Gigabyte J1800N-D2H Dual Core 2.41GHz Celeron Mini-ITX Review

Excellent value Gigabyte J1800N-D2H motherboard with Passively Cooled Dual-Core 64-bit 2.41GHz Celeron J1800 Bay Trail 22nm processor with VT-x support and integrated Intel HD Graphics. Up to 8GB of system memory; 2x SATA 3Gb/s; PCI-Express x1 and Half Mini PCI-Express Slots; Realtek Gigabit Ethernet; Realtek ALC887 High Definition 7.1 Channel Audio. DirectX 11 support and full Windows 7/8/8.1 32/64-bit driver availability.

Rear Panel: Mouse PS/2 port; Keyboard PS/2 port; 1x VGA (supporting up to 2560 x 1600) ; 1x HDMI (supporting up to 1920 x 1200); 1x USB 3.0 port; 4x USB 2.0 ports; 1x Gigabit Ethernet; 3x 3.5mm audio connectors (Line In, Line Out, Mic In).

Board Connectors: 1x 24pin ATX Power Connector (either 20pin or 24pin ATX will work); 1x 12v P4 connector (needs to be connected); 2x SATA 3Gb/s ports; 2x USB 2.0 connectors on 1x 9pin header; PCI-Express x1 slot; Half Mini PCI-Express Slot; 2x DDR3 SODIMM sockets (up to 4GB per socket); 1x Serial port header; 1x Parallel port header; 1x Debug card header; 1x System Fan Header; 1x Processor Fan Header; 1x Front Panel Connector; 1x S/PDIF Out header; 1x Clear CMOS jumper; 1x Chassis Intrusion header.

Unique Features: Support for @BIOS; Support for Xpress Install; Support for APP Center; Support for ON/OFF Charge.

UEFI BIOS: This board uses a UEFI BIOS. To enter the BIOS press Delete on your keyboard during startup. If you enter the EFI shell (commmand prompt) type "exit".

Case compatibility. The J1800N-D2H has a standard height heatsink and low power requirements. A 20pin or 24pin ATX connector can be used but the 12V P4 connector must also be connected. Check individual case descriptions and add the Molex to P4 Power Cable option where necessary. All our Mini-ITX cases will fit the board including but not exclusively Jou Jye 528i/568i/526i, CFI Chassis, Noah 3988, Chenbro NAS, Venus 669, Nexus Psile, M200/M300/M350 (with a picoPSU fitted with a 12V P4 output), Travla C146, T1200, C159, Thin Clients, Travla C158 (inc CD drive), Compact and Lockable Wall Mount Cases.

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers.
http://www.gigabyte.my/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4881#overview
http://www.gigabyte.my/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4881#specification

M350/M5X Compatibility: The J1800N-D2H wwill work with the M350 (if the Extended Power/LED Cables are used) or with the M5X (picoPSU-90, 60W or 80W AC Adapter recommended), or the M5XP (version of M5X with included power supply).

Box contents: Motherboard, 2x SATA cables, Product Guide, I/O Shield.

Memory: The J1800N-D2H supports up to 8GB DDR3 memory on 2x DDR3 DIMMS. This is not compatible with DDR2 memory.

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Asus Z97I-PLUS Socket 1150 Mini-ITX Review

Asus-Z97I-PLUS Mini-ITX board with Intel Z97 Express chipset supporting Intel 4th Gen (Haswell) and future 5th Gen (Broadwell) Core LGA1150 processors only. Integrated Intel HD graphics and 8 channel Audio; PCI Express 3.0 x16; Up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM; 1x Intel I218V Gigabit LAN; WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.0; 4x SATA with RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10; VGA with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz; 1x DVI-I (up to 1920x1200 resolution); 1x HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz; DisplayPort with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz ; S/PDIF out; 6x USB 3.0 (inc 2 internal); 6x USB 2.0 (inc 2 internal).

Rear Panel Connectors:1x Combo PS2 Mouse/keyboard Port; 4x USB 3.0 (coloured blue); 1x VGA; 1x DVI-I; 1x DisplayPort; 1 x HDMI; 1x Intel chipset Gigabit LAN; 4x USB 2.0; 3x switchable 3.5mm audio connectors; SPDIF optical digital audio out.

Board connectors 24pin ATX Main power connector (20-pin power supplies will work); 8pin 12v Processor core power connector (minimum 4pins P4, must be connected); SATA connectors 4x SATA 6Gb/s; 1x Front panel USB 2.0 header (for 2 ports); 1x Front Panel USB 3.0 header (19pin, for 2 ports); 1x M.2 Socket 3 SATA up to 80mm length devices; 2x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Sockets; Supports Intel Extreme Memory Profile; 1x Half Mini PCI Express Slot (used by WiFi and Bluetooth card) PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus add-in card connector; SPDIF out header; Front panel audio header; 1x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP); Clear CMOS Jumper; 1x TPM header; 1x MemOK! button; 1x Internal speaker connector; 1x System panel; 2x System and 1x Processor fan headers.

Onboard RAID: The Asus-Z97I-PLUS supports Intel Rapid Storage Technology which provides the following RAID levels via the Intel Z97 Express Chipset RAID 0 - data striping; RAID 1 - data mirroring; RAID 0+1 (or RAID 10) - data striping and mirroring; RAID 5 - distributed parity.

Suitable Processors: The Asus-Z97I-PLUS board supports 4th Gen (Haswell) uand 5th Genu (Broadwell) processors. The Asus-Z97I-PLUS is not provided with a processor. Suitable processors are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left.

