/2280) with support for SATA and PCI Express x4 6 × SATA 6Gb / s	1 × M.2 (Socket 3, 2242/2260/2280) with PCI Express x4 support 4 × SATA 6Gb / s	1 × M.2 (Socket 3, 2260/2280) with SATA and PCI Express x4 support 4 × SATA 6Gb / s	1 × M.2 (Socket 3, 2260/2280) with SATA and PCI Express x4 support 6 × SATA 6Gb / s	1 × M.2 (Socket 3, 2242/2260/2280) with SATA and PCI Express x4 support 4 × SATA 6Gb / s
Storage interfaces	RAID 0, 1, 5, 10	RAID 0, 1, 5, 10	RAID 0, 1, 5, 10	RAID 0, 1, 5, 10	RAID 0, 1, 5, 10	RAID 0, 1, 5, 10
The local network			1 × Intel I219V, 10/100/1000 Mbps	1 × Intel I219V, 10/100/1000 Mbps	1 × Intel I219V, 10/100/1000 Mbps 1 × Intel I211V, 10/100/1000 Mbps	1 × Intel I219V, 10/100/1000 Mbps
Wireless network		IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac + Bluetooth 4.0	IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac + Bluetooth 4.1		IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac + Bluetooth 4.2	IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac + Bluetooth 4.2
Audio subsystem	Realtek ALC1220 7.1 HD	Realtek ALC892 7.1 HD	Realtek ALC1220 7.1 HD	Realtek ALC1220 7.1 HD	Realtek ALC1220 7.1 HD	Realtek ALC1220 7.1 HD
Rear panel interfaces	1 × PS / 2 1 × DisplayPort 1 × HDMI 1 × RJ-45 1 × Thunderbolt 3 6 × USB 3.0 Type A 1 × S / PDIF Opt out 6 × Audio 3.5mm 2 × SMA	1 × PS / 2 1 × DVI-D 2 × HDMI 2 × RJ-45 6 × USB 3.0 Type A 2 × USB 2.0 Type A 3 × Audio 3.5mm 2 × SMA	1 × DisplayPort 1 × HDMI 1 × RJ-45 3 × USB 3.0 Type A 1 × USB 3.0 Type C 4 × USB 2.0 Type A 5 × Audio 3.5mm 2 × SMA	1 × PS / 2 1 × DisplayPort 1 × HDMI 1 × RJ-45 4 × USB 3.0 Type A 1 × USB 3.1 Type A 1 × USB 3.1 Type C 6 × Audio 3.5mm 2 × SMA	1 × PS / 2 1 × DVI-D 2 × HDMI 2 × RJ-45 4 × USB 3.0 Type A 1 × USB 3.0 Type C 1 × S / PDIF Opt out 5 × Audio 3.5mm 2 × SMA	1 × PS / 2 1 × DisplayPort 1 × HDMI 1 × RJ-45 2 × USB 3.0 Type A 1 × USB 3.1 Type A 1 × USB 3.1 Type C 2 × USB 2.0 Type A 1 × S / PDIF Opt out 6 × Audio 3.5mm 2 × SMA
Form Factor	mini-ITX, 170 × 170 mm	mini-ITX, 170 × 170 mm	mini-ITX, 170 × 170 mm	mini-ITX, 170 × 170 mm	mini-ITX, 170 × 170 mm	mini-ITX, 170 × 170 mm
Price	~ 12 500 RUB	~ 8 500 RUB	~ 13,000 rubles	~ 12 500 RUB	~ 9 500 RUB	~ 12 500 RUB

All tested models are packed in small cardboard boxes. In most cases, the delivery set is standard - a plug for the I / O panel, SATA cables, antennas for the wireless communication module, waste paper (user manual, stickers, advertising brochures, coasters for beer glasses), as well as a CD with drivers and software. The bundle of ASUS ROG Strix Z270I Gaming stands out somewhat, which, in addition to the above, has a couple of really useful things: extension cords for connecting the body controls and RGB tape. It is worth noting the MSI Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC, which also has an 800 mm extension cord with a splitter in the box for connecting two LED strips.

ASRock's motherboard lineup includes an impressive number of different series. Including the Fatal1ty series, named after the renowned American esportsman Jonathan Wendell and appearing in the company's assortment seven years ago.

I have already noted that all six devices have a similar layout of the main elements, so when analyzing the interface layout, all that remains is to pay attention to all sorts of little things. For example, the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac has all three four-pin fan connectors located on one (top) side. If you use a board in a Slim Desktop format (, SilverStone RVZ02, Lian Li PC-O5X), this layout may be inconvenient. For example, when installing a pair of 120mm fans for additional airflow to the graphics adapter in Fractal Design Node 202, you will need to look towards models with wires no shorter than 20 centimeters. Or connect them using an adapter plugged into the MOLEX connector of the power supply. Unfortunately, this model cannot control the fan speed without PWM.

On the other hand, the internal interfaces USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 are successfully soldered on the printed circuit board. This arrangement is convenient for both Slim Desktop and Mini-Tower (, NZXT Manta, Phanteks Enthoo Evolv ITX). In addition to the listed interfaces, it is worth noting the ability to connect 3.5 mm audio jacks on the front or top panel of the case.

The PCI Express x16 slot is additionally reinforced. This technology is used in five motherboards of the six reviewed... The manufacturer notes that the pins of the PEG port and DIMM slots are gold-plated. The Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac has no backlighting, and there is no connector for connecting an RGB tape.

The Intel I219V gigabit controller is responsible for the wired connection - a frequent visitor in many Z270 motherboards over 10,000 rubles. The Intel Wireless-AC 7265NGW module is responsible for the wireless connection. The motherboards from GIGABYTE and MSI reviewed in this article use an integrated Intel Wireless-AC 8265NGW card, which is also installed in a separate M.2 slot (Key E). The modules provide IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac wireless connection with a maximum bandwidth of up to 867 Mbps. The differences lie not only in the support of a particular version of Bluetooth (for Wireless-AC 7265NGW - Bluetooth 4.0, for Wireless-AC 8265NGW - Bluetooth 4.2), but also in the method of spatial coding of the MU-MIMO signal, which is supported by a more modern version of the Intel wireless adapter ...

The layout of the elements of the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac is quite dense, a heatsink for cooling the chipset takes up a lot of space. Four SATA 6 Gb / s ports are soldered between it and the DIMM sockets - not a very good solution, since even a small processor cooler will block at least two pads. As a result, the lack of space led to the fact that the M.2 slot for installing a solid state drive "moved" to the back of the PCB - this is a common solution for mini-ITX-boards. Supports SSD formats 2260 and 2280. When using M.2 in SATA mode, the SATA3_0 connector is disabled.

