Z77 mITX Round-Up: Five of the Best – MSI, Zotac, ASRock, EVGA and ASUS

Final Words

Despite being a motherboard reviewer for the past couple of years, my foray into the world of mini-ITX based products was initially into the realm of the unknown.  I am by no means a HTPC specialist or enthusiast by virtue of circumstance (the small amount of color blindness and a large dollop of tone deafness does not help either), until I decided to fork over some money for a mITX gaming case and get to work.  On posting some mITX news regarding a couple of the boards reviewed in this article, the responses I received from the readers of AnandTech pointed towards a request for large mITX review, and thankfully all the big players came to the table with their offerings.

Trying to fit everything on a 17cm x 17cm PCB is not easy.  Some manufacturers (MSI, Zotac, ASRock) opt for placing the chipset above the socket for more space along the edges of the motherboard, although this compromises the position of the CPU 8-pin power connector and the size of the CPU heatsink that can be used.  Others (ASUS, EVGA) place the socket on top like more typical ATX offerings, with ASUS going a step further and actually removing the VRM off the main motherboard altogether.

We also see a mixture of network, audio and video output offerings along the range.  The Zotac offers a pair of Realtek NICs, whereas as all other offer either a single Realtek (MSI), a single Broadcom (ASRock), or a single Intel (EVGA, ASUS).  The lower tier manufacturers (EVGA, Zotac) slump a little in the audio codec with an ALC889, MSI has the ALC892, and ASUS/ASRock get the ALC898.  EVGA fail to offer a WiFi module, whereas all the others give a standard 802.11 b/g/n except ASUS, whom also enable 5 GHz compatibility.  Readers wanting WiDi either have to look at the Gigabyte 7-series mITX or the ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe/WD model.

Manufacturers differ wildly in their package, BIOS and software offerings.  Few packages arise above a few SATA cables and antenna – Zotac add in a mDP to DP connector, a USB 3.0 bracket and an 8-pin extension cable, whereas ASRock throw in a DVI-I to VGA converter and EVGA think best to supply molex to SATA power cables.  Almost everyone has a graphical BIOS interface except EVGA, who are hoping for one with the 8-series and Haswell.  Software also varies from near nil (Zotac, EVGA) to a myriad of programs (MSI, ASRock) to a complete all-in-one package (ASUS).

Performance does not show any clear winner, though there are some noticeable results.  The ASRock draws more power than the rest under discrete GPU loading and is significantly slower on our WinRar testing. The MSI suffers in USB 2.0 speed quite dramatically, especially when compared to the USB boosting techniques used by ASRock for USB 2.0 – ASUS use different techniques to boost their USB 3.0 speed, which we have tested in the past to provide a better benefit under small transfer sizes.  ASUS scored significant wins in WinRAR and FastStone, and the discrete GPU performance is also noteworthy.

As a result of all the testing, I have decided to give one recommendation and one bronze award to the following:

ASRock Z77E-ITX: Recommendation

The ASRock Z77E-ITX provides a solid package that hits the price/performance ratio square on the jaw.  Their BIOS and software packages provide a better all around experience than most of the competition, and the ease of use ticks all the boxes.  Placing the mSATA on the reverse of the motherboard is a great idea.  Where some companies are trying to innovate on the hardware, ASRock are attacking both hardware and software, with perhaps some room for improvement.  But at $150 (or in the sales) it is definitely worth a look.

ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe: Bronze Award

While the ASUS may not strike bang-for-buck, it does hit the target of being the best board in this roundup without hitting the prize for being the most expensive.  With a daughterboard for the VRMs, the P8Z77-I Deluxe willfully expands the available PCB area without an ounce of regret, paving the way for future designs of a similar nature on other products.  We get the best audio codec out of the bunch, the best Ethernet NIC, a (personally) preferred socket/chipset orientation, stellar performance in selected benchmarks, and one the best BIOS/Software combinations available.  Also, USB ports and video outputs galore, with perpendicular ring antenna combined with a 5 GHz WiFi module.  Minor defects are what separate the great from the supreme products, but the great ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe should be in the back of your mind no matter what Z77 mITX you decide to purchase.