ASUS launches N3150M-E Braswell micro-ATX motherboard

[HEXUS]

Includes Celeron N3150 6W quad-core processor and fanless heatsink.

Read more.

[scaryjim]

Mystified by the decision to put a full x16 physical connector on the board but run it in x1 mode, unless they can run the x16 slot at 75W despite only operating with a single PCIe lane? Anyone know?

[ricksavoie]

That is so you can install a 980GTX in there. Not sure why, but that is the answer!

[shaithis]

From reading the PCI-Express wiki, it seems like the cards themselves are the limiting factor and that means you couldn't get 75W from the slot if you put a 1x card in. I cannot see why it wouldn't be able to draw the full amount with a 16x card in though, as long as the power pins in the slot are connected.

Why put a 16x slot? I guess because it opens up possibilities that aren't there with only a 1x physical slot.

[scaryjim]

From reading the PCI-Express wiki, it seems like the cards themselves are the limiting factor and that means you couldn't get 75W from the slot if you put a 1x card in. I cannot see why it wouldn't be able to draw the full amount with a 16x card in though, as long as the power pins in the slot are connected.

Why put a 16x slot? I guess because it opens up possibilities that aren't there with only a 1x physical slot.

Yeah, I was just reading through that too. I suppose a physical x16 slot provides more physical support if you want to use an x16 card: I was more wondering why they wouldn't just stick an open-ended x1 slot in if they wanted to support larger cards, but that could lack stability....!

Also makes me wonder what the 4th PCIe connector from the SoC is powering, since (according to ark, at least) they could've provided an x2 slot if that wasn't in use elsewhere...

[Pleiades]

That's a big ol' heatsink for a little cpu.

"Most of these Braswell Celeron chips are destined for portable systems like tablets".

I'm not sure these are tablet bound, more like Cherrytrail Airmonts instead.

[scaryjim]

... I'm not sure these are tablet bound ...

6W TDP/4W SDP is a bit toasty for a tablet really. Look more like All-in-One chips to me.

[kingpotnoodle]

Mystified by the decision to put a full x16 physical connector on the board but run it in x1 mode, unless they can run the x16 slot at 75W despite only operating with a single PCIe lane? Anyone know?

Many Atom based boards are like this, AFAIK the SoC has limited PCI-E lanes.

Intel ARK says this:

PCI Express Configurations ‡ 1x4/2x2/1x2 + 2x1/4x1
Max # of PCI Express Lanes 4

Other on board devices are PCI-E connected and the only option then left is to have 1x lane and simply provided a 16x slot so you can install anything you want in there - caveat being performance may be limited. It's probably enough to utilise a Gigbit network card or RAID card for spinning drives which might come with 2x/4x/8x connectors.