The SSD mounts directly under the chipset. Taking into account the fact that modern NVMe drives sometimes heat up to 70-80 degrees Celsius under a serious load (and old ones do up to 100 degrees Celsius), this is not the best solution. For example, the Slim Desktop case will use Down Flow processor cooling. Therefore, if there is an SSD on the back side, it will not be additionally blown. Under these conditions, the NVMe drive can overheat, resulting in a drop in performance. Also, keep in mind that not all SSDs with additional cooling (for example, Team TForce Cardea) will fit in the opening between the case and the board.

The board in question is the only one in the test that uses the SATA Express interface. The interface is dead, there are no popular models on sale, and there is no need for them in the presence of M.2 with four PCI Express 3.0 lanes. So in 100% of cases, SATA Express will be used as two simple SATA 6 Gb / s.

The most notable port located on the I / O panel is Thunderbolt 3. It also acts as USB 3.1 Type-C, and you can connect a display to it. The interface is implemented using Intel JHL6240 and Texas Instruments TPS65982 controllers. As for the rest, the set of I / O ports is fairly standard for motherboards based on Z270 Express. I will only note that next to the SMA connectors, to which antennas from the Intel wireless module are connected, there is a BIOS reset button.

The sound subsystem is based on the Realtek ALC1220 chip. The audio component of the device has been improved according to all modern canons: the printed circuit board is shielded from the rest of the components by a non-conductive PCB layer; the path includes Japanese Nichicon capacitors and an operational amplifier TI NE5532; the left and right channels are routed in different layers of the PCB.

The power subsystem of the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac has eight phases. Each channel consists of a 60 A choke and a TI 87350D field effect transistor. Six phases are for the CPU, two more for the integrated graphics. The CPU power is controlled by the IR35201 PWM controller. It is soldered on the back of the PCB.

A chain of six field-effect transistors, set aside for the operation of the computing part of the processor, is cooled by a rather massive red radiator. However, the protruding part of the passive cooling does not come into contact with large coolers. When using the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac in a Mini Tower case, towers with either 120mm or 140mm fans are suitable.

The key feature of passive CO is the use of a heat pipe. Well, under load, without the use of additional airflow, the cooling does its job perfectly. The chokes only heat up to 68 degrees Celsius, which is very important for the environment in which Mini-ITX motherboards are typically used.

A high-quality converter and efficient cooling do their job. Under load in LinX 0.7.0, CPU frequency drops are not observed. At the same time, in the "Default" mode, the Core i7-7700K does not operate at the standard 4400 MHz when all four cores are loaded, but at 4544 MHz - the multiplier is set to x45, and the BCLK parameter is increased from 100 to 100.9 MHz. I must say right away: not only ASRock engineers are using this, if I may say so, trick.

ASRock_UEFI

As a rule, in motherboards based on the same platform (in our case, LGA1151), manufacturers use similar BIOS firmware. Depending on the model, only the functionality changes. For example, the manufacturer gives the user more flexibility to change the voltage of the processor, memory and chipset. The Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac uses exactly the same BIOS as the. Therefore, I will not repeat myself once again.

I will especially highlight some of the functions directly related to Kaby Lake chips. Firstly, all Z270 motherboards have an item that allows you to lower the processor multiplier when it executes an AVX instruction. It is this set of commands that puts the most strain on the CPU. ASRock calls this option AVX Ratio Offset. Secondly, the BCLK Aware Adaptive Voltage feature has appeared. With its help, when the BCLK frequency is changed, the processor voltage is corrected, which eliminates the supply of overestimated voltages when the CPU is operating at a high clock generator frequency.

	Min / Max value, V	Step, B
CPU Core Voltage	0,9/1,5	0,005
DRAM Voltage	1,1/1,5	0,05
DRAM Activating Power Supply	2,5/2,7	0,2
CPU VCCIO Voltage	0,85/1,2	0,01
VCCST Voltage	0,9/1,2	0,05
VCPLL Voltage	1,1/1,5	0,01
CPU System Agent Voltage	0,95/1,35	0,05
PLL Termination Voltage	0,9/1,185	0,015
CPU Graphics Voltage	0,9/1,51	0,005
PCH Core Voltage	0,9/1,2	0,01
Internal PLL Voltage	0,9/1,2	0,015
	5	—

ASRock UEFI has everything you need to overclock CPU and memory. The CPU voltage is set in two modes: Explicit Fixed Mode and Adjustable Offset Mode. In the second case, the user can adjust the voltage relative to the nominal in the range from -100 to +200 mV in 5 mV steps.

In the case of the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac, we can monitor the temperature of the CPU and the temperature of the motherboard.

The firmware provides several modes of automatic frequency increase: from, in general, everyday chip overclocking up to 4.6 GHz and up to serious 5.0 GHz (down to 4.7 GHz when executing a vector set of commands). Unfortunately, none of the modes work as intended. In most cases, drawdowns are observed, and we are dealing with a very amusing situation: in the nominal mode the system works faster than in the overclocked mode.

It's no surprise that the auto overclocking function does not work properly, no. Self-overclocking often gives the best results. For example, in the case of the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac, it was enough to add 150 mV in Offset Mode and set the fourth Load Line Calibration level for the Core i7-7700K to work stably at 4.8 GHz even under load in the form of the LinX 0.7 program. .0.

The increase in the clock generator frequency of motherboards based on the Z270 Express chipset is not always applied in practice. Unfortunately, in the case of the 200 series chipsets and the LGA1151 platform, only processors with an unlocked multiplier are overclocked, and therefore the availability of a free multiplier is quite enough for overclocking the chip at home. Nevertheless, I got quite a decent result - 300 MHz on the bus.

Let's note right away that the Z270M-ITX / ac model has a twin - this is the H270M-ITX / ac board. Of course, the use of the H270 Express chipset instead of the Z270 Express imposes its own limitations. When choosing a junior model, we are deprived of the possibility of any overclocking of the processor and the use of high-frequency RAM. Otherwise, the Z270M-ITX / ac and H270M-ITX / ac have exactly the same characteristics.

Compared to the just reviewed Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac, the Z270M-ITX / ac looks simpler. Affected by the lack of massive cooling for the power converter, as well as noticeable changes in the location of some interfaces. Please note that the processor socket is located a little higher and, therefore, farther from PCI Express x16 (by the way, the manufacturer decided to do without the reinforcement that is so popular nowadays). The shift became possible due to the lack of batteries at the top of the board and allowed to accommodate an M.2 connector and a landing strip for drives of 2230, 2242, 2260 and 2280 form factors. Using an SSD in SATA mode will disable the SATA3_0 port.

