HTPC & Mini-PC Heaven? Zotac 7-Series Mini-ITX for Sandy/Ivy Bridge
4/10/2012 by: Theo Valich
Not to be outdone by larger motherboard vendors, Zotac launched several motherboards based on newly introduced Intel's 7-Series chipset. However, there are two products which we believe open a whole new field for powerful mini-computers and HTPC systems.
Smallest Z77 motherboard on the market - Z77-ITX WiFi by Zotac
The Z77-ITX WiFi is a mini-ITX motherboard that features Z77 Express chipset oriented towards enthusiasts, Socket LGA-1155 for 2nd and 3rd Gen Core processors, two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting memory up to 1600MHz (OC mode: 2133MHz), two GbE ports, dual HDMI and DisplayPort outputs. There is quite a lot of expansion options, with no less than four USB 3.0 and eight 2.0 ports, 2x SATA-III and 2x SATA-II connectors. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 are also welcomed options.
Given that you can overclock the motherboard components, we believe this motherboard will catch a lot of attention for enthusiasts that want to get powerful Core i5 and i7 processors in as compact package as possible.
Value edition motherboard from Zotac - H77-ITX WiFi A
Second motherboard is based on more affordable H77 chipset, and lacks the overclocking functionality. Second HDMI port got replaced by DVI-I, and the layout is somewhat different, especially when it comes to external connectivity.
Both products are coming to market at an unknown price, but its Z68-based predecessor went for $209, while H-chipset based part retailed for as low as $129. In any case, we suspect there will be a lot of interest for these products and we have a few ideas on our own.
Tags:
Zotac, 7-Series, ITX, mini-ITX, Z77, Z77-ITX, H77, H77-ITX, DDR3, DDR3-1600, Ivy Bridge, Sandy Bridge, Intel, INTC, 3rd Gen Core, 3rd Generation Core, USB 3.0, USB, USB 2.0, GbE, Gigabit Ethernet, Gigabit, Wi-Fi, WiFi, DVI-I, DisplayPort, HDMI
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