ASRock X99E-ITX/ac (Intel SKT 2011-3)

[Aibohphobia]

Which is why I'm asking about model IDs.

FDMF5821DC

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/71...mini-intel-x99-motherboard-review/index3.html

 

[WithoutWeakness]

The one issue is that in order to OC to the max on the Intel X99 Express platform requires a substantial cooler. Under normal loading, the provided cooler is fairly quiet at stock clocks, but under max speed, the cooler is noisy for sure. I am pretty sure I saw over 5000 RPM, which might give you an idea of the noise produced, but even so, it's high pitched, not crazy loud, IMHO.

I don't plan on overclocking much if at all so it sounds like I probably would be fine with the stock cooler. I grabbed the Noctua because I want it to stay as quiet as possible. Might have been an unnecessary investment. The "high-pitched" noise is something I'd like to avoid but if that was only under max load when OC'd I don't think I'll ever hear it. Thanks for the info!

 

[cadaveca]

There is no standard for MOSFET ratings so a 60A MOSFET might do 60A at 125C or 60A at 25C depending on the manufacturer. Also I looked up 60A fairchild MOSFETs there are many of them and not all of them do 60A output they do 55A out. Which is why I'm asking about model IDs.

It is really 60A per phase part number FDMF5821DC. -40 to 125 C.

But are the perceptible differences due to the platform change or the dual vs quad channel in particular?

I'd be curious if that was case, because the difference certainly shows in synthetics but I can't imagine anyone would notice it in normal use but maybe I'm just not sensitive enough.

That's a very valid point that cannot be ignored. I spent considerable time looking at this, and with X99 platform ,the fact that some boards have different pins than others further complicates things, especially when not all brands have same added pins. In the end, do I think that quad-channel is missed for most daily usage? Investigating that is possible with this board, for sure, and the ability to run with a higher cache clock certainly pays off on X99. So it might simply be the platform differences and directly, cache, that makes the difference, not memory bandwidth.

 

[newtekie1]

Anyone see Linus' 18-Core Titan X mini-ITX build with this?

 

[The Norwegian Drone Pilot]

I really like Mini-ITX builds. But atm i have this as my computer. So not sure if i would gain any benefits by going from Z97 to X99. The only thing i would see as different is that i would be able to use a GPU in x16 mode while using an M.2 SSD without having to put the PCIe port to x8 like i have to do with my Z97 motherboard now. But tests shows that you wont lose any performance by going from x16 to x8 on the GPU, so i will be fine that way.

The 2nd benefit we have with X99 is DDR4 RAM. But as tests also shows, you wont really gain much more performance with DDR4 RAM over what you get with the really fast DDR3 RAM's today, so as per now, i don't see the benefit to upgrade to X99.

But correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[Aibohphobia]

The 2nd benefit we have with X99 is DDR4 RAM. But as tests also shows, you wont really gain much more performance with DDR4 RAM over what you get with the really fast DDR3 RAM's today, so as per now, i don't see the benefit to upgrade to X99.

But correct me if i'm wrong.

CPU cores. Mainstream socket only goes up to 4C/8T while 2011 v3 goes up to 8C/16T or even higher with the Xeons.

 

[WithoutWeakness]

I really like Mini-ITX builds. But atm i have this as my computer. So not sure if i would gain any benefits by going from Z97 to X99. The only thing i would see as different is that i would be able to use a GPU in x16 mode while using an M.2 SSD without having to put the PCIe port to x8 like i have to do with my Z97 motherboard now. But tests shows that you wont lose any performance by going from x16 to x8 on the GPU, so i will be fine that way.

The 2nd benefit we have with X99 is DDR4 RAM. But as tests also shows, you wont really gain much more performance with DDR4 RAM over what you get with the really fast DDR3 RAM's today, so as per now, i don't see the benefit to upgrade to X99.

But correct me if i'm wrong.

The only real upgrade here from your current setup is the ability to use 6+ core chips and USB 3.1. You have an upgrade path to the quad-core i7's but nothing beyond that.

 

[Aquinus]

I personally can't think that wasting PCI-E lanes and DRAM channels is a good way to invest in a platform. I commend ASRock by jam packing a whole lot into a small motherboard, but in reality, anything less than micro-atx is a waste because you can't utilize all of the platform's features. It does put a whole lot of compute in a small area, but I would rather see such a design put into a server board, not something for consumers. Given the platform and the features presented, it's lack luster because there isn't enough room on the motherboard.

With respect to memory, for me and my 3820, I think the benefit comes more from having 8 DIMM slots and not 4 memory channels. Simply put, buffered DIMMs are expensive and memory is something I tend to run out of more often than CPU power and it was a reason why I went with skt2011 (I don't tend to outgrow CPUs quickly.) Personally, I see little justification for 6c/12t unless you have a very specific goal in mind. Don't get me wrong, I would love more cores as much as the next person, I just don't think it would make much of a difference over what I already demand out of my 3820 and I think most people don't realize that it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference. It's actually why I got the 3820 and not a 3930k or 3960x at the time. I knew that deep down, I couldn't justify the price and looking back at the decision, I still think I made the right one because I don't think my experience would have changed for anything except video encoding which is something I don't do often.

I might get some grief for this, but I feel like this is analogous to putting a big engine on a go kart and then calling it a sports car. Simply put, this socket isn't designed for ITX and I think this is a venture into the absurd.

All of that aside, it seems like a well performing board otherwise, quite impressive given the size, in fact. I wonder if running skt2011-3 in dual-channel mode will give us a glimpse of what to expect when mainstream platforms go DDR4, at least for Intel. I suspect that the extra cache on skt2011(-3) chips might offer a slight advantage as well.

With that said, I'll pass on the Mazda Miata with a Hemi under the hood.

 

[Caring1]

With that said, I'll pass on the Mazda Miata with a Hemi under the hood.

I don't know, it looks pretty tempting, even if it's only a Chev motor.

 

[Frick]

You see, they should easily be able to make LGA nanoITX boards.

 

[Aquinus]

You see, they should easily be able to make LGA nanoITX boards.

I think at that point, I would rather just have the CPU soldered to the motherboard. It saves space on a board where space is precious.

With that said, anyone who has skt2011 or 2011-3 knows that it's a huge socket, size wise. When I first got my 3820 it blew my mind how big it was compared to everything I've had or built in the past. Not exactly optimal for a platform with limited space, that's for sure, but man does it offer a lot of features to boot.

If this board could come with a 5820k soldered to fit in 2 more DIMM slots and maybe (if we're lucky) a second PCI-E slot with the saved space, then we're talking a potentially kick ass platform IMHO. Sockets take up more space then one realizes.

 

[Ikaruga]

Anyone see Linus' 18-Core Titan X mini-ITX build with this?

Best horror movie ever

 

[Doc41]

Great review as always... man that's a powerful little board

and btw that's a Dynatron R24 Its fan can go up to 7K rpm! review

 

[WithoutWeakness]

Great review as always... man that's a powerful little board

and btw that's a Dynatron R24 Its fan can go up to 7K rpm! review

Wow. I wish I had seen that review before I ordered my cooler. I went with the U12DX i4 and had to mount it perpendicular to the RAM slots because the heatpipes touched the RAM if I mounted it parallel to them. The U9DX i4 seems like it's a perfect fit on this board and is definitely still a powerful enough cooler for the chip.