Intel S1155 by stefan @ 2013-05-30
The Z77E-ITX board from ASRock can help us build our dream HTPC machine by supplying a ton of USB ports, eSATA, integrated Wi-Fi adapter + external antenna assembly, a good quality Realtek audio CODEC and more. For easy configuration we can either use the modern UEFI interface or fine-tune the performance via AXTU. Of course, ASRock has also added the usual 555 advertised applications like XFast RAM, XFast USB or XFast LAN.
At first we would like to thank ASRock for offering us a sample of their Z77E-ITX Motherboard for testing and reviewing.
"ASRock Inc., established in 2002, target at entry to mainstream segment MB business, is an energetic company with the combination of technology and humanity. Devoting efforts to bring customers the innovative and reliable motherboards with the design concept of 3C, "Creative, Considerate, Cost-effective", ASRock has successfully established a well-known leading brand of the best price-performance motherboard in the industry. ASRock products' high recognition stems from company’s devotion to bring the most cost-performance products to users.
Besides creative features and solid products, ASRock engineers also pay special attention to EMI, thermal, acoustics and details to achieve complete customer satisfaction. In addition to price-performance, creative and considerate features, ASRock also pay special on the issue of eco-environmental protection with the released of ROHS products and energy saving functions to save the environment.
To succeed in this ultra-competitive industry, ASRock provides great products with speed-to-market, cost and service to customers.
Facing the constantly changing technologies of motherboard, ASRock will always keep the vision of the future and develop future-proof products upon our 3C design concept to our customers.
It is the commitment to our customers and products, like the spirit presented in our maxim:
"Motherboard, We Master It!" "
XFast 555 Technology : XFast RAM / XFast LAN / XFast USB
Virtu Universal MVP - Uncompromised Game Response Performance
WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Support
Selected ASRock motherboards come with an exclusive WiFi module that offers support for WiFi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity standards. WiFi module is an easy-to-use wireless local area network (WLAN) adapter to support WiFi function. Users can easily create a wireless environment and enjoy the convenience of wireless network connectivity with ASRock WiFi module.
mSATA Connector Onboard
Selected ASRock motherboards provide an onboard mSATA connector. This mSATA connector can be used to connect a Solid-State Drive (SSD) for an internal storage device. Coupled with SSD and HDD, users are able to take advantage of Intel® Smart Response Technology and enjoy SSD caching performance from ASRock motherboard solution.
Intel® Smart Connect Technology
Intel® Smart Connect Technology keeps content always up-to-date! It means that your email, favorite apps, and social networks are continually and automatically updated even when the system is asleep. Smart Connect will periodically wake up the PC while in a sleep state and check updates for things like email, Twitter, Facebook, etc. No more waiting for the latest world news or friends’ updates to be delivered—just enable this function and you’re up-to-date and ready to go.
Intel® Rapid Start Technology
Intel® Rapid Start Technology gets your device up and running faster from even the deepest sleep, saving time and battery life. It quickly returns where you left off with a PC that goes from deep-sleep to full awake in a flash. The ultra-responsive capability gives your device the power to quickly resume to Windows® 7 OS within few seconds and ensures ultra-low power consumption when on standby. With Intel® Rapid Start Technology, users can jump right back into everything they were doing!
Intel® Smart Response
Intel® Smart Response Technology accelerates the system response experience by putting frequently-used blocks of disk data on a solid-state drive (SSD), providing dramatically faster access to user data than the hard disk alone can provide. For users who are tempted to connect the SSD and HDD on ASRock motherboard, Intel® Smart Response Technology can make the SSD become the "Cache of the HDD" to boost up the HDD access speed. ASRock motherboards with Intel® Smart Response Technology are able to drive 4X faster performance boost than a HDD-only system.
Dehumidifier
Users may prevent motherboard damages due to dampness by enabling “Dehumidifier Function”. When enabling Dehumidifier Function, the computer will power on automatically to dehumidify the system after entering S4/S5 state.
Premium Gold Caps
Top-Class Quality Guaranteed
Premium Gold Caps are luxury capacitors. These 100% Japan-made solid capacitors are sleek, high gloss caps with a premium gold coating representing long life and stable performance.
Digi Power
More Precise, More Efficient
By adopting digital pulse-width modulation (PWM), the ASRock motherboard can provide CPU Vcore voltage more efficiently and smoothly. Compared to analog PWM, digital PWM can optimize the CPU power solution and provide a proper and stable Vcore for the processor.
