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Today we are checking out a bite size motherboard from Asrock that takes the Sandy Bridge platform and shrinks it down to the Mini-ITX form factor. Called the Z68M-ITX/HT this motherboard can not only utilize the latest and greatest Intel processors but can also be equipped with a range of high-end graphics cards...
Since the release of the Intel LGA1155 platform motherboard, manufacturer Asrock has released over three dozen supporting motherboards. Their current flagship board utilizes the Z68 chipset and it is known as the Z68 Extreme7 Gen3. That particular motherboard costs well over $200 US and is backed with a lot of features.
Yet despite how exciting the feature packed Asrock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 is, we have a motherboard that I am personally even more excited about. The board in question is made by Asrock and still uses the new Z68 chipset. However it is not half as feature rich as the Z68 Extreme7 Gen3, while it also costs half as much. Therefore it seems odd that I am more excited about a low cost motherboard boasting very minimal features. However there is a good reason for this, as the board in question, known as the Z68M-ITX/HT, uses the Mini-ITX form factor measuring just 6.7 x 6.7” (17 x 17cm). The LGA1155 platform was just begging to be shrunk down using the Mini-ITX form factor and the Z68 chipset seems like the best way to do it. There are already well over a dozen LGA1155 Mini-ITX motherboards available using the Intel H61 and H67 chipsets, though none that we know of used the overclocking friendly P67. This is where the Z68 comes in, bridging the gap between the H67 and P67 chipsets for the ultimate blend of features and performance. Yet despite this, just one other company has exploited its abilities in Mini-ITX form and that company is Zotac. Currently available is the Zotac Z68ITX-B-E ($220 US) and Z68ITX-A-E ($170 US). Both are very impressive motherboards, though neither is particularly affordable, and this is where we think the Asrock Z68M-ITX/HT should do well. It essentially offers the same design and features as the Asrock H67M-ITX, which currently costs just $85 US, so we are not expecting it to retail for a great deal more. |
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ProX |
Posted on: 08/11/2011 12:57 PM
Great board! Amazing how they can fit all that into such a tiny footprint. Shame its not for sale yet I would love to get this with a Core i3 processor if the board is cheap enough. |
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potshot |
Posted on: 08/11/2011 11:08 PM
The name is strange. The H67M-ITX/HT has WiFi but the Z68M-ITX/HT doesn't? |
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zeno |
Posted on: 08/12/2011 01:04 PM
thanks for the review. any idea when they will go on sale? |
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droid |
Posted on: 08/13/2011 12:08 PM
Asrock has been making some nice boards recently. This might not be the most feature packed board but its certainly unique and for that reason I love it! |
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NFSGT |
Posted on: 08/16/2011 08:19 PM
When will it be on sale? |
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Machupo |
Posted on: 08/19/2011 01:15 AM
This is a Z68 motherboard -- did you explore the overclocking capabilities? How about some BIOS screenshots w/ a list of the available voltage/setting menus and tweaks? |
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Pascal |
Posted on: 08/27/2011 11:04 AM
I wonder how the power consumption in idle is with a G620 and the x2 4GB G.Skill DDR3-1600 (CAS 8-8-8-20). |
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Marc |
Posted on: 09/11/2011 10:54 AM
I was offered this board today because the Pro3-m was out of stock. It was a little cheaper but I didn't read anything about it so that's why I am searching for a review now. |
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Big Rockr |
Posted on: 09/20/2011 01:28 PM
I'm a noob to building from components. If this board does not have onboard video chipset, why are they HDMI, DVI connectors on the motherboard? I would expect them on the video card. Thanks |
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Steve Posts: 80 Joined: 2010-02-08 |
Posted on: 09/21/2011 06:35 AM
Posted by Big Rockr on 09/20/2011 02:28 PM
LGA1155 processors feature an on-die GPU. |