So glad to see another board with the motherboard chipset between the PCIe slot and the CPU socket! It's so much more logical and yet ASUS have the only other board with this layout that I'm aware of.
And a mistake too: Just like Asus and Asrock, they turned the ATX power connector by 180 degrees while not even having enough space to the DIMM slots. Lots of issues with pico PSUs and very small ITX cases ensure.
It'd be a mistake to put a board like this into a tiny case with a low-wattage power supply. Judging by the VRM heatsinking and the fact it's made by EVGA, it's not designed for low-end/lower-power applications like that. It should be in an enthusiast case with good cooling and an overclocked CPU, which removes any pico-PSU related issues.
Why turn that connector? Why limit your customer base with something like that? It really has no advantage for people who dont use a PicoPSU, but will keep people from buying your mainboard who use one. Someone here already said "CarPC", but with a connector like that, power options in a CarPC are very limited.
Device drivers provide the instructional code to interface between your hardware and the operating system. Device drivers are provided by your hardware manufacturer. The Windows registry contains all the settings and configurations for your machine, including the device drivers used for each hardware component installed. During device driver installation, the settings are stored in the Windows registry. You can manually remove the driver by deleting the registry key associated with the hardware device. Thanks a lot. Regards, http://www.sextoyisland.com/
I understand it is better layout if you got big-a** coolers, but it's not really "logical"..
The PCIe host is in the CPU here, so you need to wire them around the chipset, what is for sure not a trivial task - remember the chipset also needs gazillion of connections, and judging on the layout, they need to cross the PCIe's wires here - to do so, you need more PCB layers, that means lot more expensive manufacturing - what is probably OK with a "premium" board (question is, what is the demand for premium ITX boards), but definitely not cool with a cheaper one.
Most of the power for the CPU comes from the other connector which is in the top-left side corner, near the I/O ... so absolutely no problem with the placement of the ATX connector.
This seems to be a general problem for product photos on AnandTech. They should be taken with a small aperture + tripod, not large aperture + hand held. Seriously only few square inches on that board is in focus on all of the photos combined!
If you had not gathered, these images are those from EVGA as a board teaser, hence why parts of them are out of focus. They have not released the specifications or formally announced PR of the product, just a small amount of info from their Product Manager.
I don't think that's it at all. It just looks like the usual thin depth of field from shooting with a large sensor camera and being close and/or wide aperture.
With a modern DSLR it's really easy to sharp product shots with lots more depth of field. 1) Use flash (off camera or bounced on camera) 2) Stop down to F/8 - F/11 3) Shoot "wider" and crop it later. In other words...back up/zoom out (but not too far to the wide angle range) frame the product loosely. Then just crop it later to a tighter framing. There plenty of resolution there to crop a lot for web images.
Result. Sharp detailed shots with plenty of depth of field on the product.Or at least lots more than shown here!
At that risk of sounding like a total noob, what is that silo-looking thing over the CPU socket in the first gallery picture? Some kind of water block or Peltier maybe?
I am big fan of the ITX form factor and have seen what PC enthusiasts have done with ITX builds, having a water cooled i5 based ITX build as my main pc as well. ITX motherboards have come a very very long way and except for the obvious reduced expandability vs their larger mAtx and ATX counterparts, ITX board sacrifice nothing when it comes to performance.
Hurry up EVGA, I'm about to upgrade my own ITX box and want to see what your new offering is about before I do so.
Glad to hear there is an upcoming review of ITX boards. Over the past couple of years...I've moved away from large cases all together. Even my WHS is running off an ITX MB and stuffed in a ITX case with four drives.
Even an mATX case seems unnecessarily large when using an SSD for the main OS drive and storing my media content on a separate NAS box.
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23 Comments
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HaydenOscar - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
So glad to see another board with the motherboard chipset between the PCIe slot and the CPU socket! It's so much more logical and yet ASUS have the only other board with this layout that I'm aware of.coolhund - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
And a mistake too:Just like Asus and Asrock, they turned the ATX power connector by 180 degrees while not even having enough space to the DIMM slots. Lots of issues with pico PSUs and very small ITX cases ensure.
Menty - Sunday, July 22, 2012 - link
It'd be a mistake to put a board like this into a tiny case with a low-wattage power supply. Judging by the VRM heatsinking and the fact it's made by EVGA, it's not designed for low-end/lower-power applications like that. It should be in an enthusiast case with good cooling and an overclocked CPU, which removes any pico-PSU related issues.Beaver M. - Monday, July 23, 2012 - link
Why turn that connector?Why limit your customer base with something like that? It really has no advantage for people who dont use a PicoPSU, but will keep people from buying your mainboard who use one.