ASRock OMG (Online Management Guard)
Fast, Easy and Free – ASRock OMG technology allows you to establish an internet curfew or restrict internet access at specified times. Administrators are able to schedule the starting and ending hours of internet access granted to other users. Normally, ISPs (Internet Service Provider) will charge for internet curfew service. The service controls “all” the PCs connected at home through network remotely but all the PCs in that network will be restricted to access the internet at pre-setup times. However, ASRock OMG is a free tool for controlling internet access of each single PC. Parents can easily control internet access through BIOS setup to protect their kids from using Internet at inappropriate time, and meanwhile, enjoy their own internet space.
Internet Flash
Internet Flash searches for available UEFI firmware updates from ASRock servers. System can auto-detect the latest UEFI from our servers and flash them within UEFI setup without entering Windows® OS.
No-K OC Technology
Overclocking is no longer for K-series CPU users only, for those CPUs that aren’t K-series, ASRock No-K OC can unleash your CPU’s power by boosting its frequency with just one click.
Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals
Intel® HD Graphics, simplifies your designs by eliminating additional discrete graphics hardware, while integrating stunning visuals and performance for immersive gaming.
Next-Gen PCI-E 3.0 Support
The ASRock motherboards support the Next-Gen PCI-E 3.0! PCI Express 3.0 can maximize the bandwidth for the next-gen PCI Express 3.0 VGA cards, provide ultimate graphics performance.
Get PCI-E 3.0 Benefits
• Higher bit rate - 8.0GT/s
• Higher bandwidth per lane - 1GB/s
• Higher efficiency - 98.5% encoding efficiency
• 100% backward compatible with previous PCI-E 2.0 / 1.0 standard
Graphical UEFI – The Revolutionary BIOS Interface
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a revolutionary BIOS utility which offers tweak-friendly options in an advanced viewing interface. Compared with traditional BIOS design, the latest UEFI utility provides lots improved functions. The major features of UEFI include:
1. Graphical Visual Experience – UEFI provides an improved visual interface with colorful icons and makes your computing environment more versatile to replace the traditional dull BIOS page.
2. Mouse Enabling – Besides keyboard control, you can freely use mouse to select your ideal settings in UEFI as well.
3. Supports 3TB bootable HDD - UEFI breaks the limitations of 2TB bootable HDD on traditional BIOS. With UEFI, you can enjoy 3TB bootable HDD size.*
UEFI System Browser
UEFI system browser is a useful tool included in graphical UEFI. It can detect the devices and configurations that users are currently using in their PC. With the UEFI system browser, you can easily examine the current system configuration in UEFI setup.
HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)
This motherboard supports HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) which is an interface standard for transferring uncompressed video data and delivering multi-channel audio through a single cable. Both video and audio data signals transferred through the HDMI™ interface are digital without being converted into analog, therefore it delivers the richest pictures and the most realistic sounds.
AXTU - The All-in-1 Tuning Software
ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility (AXTU) is an all-in-one software to fine-tune different features in an user-friendly interface, which includes Hardware Monitor, Fan Control, Overclocking, OC DNA, IES and XFast RAM. In Hardware Monitor, it shows the major readings of your system. In Fan Control, it shows the fan speed and temperature for you to adjust. In Overclocking, you are allowed to adjust the CPU frequency, ratio and some voltages for optimal system performance. In OC DNA, you can save your OC settings as a profile and share with your friends. Your friends then can load the OC profile to their own system to get the same OC settings. In IES (Intelligent Energy Saver), the voltage regulator can reduce the number of output phases to improve efficiency when the CPU cores are idle without sacrificing computing performance. In XFast RAM, it fully utilizes the memory space that cannot be used under Windows® OS 32-bit CPU.
MAGIX Multimedia Suite
The ultimate solutions to enhance your media experience. From music management, music creation, video editing to photo management. Simply do more with your media than you ever thought possible.