Suitable Cases: All Mini-ITX chassis with at least a 120W power supply, and an appropriate low profile heatsink if necessary. If using a larger than 65W TDP processor, a larger power supply than 120W may be required. Some suitable cases that will work with the Z97I-PLUS with a standard Intel Socket 1150 heatsink: The CFI-A7879, ES32067, ES30068, ES34069, Venus 669, Compucase 8K01, Compucase 8K07, Silverstone SG05, Jou Jue NU-528i 220W and Jou Jue NU-568i 220W.

1U Case compatibility: To use this board in a 1U case please use the Dynatron K2 1U Side blower heatsink and a 35W or 65W TDP CPU.

Typical M350 configuration: To use this board in the M350, we recommend the 150W AC Adapter and picoPSU-150-XT or picoPSU-160-XT together with a 65W TDP CPU and Akasa 7106HP or K25 heatsink or 35W TDP CPU and supplied heatsink, plus 1 or 2 sticks of DDR3 RAM and a 2.5in HDD/SSD (add an M350 HDD tray to use 2x HDD/SSDs).

Multiple Screens: This board Supports up to 3 displays simultaneously. Display Port 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport compliant, daisy chain up to 3 displays; Supports Intel InTru 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology.

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers.
http://www.asus.com/my/Motherboards/Z97IPLUS/overview/
http://www.asus.com/my/Motherboards/Z97IPLUS/specifications/

Package Contents: 2x SATA cables, 1x IO back plate, 1x Driver and Software DVD; 2T2R dual band WiFi moving antennas; 1x Q-connector.

ASUS Exclusive Features: 64 Mb Flash ROM; UEFI AMI BIOS; ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3; ASUS EZ Flash 2; ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode; PnP; DMI2.7; WfM.2.0; SM BIOS 2.8; ACPI 5.0; Multi-language BIOS; ASUS EZ Flash 2; Remote GO!; MemOK!; AI Suite 3; Ai Charger; Anti-Surge; USB 3.0 Boost; Disk Unlocker; ASUS Fan Xpert 3; Push Notice; ASUS Q-Slot; ASUS Q-DIMM; Media Streamer; Overclocking protection - ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall).

Additional Features: ASUS 5X Protection: ASUS DIGI+ VRM - 6 Phase digital power design, ASUS Enhanced DRAM Overcurrent Protection - Short circuit damage prevention, ASUS ESD Guards - Enhanced ESD protection, ASUS High-Quality 5K-Hour Solid Capacitors - 2.5x long lifespan with excellent durability, ASUS Stainless Steel Back I/O - 3x more durable corrosion-resistant coating; Unique de-pop circuit: Reduces start-up popping noise to audio outputs.

Manageability:WfM 2.0, DMI 2.7, WOL by PME, PXE; Support Disc; Drivers; ASUS Utilities.

Suitable Memory: The Asus-Z97I-PLUS uses up to 2 sticks of 1333/1600MHz DDR3 DIMM memory. This is not compatible with DDR/DDR2 memory. Fully tested DDR3 DIMMs are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left; Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile which supports overclocked DDR3 3200(O.C.)/ 3100(O.C.)/ 3000(O.C.)/ 2933(O.C.)/ 2800(O.C.)/ 2666(O.C.)/ 2600(O.C.)/ 2400(O.C.)/ 2200(O.C.)/ 2133(O.C.)/ 2000(O.C.)/ 1866(O.C.)/ 1800(O.C.)/ 1600/ 1333 MHz Un-buffered Memory.

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Asus-H97I-PLUS Socket 1150 Mini-ITX Review

Asus-H97I-PLUS Mini-ITX board with Intel H97 Express chipset supporting Intel 4th Gen (Haswell) and future 5th Gen (Broadwell) Core LGA1150 processors only. Integrated Intel HD graphics and 8 channel Realtek ALC887 Audio; PCI Express 3.0 x16; Up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM; 1x Intel I218V Gigabit LAN; 4x SATA with RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10; 1x Half length Mini PCI Express slot; 1x DVI-I (up to 1920x1200 resolution); 1x HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz; DisplayPort with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz / 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz; S/PDIF out; 6x USB 3.0 (inc 2 internal); 6x USB 2.0 (inc 2 internal).

Rear Panel Connectors:1x Combo PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port; 4x USB 3.0 (coloured blue); 1x VGA; 1x DVI-I; 1x DisplayPort; 1 x HDMI; 1x Intel chipset Gigabit LAN; 4x USB 2.0; 3x switchable 3.5mm audio connectors; SPDIF optical digital audio out.

Board connectors 24pin ATX Main power connector (20-pin power supplies will work); 8pin 12v Processor core power connector (minimum 4pins P4, must be connected); 4x SATA 6Gb/s connectors; 1x Front panel USB 2.0 header (for 2 ports); 1x Front Panel USB 3.0 header (19pin, for 2 ports); 1x M.2 Socket 3 for M Key type 2260/2280 devices; 2x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Sockets; PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus add-in card connector; Half-Height Mini-PCI Express card slot; SPDIF out header; Front panel audio header; 1x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP); Clear CMOS Jumper; 1x TPM header; 1x MemOK! button; 1x Internal speaker connector; 1x System panel; 2x System and 1x Processor fan headers.

Onboard RAID: The Asus-H97I-PLUS supports Intel Rapid Storage Technology which provides the following RAID levels via the Intel H97 Express Chipset RAID 0 - data striping; RAID 1 - data mirroring; RAID 0+1 (or RAID 10) - data striping and mirroring; RAID 5 - distributed parity.

Suitable Processors: The Asus-H97I-PLUS board supports 4th Gen (Haswell) uand 5th Gen (Broadwell) processors. The Asus-H97I-PLUS is not provided with a processor. Suitable processors are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left.

