Intel N100 based micro ATX boards

[csendesmark]

Hello All
I have a ~12 years old Asus E35M1-M Pro based rig mostly for NAS purposes at home.
When I bought it, it had everything I wished for:
Plenty of SATA ports "top speed" ethernet, Gigabit speeds were really good and it costed a fortune to have any faster, (although 10Gigabit capable gear prices are still quite steep).
More than a decade passed since and it is still working like a charm, time to time I checking if I should replace it with something new, but usually I got only disappointments.

Today I noticed the new Intel N100 series, which might fit my use case (I know, TPU even posted about this a month earlier, I missed that one...)
Asus Prime N100I-D - this one is almost right, only 1 gigabit speed. I would prefer a somewhat bigger cooler block on it.
ASROCK N100M - only 1 gigabit speed.
ASROCK N100DC-ITX - only 1 gigabit speed.
I wish someone made this with at least with a 2.5 gigabit port.
Seems like they decided not to release a jack of all trades board like earlier.
So I start this thread to help others and myself find the best mainboards for this purpose.

 

[lemonadesoda]

Rather than starting with a brand you know and looking for mainboards, do a google search for N100 Dual LAN.

You'll get lots of options. IMO Dual LAN is better than just 2.5G which has all sorts of problems unless your switch and other devices are 2.5G compatible, and not all brands handle 2.5G in the same way, whereas 2x 1G can be paired (link aggregation) or independent, allowing one network device to access at 1G and another to access at 1G simultaneously. IMO better than 1x 2,5G port that will lag under competition.

Dual LAN also allows for network separation if you need it. I do that with my firewall. Dual ethernet port atom. One link WAN. Other link LAN. Absolutely impossible for LAN to reach WAN without firewall inbetween.

I generally like ASROCK and also ASUS, but their offerings are without Dual LAN. Forget them this time.

 

[csendesmark]

I see your point, but for me 2.5gigabit is the minimum actually
The current setup is working just fine! Would not bother with setup a Dual 1giabit links.
The ASROCK N100M even could take a 10Gigabit card if I were desperate. (But I would rather not get any other parts)
Also I have a nice case and all for it, not looking for a mini box like this getting hot

I have nothing against them, I just wish to have a mini atx mainboard to with at least 2 sata faster ethernet than the good old 1 gigabit and some m.2 slot for nvme drive.

 

[lemonadesoda]

? If the device is going to be mostly NAS why do you want m2 slot ?

There must be other usage scenarios you are considering. In which case, state them, so that your request for advice can be properly considered by people here who are happy to share their experience or insights.

Even SATA SSDs are getting pretty close to saturating a 10gig ethernet if it is file-serving. Certainly it will saturate a 2.5G connection.

I knew a teenager once, saying his first car had to be fast, with turbo chargers and go faster stripes, wing spoilers, loud exhaust pipes and tinted windows, aluminium wheel rims, racing tyres, and NOX injection. "is the minimum actually" that I want for my new car that I will use for work. Job: Postman.

 

[csendesmark]

Long term, it will be 10 gigabit speed, so I want some buffer set up, eventually.
Also I wish to have the system on an SSD to make it silent, except when I actively use the disk drives of course.

 

[csendesmark]

AAEON Launches MIX-ALND1, Intel Processor N-series Powered Mini-ITX for Gaming, Machine Automation, and Kiosk Solutions

AAEON, a leading producer of industrial motherboards, has released the MIX-ALND1, a versatile Mini-ITX board that supports Intel Processor N-series CPUs. Powered by either the Intel Processor N97 or the Intel Processor N50, the MIX-ALND1 offers users flexible DDR5-4800 system memory via the...

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AAEON Launches MIX-ALND1

MIX-ALND1

Intel® Processor N50 DDR5 4800MHz SODIMM, Max 32GB HDMI 2.0 x 2 + DP 1.2 x 1, LVDS/eDP x 1 M.2 2280 M-Key x 1, M.2 2230 E-Key x 1, M.2 3042/52 B-Key x 1 with SIM socket USB 3.2 x 2, USB 2.0 x 6 GbE x 2 RS-232/422/485 Pin Header x 2, RS-232 Pin Header x 4 SATA III x 1 12V DC Input Note: This...

eshop.aaeon.com

With two LAN ports! Yaaay
Only 1 gigabit each, but it is a step in the good way!
Also two m.2
No PCIe expansion slot tho

 

[R-T-B]

Is there a chance of fitting a low profile PCIe lan card in there? Lots of options for 10gpbs if you go that way.