The board has only two connectors with four pins for connecting fans - this is usually for budget systems. They are located at the top, and, as in the case of the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac, there is no possibility to regulate the fan speed without pulse width modulation. The connector marked CHA_FAN1 / W_PUMP, as the name implies, is also intended for connecting a pump of a liquid cooling system to it. According to the manufacturer, it delivers a current of up to 1.5 A.

The pads for connecting case USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 are wired on the right side of the board, next to the SATA connectors. Internal ports include TPM and HD Audio connectors.

Nothing is unsoldered on the back of the motherboard, the presence of illuminated elements is not provided.

The Z270M-ITX / ac does not use a 10Gb / s SATA Express connector, but it does have six SATA 6Gb / s ports. In my opinion, they are located more successfully than those of the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac.

The presence of two RJ-45s at once hints that the board is intended for assembly, including a network storage. Gigabit ports are implemented using Intel I219V and Intel I211V controllers. Also on the I / O panel there are eight USB A-ports (two USB 2.0 and six USB 3.0), but no USB 3.1 connectors are provided.

The Z270M-ITX / ac is the only board in the test that uses the Realtek ALC892 audio chip. In all the other devices considered in the article, the more modern model Realtek ALC1220 is used. In addition, the audio system lacks an operational amplifier, but there are four "audiophile" capacitors manufactured by Nichicon. All together, the elements are separated from the rest of the board by a strip of non-conductive PCB.

The Z270M-ITX / ac power converter has six phases. Each channel has one inductor and one TI 87350D transistor. As a result, four phases are dedicated to the CPU and two are dedicated to the integrated graphics. The power subsystem is controlled by the ISL95824 6-channel PWM controller from Intersil.

The processor socket is as far as possible from the PCI Express x16 slot, so coolers with 120 and even 140 mm fans will not interfere with the installation of a discrete video card.

The FETs are cooled by a tiny aluminum heatsink. The presence of such a frankly ineffective element negatively affects the operation of the board. So, under load, some components of the circuit warm up to 111 degrees Celsius.

Overheating of the VRM zone also affects the operation of the central processor. First, the frequency of the Core i7-7700K is reset from 4400 to 4000 MHz. After a couple of minutes, noticeable drawdowns appear - up to 800 MHz, due to the fact that the frequency of the clock generator is briefly reduced from the standard 100 MHz to 24 MHz. However, if you install an additional cooling fan opposite the Z270M-ITX / ac power converter, the processor starts to keep the 4400 MHz nominal for the Core i7-7700K. Once again, we are convinced of the need for high-quality blowing of the VRM zone. Moreover, mini-ITX boards are installed mainly in compact "enclosures, gas chambers".

ASRock_Z270M-ITX_UEFI

ASRock UEFI firmware in Z270M-ITX / ac is conceptually no different from the BIOS version used in Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac. As expected, the difference lies in the details.

	Min / Max value, V	Step, B
CPU Core Voltage	0,9/1,52	0,005
DRAM Voltage	1,2/1,55	0,005
CPU Graphics Voltage	0,9/1,51	0,005
PCH Core Voltage	1,05/1,2	0,05
Internal PLL Voltage	0,9/1,2	0,015
VCCST Voltage	1,02/1,2	0,04
CPU Load-line Calibration (levels)	4	—

This mainly concerns the voltages that the user is allowed to change. The set of parameters is perhaps the most meager - in this indicator, the Z270M-ITX / ac is inferior to all other motherboards that took part in the test. The device, for example, does not have the ability to regulate the VCCIO and System Agent voltages - the absence of these parameters, in particular, can affect the overclocking of the motherboard via the bus. Or fast RAM won't start up. However, the G.Skill TridentZ F4-3200C14D-32GTZ set worked with the XMP profile without any problems. And the Z270M-ITX / ac has fewer Load Line Calibration levels compared to the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac.

However, the number of voltages indicated in the table above is quite enough to overclock the central processor. The CPU voltage is regulated in two modes: Fixed and Offset. In the second case, the user can change the potential difference relative to the nominal value in the range from -100 to +500 mV in 5 mV steps.

Due to the fact that the power converter overheats under load, it would not be superfluous to have several temperature sensors at once. But the Z270M-ITX / ac only monitors the temperature of the CPU and motherboard.

The Z270M-ITX / ac has four auto overclocking modes: from 4.6 to 4.9 GHz (in 100 MHz steps) when downgraded to 4.2 GHz under load in programs using AVX instructions. In the case of the test central processor, none of them worked properly - under load, the chip frequency constantly dropped to 4 GHz.

Overclocking the Core i7-7700K manually using the Z270M-ITX / ac was also not easy. Many attempts to raise the processor voltage resulted in the LinX 0.7.0 quad-core clock dropping below the nominal 4.4 GHz. The best result I have been able to achieve is 4.4 GHz for AVX applications and 4.6 GHz for other programs. To achieve such a frankly weak result, we had to set the value of 1.3 V in the CPU Core Voltage parameter and the second level of Load Line Calibration. It turns out that there is overclocking in the case of the Z270M-ITX / ac, but it is very conditional.

As I already noted, the inability to regulate voltages such as VCCIO and System Agent led to the fact that the motherboard overclocked the BCLK frequency to only 280 MHz. However, this is not the worst result among the tested motherboards.

ASRock A-Tuning

Overclocking functions for Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac and Z270M-ITX / ac are also available in the proprietary A-Tuning application. The program visually displays the main parameters of the system, including frequencies, voltages, fan speeds and temperatures, and also monitors driver updates.

At the time of this writing, ASUS had only one mini-ITX motherboard based on the Z270 Express chipset. But what a!

With a similar wiring of the main components (processor socket, DIMM, PCI Express), it is noticeable to the naked eye that several original developments are used in the ROG Strix Z270I Gaming. There is an internal USB 3.0 port in the lower right corner and USB 3.1 in the upper left. The ASMedia ASM2142 controller is responsible for its implementation. In addition to the block for connecting box control buttons, among the integrated interfaces there are 13-pin TPM, HD Audio and T_Sensor for connecting an external thermocouple.

Please note that there is no USB 2.0 among the internal connectors. The manufacturer decided that in the case of a ROG device, there is no need for them. A strange decision, since this internal port is necessary not only for connecting case interfaces, but also, for example, for controlling elements of an unattended water cooling system. In the Corsair Hydro Series H110i GT, through the Corsair Link connector, which is connected to the motherboard via an internal USB 2.0, monitoring is carried out, the pump operation mode changes (quiet or efficient) and the fan speed is set. There is nothing critical in the absence of this connector, but it deprives the user of the opportunity to use the entire set of functions provided by the creators of the device.