Suitable Cases: All Mini-ITX chassis with at least a 120W power supply, and an appropriate low profile heatsink if necessary. If using a larger than 65W TDP processor, a larger power supply than 120W may be required. Some suitable cases that will work with the GA-Z87N-WiFi with a standard Intel Socket 1150 heatsink: The CFI-A7879, ES32067, ES30068, ES34069, Venus 669, Compucase 8K01, Compucase 8K07, Silverstone SG05, Jou Jue NU-528i 220W and Jou Jue NU-568i 220W.

1U Case compatibility: To use this board in a 1U case please use the Dynatron K2 1U Side blower heatsink and a 35W or 65W TDP CPU.

Typical M350 configuration: To use this board in the M350, we recommend the 150W AC Adapter and picoPSU-150-XT or picoPSU-160-XT together with a 65W TDP CPU and Akasa 7106HP or K25 heatsink or 35W TDP CPU and supplied heatsink, plus 1 or 2 sticks of DDR3 RAM and a 2.5in HDD/SSD (add an M350 HDD tray to use 2x HDD/SSDs).

Multiple Screens: This board Supports up to 3 displays simultaneously with an appropriate processor. Display Port 1.2 Multi-Stream Transport compliant, supports DP 1.2 monitor daisy chain up to 3 displays; Supports Intel InTru 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider Expansion Slots.

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers.
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/H97IPLUS/overview/
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/H97IPLUS/specifications/

Package Contents: 2x SATA cables, 1x IO back plate, 1x Driver and Software DVD.

*ASUS Exclusive Features: Remote GO!; MemOK!; AI Suite 3; Ai Charger; Anti-Surge; USB 3.0 Boost; Disk Unlocker; ASUS Fan Xpert 2; ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3; ASUS EZ Flash 2; ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode; Push Notice; ASUS Q-Slot; ASUS Q-DIMM; Media Streamer;.

Suitable Memory: The Asus-H97I-PLUS uses up to 2 sticks of 1333/1600MHz DDR3 DIMM memory. This is not compatible with DDR/DDR2 memory. Fully tested DDR3 DIMMs are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left; Supports Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP).

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Asus H81I-PLUS Socket 1150 Mini-ITX Review

Asus H81I-PLUS Mini-ITX board with Intel H81 chipset; Integrated Intel HD Graphics; Realtek ALC887 7.1 channel HD Audio; 2x SATA 6.0 Gb/s; 2x SATA 3.0 Gb/s; Up to 16GB DDR3 RAM; PCI Express 2.0 x16; 1x Realtek RTL8111G Gigabit LAN port; 1x HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2304 @ 24 Hz / 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz; 1x DVI-D with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz; 1x VGA with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz.

Rear Panel Connectors: 1x Combined Mouse/Keyboard PS/2 port; 4x USB 2.0 Ports; 1x HDMI; 1x VGA; 1x DVI-D; 2x USB 3.0; 1x Gigabit LAN; 3x 3.5mm audio jacks.

Board connectors 24pin ATX Main power connector (20-pin power supplies will work); 1x 4 pin 12V Power Connector; 2x SATA 6.0 Gb/s (yellow); 2x SATA 3Gb/s (brown); 1x USB 3.0 Header (supports 2x USB 3.0 ports); 2x USB 2.0 Headers (supports 4x USB 2.0 ports); 1x 4pin CPU Fan connector; 1x 4pin System Fan connector; 1x Front panel audio connector; 1x S/PDIF out header; 1x TPM header; 1x FPANEL; 1x Clear CMOS jumper; 1x Speaker connector.

Suitable Processors: The Asus H81I-PLUS board supports 4th Gen (Haswell) processors. The Asus H81I-PLUS is not provided with a processor. Suitable processors are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left.

Suitable Cases: All Mini-ITX chassis with at least a 120W power supply, and an appropriate low profile heatsink if necessary. If using a larger than 65W TDP processor, a larger power supply than 120W may be required. Non-exhaustive list of suitable cases that will work with the H81I-PLUS with a standard Intel Socket 1150 heatsink: The CFI-A7879, ES32067, ES30068, ES34069, Venus 669, Compucase 8K01, Compucase 8K07, Silverstone SG05, Jou Jue NU-528i 220W and Jou Jue NU-568i 220W.

1U Case compatibility: To use this board in a 1U case please use the Dynatron K2 1U Side blower heatsink and a 35W or 65W TDP CPU.

Typical M350 configuration: To use this board in the M350, we recommend the 150W AC Adapter and picoPSU-150-XT or picoPSU-160-XT together with a 65W TDP CPU and Akasa 7106HP or K25 heatsink or 35W TDP CPU and supplied heatsink, plus 1 or 2 sticks of DDR3 RAM and a 2.5in HDD/SSD (add an M350 HDD tray to use 2x HDD/SSDs).

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers.
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/H81IPLUS/overview/
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/H81IPLUS/specifications/

Package Contents: Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield, 2x SATA Data Cables.

BIOS Features:64 Mb Flash ROM, AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI 2.0a, WOL by PME, PXE.

Suitable Memory: The Asus H81I-PLUS uses 1066/1333/1600MHz DDR3 memory. This is not compatible with DDR/DDR2 memory. Fully tested DDR3 DIMMs are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left; Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile 1.3.

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Asus C60M1-I AMD Fusion Mini-ITX Snap Review

Fanless Asus C60M1-I AMD Fusion motherboard with Dual-Core 1.0GHz AMD C-60 processor. Featuring fanless operation, integrated AMD Radeon HD 6290 DirectX 11 / OpenGL 4.1 graphics and AMD Hudson-M1 FCH (Fusion Controller Hub) chipset. Up to 8GB of system memory; Realtek 8111F Gigabit Ethernet; VIA VT1708S High Definition 8 Channel Audio.