Someone here already said "CarPC", but with a connector like that, power options in a CarPC are very limited.
santa65 - Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - link
Device drivers provide the instructional code to interface between your hardware and the operating system. Device drivers are provided by your hardware manufacturer. The Windows registry contains all the settings and configurations for your machine, including the device drivers used for each hardware component installed. During device driver installation, the settings are stored in the Windows registry. You can manually remove the driver by deleting the registry key associated with the hardware device. Thanks a lot.Regards,
http://www.sextoyisland.com/
xdrol - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
I understand it is better layout if you got big-a** coolers, but it's not really "logical"..The PCIe host is in the CPU here, so you need to wire them around the chipset, what is for sure not a trivial task - remember the chipset also needs gazillion of connections, and judging on the layout, they need to cross the PCIe's wires here - to do so, you need more PCB layers, that means lot more expensive manufacturing - what is probably OK with a "premium" board (question is, what is the demand for premium ITX boards), but definitely not cool with a cheaper one.
HaydenOscar - Monday, July 23, 2012 - link
It's not even necessarily for "big ass coolers", just any cooler that isn't a waterblock or the stock Intel cooler, really.wavetrex - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
Most of the power for the CPU comes from the other connector which is in the top-left side corner, near the I/O ... so absolutely no problem with the placement of the ATX connector.HisDivineOrder - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
...a mini-sized nVidia Geforce 670 built around the reference/launch mini-board with a cooler that matches its size.Gaming consoles, eat your heart out.
Conficio - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
Why are the pictures so blurry?Andy Stone - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
This seems to be a general problem for product photos on AnandTech. They should be taken with a small aperture + tripod, not large aperture + hand held. Seriously only few square inches on that board is in focus on all of the photos combined!IanCutress - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
If you had not gathered, these images are those from EVGA as a board teaser, hence why parts of them are out of focus. They have not released the specifications or formally announced PR of the product, just a small amount of info from their Product Manager.Ian
Silenus - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
I don't think that's it at all. It just looks like the usual thin depth of field from shooting with a large sensor camera and being close and/or wide aperture.With a modern DSLR it's really easy to sharp product shots with lots more depth of field.
1) Use flash (off camera or bounced on camera)
2) Stop down to F/8 - F/11
3) Shoot "wider" and crop it later. In other words...back up/zoom out (but not too far to the wide angle range) frame the product loosely. Then just crop it later to a tighter framing.
There plenty of resolution there to crop a lot for web images.
Result. Sharp detailed shots with plenty of depth of field on the product.Or at least lots more than shown here!
Tegeril - Sunday, July 22, 2012 - link
Regardless, the photos were not taken by Anandtech.yyrkoon - Sunday, July 22, 2012 - link
that was done in photoshop. not in camera.I think Ian probably hit it on the head.
Metaluna - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
At that risk of sounding like a total noob, what is that silo-looking thing over the CPU socket in the first gallery picture? Some kind of water block or Peltier maybe?Metaluna - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
Never mind, it says it's an LN2 cooler in the article. Reading comprehension fail.Patflute - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
So cute!nubian1 - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
I am big fan of the ITX form factor and have seen what PC enthusiasts have done with ITX builds, having a water cooled i5 based ITX build as my main pc as well. ITX motherboards have come a very very long way and except for the obvious reduced expandability vs their larger mAtx and ATX counterparts, ITX board sacrifice nothing when it comes to performance.Hurry up EVGA, I'm about to upgrade my own ITX box and want to see what your new offering is about before I do so.
JonnyDough - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
CAR PC!Holler - Friday, July 20, 2012 - link
EVGA "Tease" would actually make a great name for that mobo. put it into some provocative "packaging" and wa-la!GotThumbs - Monday, July 23, 2012 - link
Glad to hear there is an upcoming review of ITX boards. Over the past couple of years...I've moved away from large cases all together. Even my WHS is running off an ITX MB and stuffed in a ITX case with four drives.Even an mATX case seems unnecessarily large when using an SSD for the main OS drive and storing my media content on a separate NAS box.
Waiting.
pisoias01 - Saturday, December 1, 2012 - link
IT`S out.... the stinger is out!We want a review between ASUS ASROCK & EVGA on z77 Mix boards ;)
I can`t wait...,