The entire right side of the board is equipped with LED backlighting. There is also a four-pin connector for connecting an RGB tape. Glow type and color are configured in the AURA app.

The four-pin fan headers (three pieces) are scattered across different parts of the motherboard. This is a better and more flexible arrangement that will fit both Slim Desktop and Mini-Tower cases. The ROG Strix Z270I Gaming smartly manages fan speeds with or without PWM. As a nitpicking - the AIO_PUMP connector is not wired very well. It is literally squeezed between the wireless module and the cooling heatsink. As a result, getting close to him is not so easy. The port itself, as the name implies, is suitable not only for connecting fans, but also for the SVO pump.

The PCI Express x16 slot received an additional metal frame called SafeSlot. According to ASUS, it increases port strength by 1.8 times at fracture load and 1.6 times at pull-out load. The colored Q-Leds are located in the upper right corner. They successfully replace the indicator of POST signals and very clearly demonstrate on which element the system load is stalled: on the processor, memory or graphics adapter.

One of the main features of the ROG Strix Z270I Gaming is the presence of two M.2 connectors at once, to which four PCI Express 3.0 lanes are connected. They are located on both sides of the PCB. One port also works in SATA mode, both allow you to use drives of form factors 2242, 2260 and 2280. To install a 43 mm SSD, you will need to use the adapter that comes with the kit.

I have already noted that some flagship SSDs noticeably heat up under load, and controller throttling. ASUS solved this problem in the following way: the heatsink for the chipset got a slot for installing a solid-state drive. The user simply installs the SSD into the M.2 slot and covers it with a cover that contacts the drive elements using a thermal pad. The manufacturer claims that such cooling can reduce the temperature of the drive by up to 20 degrees Celsius. In addition to M.2 ports, the board provides four SATA 6 Gb / s connectors.

I already mentioned that the ROG Strix Z270I Gaming received an internal USB 3.1 connector, which will come in handy when connecting the corresponding ports on the front panel of the computer case. So far, such models are not very common, and compact ones are even more so. But on the I / O-panel USB 3.1 is not provided. There are only four USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 each (one of the 3.0 connectors is type C).

Wireless module Wi-Fi GO! (Qualcomm Atheros QCNFA364A unit) installed in an M.2 slot with an "E" key supports 802.11a / b / g / n / ac and Bluetooth 4.1 standards and provides a connection with a bandwidth of up to 867 Mbps.

The sound subsystem of Supreme FX is based on the Realtek ALC1220A chip. The manufacturer claims that it gets "exclusive versions" of this audio processor, so the name contains the second letter "A". Compared to the "standard" Realtek ALC1220, the signal-to-noise ratio is higher - 113 versus 108 dB. Traditionally, for expensive motherboards, the audio path includes high-quality Nichicon capacitors and operational amplifiers RC4580 and OPA1688 from Texas Instruments. The audio chip itself is shielded, and all elements of the sound system are separated from the rest of the board by a PCB strip that does not conduct current.

And ROG Strix Z270I Gaming differs from other motherboards that I have studied in that the power subsystem is equipped with two aluminum radiators at once. The cooling system turned out to be high. It can be seen that the manufacturer tried to "clear" as much space around the processor socket as possible, but at the same time provide the power converter with decent cooling. I state that ASUS engineers managed to do both. During the test, I installed the following coolers: Noctua NH D15, Thermalrigh Archon SB-E X2 and Deepcool ASSASSIN II - all three models easily fit into the space reserved for CO.

The converter has eight phases, and the voltage regulator is the Digi + ASP1400BT controller. Each channel includes On Semiconductor NTMFD4C86N field effect transistors.

The inductors were the hottest elements of the ROG Strix Z270I Gaming under load. 89 degrees Celsius is quite an operating parameter. With the use of an air cooling system, which additionally blows around the space around the processor, the temperature will be even lower.

The most important thing is that the system behaved absolutely stable throughout all tests. I did not notice a drop in the processor frequency, or turning off Turbo Boost, or, even more so, throttling. When the default BIOS settings are installed, the processor operates at a higher frequency of 4.5 GHz. It's just that the system sets the Sync all cores parameter by default - it raises the frequency by 100 MHz. We manually set this parameter to Auto mode, and the Core i7-7700K operates in multi-threaded applications at the standard 4.4 GHz. This is not the first time I have observed this specificity of ASUS motherboards on chipsets of the 200 series.

ASUS_UEFI_BIOS_Utility

ASUS UEFI BIOS Utility used in Strix series motherboards,. ROG Strix Z270I Gaming firmware has all the necessary settings to overclock the CPU and memory. ASUS does not root out certain options even in budget solutions, although there is a certain subordination between some motherboards. For example, for devices of the MAXIMUS series, in which there are prepared modes for overclocking the processor and memory.

The board has two sensors, but the temperatures of the processor, motherboard and PCH can be monitored. Plus, as we have already found out, it is possible to connect a thermocouple to the T_sensor connector.

	Min / Max value, V	Step, B
CPU Core Voltage	0,9/1,52	0,005
DRAM Voltage	1,2/1,55	0,05
CPU Graphics Voltage	0,9/1,51	0,005
PCH Core Voltage	1,05/1,2	0,05
Internal PLL Voltage	0,9/1,2	0,015
VCCST Voltage	1,02/1,2	0,04
CPU Load-line Calibration (levels)	4	—

Several modes of CPU Core / Cache voltage control are available to the user:

Manual, in which the values are set explicitly;
Offset when the voltage is added to the nominal value;
Adaptive, a combination that combines the capabilities of the two previous methods.

In the second case, we can add a voltage in the range of 0.005-0.635 V in 0.005 V steps.

Like many other ASUS motherboards, the ROG Strix Z270I Gaming comes with the smart EZ Tuning Wizard auto-overclocking technology. When you press the F11 key on the keyboard, the "Magician" first asks the user for what purposes the computer is used, and then offers several options depending on the type of cooler installed in the system unit: 12% CPU overclocking and 9% memory overclocking for boxed cooling option; 15% - and 11% for a tower cooler; 17% - and 14% for CBO. If you don't know what kind of cooling system your PC uses, then the EZ Tuning Wizard will simply overclock the CPU by 12%.

For the stand with dropsy NZXT Kraken X61, I chose the appropriate OC mode. Core i7-7700K processor was overclocked without AVX Instruction Core Ratio Negative Offset up to 4.95 GHz, and memory up to 3000 MHz. The settings set by the EZ Tuning Wizard led to overheating of the chip and subsequent throttling. Hand overclocking turned out to be much more productive.