Rear Panel: Combined Mouse/Keyboard PS/2 port; 6x USB 2.0 ports; VGA (up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz); DVI-D (up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz); Gigabit Ethernet; 3x 3.5mm audio connectors.

Board Connectors: PCI Express x16 slot (x4 bandwidth); 6x SATA 6Gb/s ports; 6x USB 2.0 connectors on 3x 9pin headers; 2x DDR3 DIMM sockets; 1x 24pin ATX Power Connector (either 20pin or 24pin ATX will work); 1x 12V P4 connector (needs to be connected); 1x Front Panel Connector; 1x System Fan Header; 1x Processor Fan Header.

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/C60M1I/overview/
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/C60M1I/specifications/

ASUS Special Features: AI Suite II; Ai Charger; Anti-Surge; Network iControl; ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution: ASUS Fan Xpert; ASUS Q-Fan 2; ASUS EZ DIY: ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3; ASUS EZ Flash 2; ASUS MyLogo 2; 100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors

Case compatibility. The C60M1-I has a standard height heatsink and low power requirements. A 20pin or 24pin ATX connector can be used but the 12V P4 connector must also be connected. Check individual case descriptions and add the Molex to P4 Power Cable option where necessary. All our Mini-ITX cases will fit the board including but not exclusively Jou Jye 528i/568i/526i, CFI Chassis, Noah 3988, Chenbro NAS, Venus 669, Nexus Psile, M200/M300/M350 (with a picoPSU fitted with a 12V P4 output), Travla C146, T1200, C159, Thin Clients, Travla C158 (inc CD drive), Compact and Lockable Wall Mount Cases.

C1/C2/C3-RACK compatibility: Backplates are available designed for use with the C1-RACK, C2-RACK and C3-RACK (Dynatron K2 1U Side blower heatsink recommended).

Box contents: Motherboard, 2x SATA cables, User manual, Support CD, I/O Shield.

Memory: The C60M1-I supports up to 8GB DDR3 memory on 2x DDR3 DIMMS. This is not compatible with DDR2 memory.

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Asus C8HM70-I/HDMI Dual Core Celeron 847 Mini-ITX Review

The C8HM70-I/HDMI offers great value for money with a highly efficient Dual Core Sandy Bridge ULV Celeron processor. The Integrated Graphics processor is based on the Intel HD2000 DirectX 10 IGP with full 64-bit driver support. The Intel NM70 chipset delivers SATA 6Gb/s and supports up to 16GB of memory. The 1.1Ghz Celeron 847 processor supports Intel virtualisation extensions (VT-x) and benchmarks over 50% faster than an Atom D2550. This board also has a PCI Express slot, a rarity amongst most Atom/Celeron boards.

Rear Panel: PS/2 Keyboard or Mouse port; 4x USB 2.0; 2x USB 3.0; 1x HDMI; 1x VGA; 1x Gigabit Ethernet; 3x 3.5mm Audio Connections..

Board Connectors: 1x 24pin ATX Power Connector (either 20pin or 24pin ATX will work); 1x 12v P4 connector (needs to be connected); 1x PCI Express 2.0 x16 connector; 2x DDR3 SODIMM sockets; 1x SATA 6Gb/s port (white); 1x SATA 3Gb/s port (blue); 1x 9pin USB 2.0 headers (supporting up to 2 USB ports); 1x Chassis Intrusion header; 1x CPU Fan connector (in use by CPU cooler); 1x System Fan connector; Front-Panel Header; 1x Internal Speaker Connector.

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/C8HM70I/overview/
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/C8HM70I/specifications/

Package Contents: C8HM70-I/HDMI motherboard, Driver Disk, User Manual, 2x SATA Cables, I/O Shield.

Cooling: The C8HM70-I/HDMI motherboard is actively cooled by a 40mm fan and low-profile heatsink.

Compatible cases: The C8HM70-I/HDMI has low power requirements. A 20pin or 24pin ATX connector can be used but the 12V P4 connector must also be connected. Check individual case descriptions and add the Molex to P4 Power Cable option where necessary. All our regular Mini-ITX cases will fit the board including but not exclusively Jou Jye, CFI Chassis, Noah 3988, Chenbro NAS, Compact Wall Mount, M350/M5X (with a picoPSU fitted with a 12V P4 output), M5XP, 1U chassis.

Memory: The C8HM70-I/HDMI supports up to 16GB DDR3 memory on 2x DDR3 SODIMMS. This is not compatible with DDR2 memory.

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Asus J1900I-C Quad Core 2.42GHz Celeron Mini-ITX Review

Great value Asus J1900I-C motherboard with Passively Cooled Quad-Core 64-bit 2.42GHz Celeron J1900 Bay Trail 22nm processor with VT-x support and integrated Intel HD Graphics. Up to 8GB of DDR3L system memory; 2x SATA 3Gb/s; PCI-Express x1 slot; Realtek Gigabit Ethernet; Realtek ALC887-VD 8-Channel Audio. DirectX 11 support and full Windows 7/8/8.1 32/64-bit driver availability.

Rear Panel: Combo Mouse/Keyboard PS/2 port; 4x USB 2.0 ports; 1x Gigabit Ethernet; 1x USB 3.0 port; 1x HDMI (supporting up to 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz); 1x VGA (supporting up to 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz) ; 3x 3.5mm audio connectors (Line In, Line Out, Mic In).

