When the ITX form factor arrived, its primary identity was mainly that of the energy-efficient, tiny workhorse computer. A few generations have passed and companies have experimented with what to put into their ITX offerings. We have gone through a couple รย of ITX boards in the past and we’ve seen how these companies played around with their products. Now in the Haswell era it seems like that we’ve reached the boiling point as ASUS and GIGABYTE have stepped-up and now introduces ITX boards to their top-of-the-line brands (ROG and G1 respectively), all the while retaining core features that give these ITX boards more punch than their size suggests.
Never wanting to be outdone, ASUS has broaden their line-up to include their PRO line of mainstream motherboards. For this review, we will be checking out the Z87I-Pro ITX motherboard. Featuring the 8-series Intel chipset and supporting LGA1150 Haswell CPUs, its got all the modern toys any high-end build needs and more, all at the ITX form factor. Couple that with a full 12+2 phase VRM design and there’s some mean overclocking potential in there as well. Read on as we take a closer look at what ASUS has got in-store for us.
Full specifications and details can be seen at ASUS official product page.
Seems to be a trend in the 8-series boards for companies to adopt a black design in their packaging. This isn’t new to ASUS since they’ve been using black packaging for 2-3 generations now. Anyways, the Z87I-Pro comes in a small (compared to most boards) box. The front is highlighted with marketing icons and feature tags but the one that will certainly catch your eye is the 12+2 DIGI+ VRM notation. ASUS seems to be very proud of its VRM.
Checking out the back we have detailed specifications and a feature layout.
The package is average with a healthy serving of SATA cables. Other than that, the standard documentation, I/O shield, etc. are included with ASUS’ WIFI/BT antenna being the unique addition to this bundle.
[pullquote_right]There is nothing PRO about the yellow on this board.รย NOTHING![/pullquote_right]The board’s layout is pretty standard ITX at first glance but ASUS has taken some steps to ensure that this motherboard has very good compatibility with top-end components and coolers. We’ll talk about that in detail later. All in all, the board is clean and the black PCB really stands-out but I really have to say it now: That is an awful choice for a gold scheme. The only hints of gold here are in the VRM and PCH heatsinks, other than that, everything is yellow. And its not Camaro yellow, not candy yellow, but piss yellow. When ECS did the gold theme for their Z77 line, they at least had all non-metal components to be in black instead of forcing it to be yellow. There is nothing PRO about the yellow on this board. NOTHING!
The rear I/O offers us a rich set of USB ports: 6x USB3.0 ports, 4x USB2.0. Multimedia connectivities includes DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort output options for the IGP whilst audio options include a optical port, and 3 audio ports powered by an ALC1150 chip. Network options include a single LAN port and a built-in expansion card gives us BT/WIFI support. A BIOS reset and button is available as well as the USB BIOS flash button which allows users to update without a CPU.
รย As mentioned, the ASUS Z87I-Pro features an improved layout to accommodate enthusiast components. To clear up area around the CPU, the entire VRM section has been placed on a daughterboard is soldered vertically onto the board.
Vertical clearance should be plenty enough for large coolers like the Phanteks PH-TC14PE to fit without issues.
A smart addition by ASUS is moving the 24-pin PSU and ATX12 plugs in the right area of the board. This should allow for easier cable management and a very good attention to detail.
As mentioned earlier, the board includes a total of six SATAIII ports. Four of these are located right beside the PCH which just so happens to OVERLAP the DIMM slots. This is a major design flaw as those SATA cables will need to go-over the DIMMs once the need for more than 2 storage connection arises. What’s the point of putting them in if it makes a problem? Looking at the board closely, you can see there’s plenty of space for angled SATA ports. Why ASUS chose not to opt for such a solution is beyond us.
Just like GIGABYTE, ASUS has now opted to use a unified design for their WIFI/BT antennae. Their new antenna is a wide model compared to the traditional look of the competition. Similar to both though is the magnetic base and adjustable top. In ASUS’ case, it can sit upright or lay flat on the side of your enclosure.