I managed to install 4.8 GHz without any problems and additional cooling, on which the Core i7-7700K worked stably in all programs. All that was required was to increase the CPU Core / Cache parameter to 1.33 V and activate the fourth level of Load Line Calibration.

As for overclocking via the bus, the board overclocked to 295 MHz without any problems.

ASUS_AI_Suite_3

The ROG Strix Z270I Gaming is enhanced with a range of software solutions. For overclocking, monitoring frequencies, temperatures and adjusting system components in Windows, the AI Suite 3 utility is used. The Sonic Radar III application configures the Supreme FX sound subsystem. The backlight is adjustable in the AURA program, and the Gamefirst IV utility, as the name implies, optimizes Internet traffic and prioritizes running games and applications.

Consider the fourth motherboard and see the fourth variant of the arrangement of the device's elements within a generally very conservative form factor.

In the case of the GA-Z270N-Gaming 5, the Intel Wireless-AC 8265NGW module is installed in the horizontal M.2 slot, unlike the ASRock and ASUS boards, which use a vertical port for this.

Otherwise, the layout of the components of the GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 is similar in many respects to that used in the previously reviewed Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac. For example, all three fan headers are located at the top of the PCB. All three are four-pin, the board can control the speed of the impellers with or without pulse width modulation. Fans up to 24W are supported.

Internal interfaces USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 are soldered in the lower right part of the PCB. There is also a 4-pin port for connecting RGB tape. Among the internal connectors on the PCB, it is worth noting HD Audio for connecting box 3.5-mm mini-jacks, optical S / PDIF-output, connector for connecting a chassis intrusion sensor, a four-pin port for connecting an LED strip and OC Touch header - to this port with the help of a flexible cable, a board of the same name is connected, which will surely appeal to overclockers.

GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 received four highlighted zones at once: the first - the bottom of the board and the PCI Express x16 slot; the second is the chipset; the third is a power converter; the fourth - a strip of textolite, framing the elements of the sound subsystem. Glow type and color are customizable in RGB Fusion app.

PCI Express x16 port is additionally armored. The manufacturer claims that the presence of the so-called AORUS PCIe Shield reinforces the connector by 1.7 times at break load and 3.2 times at pull-out load. The slot for installing a video card is additionally equipped with a double locking system, which again increases its reliability.

As a result, GIGABYTE engineers placed the only M.2 on the back of the motherboard. Only 2260 and 2280 format drives are supported.

The board has only four SATA 6Gb / s pads, however, connecting an SSD in SATA mode to an M.2 connector will disable the SATA3_0 port.

GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 lacks USB 2.0 ports on the I / O-panel, but there are two USB 3.1 A- and C-types at once. They appeared on the board thanks to the use of the ASMedia ASM2142 microcircuit.

The audio path includes a Realtek ALC1220 chip and an operational headphone amplifier.

The power converter consists of eight phases. Each channel has one inductor and a field-effect transistor IOR 3553. The 8-channel PWM controller IOR 35201 controls the circuit. It turns out that six phases are intended for the computing part of the processor, and two more for the integrated graphics.

The heatsink for cooling the VRM area is small. There will be no problems with installing large tower coolers.

Cooling of the power subsystem is implemented in the same way as in the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac - the heatsinks for the MOSFET and the chipset are connected using a copper heat pipe. Well, cooling does its job very efficiently. The height of the heatsinks is small, so almost any CPU cooler will fit.

Again, in default mode, the motherboard only slightly overclocks the CPU. Apparently, this is a proprietary feature of expensive devices based on the Z270 Express chipset. Again under load, all four Core i7-7700K cores operate at 4.5 GHz.

GIGABYTE_BIOS

The lab recently tested the motherboard. The devices use similar firmware.

	Min / Max value, V	Step, B
CPU Core Voltage	0,5/1,8	0,005
DRAM Voltage	1,0/2,0	0,01
CPU VCCIO Voltage	0,8/1,4	0,005
CPU System Agent Voltage	0,8/1,3	0,005
CPU VCC IOSA	1,4/1,8	0,01
CPU Graphics Voltage	0,5/1,8	0,005
Core PLL Voltage	—	0,015
VCCPLL	1,4/1,8	0,01
VCCPLL OC	0,81/3,01	0,02
VCCVTT	0,8/2	0.01
VCC Substained	0,8/1,5	0,01
VCCDMI_PEG	0,8/2	0,01
PCH core	0,8/1,3	0,02
DRAM Trainig Voltage	1,0/2,0	0,01
DDRVPP Voltage	1,98/3,02	0,04
DRAM termination	0,75/1,666	0,008
CPU Load-line Calibration (levels)	7	—

The CPU voltage changes in two ways. In Dynamic VCore mode, we can adjust the voltage in the range from -0.3 to +0.4 V in 0.005 V increments. In Auto mode, the voltage is set explicitly. For more flexible adjustment of the CPU voltage, there are seven Load Line Calibration modes: Normal, Standard, Low, Medium, High, Turbo and Extreme.

The board monitors temperature using four sensors: CPU, PCH, System 1 (located next to the internal USB 2.0 connector) and VRM.

The CPU Upgrade auto-overclocking feature has several templates for the Core i5-6600K, Core i7-6700K, Core i5-7600K, and Core i7-7700K processors. For the eight-thread Kaby Lake, an overclocking mode is provided up to 5 GHz, but in the case of our CPU, the system simply rebooted with any attempt to load the chip. The second preset exposes 4.8 GHz for all four cores without underclocking in applications using AVX instructions. With it, the system stably kept 4.8 GHz, but after a few minutes overheating came, and the processor frequency dropped to 4.5 GHz.

To get a stable 4.8 GHz even in LinX 0.7.0, all it took was to lower the voltage by 0.05 V in Offset mode, and set the Load Line Calibration parameter to Medium without turning off the CPU Upgrade function.

In terms of BCLK frequency, the board overclocked to the standard 300 MHz, typical for our Core i7 sample.

Immediately, we note that the tested model GA-Z270N-WIFI has a twin brother - GA-H270N-WIFI. Naturally, the use of the H270 Express chipset slightly changes the functionality of the device - we lose the ability to overclock the central processor and use high-frequency RAM.

The GA-Z270N-WIFI wireless module is installed in the vertical M.2 slot. As in the GA-Z270N-Gaming 5, the Intel Wireless-AC 8265NGW expansion board is used, which is Wi-Fi according to the IEEE 802.11a / b / g / n / ac standard with a maximum bandwidth of up to 867 Mbps and Bluetooth 4.2.

The GA-Z270N-WIFI and GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 have a lot in common. Suppose there are only two four-pin connectors to which the fans are connected, but the board can control the rotational speed of any model, since the PWM and DC modes are provided. The impeller of a processor cooler is connected to the white connector, and any case "Carlson" is connected to the black connector. Another technological similarity is that the PCI Express x16 port received a PCIe Shield.