Board Connectors: 1x 24pin ATX Power Connector (either 20pin or 24pin ATX will work); 1x 12v P4 connector (needs to be connected); 2x SATA 3Gb/s ports; 2x USB 2.0 connectors on 1x 9pin header; 1x TPM connector; 1x LPT connector; PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slot; 1x Half Mini-PCI Express slot; 2x DDR3L SODIMM sockets (up to 8GB per socket); 1x Serial port header; 1x System Fan Header; 1x CPU Fan Header; 1x Front Panel Connector; 1x Front Panel Audio Connector;1x System panel; 1x Clear CMOS jumper; 1x Buzzer.

ASUS Special Features: ASUS Exclusive Features : AI Suite 3; Ai Charger; Anti-Surge; ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface; Network iControl; USB 3.0 Boost ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution : ASUS Fan Xpert ASUS EZ DIY : ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3; ASUS EZ Flash 2; ASUS MyLogo 2. 100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors.

Manageability: WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, PXE.

UEFI BIOS: This board uses a UEFI BIOS. To enter the BIOS press Delete on your keyboard during startup. If you enter the EFI shell (commmand prompt) type "exit".

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers
http://www.asus.com/my/Motherboards/J1900IC/overview/
http://www.asus.com/my/Motherboards/J1900IC/specifications/

Case compatibility. The J1900I-C has a standard height heatsink and low power requirements. A 20pin or 24pin ATX connector can be used but the 12V P4 connector must also be connected. Check individual case descriptions and add the Molex to P4 Power Cable option where necessary. All our Mini-ITX cases will fit the board including but not exclusively Jou Jye 528i/568i/526i, CFI Chassis, Noah 3988, Chenbro NAS, Venus 669, M200/M300/M350 & M5X (with a picoPSU fitted with a 12V P4 output), M5XP, Travla C146, T1200, C159, Thin Clients, Travla C158 (inc CD drive), Compact and Lockable Wall Mount Cases.

M350/M5X Compatibility: The J1900I-C will work with the M350 or with the M5X (picoPSU-90, 60W or 80W AC Adapter recommended), or the M5XP (version of M5X with included power supply).

Box contents: Motherboard, 2x SATA cables, Product Guide, I/O Shield.

Memory: The J1900I-C supports up to 8GB DDR3L memory on 2x DDR3L SODIMMs. This is not compatible with DDR2 memory.

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Asus J1800I-C Dual Core 2.41GHz Celeron Mini-ITX Review

Excellent value Asus J1800I-C motherboard with Passively Cooled Dual-Core 64-bit 2.41GHz Celeron J1800 Bay Trail 22nm processor with VT-x support and integrated Intel HD Graphics. Up to 8GB of DDR3L system memory; 2x SATA 3Gb/s; PCI-Express x1 slot; Realtek Gigabit Ethernet; Realtek ALC887-VD 8-Channel Audio. DirectX 11 support and full Windows 7/8/8.1 32/64-bit driver availability.

Rear Panel: Combo Mouse/Keyboard PS/2 port; 4x USB 2.0 ports; 1x Gigabit Ethernet; 1x USB 3.0 port; 1x HDMI (supporting up to 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz); 1x Serial Port; 1x VGA (supporting up to 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz); 3x 3.5mm audio connectors (Line In, Line Out, Mic In).

Board Connectors: 1x 24pin ATX Power Connector (either 20pin or 24pin ATX will work); 1x 12v P4 connector (needs to be connected); 2x SATA 3Gb/s ports; 2x USB 2.0 connectors on 1x 9pin header; 1x TPM connector; 1x LPT connector; PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slot; 1x Half Mini-PCI Express slot; 2x DDR3L SODIMM sockets (up to 4GB per socket); 1x Serial port header; 1x System Fan Header; 1x CPU Fan Header; 1x Front Panel Connector; 1x Front Panel Audio Connector; 1x Clear CMOS jumper; 1x Buzzer.

ASUS Special Features: ASUS Exclusive Features: AI Suite 3; Ai Charger; Anti-Surge; ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface; Network iControl; USB 3.0 Boost ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution : ASUS Fan Xpert ASUS EZ DIY: ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3; ASUS EZ Flash 2; ASUS MyLogo 2. 100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors.

Manageability: WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, PXE.

UEFI BIOS: This board uses a UEFI BIOS. To enter the BIOS press Delete on your keyboard during startup. If you enter the EFI shell (commmand prompt) type "exit".

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers.
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/J1800IC/overview/
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/J1800IC/specifications/

Case compatibility. The J1800I-C has a standard height heatsink and low power requirements. A 20pin or 24pin ATX connector can be used but the 12V P4 connector must also be connected. Check individual case descriptions and add the Molex to P4 Power Cable option where necessary. All our Mini-ITX cases will fit the board including but not exclusively Jou Jye 528i/568i/526i, CFI Chassis, Noah 3988, Chenbro NAS, Venus 669, M200/M300/M350 & M5X (with a picoPSU fitted with a 12V P4 output), M5XP, Travla C146, T1200, C159, Thin Clients, Travla C158 (inc CD drive), Compact and Lockable Wall Mount Cases.

M350/M5X Compatibility: The J1800I-C will work with the M350 or with the M5X (picoPSU-90, 60W or 80W AC Adapter recommended), or the M5XP (version of M5X with included power supply).

Box contents: Motherboard, 2x SATA cables, Product Guide, I/O Shield.

Memory: The J1800I-C supports up to 8GB DDR3L memory on 2x DDR3L SODIMMs. This is not compatible with DDR2 memory.

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Asus J1800I-A Dual Core 2.41GHz Celeron Snap Review

Versatile Asus J1800I-A motherboard with Passively Cooled Dual-Core 64-bit 2.41GHz Celeron J1800 Bay Trail 22nm processor with VT-x support and integrated Intel HD Graphics. Up to 8GB of DDR3L system memory; 2x SATA 3Gb/s; PCI slot; Realtek Gigabit Ethernet; Realtek ALC887-VD 8-Channel Audio. DirectX 11 support and full Windows 7/8/8.1 32/64-bit driver availability.

