Z77 mITX Round-Up: Five of the Best – MSI, Zotac, ASRock, EVGA and ASUS
by Ian Cutress on December 31, 2012 7:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- MSI
- ASRock
- EVGA
- ZOTAC
- Asus
- Ivy Bridge
- Z77
- mITX
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).
|
Gigabyte H77N-WiFi |
MSI Z77IA-E53 |
Zotac Z77-ITX WiFi |
ASRock Z77E-ITX |
EVGA Z77 Stinger |
ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe |
|
| Price | $120 | $145 | $161 | $150 | $200 | $185 |
| CPU OC | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| PCIe 8-Pin | Middle-Left | Bottom-Left | Bottom-Left | Middle-Left | Top-Left | Top-Right |
| LAN |
2 x Realtek 8111E |
Realtek 8111E |
2 x Realtek 8111E |
Broadcom BCM57781 |
Intel 82574L |
Intel 82579V |
| WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n WiFi/WiDi | 802.11 b/g/n WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n WiFi | 802.11 b/g/n WiFi | - |
WiFi 2.5 GHz + 5 GHz |
| Audio |
Realtek ALC892 |
Realtek ALC892 |
Reaktek ALC889 |
Realtek ALC898 |
Realtek ALC889 |
Realtek ALC898 |
| SATA 6/3/m | 2 + 2 | 2 + 2 | 2 + 2 + 1 | 2 + 2 + 1 | 2 + 2 | 2 + 2 |
| USB 3/2 | 4 + 6 | 4 + 6 | 4 + 8 | 6 + 6 | 6 + 6 | 6 + 8 |
| Fan Headers | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Video Outputs |
HDMI x 2 DVI-I |
HDMI VGA |
2 x HDMI mDP |
HDMI DP DVI-I |
HDMI mDP |
DVI-I HDMI DP |
| PS/2 Port | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| In The Box |
2 x SATA Cables 2 x Antenna |
2 x SATA Cables 1 x Antenna |
4 x SATA Cables 2 x Antenna USB 3.0 Bracket mDP to DP Connector 8-pin CPU Extension |
2 x SATA Cables 2 x Antenna DVI-I to VGA |
4 x SATA Cables Molex to 2x SATA Power Molex to 3x SATA Power |
4 x SATA Cables 2 x Magnetic Antenna |
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 $150 (or in the sales) it is definitely worth a look.
ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe: Bronze Award
While the ASUS may not strike bang-for-buck, it does hit the target of being the best board in this roundup without hitting the prize for being the most expensive. With a daughterboard for the VRMs, the P8Z77-I Deluxe willfully expands the available PCB area without an ounce of regret, paving the way for future designs of a similar nature on other products. We get the best audio codec out of the bunch, the best Ethernet NIC, a (personally) preferred socket/chipset orientation, stellar performance in selected benchmarks, and one the best BIOS/Software combinations available. Also, USB ports and video outputs galore, with perpendicular ring antenna combined with a 5 GHz WiFi module. Minor defects are what separate the great from the supreme products, but the great ASUS P8Z77-I Deluxe should be in the back of your mind no matter what Z77 mITX you decide to purchase.
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ryedizzel - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
Thank you so much for this Z77 roundup as I'm currently shopping for a new mobo and have been piecing together reviews from various sites. But as usual I always check here first, then Tom's, then Hardocp (in that order). Keep up the great work in 2013!Aikouka - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
Ah, if only I held off on building my silent HTPC for a little bit longer. The hardest part about working with a Streacom case (other than building it) is finding a good motherboard that doesn't put too much in the way of the heat pipes. That's one reason why I was considering going with a board with mSATA, and I'm pretty certain that I stumbled across that ASRock board. Unfortunately, I looked at the photos, and didn't see a mSATA port, so I passed on it. Who would have thought to look at the back? Boy, do I feel like a bit of a dummy now! =$Although, speaking of the back mSATA connector, I recall seeing you touch on it on the recommendation page, but do you think it would work well on most cases? If I remember correctly, mSATA drives are fairly thin, so it might be fine. Going back to the Streacom, it does look like the ASRock offering would work well in regard to clearance even disregarding the mSATA port as the light gray SATA ports should clear the heat pipes. The USB3 port won't though.
philipma1957 - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
I built 2 asrock builds with the msata as the only drive. btw this z77 review with no regard to oc is pretty weird.I have a 3770k with a hd7970 gpu and an msata in a small case the cooler master elite it is a very fast powerful machine. I use the asrock and love it. it does have a flaw the msata slot is sata II
Ananke - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
I have i3-3225 (the same as in the article). In my opinion, for the money, the best is ASUS P8H77-I.It does have 6 SATA ports - a must for a file server. So, basically install Windows 8 on a SSD, add HDDs and create Storage Space - 5 SATA will allow you to create software RAID 5, without the need of SATA extension controller. BIOS is nice and stable. The board is $100 on Newegg.
The ASUS Z77 Deluxe is nice, if anybody needs all the additional functionality in a small form factor. However, only 4 SATA - means no good for video, file, backup server. You get the "overclocking" ability though. I doubt how practical is overclocking into so small space, probably to a handful of people. Teh board costs $185.
So, I would say $100 is better than $185, plus you get all the 6 SATA ports - priceless.
DarkStryke - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
Not everyone who games wants to have a huge tower. I've built more then one system based around the silverstone FT03-mini that runs a 3750k / Z77 deluxe-i and a GTX 670.I bring mine to lan parties and people are amazed at the power in such a small box, and it's just as fast as any desktop single GPU alternative.
Ananke - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
ASUS P8H77-I is a mini ITX board - the cheaper variant of the reviewed deluxe board. It costs $100.ggathagan - Wednesday, January 2, 2013 - link
I agree; the H77 makes much more sense for most ITX builds.I built a system with the P8H77-I, a GTX670 and the FT03-MINI.
I don't think the daughter card of the Z77 Deluxe would have fit in the case.
tramways - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
I registered here because the reviewer is lamenting that some boards use the ALC889 instead of the ALC892 codecs.The 889 like the 882 before it and the 898 after it is a much better codec than the 892.
The 883,888,892 codecs are the cheaper low performance DAC/ADC chips.
I would buy a board with the ALC889 or preferably the ALC898,but not with the ALC892.
all the best in 2013
Paul
limki - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
too bad I already ordered mine last week ... MSI Z77IAto tell the truth, i don't really mind [ at 136€ its a bit pricier than asrock with my supplier]
the conclusion for this board seems a bit biased to me
but hey, if you're not looking for a tiny powerhouse, you don't need z77
- in SUGO 05(and most small cases), MB is horizontally and PSU is above it, so cables and airflow will always be nasty
- using a discrete GPU, you don't care about not having DVI or DP
- no additional controller (USB/SATA) -> I don't plan on using more than 2(won't fit into case), so why bother?
//btw is the SATA 6/3/m correct 2+2? shouldn't be also 2+2+1?
- and if I'm to take the "military grade" stuff at least half seriously, ...
EnzoFX - Monday, December 31, 2012 - link
Do the post times include those pesky AHCI driver loading screen? I hate that it adds so much more to the boot process.