But in a different place, the internal USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connectors are soldered. In addition, the GA-Z270N-WIFI does not have contacts for connecting an RGB tape; among the modding elements there is only a backlight for the sound subsystem. Another internal port is HD Audio.

On the back side of the board there is an M.2 slot, the mounting holes provide for the installation of drives with a length of 60 and 80 mm. When using the connector in SATA mode, the port labeled SATA3_0 is disabled.

In total, the GA-Z270N-WIFI has six SATA 6 Gb / s ports soldered - more than the previously reviewed GA-Z270N-Gaming 5.

The USB 3.0 Type-C connector is combined with DisplayPort 1.2 video output. And then there are two HDMI and DVI-D, switching between which is done using a pair of ASMedia ASM1442K controllers. Network gigabit ports are implemented by Intel chips I219V and I211V, respectively.

The GA-Z270N-WIFI uses similar audio components. This is a Realtek ALC1220 chip, Chemicon audiophile capacitors and an operational headphone amplifier.

The central processor is powered through the four-pin ATX_12V port, that is, we can transfer a maximum of 192 watts of electricity through it. In some cases, an overclocked Core i7-7700K is very capable of reaching this mark, so you need to overclock the processor carefully so as not to burn the connector. On the other hand, the presence of a 4-pin ATX_12V kind of hints that the GA-Z270N-WIFI was not created for epic overclocking achievements.

The converter has five phases, each channel has two field-effect transistors and one choke. NTMFS4C06N and NTMFS4C10N assemblies from ON Semiconductor and Intersil ISL95858 PWM controller are used.

The absence of heatsinks around the processor socket allows you to install almost any cooling system on the board.

At the same time, the absence of any cooling leads to the expectedly sad consequences: the MOSFET and the coils under load heat up to 126 degrees Celsius - this is a very high indicator, and it is good that high-quality components are used in the GA-Z270N-WIFI.

On the example with LinX 0.7.0, we see that in resource-intensive tasks, overheating of the VRM zone leads to a constant drop in the frequency of the Core i7-7700K, but additional blowing of the power converter partially solves this problem. The screenshot above shows slight dips even after installing the fan against the VRM circuit.

GIGABYTE_GA-Z270N-WIFI_BIOS

The GA-Z270N-WIFI uses a similar BIOS firmware. At least the number of features matches what we saw in the GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 and GA-Z270-Gaming K3 motherboards.

	Min / Max value, V	Step, B
CPU Core Voltage	0,6/1,8	0,005
DRAM Voltage	1,0/2,0	0,01
CPU VCCIO Voltage	0,8/1,4	0,005
CPU System Agent Voltage	0,8/1,3	0,005
CPU Graphics Voltage	0,6/1,5	0,005
Core PLL Voltage	—	0,015
VCC Substained	0,8/1,5	0,01
PCH core	0,8/1,3	0,02
DRAM Trainig Voltage	1,0/2,0	0,01
DDRVPP Voltage	1,98/3,02	0,04
DRAM termination	0,746/1,658	0,008
CPU Load-line Calibration (levels)	3	—

There are differences in the number of voltages available to the user and in the ranges that change them. For example, GA-Z270N-WIFI has only three Load Line Calibration levels, while GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 has seven. In any case, this is quite enough for overclocking the CPU and memory at home. The voltage of the central processor in the Dynamic VCore mode is shifted relative to the nominal in the range from -0.3 to +0.4 V in 0.005 V steps.

The GA-Z270N-WIFI and GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 have two automatic overclocking functions. The first option was named EZ OC. When setting the Performance mode, our Core i7-7700K for some reason began to work under load at 4.3 GHz, that is, below the nominal Turbo Boost when loading all four cores. The second function - CPU Upgrade - suggests setting 4.8 GHz, but in fact, in LinX 0.7.0, the processor frequency is immediately reset to 3.8 GHz. We are once again convinced that the auto overclocking options used in various motherboards do not always work correctly. Personally, I do not consider this a disadvantage, because overclocking is to some extent creativity. Overclocking the processor manually, choosing the parameters correctly, is the most interesting thing!

True, the five-phase power subsystem, high VRM heating and lack of cooling for the hottest elements of the GA-Z270N-WIFI left their mark. After a long selection of parameters, I managed to achieve a stable 4.5 GHz in LinX 0.7.0 and in applications that use AVX instructions, as well as 4.8 GHz in other programs and games. I had to set the CPU VCore voltage to 1.295 V and use the Standard level for the Load Line Calibration function.

The GA-Z270N-WIFI bus overclocked in the same way as the GA-Z270N-Gaming 5.

GIGABYTE_EasyTune

GIGABYTE boards come with a comprehensive App Center program that includes a wide variety of utilities. For example, using the Smart Fan 5 application, the operation of the fans connected to the board is configured. And due to the EasyTune program, the processor and memory are overclocked. In total, App Center has over 20 applications.

Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC is MSI's only motherboard so far mini-ITX form factor based on the Z270 Express chipset.

The power supply elements are soldered at the top of the board. Because of this, all four-pin fan headers (three in total) "moved" to the left edge, closer to the I / O panel. The ports automatically determine the operating mode of the systems connected to them - DC or PWM, which allows you to adjust the fan speed with or without PWM.

DIMM slots, as well as a slot for connecting a PCI Express x16 video card, are reinforced. According to the manufacturer, the MSI PCI Express Steel Armor port has received more soldering points on the PCB, which avoids damage to the board when installing massive graphics cards. Protected connectors for installing RAM protect the motherboard from both mechanical damage and overcurrent due to additional grounding points. The memory circuitry is completely isolated by a strip of non-conductive PCB, which MSI believes guarantees excellent RAM stability and performance.

The board received several indicators to help diagnose the system. So, for example, when the XMP mode is activated for the RAM, the corresponding LED lights up. And then there is an EZ Debug LED block that shows you at what stage of the computer is booting.

Since we started talking about LEDs, I will note the presence of backlighting on the entire right side of the motherboard. This modding element is configured using the MSI Gaming App. Provides 16.8 million colors, as well as 17 visual effects. The board contains a four-pin connector for connecting an RGB strip, and the Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC package includes an 800 mm extension cord with a splitter for connecting two more LED strips.

Internal connectors include USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, as well as an audio port for the front of the case, a connector for a TPM module and a connector for a chassis intrusion switch. In general, the layout of the components of the Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC is well done.

A single M.2 port is located on the back of the PCB. Supported drives are 2242, 2260 and 2280 formats.

