Reviews - ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+

[HEXUS]

The best candidate for a small-form-factor PC?

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[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Any chance you can test the A8 7600 with this motherboard too??

[Medallish]

Well got this for my ITX build using a 7850K and a Thermalright AXP-100 cooler, I feared there would be problems with the components on the back, but so far it's been working perfectly, as long as you use the included washers.

[CampGareth]

How's that HDMI input set up? I mean, is there much input lag, is it limited to HDMI 2.0 say, can I get SPDIF out from the HDMI in, can I record the HDMI input? That seems like a darned interesting feature for media centres and such, so much so that I might go build one specially.

[MustardCutter]

Buyers had better heatsink those mosfets if asrock's APU ITX boards are anything to go by. My asrock fm2 A75 ITX board tried to fry itself and was flakey at best with some aftermarket sinks whilst other peoples set on fire. When they introduced the next model up asrock put a heat sink on.

Regarding the components fouling brackets on the back for coolers you can use something like the prolimatec sammuel which is a great low profile heatsink that doesn't use a back plate. Teamed with an akasa apache fan it works a treat for me.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Any chance you can test the A8 7600 with this motherboard too??

Just realised those figures in the A8 7600 review are with the ASRock! Doh!

Buyers had better heatsink those mosfets if asrock's APU ITX boards are anything to go by. My asrock fm2 A75 ITX board tried to fry itself and was flakey at best with some aftermarket sinks whilst other peoples set on fire. When they introduced the next model up asrock put a heat sink on.

Regarding the components fouling brackets on the back for coolers you can use something like the prolimatec sammuel which is a great low profile heatsink that doesn't use a back plate. Teamed with an akasa apache fan it works a treat for me.

TBF,the later versions of the ASRock FM2 and FM2+ mini-ITX motherboards use a 4+2 phase VRM and the A75 version used a 3+1 phase VRM.

The A8 7600 should consume less power than any of the 100W Trinity and Richland A10 CPUs and probably less under most conditions when compared to the 65W versions too.

Moreover,in a smaller case you are more likely to use a horizontal cooler which would blow air over the VRMs anyway.

[Bagnaj97]

When they introduced the next model up asrock put a heat sink on.

As Cat says, they also upgraded the VRM to 4+2 rather than 3+1. 4+2 without a heatsink isn't a problem providing decent quality components are used and you're not overclocking. I'd trust an un-cooled 4+2 more than a 3+1 with a heatsink!

[MustardCutter]

TBF,the later versions of the ASRock FM2 and FM2+ mini-ITX motherboards use a 4+2 phase VRM and the A75 version used a 3+1 phase VRM.

The A8 7600 should consume less power than any of the 100W Trinity and Richland A10 CPUs and probably less under most conditions when compared to the 65W versions too.

Moreover,in a smaller case you are more likely to use a horizontal cooler which would blow air over the VRMs anyway.

The 85x that came later did have 4+2 but it also added a heat sink. The fets got too hot and made my A75 flakey with a 65W 5700 trinity with a horizontal cooler blowing over them and added heatsinks.

[Alistair]

I have a scythe big shuriken 2 rev B on my 7850K in my HTPC on this board no problems