Rear Panel: 1x Mouse PS/2 port; 1x Keyboard PS/2 part; 2x USB 2.0 ports; 1x Gigabit Ethernet; 1x USB 3.0 port; 1x HDMI (supporting up to 1920 x 1080 @ 60 Hz); 1x Parallel Port (24 pin); 1x VGA (supporting up to 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz); 3x 3.5mm audio connectors (Line In, Line Out, Mic In).

Board Connectors: 1x 24pin ATX Power Connector (either 20pin or 24pin ATX will work); 1x PCI; 1x 12v P4 connector (needs to be connected); 2 x USB 2.0 connectors, supports additional 2 USB 2.0 ports; 2x SATA 3Gb/s ports; 1x TPM connector; 1x; 2x DDR3L SODIMM sockets (up to 4GB per socket); 1x Serial port header; 1x System Fan Header; 1x CPU Fan Header; 1x Front Panel Connector; 1x Front Panel Audio Connector; 1x Clear CMOS jumper; 1x Internal speaker connector.

ASUS Special Features: ASUS Exclusive Features: AI Suite 3; Ai Charger; Anti-Surge; ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface; Network iControl; USB 3.0 Boost ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution : ASUS Fan Xpert ASUS EZ DIY: ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3; ASUS EZ Flash 2; ASUS MyLogo 2. 100% All High-quality Conductive Polymer Capacitors.

Manageability: WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, PXE.

UEFI BIOS: This board uses a UEFI BIOS. To enter the BIOS press Delete on your keyboard during startup. If you enter the EFI shell (commmand prompt) type "exit".

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers.
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/J1800IA/overview/
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/J1800IA/specifications/

Case compatibility. The J1800I-A has a standard height heatsink and low power requirements. A 20pin or 24pin ATX connector can be used but the 12V P4 connector must also be connected. Check individual case descriptions and add the Molex to P4 Power Cable option where necessary. All our Mini-ITX cases will fit the board including but not exclusively Jou Jye 528i/568i/526i, CFI Chassis, Noah 3988, Chenbro NAS, Venus 669, M200/M300/M350 & M5X (with a picoPSU fitted with a 12V P4 output), M5XP, Travla C146, T1200, C159, Thin Clients, Travla C158 (inc CD drive), Compact and Lockable Wall Mount Cases.

M350/M5X Compatibility: The J1800I-A will work with the M350 or with the M5X (picoPSU-90, 60W or 80W AC Adapter recommended), or the M5XP (version of M5X with included power supply).

Box contents: Motherboard, 2x SATA cables, Product Guide, I/O Shield.

Memory: The J1800I-A supports up to 8GB DDR3L memory on 2x DDR3L SODIMMs. This is not compatible with DDR2 memory.

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ASRock-Z97E-ITXa/c Mini-ITX Snap Review

Feature-packed ASRock-Z97E-ITXa/c Mini-ITX board with Intel H97 Express chipset supporting Intel 4th Gen (Haswell) and future 5th Gen (Broadwell) Core LGA1150 processors only. Integrated Intel HD graphics and Realtek ALC1150 7.1 channel Audio; PCI Express 3.0 x16; Up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM; 1x Intel I218V Gigabit LAN; 6x SATA with RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10; 1x Half length Mini PCI Express slot (for WiFI and BT); 1x DVI-I with max. resolution up to 1920x1200 @ 60Hz; 1x HDMI with max. resolution up to 4K x 2K (4096x2304) @ 24Hz; DisplayPort 1.2 with max. resolution up to 4K x 2K (4096x2304) @ 24Hz; SPDIF; 6x USB 3.0 (inc 2 internal); 6x USB 2.0 (inc 4 internal).

Rear Panel Connectors: 2x USB 2.0; 1x combo PS/2 Keyboard/mouse; 2x Wifi Antenna; 1x DVI; 1x Display port; 1x HDMI in; 1x HDMI out; 4x USB 3.0; 1x Intel LAN; 5x HD Audio Jacks: Rear Speaker, Central, Bass, Line in, Front Speaker and Microphone in; SPDIF.

Board connectors 24pin ATX Main power connector (20-pin power supplies will work); 1x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Minimun of 4 pins must be used); 6x SATA 6Gb/s Connectors; 1x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot; 1x Mini-PCI Express Slot (used by WiFi + Bluetooth Module); 1x SATA Express 10 Gb/s Connector (shared with SATA3_4, SATA3_5 and M.2 Socket, support to be announced); 1x M.2 Socket supports M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express modules up to Gen2 x2 (10 Gb/s); 1x Chassis Intrusion Header; 1x TPM Header; 1x CPU 4pin Fan Connector; 1x Chassis 4 pin Fan Connector; 1x Front Panel Audio Connector; 2x USB 2.0 Headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports); 1x USB 3.0 Header (Supports 2 USB 3.0 ports)

Onboard RAID: The ASRock-Z97E-ITXa/c supports Intel Rapid Storage Technology which provides the following RAID levels via the Intel H97 Express Chipset RAID 0 - data striping; RAID 1 - data mirroring; RAID 0+1 (or RAID 10) - data striping and mirroring; RAID 5 - distributed parity.

Suitable Processors: The ASRock-Z97E-ITXa/c board supports 4th Gen (Haswell) and 5th Gen (Broadwell) processors. The ASRock-Z97E-ITXa/c is not provided with a processor. Suitable processors are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left.