The pads for connecting hard drives and SSDs with SATA connectors are soldered closer to the right side of the PCB. On the example of the six motherboards reviewed, we can see that all manufacturers use this particular area of the PCB.

USB 3.1 Type A and USB 3.1 Type C ports are implemented using the ASMedia ASM2142 controller. Additionally, the I / O panel has full-format HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs. Gold-plated 3.5mm mini-jacks and optical output. There is a BIOS reset button under the SMA connectors.

The audio subsystem Audio Boost 4 is based on the Realtek ALC1220 chip. It includes high quality Chemi-Con capacitors and an amplifier that allows you to connect headphones up to 600 ohms. The path is isolated from the rest of the motherboard, and each channel is routed to a separate layer of the printed circuit board.

Compared to the other boards reviewed earlier, the MSI Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC has a processor power connector wired to the right of the VRM zone. However, there is nothing critical in this port layout - neither in the case of a Slim Desktop case, nor in the case of a Mini Tower case.

The board freely accommodates any CPU coolers with both 120 and 140 mm fans.

The power converter has five phases. Each channel has one choke and one field-effect transistor. Unfortunately, the markings of the MOSFETs used in the device have been pasted over. Three phases are responsible for the operation of the computing unit of the CPU, and the remaining two are responsible for the integrated graphics of the processor. The VRM system is controlled by the Intersil ISL95855 six-phase controller.

A snapshot of a thermal imager clearly demonstrates that the Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC power converter does not heat up very much - today you will not scare anyone with a choke temperature of 76 degrees Celsius.

On the one hand, it seems that a small aluminum radiator is enough to cool the power subsystem of the Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC. On the other hand, we see the following picture: under LinX load, the Core i7-7700K frequency is constantly decreasing to 4.2 GHz - and additional cooling of the converter in the form of a fan directed to the chokes and transistors does not correct the situation. Obviously, the current limiting is triggered.

MSI_Click_BIOS_5

Click BIOS 5, which is used in all MSI motherboards for Skylake and Kaby Lake processors, is detailed in. I draw your attention to the fact that the firmware for Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC is more functional than the one used in the recently studied one. Yes, there is only one Load Line Calibration level for overclocking the processor, and among the sensors that monitor the temperature of the system unit components, only the CPU and System sensors are available. But the CPU Core voltage can be set in five types at once: Adaptive Mode, Offset Mode, Overdrive Mode, as well as by the combinations Adaptive + Offset and Overdrive + Offset.

	Min / Max value, V	Step, B
CPU Core Voltage	0,6/1,52	0,005
DRAM Voltage	0,6/2,2	0,01
CPU VCCIO Voltage	0,6/2	0,01
CPU System Agent Voltage	0,6/2	0,01
CPU Graphics Voltage	0,6/1,55	0,005
PCH Core Voltage	0,6/2	0,01
Core PLL Voltage	0,6/2	0,01
Internal PLL Voltage	0,9/1,5	0,015
CPU Load-line Calibration (levels)	1	—

In Offset mode, the processor supply voltage is corrected relative to the nominal value in the range from -0.99 to +0.99 V in 0.01 V increments.

The Game Boost automatic overclocking feature for firmware 1.40 has only one mode for the Core i7-7700K: 4.2 GHz for applications using vector instruction set, and 4.6 GHz for other programs. However, under load, the processor frequency constantly dropped to 3.7 GHz.

In the end, I was never able to get the CPU to run above 4.3 GHz in LinX 0.7.0. Various settings of voltages and power limits did not have the desired result, although in games and benchmarks, the test Core i7-7700K worked stably at a higher frequency. In the stress test AIDA64 (build 5.90.4200), the chip's frequency was kept at around 4.5 GHz throughout the entire time without drawdowns, crashes and freezes. In the case of the Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC, we are dealing with a hardware limitation that prevents the motherboard from being seriously overloaded.

Also, the Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC has a locked clock generator frequency. The maximum figure for the board is 270 MHz, and it is simply impossible to set more in Click BIOS 5.

Test stand, methodology and software

As I already said, it is quite possible to assemble a very productive gaming configuration based on mini-ITX form factor motherboards. If the tested devices cope with the Core i7-7700K, then they will definitely not experience problems with the younger overclocking chips.

Test bench configuration
CPU	Intel Core i7-7700K, 4.2 (4.5) GHz
motherboards	ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac (BIOS 2.10); ASRock Z270M-ITX / ac (BIOS 1.60); ASUS ROG STRIX Z270I GAMING (BIOS 0704); GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-WIFI (BIOS F3); MSI Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC (1.4)
RAM	G.Skill TridentZ F4-3200C14D-32GTZ, DDR4-3200 (14-14-14-34), 2 × 16 GB
Storage device	Samsung 850 PRO
Video card	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB GDDR5X
Power Supply	Corsair HX850i 850W
CPU cooler	Noctua NH-D15
CPU cooler	NZXT Kraken X61
Frame	Open test bench
Monitor	Acer S277HK, 27 ", Ultra HD
Operating system	Windows 10 Pro x64 14393
Software for video cards
NVIDIA	GeForce Game Ready Driver 381.65
Additional software
Removing drivers	Display Driver Uninstaller 17.0.6.1
FPS measurement	Fraps 3.5.99
	FRAFS Bench Viewer
	Action! 2.3.0
Overclocking and monitoring	GPU-Z 1.19.0
Overclocking and monitoring	MSI Afterburner 4.3.0
Optional equipment
Thermal imager	Fluke Ti400
Sound level meter	Mastech MS6708
Wattmeter	watts up? PRO

The set of applications, games and benchmarks looks like this:

3DMark Professional Edition 2.2.3509. Time Spy test, DirectX 12. The total score is indicated.
"The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt". Full HD resolution, maximum quality, HBAO +, AA, NVIDIA HairWorks incl.
GTA V. Full HD resolution, DirectX 11, maximum quality, FXAA + 4 × MSAA, 16 × AF.
Battlefield 1. Full HD resolution, DirectX 12, Ultra quality mode, TAA.
Blender 2.76. Determining the speed of final rendering in one of the popular free software packages for creating 3D graphics. The time taken to build the final model from Blender Cycles Benchmark rev4 is measured.
x265 HD Benchmark. Testing the speed of video transcoding into the promising H.265 / HEVC format.
CINEBENCH R15. Measuring the performance of photorealistic 3D rendering in the animation package CINEMA 4D.

The performance of the test systems was measured in two modes: nominal and after manual overclocking. In the first case, I assembled the test bench, updated the BIOS firmware to the current version, set the standard settings and performed all the tests. In the second case, the maximum stable frequency of the Core i7-7700K was selected, achievable in the LinX 0.7.0 program. The maximum stable frequency for our processor in conjunction with is 4800 MHz. Further - overheating and throttling. Since not all motherboards have a power converter that ensures stable operation of the Core i7-7700K even in nominal mode, the VRM zone was additionally cooled by a case 140 mm fan.

