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Mousemagician
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2010
- Messages
- 326
Hi guys,
Like many of you, I’m a victim of the “SFF fever”.
I built MINI ITX systems in the past, and I got plenty of satisfaction! As an example, I had a lot of fun building a Zotac GF9300 WiFi with Intel E3200 oced at 3.6 GHz inside an Antec Mini-Skeleton:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1035348050#post1035348050
After the SandyBridge came out, with SATA 6GBs, USB3.0, Intel 2600K support, and new integrated video, I couldn’t resist to the temptation to build a kickass gaming Mini-ITX!!!
The result is that, in a wave of excitation, I sold ALL the components of my beloved gigantic gaming machine on eBay (see specs in my signature), to invest the earned money in the SB ITX.
The aim is having at the end of the day a tiny, silent, and powerful gaming machine…
First step (and the really most difficult one): to find the right MoBo.
You all know what I’m talking about: an ITX MoBo bearing the Intel P67 chipset.
In fact, because of the crazy marketing decision of Intel to commercialize the H67 (with integrated video but no ocing abilities) and the P67 (with ocing abilities but no integrated video), Mini-ITX manufacturers were forced to produce the most sellable one: the H67. The reason seems to be that the major use of ITX systems is as HTPC. That’s perfectly understandable!
Thus, I NEED someone producing a P67 ITX!!!
Another possibility could be to wait for the Z68 chipset to come out, and then hoping that some manufacturer makes an ITX with that! I other words: it’s a matter of time!
Time is something people crazy for computer building like me cannot stand at all!!!
Finally, I decided to ask directly to the major MoBo manufacturers out there. Here you are the kind of email that I sent:
· Zotac
· Asus
· Gigabyte
· ECS-USA
· MSI
· Asrock
The most interesting answers came from ECS and Asrock:
Reply rom ECS-USA:
[FONT="]MSI reply:[/FONT]
Do you know what I got from Zotac and Asus? NOTHING!!! This is very unpleasant, since these are the most important ITX manufacturer, along with Gigabyte that was wrong and telegraphic.
I can understand that they want keep their marketing secret, but an answer to a customer is just matter of good manner.
Shame on you Zotac and Asus, most of all since I was tempted to purchase the Zotac H67ITX-C-E before any P67 would have been available.
As a result of this correspondence, I probably will purchase the ECS H67H2-I. Thus I can patiently wait until a Z68 comes out.
I like the ECS H67 ITX because:
1. There is an empty mini-PCIe slot, for a wifi, a TV tuner, or a mini-PCE SSD (when it will be available). Many others don’t have any mini-PCIe slot (Gigabyte and Asrock H67M-ITX), or bear a half height one (such as the Asus P8H67-I DeLuxe and Asrock H67M-ITX/HT), or have a full length mini PCIe slot occupied by a cheap WiFi card (such as the Zotac H67ITX-C-E).
2. All solid capacitors. Important for such a small form factor.
3. 240 pin ram (instead of the 204 pin SDRAM of the Asus).
4. It will be cheaper that similarly equipped ITX from the other manufacturers (see the case of the H55H-I).
5. The communication with the ECS representative has been compelling and rich of information.
The only limitation with the ECS ITX will be the absence of a USB3.0 header. The Zotac and Asus ones have them. Anyways, today there aren’t any cases supporting front UBS3.0 that can be connected to the header, but only to the USB3.0 in the rear I/O by USB adapter (see the LianLi cases, as an example).
I think this is the first list of ITX manufacturer official responses to our questions...
What do you SFF fanatics think about that?
Like many of you, I’m a victim of the “SFF fever”.
I built MINI ITX systems in the past, and I got plenty of satisfaction! As an example, I had a lot of fun building a Zotac GF9300 WiFi with Intel E3200 oced at 3.6 GHz inside an Antec Mini-Skeleton:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1035348050#post1035348050
After the SandyBridge came out, with SATA 6GBs, USB3.0, Intel 2600K support, and new integrated video, I couldn’t resist to the temptation to build a kickass gaming Mini-ITX!!!
The result is that, in a wave of excitation, I sold ALL the components of my beloved gigantic gaming machine on eBay (see specs in my signature), to invest the earned money in the SB ITX.
The aim is having at the end of the day a tiny, silent, and powerful gaming machine…
First step (and the really most difficult one): to find the right MoBo.
You all know what I’m talking about: an ITX MoBo bearing the Intel P67 chipset.
In fact, because of the crazy marketing decision of Intel to commercialize the H67 (with integrated video but no ocing abilities) and the P67 (with ocing abilities but no integrated video), Mini-ITX manufacturers were forced to produce the most sellable one: the H67. The reason seems to be that the major use of ITX systems is as HTPC. That’s perfectly understandable!
Thus, I NEED someone producing a P67 ITX!!!
Another possibility could be to wait for the Z68 chipset to come out, and then hoping that some manufacturer makes an ITX with that! I other words: it’s a matter of time!
Time is something people crazy for computer building like me cannot stand at all!!!
Finally, I decided to ask directly to the major MoBo manufacturers out there. Here you are the kind of email that I sent:
Here you are the list of the manufacturers that I sent the message to:
· Zotac
· Asus
· Gigabyte
· ECS-USA
· MSI
· Asrock
The most interesting answers came from ECS and Asrock:
Reply rom ECS-USA:
My 1st reply to ECS:
Then, from ECS-USA:
[FONT="]My last reply to ECS-USA:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Here there is the Asrock reply:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Gigabyte has been a little bit disappointing, since it’s the most probable producer of a P67 ITX platform:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The same day I got this reply, the GA-H67N-USB3 went available on Newegg! I suppose they intended the GA-P67N-USB3…[/FONT]
[FONT="]MSI reply:[/FONT]
Thus, no P67 from MSI.
Do you know what I got from Zotac and Asus? NOTHING!!! This is very unpleasant, since these are the most important ITX manufacturer, along with Gigabyte that was wrong and telegraphic.
I can understand that they want keep their marketing secret, but an answer to a customer is just matter of good manner.
Shame on you Zotac and Asus, most of all since I was tempted to purchase the Zotac H67ITX-C-E before any P67 would have been available.
As a result of this correspondence, I probably will purchase the ECS H67H2-I. Thus I can patiently wait until a Z68 comes out.
I like the ECS H67 ITX because:
1. There is an empty mini-PCIe slot, for a wifi, a TV tuner, or a mini-PCE SSD (when it will be available). Many others don’t have any mini-PCIe slot (Gigabyte and Asrock H67M-ITX), or bear a half height one (such as the Asus P8H67-I DeLuxe and Asrock H67M-ITX/HT), or have a full length mini PCIe slot occupied by a cheap WiFi card (such as the Zotac H67ITX-C-E).
2. All solid capacitors. Important for such a small form factor.
3. 240 pin ram (instead of the 204 pin SDRAM of the Asus).
4. It will be cheaper that similarly equipped ITX from the other manufacturers (see the case of the H55H-I).
5. The communication with the ECS representative has been compelling and rich of information.
The only limitation with the ECS ITX will be the absence of a USB3.0 header. The Zotac and Asus ones have them. Anyways, today there aren’t any cases supporting front UBS3.0 that can be connected to the header, but only to the USB3.0 in the rear I/O by USB adapter (see the LianLi cases, as an example).
I think this is the first list of ITX manufacturer official responses to our questions...
What do you SFF fanatics think about that?
Last edited:
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