 

[csendesmark]

Is there a chance of fitting a low profile PCIe lan card in there? Lots of options for 10gpbs if you go that way.

I have a midtower worth of space actually, I just wish to keep it simple.
But a short list of good 10G adapters under (possibly under $100) would be handy. Since I have no experience with them.

 

[claes]

It’s a pretty niche market, you’re not going to find the latest and greatest but there are definitely options. ASROCK and Supermicro won’t let me share a link with filters but I’m sure you can find your way

https://www.asrockrack.com/general/products.asp#Server

Technologically Advanced High-End Motherboards | Supermicro

Supermicro’s in-house design superiority is tailored for the needs of gaming, IoT or Enterprise; consistent highest-quality and production expertise

www.supermicro.com

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/motherboard/#f=7,8&c0=2x10000-2x1000,2x10000-1x1000,2x10000,1x10000-1x2500,1x10000-2x1000,1x10000-1x1000,1x10000,1x5000-1x1000,2x2500,1x2500-2x1000,1x2500-1x1000,1x2500&sort=-price&page=1

 

[R-T-B]

I have a midtower worth of space actually, I just wish to keep it simple.
But a short list of good 10G adapters under (possibly under $100) would be handy. Since I have no experience with them.

I have had good luck with anything aquantia based. Beyond that avoid most consumer intel chipsets. Most are buggy. The server ones are solid but I doubt they'll be low profile.

 

[TheLostSwede]

Not quite suitable as a NAS, unless you have a lot of money to spend on SSDs...
But it has a 2.5 Gbps port.

GB-BNIP-N100 (rev. 1.0) Key Features | BRIX (Mini-PC Barebone) - GIGABYTE Global

Simplified Design, Featherweight Feel 12th Gen Intel® Processor N100 Intel® UHD Graphics 750 Super Fast 2.5G LAN + Wi-Fi 6 Module 3 x 4K Module - 2 x HDMI ...

www.gigabyte.com

This is likely to be super expensive though, but has a 2.5 Gbps port, but only one SATA...

Kontron K3931-N mITX - An industrial mini-ITX motherboard with Intel Alder Lake N-series processor - CNX Software

Kontron K3931-N mITX is a mini-ITX motherboard based on an Intel Core i3 or Processor Alder Lake N-Series processor designed for fanless industrial

www.cnx-software.com

 

[csendesmark]

@claes Thank you for that part finder site, hope they will quickly add the Intel N serie integrated processor
@TheLostSwede that Gigabyte barebone looks great, wish they were selling it as an ITX
@R-T-B as I said, I have space for normal sized card, but I will look up the aquantia based cards

Thanks for the recommendations!

 

[R-T-B]

I have space for normal sized card

Missed that. In that case, used intel server cards can be a good deal sometimes. But the X540 and older ones support 10gbps only, no 5gbps/2.5gbps, so beware if you need that.

 

[csendesmark]

Missed that. In that case, used intel server cards can be a good deal sometimes. But the X540 and older ones support 10gbps only, no 5gbps/2.5gbps, so beware if you need that.

On the miss, I think it gave you the false view since all of these low W stuff are ITX sized therefor I need low profile stuff to match it

>Intel X540-T2 ~$320
Ouch!!! That costs more than double that I wish spend on the whole N100 upgrade
Honestly even this ASUS XG-C100C is too much with ~$100

XG-C100C｜Wired Networking｜ASUS Global

www.asus.com

This is one reason why I wish the N100 board with an integrated 2.5 gigabit,
So it already will be considerably faster than the old 1 gigabit, and then later I can have a fast LAN card and router when they hitting lower prices.

