The AM1 Kabini Motherboard Preview: Analyzing the Hardware
by Ian Cutress on April 19, 2014 2:00 PM ESTASRock AM1H-ITX
The last motherboard in our roundup is one we have previously featured on AnandTech before Kabini launch. The ASRock AM1H-ITX takes a different direction almost entirely by providing users with the option of powering the system by a power supply or a standard 19V laptop charger. For this latter configuration, ASRock provide a SATA power header on the motherboard for SATA devices, but unless two lower powered units are used, it is only a one-to-one power header.
For being the most expensive Kabini motherboard, ASRock is piling a lot into this model. Alongside an additional controller for SATA 6 Gbps (totaling four ports), there is also another USB 3.0 controller. Both of these are from ASMedia. With the full length PCIe 2.0 slot there is also a mini-PCIe slot for a WiFi card.
Another feature on the AM1H-ITX that sets it apart from the other Kabini motherboards is the inclusion of a DisplayPort on the rear IO. Due to the presence of the DC-In Jack and the larger video outputs, we are limited in USB ports compared to some of the other models. Because there is a DC-In, ASRock has forgone the 4-pin CPU power connector, choosing instead to use power direct from the DC-In or ATX power connector.
The AM1H-ITX is also the only motherboard in this roundup with a 7.1 audio codec, using the Realtek ALC892 compared to the ALC887 or ALC662 on the others which are both 2.1 at best.
| ASRock AM1H-ITX | |
| Price | Link |
| Size | Mini-ITX |
| CPU Interface | FS1b |
| Chipset | Kabini |
| Memory Slots |
Two DDR3 DRAM slots, supporting 16GB Single Channel, 1066-1600 MHz |
| Video Outputs |
VGA (2048x1536 at 60 Hz) DVI-D (1920x1200 at 60 Hz) HDMI (4096x2160 at 24 Hz or 3840x2160 at 30 Hz) DisplayPort (4096x2160 at 30 Hz) |
| Onboard LAN | Realtek RTL8111GR |
| Onboard Audio | Realtek ALC892 |
| Expansion Slots |
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4) 1 x mini-PCIe |
| Onboard SATA/RAID |
2 x SATA 6 Gbps (Chipset) 2 x SATA 6 Gbps (ASMedia 1061) |
| USB 3.0 |
2 x USB 3.0 (Chipset) [back panel) 2 x USB 3.0 (ASMedia 1042A) [header] |
| Onboard |
4 x SATA 6 Gbps 1 x USB 3.0 Header 2 x USB 2.0 Headers 3 x Fan Headers 1 x COM Header 1 x TPM Header Front Panel Header Front Audio Header |
| Power Connectors |
1 x 24-pin ATX 1 x 19V DC-In on Rear Panel |
| Fan Headers |
1 x CPU (4-pin) 1 x CHA (4-pin) 1 x SYS (3-pin) |
| IO Panel |
1 x 19V DC-In Jack 1 x PS/2 Combination Port VGA DVI-D HDMI DisplayPort 1.2 2 x USB 2.0 2 x USB 3.0 1 x Gigabit Ethernet Audio Jacks (ALC892) |
| Product Page | Link |
Being $59 puts it at almost double the cost of the cheapest motherboards. For the price difference a user could almost pick up one of the lower cost APUs. This all comes back to the question of what functionality a user needs. Does it just have to run and go, or is connectivity a concern?
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rRansom - Sunday, April 20, 2014 - link
Test acknowledged.Samus - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
I got it too.Ortanon - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
lollmcd - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
The MSI would do better to have antenna and an attach point for everything for 2-3 $ more.lmcd - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
The commentary on the ASRock AM1H-ITX price misses the mark -- the benefits of the DC laptop power option mean that a tiny case attached to a VESA mount can be more easily used. Also, aren't such power supplies cheaper?teldar - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
I built one with the a asrock am1h and didn't even use a case. It's screwed to a piece of lexan and th e ssd is stuck underneath it.MonkeyPaw - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
I would love to see some tests with GPUs installed. Since the jaguar core is also used in the latest consoles, I'm curious to see what happens when you drop comparable GPUs (to the new consoles) inside. Can the PS4/XboxOne even make good use of all that GPU power with such a basic CPU? Do it for science!wolrah - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
A tricky difference with the consoles is that they get twice the cores compared to retail offerings.tuxRoller - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=20215You're welcome:)
MonkeyPaw - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
I saw that, but it's on Ubuntu, which isn't quite up to speed as Windows.Also, while I know the new consoles have 8 cores, they run at lower clocks than the 5350. I also have my doubts that most games can use all 8 cores effectively. I think they are there more for better multitasking. Like I said, it would be interesting to see what a mid-range GPU could do here. Would it be worth it to spend $80 on AM1 and $150 on a GPU, or would that $230 go further another way, like with an A10-7850K? Which would make a better budget gaming combo? You might also be able to skimp on RAM with AM1 since you'll have a dedicated GPU will