Suitable Cases: All Mini-ITX chassis with at least a 120W power supply, and an appropriate low profile heatsink if necessary. If using a larger than 65W TDP processor, a larger power supply than 120W may be required. Some suitable cases that will work with the GA-Z97N-WiFi with a standard Intel Socket 1150 heatsink: The CFI-A7879, ES32067, ES30068, ES34069, Venus 669, Compucase 8K01, Compucase 8K07, Silverstone SG05, Jou Jue NU-528i 220W and Jou Jue NU-568i 220W.

1U Case compatibility: To use this board in a 1U case please use the Dynatron K2 1U Side blower heatsink and a 35W or 65W TDP CPU.

Typical M350 configuration: To use this board in the M350, we recommend the 150W AC Adapter and picoPSU-150-XT or picoPSU-160-XT together with a 65W TDP CPU and Akasa 7106HP or K25 heatsink or 35W TDP CPU and supplied heatsink, plus 1 or 2 sticks of DDR3 RAM and a 2.5in HDD/SSD (add an M350 HDD tray to use 2x HDD/SSDs).

Multiple Screens: This board Supports up to 3 displays simultaneously via DVI-I, HDMI and DisplayPort, with an appropriate CPU.

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/intel/z97e-itxac/
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z97E-ITXac/?cat=Specifications

Package Contents: 2x SATA cables, 1x IO back plate, 1x Driver and Software DVD; 1x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antenna; 1x Screw for M.2_SSD Socket 3; 1x Standoff for M.2_SSD Socket 3

ASUS Other Features: ASRock Full HD UEFI; ASRock UEFI Guide; ASRock Instant Flash; ASRock Crashless BIOS; ASRock Online Management Guard; ASRock UEFI System Browser; ASRock Dehumidifier; ASRock Easy Driver Installer; ASRock XFast LAN; ASRock XFast RAM;

Suitable Memory: The ASRock-Z97E-ITXa/c uses 1333/1600MHz DDR3 memory. This is not compatible with DDR/DDR2 memory. Fully tested DDR3 DIMMs are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left; Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP).

About ASRock

ASRock Inc. is established in 2002, specialized in the field of motherboards. ASRock strives to build up its own brand. With the 3C design concept, “Creativity, Consideration, Cost-effectiveness”, the company explores the limit of motherboards manufacturing while paying attention on the eco issue at the same time, developing products with the consideration of eco-friendly concept.

ASRock has been growing fast and become world third largest motherboard brand with headquarter in Taipei, Taiwan and branches in Europe and the USA. The young and vibrant company targets from mainstream to enthusiast MB segments for different kinds of users, owning reputation around the world market with its reliability and proficiency. http://www.asrock.com

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ASRock H87M-ITX Mini-ITX Snap Review

ASRock H87M-ITX Mini-ITX board with Intel H77 Express chipset supporting Intel 4th Gen Core LGA1150 processors only. Integrated Intel HD graphics and 8 channel ALC892 Audio; PCI Express 3.0* x16; Up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, Gigabit LAN and 4x SATA with RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 support. VGA, DVI-D and HDMI graphics outputs; 6x USB 3.0 (inc 2 internal); 4x USB 2.0 (inc 2 internal). * PCI Express 3.0 support is dependent on PCI-Express device capability.

Rear Panel Connectors: 2x USB 2.0; 2x WiFi Antenna Port; PS2/Mouse Port; 1x eSATA; 4x USB 3.0 (coloured blue); Gigabit LAN; 1x VGA; 1x HDMI; 1x DVI-I (Max resolution on all ports 1920x1200 @ 60Hz); 5x 3.5mm audio connectors; S/PDIF optical digital audio out.

Board connectors: 24pin ATX Main power connector (20-pin power supplies will work); Processor core power connector (12V 4-pin P4, must be connected); TPM Header; 4x SATA 6Gb/s; 1x Front panel USB 2.0 headers (for 2 ports); 1x Front Panel USB 3.0 header (19pin, for 2 ports); 2x 240-pin DDR3 DIMM Sockets; PCI Express 3.0 x16 bus add-in card connector; Front panel audio header; Front Panel Connector (Power/Reset Button, power/HDD status LED); Clear CMOS Jumper; System and Processor fan headers; 1x Chassis Intrusion Header.

Supports Intel® Small Business Advantage 2.0 Software.

Onboard RAID: The H87M-ITX supports Intel Rapid Storage Technology which provides the following RAID levels via the Intel H87 Express Chipset: RAID 0 - data striping; RAID 1 - data mirroring; RAID 0+1 (or RAID 10) - data striping and mirroring; RAID 5 - distributed parity.

Suitable Processors: The H87M-ITX board supports 4th Gen "Haswell" processors. The H87M-ITX is *not* provided with a processor. Suitable 4th generation processors are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left. A BIOS update (using a "Haswell" processor) may be required if a "Haswell Refresh" processor is to be fitted.

Suitable Cases: All Mini-ITX chassis with at least a 120W power supply, and an appropriate low profile heatsink if necessary. If using a larger than 65W TDP processor, a larger power supply than 120W may be required. Some suitable cases that will work with the GA-H87N-WiFi with a standard Intel Socket 1150 heatsink: The CFI-A7879, ES32067, ES30068, ES34069, Venus 669, Compucase 8K01, Compucase 8K07, Silverstone SG05, Jou Jue NU-528i 220W and Jou Jue NU-568i 220W.

Heatsinks: The standard heatsink provided with 65W and 84W TDP CPUs will fit taller cases (including Compucase 8K01/8K07, Jou Jye 526/528/568). To use this board in a 1U case please use the Dynatron K2 1U Side blower heatsink and a 35W or 65W TDP CPU.