 

[R-T-B]

On the miss, I think it gave you the false view since all of these low W stuff are ITX sized therefor I need low profile stuff to match it

>Intel X540-T2 ~$320
Ouch!!! That costs more than double that I wish spend on the whole N100 upgrade
Honestly even this ASUS XG-C100C is too much with ~$100

XG-C100C｜Wired Networking｜ASUS Global

www.asus.com

This is one reason why I wish the N100 board with an integrated 2.5 gigabit,
So it already will be considerably faster than the old 1 gigabit, and then later I can have a fast LAN card and router when they hitting lower prices.

Yeah, you want used intel server gear not new. Sometimes can be had cheaply, but only sometimes. You have to watch.

Anyways the aquantia stuff is honestly a lot cheaper of a part and probably what you should watch for.

If you are ok with 2.5gbps, there are some realtek options that may fit the bill. Actually fit the bill.

 

[csendesmark]

If you are ok with 2.5gbps, there are some realtek options that may fit the bill. Actually fit the bill.

Well as I said, 2.5gbps is basically the new standard, which means it will be included in most mainstream systems, which means no extra cost.
As of now my GIGABYTE X570S AERO G's top LAN speed is also 2,5gbps, so it is likely that I choose this path, and upgrade to 10gbps later.
P.S. they calling my board for "creators", yet it is only 2.5gbps

 

[claes]

I’ve always wondered — is 2.5G going to be the new standard? Seems like a buggy stop-gap mess of a standard that just doesn’t work half of the time, and it is just an offshoot of 10G after all

 

[R-T-B]

I’ve always wondered — is 2.5G going to be the new standard? Seems like a buggy stop-gap mess of a standard that just doesn’t work half of the time, and it is just an offshoot of 10G after all

I mean it works fine on most chipsets that aren't costcut out the wazoo (*cough cough intel*)

 

[TheLostSwede]

@TheLostSwede that Gigabyte barebone looks great, wish they were selling it as an ITX

Thanks for the recommendations!

I was suggesting to someone I know there at the motherboard team to make such a product, specifically for NAS applications.
Let's just say that he wasn't interested. If you can make an order for 50k boards, they most likely will though.
Want to do a crowdfunding campaign?

 

[csendesmark]

I was suggesting to someone I know there at the motherboard team to make such a product, specifically for NAS applications.
Let's just say that he wasn't interested. If you can make an order for 50k boards, they most likely will though.
Want to do a crowdfunding campaign?

Maybe!
Which brand could deliver us the board?
Do we need to sell at least 50K units of this??
How many people needs to back it and how much $$$?
Can I write my wish-list for the board?

 

[TheLostSwede]

Can I write my wish-list for the board?

Sure.

I have no idea about how much it would cost, but yes, these companies will do OEM/ODM designs if they get a big enough order.
There will be an up front NRE fee, which is the biggest issue, most likely something like US$25-50k for the custom board design.
The 50k figure was something I pulled out of my ass, but it tends to be that kind of number these companies are looking for to make a custom product.
As for crowdfunding, I guess you'd have to work out how much you need to sell each board for to recover the expenditure and make some money on top of it.

 

[Dan.G]

Found a nice mini: Maxtang
Only 1 x M.2 and 1 x SATA but lots of ports for external drives.

 

[Igb]

Hello All
I have a ~12 years old Asus E35M1-M Pro based rig mostly for NAS purposes at home.
When I bought it, it had everything I wished for:
Plenty of SATA ports "top speed" ethernet, Gigabit speeds were really good and it costed a fortune to have any faster, (although 10Gigabit capable gear prices are still quite steep).
More than a decade passed since and it is still working like a charm, time to time I checking if I should replace it with something new, but usually I got only disappointments.

Today I noticed the new Intel N100 series, which might fit my use case (I know, TPU even posted about this a month earlier, I missed that one...)
Asus Prime N100I-D - this one is almost right, only 1 gigabit speed. I would prefer a somewhat bigger cooler block on it.
ASROCK N100M - only 1 gigabit speed.
ASROCK N100DC-ITX - only 1 gigabit speed.
I wish someone made this with at least with a 2.5 gigabit port.
Seems like they decided not to release a jack of all trades board like earlier.
So I start this thread to help others and myself find the best mainboards for this purpose.