⇡ Clock speeds and power consumption

The process of overclocking the Core i7-7700K on each of the six boards is described in detail in the previous parts of the article, and the results are shown in the summary table below. Since in some cases I used the AVX Ratio Offset function, the chip worked at different frequencies depending on the application. LinX 0.7.0 is perhaps the most serious loading tool for modern Intel processors.

Processor - Intel Core i7-7700K, RAM - G.Skill TridentZ F4-3200C14D-32GTZ

CPU clock frequency, nominal mode, MHz	LinX 0.7.0	4544	4400	4500	4500	4400	4300
		4544	4400	4500	4500	4400	4400
	Other applications	4544	4400	4500	4500	4400	4400
Operating mode of RAM, nominal mode		DDR4-2133	DDR4-2133	DDR4-2133	DDR4-2133	DDR4-2133	DDR4-2133
CPU clock frequency, overclocking, MHz	LinX 0.7.0	4800	4400	4800	4800	4500	4300
	Applications using AVX instructions	4800	4400	4800	4800	4500	4500
	Other applications	4800	4600	4800	4800	4800	4800
RAM operation mode, overclocking		DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200	DDR4-3200

ASUS ROG Strix Z270I Gaming, ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac, and GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 performed best when overclocking the CPU. These boards worked stably and kept the manually set 4.8 GHz frequency even in LinX 0.7.0. But we see that there are motherboards that are not suitable for overclocking the processor - these are ASRock Z270M-ITX / ac and GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-WIFI.

Another potential problem with motherboards based on Z170 / Z270 Express chipsets is unstable work with high-frequency memory. For testing, we used DDR4-3200 modules (the built-in XMP profile was loaded). It's nice that all six devices work quietly with this set of RAM.

As you know, the level of electricity consumption is influenced by several factors. With a detailed description of each motherboard, we have already noted that even in normal mode under load in the LinX 0.7.0 program, the installed Core i7-7700K operates at different frequencies. Device power converters function with different efficiency. All this affects the overall level of power consumption of the system unit.

It is not at all surprising that the motherboards that performed better when overclocking the processor turned out to be the most "voracious" in the end - these are ASUS ROG Strix Z270I Gaming, ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac and GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-Gaming 5. Among this trinity the most energy efficient was Fatality, but the difference is only a few watts.

⇡ Performance in applications

The same motherboards - ASUS ROG Strix Z270I Gaming, ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac and GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 - slightly overclock the central processor in the normal mode. At ASUS and GIGABYTE, the chip runs at 4.5 GHz with a load on all four cores. ASRock's Core i7-7700K operates at 4.54GHz.

This is why the Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac leads the CINEBENCH R15 and x265 HD Benchmark. When overclocked to 4.8 GHz, the test configurations demonstrate similar results, and the small difference is easily attributed to the measurement error and the BCLK frequency fluctuations present in the boards.

When examining the results in applications that use AVX instructions, you can see a clear division of the boards into two groups. The first category includes the ROG Strix Z270I Gaming, Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac and GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 - these overclocked devices are fine. The second group includes all other motherboards.

⇡ Performance in games and 3DMark

On the example of the stand with the ROG Strix Z270I Gaming, it can be seen that overclocking the processor to 300 MHz and using a set of DDR4-3200 RAM instead of DDR4-2133 gave an increase of 3.2% in the 3DMark Time Spy benchmark.

In real games, the increase in FPS turned out to be more significant: 5% in the third "Witcher" and 14.4% in GTA V. Battlefield 1 demonstrates that the processor operating at the nominal frequency is quite enough for a video card of the level of GeForce GTX 1080 Ti even in Full resolution HD.

Fortunately, almost all modern PC games do not use AVX instructions. Therefore, for gaming configurations, the function that allows you to reduce the processor multiplier when it executes a vector set of instructions is very useful.

Hopefully this article has proven that Mini-ITX motherboards are perfect for building a high-performance gaming rig. They have everything you need to create a configuration with one powerful graphics card. Some devices are just as good as their larger siblings, even when it comes to overclocking.

In my opinion, all six motherboards covered in this roundup are quite suitable for building a gaming PC. True, with some reservations. The fact that ASRock Z270M-ITX / ac and GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-WIFI have two gigabit network controllers at once implies their use, including in assemblies of high-performance network storages. In gaming systems, they also have a place, but I see no reason to take these boards for overclocking the processor. The power circuits of both devices are designed with an eye to economy (and this is reflected in the price of the devices), but in the normal mode with Kaby Lake and Skylake processors, if there is high-quality cooling, there will be no problems. Moreover, during normal use of a computer (gaming - in games), motherboards will not experience the same load that they are subjected to during tests in the 3DNews laboratory.

ASUS ROG Strix Z270I Gaming, ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac and GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 are a different division in sports terms. The above devices have everything in order with overclocking, and the functionality is at the highest level for Mini-ITX-boards. Honestly, it is very difficult for me to choose the best motherboard among these three. In addition, the difference in price between them fluctuates at the level of 500 rubles. Therefore, choose the one that suits you more, suits the concept of your compact PC project better and meets one or another level of functionality. ASUS ROG Strix Z270I Gaming has two M.2 ports at once for connecting NVMe drives and the presence of a cooling system for SSD looks very handy - in the case of an ASUS board, the performance of the disk subsystem will definitely not suffer from possible overheating of the drive. However, against the background of competitors, the lack of USB 3.1 connectors on the input-output panel of the ASUS ROG Strix Z270I Gaming is puzzling. Yes, there is an internal port, but so far there are very few cases on the market with USB 3.1 on the front. The GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 has just two such ports on the I / O panel, the ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac even has a Thunderbolt 3 connector. Otherwise, the functionality of these solutions is quite comparable.

ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX / ac, ASUS ROG Strix Z270I Gaming and GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-Gaming 5 motherboards receive Editor's Choice award. These are the best solutions on the market for a compact yet powerful gaming PC.

Between ASRock Z270M-ITX / ac, GIGABYTE GA-Z270N-WIFI and the three motherboards noted in the previous paragraph is MSI Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC. On the one hand, testing has shown that the device has no problems with overheating of the power subsystem. In addition, the functionality of the board is not inferior to competitors: it has USB 3.1 ports, the ability to connect RGB tapes, as well as advanced network and sound controllers. On the other hand, the MSI Z270I GAMING PRO CARBON AC showed itself not so brightly in overclocking, although the BIOS of the motherboard has all the necessary settings.