ASRock comes with very interesting motherboard offerings even for the smaller ITX format. The Z77E-ITX board we are going to take a look upon today is mostly aimed at SFF systems, HTPCs, which do not have to occupy a lot of space in our living-room. The packaging of the Z77E-ITX board is similar to what we have found at their mainstream and high-end boards, with an updated box art and as a highlight we will see the well-known 555 feature:
On one of the sides we will find a small summary of specifications, along with a sticker with the product serial numbers:
The back side of the box explains us the main features in more detail, by also featuring some pictograms:
After opening the top cover, we will find some of the board documentation, along with the bundle:
Speaking of the bundle, we have available one I/O shield, two SATA cables, a Wi-Fi antenna assembly with dock, but also a DVI-to-VGA adapter:
The wireless antennas are located inside a plastic case and a separate cable for each one is available for making the connection to the motherboard:
The connectors are golden for obtaining optimal contact:
Here is also a look of the antenna assembly fitted to the dock:
Regarding documentation, we will find a presentation leaflet regarding the ASRock 555, one for the Virtu MVP, and two separate manuals. A DVD is also supplied with the necessary drivers and applications:
One of the manuals will explain the UEFI functions in detail:
The other one will help us with the hardware installation:
Besides the usual anti-static bag, the motherboard is also surrounded by a protective foam frame:
Since the board is in ITX format and ASRock wanted to include most of the features they also have available in the regular ATX, we expected to see a quite crowded layout; however, all connectors and headers on the board are easy accessible:
Let’s begin by taking a closer look: near the I/O connectors, we will find an ASMedia ASM1042 Universal Serial Bus 3.0 extended host controller, which is in charge of two USB 3.0 ports:
Nearby we have the Front USB 3.0 header, 2 USB 2.0 headers for an additional of 4 ports along with a gray CIR (consumer infrared module) header, two gray SATA3 connectors and also two SATA2 black connectors:
The SPI 64Mb Flash Memory sits next to a PWM fan header:
An additional fan header is located in the top right corner of the PCB, along with the Clear CMOS jumper:
To the right side of the PCB we will find two memory slots along with the 24-pin ATX power connector:
On the left of the ATX power connector we have the Front Panel header:
The board is equipped with a mini-PCI Express slot and it is already populated with a Wi-Fi 802.11n module. The two antenna extensions are pre-fitted and link to the connectors on the I/O:
Next to it we have the Z77 chipset, which is covered by a custom heatsink:
Considering that there is not a lot of space available on the board, ASRock has seen fit to install the CMOS battery vertically:
On the lower side of the PCB we have a single PCI-Express 3.0 slot:
The audio interface is supplied by one of the latest CODECS available from Realtek, the ALC898, which an advertised SNR of 110dB:
The Front Audio header is right next to it:
One PCI-Express x1 Gigabit LAN controller (Broadcom BCM57781) is situated in the same area:
This board is equipped with a 6+2 Power Phase design and the VRM is covered with a small heatsink for avoiding overheating:
An 8-pin ATX 12V power connector can be also seen in the near vicinity:
Guess you thought that this is all of it; well, it is not. The board has surprises for us even on the back side of the PCB, an mSATA port to which we can connect a SSD of our choice for getting lightning fast boot times:
The Nuvoton NCT5573D is the SuperIO IC on this motherboard:
Also here we have the ISL6367 Green Hybrid Digital Dual 6+1 Phase PWM Controller from Intersil:
On the I/O, we have quite a lot of connectivity options:
-PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Combo port
-4xUSB 3.0 ports
-DVI-I port
-Wi-Fi antenna ports
-DisplayPort
-HDMI port
-Clear CMOS button
-eSATA2 connector
-2xUSB 2.0 ports
-RJ45 LAN port
-Audio ports
The ASRock UEFI Setup Utility is organized in the same way we have seen on other models from them, which can be navigated with ease with the help of the mouse and keyboard. In the Main section, we will be able to see the currently installed BIOS version, the installed CPU type, speed, microcode, but also the cache size. We will also get information regarding the installed memory on both slots:
The interface also includes a “System Browser” which will give us extra information regarding the installed components:
Depending on what CPU we have installed into the socket, the OC Tweaker menu will look a little bit different, with options removed or added. Here we can set the CPU ratio, BCLK, enable or disable the Intel SpeedStep Technology, set the power limits or allow GT overclocking:
Further down, we will find options in order to modify the DRAM frequency and timings, along with the system-wide voltages:
The DRAM Configuration has a dedicated sub-menu, where we can customize the timings to the smallest detail:
The Advanced menu is populated with multiple sub-sections; the first one is CPU Configuration, where we can enable or disable CPU states or different other instructions:
From the NB Configuration sub-section, we can choose the Primary Graphics Adapter priority, the PCI-E Link speed, the shared memory, enable/disable the multi-monitor function or disable the Render Standby function:
The SB Configuration sub-section will let us configure the onboard interfaces like audio or LAN, but also some power management related functionalities:
The Storage Configuration menu will let us choose the controller operating mode, along with the currently connected drives to the SATA ports:
The Intel Rapid Start and Smart Connect functions have dedicated UEFI menus:
From the ACPI Configuration menu, we will be able to adjust the usual power management options:
Inside the USB Configuration menu, we are able to disable the controllers or use the legacy mode:
The Network Configuration menu is mainly put there for gaining access to the Internet right from the UEFI, in order to update the BIOS to the latest version. This function is only available on a wired connection, not wireless:
Moving on to the next menu, we have H/W Monitor, from where we can see the current motherboard and CPU temperatures, the installed fan speeds, but also the voltages. The fan speeds can be also configured from the same menu, along with the Dehumidifier function:
The Boot menu will let us choose the priority of the startup devices, but we will be also able to choose when to boot from LAN, choose the Full Screen Logo or adjust the Boot Failure Guard feature:
The Security menu allows us setting passwords for both Administrator and User. Here we will be also able to enable Secure Boot, an option we have seen at many recent laptop configurations:
Finally, we have the Exit menu, where we can choose to save or discard the latest changes, or simply load the factory defaults:
CPU: Intel Pentium G630
CPU Cooler: Streamcom 4-heatpipe fanless design
Motherboard: ASRock Z77E-ITX
RAM: GeIL Black Dragon 4GB DDR2133 (@1066)
Video: Onboard
Power Supply: Streamcom Nano150 PSU
HDD: Hitachi Travelstar 5K250 250GB
Case: Streamcom FC8 EVO
With the latest version of AIDA64 utility, we can reveal more information regarding the motherboard, the CPU IMC and the Z77 chipset:
Motherboard
Sandy Bridge IMC
Z77 Chipset
With this board we are saying hello again to AXTU (ASRock Extreme Tuning Utility), which comes with various menus for customizing and monitoring the system settings. From the Hardware Monitor tab, we will be able to see the current CPU speed, frequencies for both BCLK and GT, but also the system temperatures, fan speeds and voltages:
The Fan Control tab allows us to fully customize the fan speed profiles:
The Overclocking section gives us options, like inside the UEFI, to modify the BKLK/PCI-E frequency, the CPU Ratio, GT Frequency, but also adjust the voltages on the fly. These settings can be saved to different files and can be accessed via hotkeys:
The OC DNA menu practically allows us to save the current CMOS settings to a file and load them on an identical system in order to save time for optimizations:
IES (Intelligent Energy Saver) can be turned on when the system is not overclocked. The same section also allows us to see how many phases are operating in a specific time frame:
The XFast RAM function is integrated into AXTU and allows us creating a separate RAMDRIVE for offloading temporary files to it:
The motherboard is also supplied with XFast USB, a software utility which gives a small boost to the connected devices on the bus with the same name:
Also, we have XFast LAN, a software utility used for optimizing the Internet connection (traffic shaping):
The ASRock Z77E-ITX, or the little monster as we like to call it because of the big list of product features succeeded to impress us regarding performances while in the battle with a Shuttle motherboard with the H61 chipset, while using the same CPU, HDD and RAM timings/frequency.
The integrated Wi-Fi interface is very welcome in HTPC systems but we also have a Gigabit LAN interface ready which sports a Broadcom BCM57781 controller and not a regular Realtek RTL8111E as we have seen on most motherboards. For the audio, we also have one of the latest CODECs from Realtek, the ALC898 which supports 7.1 channel HD Audio with Content Protection. The Z77 chipset is covered by a small heatsink which sports the ASRock logo that we find on the high-end series from them; we have tested the board inside a Streacom FC8 EVO, which is passively cooled and the chipset has stabilized at 79 degrees Celsius after the stress tests, which is quite toasty, but we did not experience any performance issues or lock-ups.
The board features an optimal positioning of the components, except the Front Audio header along with the mSATA port; the Front Audio header is placed right near the I/O shield ports, which would mean that the cable would have to travel all over the board to reach it. Also, regarding the mSATA port, it is quite difficult (if not impossible) to access it with the board mounted inside the case.
On the I/O we have lots of connectivity options and as an extra we have additional headers on the motherboard for Infrared, 4 USB 2.0 ports and also 2 USB 3.0.
The UEFI interface is really easy to navigate and there we can find multiple options for tuning the system performance; depending on the installed CPU, the available customization options will vary.
For added value, ASRock also supplies us with XFast LAN, XFast USB, XFast RAM. Also, we get an external antenna assembly with a dock which can be placed where we have better Wi-Fi signal; however, the cables are quite thin and we must be careful when moving it around.
The board is available online for about 132 Euros.
We would like to thank again to ASRock for making this review possible!