Typical M350 configuration: To use this board in the M350, we recommend the 150W AC Adapter and picoPSU-150-XT or picoPSU-160-XT together with a 65W TDP CPU and Akasa 7106HP or K25 heatsink or 35W TDP CPU and supplied heatsink, plus 1 or 2 sticks of DDR3 RAM and a 2.5in HDD/SSD (add an M350 HDD tray to use 2x HDD/SSDs).

Downloads: BIOS, Documentation and Drivers.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/intel/H87M-ITX/
http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H87M-ITX/?cat=Specifications

Package Contents: 2x SATA cables, 1x I/O back plate, 1x Driver and Software DVD.

Suitable Memory: The H87M-ITX uses 1333/1600MHz DDR3 memory. This is not compatible with DDR/DDR2 memory. Fully tested DDR3 DIMMs are available here or in the 'you may also require' section to the left.

About ASRock

ASRock Inc. is established in 2002, specialized in the field of motherboards. ASRock strives to build up its own brand. With the 3C design concept, “Creativity, Consideration, Cost-effectiveness”, the company explores the limit of motherboards manufacturing while paying attention on the eco issue at the same time, developing products with the consideration of eco-friendly concept.

ASRock has been growing fast and become world third largest motherboard brand with headquarter in Taipei, Taiwan and branches in Europe and the USA. The young and vibrant company targets from mainstream to enthusiast MB segments for different kinds of users, owning reputation around the world market with its reliability and proficiency. http://www.asrock.com

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Can VIA Technologies save the mobile computing future of the x86 (x64) legacy platform?

Update: The Third x86-based SoC Player: VIA & Centaur’s Isaiah II [PC Perspective, July 11, 2014]

… VIA, through their Centaur Technology division, is expected to announce [on Sept 1, 2014] their own x86-based SoC, too. Called Isaiah II, it is rumored to be a quad core, 64-bit processor with a maximum clock rate of 2.0 GHz. Its GPU is currently unknown. VIA sold their stake S3 Graphics to HTC back in 2011, who then became majority shareholder over the GPU company. That said, HTC and VIA are very close companies. The chairwoman of HTC is the founder of VIA Technologies. The current President and CEO of VIA, who has been in that position since 1992, is her husband. I expect that the GPU architecture will be provided by S3, or will somehow be based on their technology. I could be wrong. Both companies will obviously do what they think is best.

It would make sense, though, especially if it benefits HTC with cheap but effective SoCs for Android and “full” Windows (not Windows RT) devices.

Or this announcement could be larger than it would appear. Three years ago, VIA filed for a patent which described a processor that can read both x86 and ARM machine language and translate it into its own, internal microinstructions. The Centaur Isaiah II could reasonably be based on that technology. If so, this processor would be able to support either version of Android. Or, after Intel built up the Android x86 code base, maybe they shelved that initiative (or just got that patent for legal reasons). …

Update: VIA Isaiah II Gives Intel and AMD Reasons to Worry with Low-power CPUs [techPowerUp, July 7, 2014]

Only the third active licencee of Intel’s x86 machine architecture, VIA Technology, is readying its first x86 processor in years, codenamed Isaiah II. This chip is based on a brand new 64-bit x86 core design by VIA and the engineering team it acquired from Centaur Technology, another erstwhile x86 licencee, and features modern instruction sets such as AVX 2.0. VIA began sampling a quad-core processor based on Isaiah II, which was put to live test by the company, at its InfoComm 2014 booth. It was compared to Intel’s “Bay Trail” Atom and AMD’s “Kabini” Athlon chips. It turns out that the Isaiah II is pretty good, if it comes out soon enough.

The Isaiah II based quad-core chip, featuring 2.00 GHz clock speeds, and 2 MB of L2 cache, was put through SANDRA. The BGA chip was running on a VIA-made motherboard, with its own VIA VX11H chipset. It was compared to AMD Athlon 5350 (quad-core “Jaguar” with 2.05 GHz clocks), and Intel Atom Z3770 (quad-core “Silvermont” with 2.40 GHz clocks). The results are tabulated below. At 2.00 GHz, armed with the latest multimedia and cryptography instruction-sets, VIA’s chip is faster than Intel’s in most tests, despite lower clocks. It trades blows – and wins – against AMD’s chip, in most tests. VIA is expected to launch the first chips based on Isaiah II in late-August, 2014. VIA is hedging its bets with efficient compact PCs, kiosks, and digital signage, with its new chip.

Update: VIA reportedly moving x86 CPU resources to new joint venture in China [DIGITIMES, Feb 19, 2014]

VIA Technologies is rumored to have started shifting its x86 CPU technologies and related personnel to its newly formed IC design joint venture with a China government-owned investment firm, according to market watchers, adding that VIA recently notified clients that it will stop supplying x86 processors temporarily. VIA declined to comment about market rumors and pointed out that its x86 CPU business is still operating. The joint venture was announced in early 2014 with VIA owning a 20% stake in the company. The market watchers pointed out that if the rumor is true, it would mean VIA’s x86 processor platform has officially walked into history, and the China government will be able to get hold x86 technologies to develop related products. VIA has been pushing its CPU products in China for many years, mainly targeting the white-box market. With the new move, VIA may no longer release processors under its name and will instead use the name of the joint venture in the future, the market watchers said. Because VIA’s x86 CPU business is licensed by Intel, moving related resources to a new joint venture is expected to attract Intel’s attention. However, the chip giant may not be able to do much because Intel reached an agreement with the US’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) in 2010 to not interfere with competition in the CPU and chipset markets, and extend its licensing of PCI Express to VIA by at least another six years. Intel is also unlikely to wish to offend the China investment firm, which has support from the China government, the market watchers analyzed.

End of updates

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