I think you actually found not the best, but the only viable models for what you want.

I was in the same situation, I wanted to upgrade my trusty xpenolgy based Asrock J-5005-ITX for something more powerful and efficient. It ran perfectly with an intel X-540-T2 at 10GbE (had to cut the end of the slot), but regarding this it had some serious bottlenecks (on pcie 2.0, the single x1 lane gives "only" 4Gbps, so network speeds tops around that).

I purchased both the Asus Prime N100I-D and ASROCK N100DC-ITX with the idea of selling the one I like the least. I do not like returning used items if they work correctly, despite losing a bit of money in the process.

For me the M.2 slot is irrelevant (more on this later) for storage, since for my use an SSD cache is pointless, and I can use a SATA SSD as cache if i totally have to in the future. But since both of this boards run a bit low on SATA connectors (specially the one from Asus, with only a single connector) a converter from M.2 to 5xSATA is quite convenient. Note that you also have AQC-107 10Gb cards for M.2 slots, they cost about 100€/$ on aliexpress and work very well (I tested them myself, but finally used a PCIe Intel X-550-T1 card)

I finally ended staying with the Asrock. Main pros are:
1) 2 SATA connectors, so I can use this: https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005005532011632.html to get the 2 additional ports I need (on a single PCIe lane, so for SSDs can be a small bottleneck)
2) More tweaking options than the Asus board (regarding power limits, RAM frequency, and RAM voltage, that can go up to 1.28V)
3) 2 Lanes on the PCIe x4 slot, so a 10GbE card can be installed there with no performance penalty leaving the M.2 slot free. Also, the slot is pre-cut so it can fit larger cards if you want.

Main drawbacks for the Asrock N100DC-ITX are:
1) The inconvenience of non-standard 19V power supply. I am still struggling to find a SMPS that is more than 70%-ish efficient at my loads (35W with 3 disks spinning in idle, about 18W with the disks stopped)
2) Coming from 1, since this motherboard has a small DC-DC to get 12V for the internals, the manufacturer discourages the usage with more than 2 mechanical HDD. I made some tests with 4 and nothing in the motherboard gets hot, but with 4 disks starting the peaks are about 115-120W at the plug, and for me this is probably unrealiable in the long term, specially for a NAS.
3) This board does not support XMP, while the Asus does. Being the one that has full-size DIMMs as opposed to the asus with notebook SO-DIMMs, this is hard to explain.

Overall, I am very happy with the upgrade and with the power consumption. I am still thinking about getting the Asrock N100M, but that would force me to change my case, and I like it a lot. I just wish there was a mini-ITX option with ATX power.

Regards.

 

[csendesmark]

I am aware that there is no perfect solution yet, if I were to buy a new boar today, I would pick the ASROCK N100M

And later I would get a ASUS XG-C100C for the 10G speed.
And still have one PCIe 1× slot to spare for later
Thank you for your testing!

 

[Igb]

Yeah, I totally agree on the ASROCK N100M being the "less-bad" solution. I was very eager on testing it, but since I have a Mini-ITX case that is perfect for my needs I ended with its smaller sibling. I was (and I still am) very close to ditching everything, purchasing an overpriced mATX NAS case and getting the N100M.

It's a pity that there are so few options. I hope aliexpress picks the challenge in the same way they made very good jasper lake boards for NAS when none of the big manufacturers had anything.

Oh, forgot to mention in favor of the Asus, it has DisplayPort (like N100M and unline N100-DC-ITX) and USB3.2G2 in exchange for the lost SATA port and the shitty connectivity (1x pcie kills it IMO, had to phisically cut it to fit a NIC, reaching only about 5Gbps on average on iperf with a TP-Link TX-401, a card with the same chip than the Asus you cite, I expected a bit more with theoretical 8Gbps on pcie 3.0 x1, I could have accepted 7.5Gbps speeds but not this much less). It's sad that with 3 options so similar between them none of them is without some serious flaw (in the case of the N100M, the flaw is the size in my case)

Regards.