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Four Z77-Based Mini-ITX Motherboards, Reviewed
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1. Mini-ITX And Z77: Go Small, Go Fast, Or Go Home

Originally developed for boring tasks like industrial PCs and point-of-sale terminals, AMD breathed new life into VIA’s single-slot mini-ITX form factor with its own dual-slot DTX version. Soon after, the combination of motherboards with one expansion slot and cases able to take dual-slot cards became the standard for portable gaming PCs. But Intel ironically appears to be the biggest beneficiary of AMD's efforts. After all, it sells the high-performance, low-heat processors needed in a fast, quiet platform with big-time thermal constraints. Ouch.

As a result, we demand a lot more from small gaming-oriented machines. It's no longer acceptable to simply build a system that excels at video playback, particularly when technologies like AMD's VCE and Intel's Quick Sync accelerate that workload right on the APU or CPU itself. And with system builders putting 4.3 GHz Core i7s and GeForce GTX 680s into mini-ITX-based platforms four inches thick (Meet The Tiki: Core i7-3770K And GeForce GTX 680 In A Mini-ITX Box?), enthusiasts will no doubt want to the ability to build similarly-potent boxes. 

But if it's possible to cram the goodness of Intel's Ivy Bridge and efficient graphics architectures like Kepler into mini-ITX using Intel's mainstream H77 Express chipset, why bother spending more on a Z77 Express-based board? Well, it wouldn't have been possible for Falcon Northwest to have hit 4.3 GHz in its Tiki using H77, for starters. Overclocking demands that you spring for the pricier core logic. Although we doubt you'd care too much about tuning up a home theater PC, we’re nevertheless intrigued by motherboards that can serve that market in addition to the performance-hungry gaming industry.

We see today’s motherboards with Intel's flagship mainstream chipset as enablers of the best from both worlds. Of course, if you disagree and only really want to build a stock-clocked media-oriented machine, simply step down to the H77-based versions of the boards we're testing today.

Z77 ITX Motherboard Features
 ASRock
Z77E-ITX
Asus
P8Z77-I Deluxe
EVGA
Z77 Stinger
MSI
Z77IA-E53
PCB RevisionInitial1.041.02.1
ChipsetIntel Z77 ExpressIntel Z77 ExpressIntel Z77 ExpressIntel Z77 Express
Voltage RegulatorSix PhasesTen PhasesSeven PhasesEight Phases
BIOSP1.70 (12/17/2012)801 (12/04/2012)1.0 (11/08/2012)V10.1 (10/19/2012)
100.0 MHz BCLK100.39 MHz (+0.39%)100.30 MHz (+0.30%)99.78 MHz (-0.22%)100.00 MHz (+0.0%)
I/O Panel Connectors
PS/21NoneNone1
USB 3.04442
USB 2.02424
Network1111
eSATA1221
CLR_CMOS ButtonYesYesYesYes
Digital Audio OutOpticalOpticalOpticalOptical
Digital Audio InNoneNoneNoneNone
Analog Audio5353
VideoDVI-I, DisplayPort, HDMIHDMI, DisplayPort, DVI-Imini-DisplayPort, HDMIVGA, HDMI
Other DevicesWi-Fi AntennasWi-Fi/Bluetooth Antennas
USB BIOS Flashback
Bluetooth TransceiverWi-Fi, Bluetooth
Internal Interfaces
Expansion SlotPCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16PCIe 3.0 x16
Mini PCIex1 (filled)x1 (filled)x1x1
USB 3.01 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)1 (2-ports)
USB 2.02 (4-ports)2 (4-ports)2 (4-ports)1 (2-ports)
SATA 6.0 Gb/s2222
SATA 3.0 Gb/s2222
4-Pin Fan2232
3-Pin FanNoneNoneNoneNone
FP-Audio11None1
S/PDIF I/ONoneOutput OnlyNoneNone
Internal ButtonsNoneMemOK, TPUPower, ResetNone
Diagnostics PanelNoneNoneNumericNone
LegacyCIRNoneNoneNone
Mass Storage Controllers
Chipset SATA2 x SATA 6Gb/s
2 x SATA 3Gb/s
1x mSATA
1 x eSATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
2 x SATA 3Gb/s
2 x eSATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
2 x SATA 3Gb/s
2 x SATA 6Gb/s
2 x SATA 3Gb/s
1 x eSATA 3Gb/s
Chipset RAID Modes0, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 100, 1, 5, 10
Add-In SATANoneNone88SE6121 PCIe
2 x eSATA 3Gb/s
None
USB 3.0ASM1042 PCIe (2-ports)
Z77 Integrated (4-ports)
ASM1042 PCIe (2-ports)
Z77 Integrated (4-ports)
ASM1042 PCIe (2-ports)
Z77 Integrated (4-ports)
None
Networking
Primary LANBCM57781 PCIeWG82579V PHYWG82574L PCIeRTL8111E PCIe
Wi-FiRTL8191SE PCIe
802.11n/g/b
1x2 Config, 2.4 GHz
BCM43228 PCIe
802.11n/g/b BT Combo
2x2 Config, 2.4/5 GHz
NoneAR9271 UB94 USB
802.11n/g/b
1x1 Config, 2.4 GHz
BluetoothNone(see above)BTA3011M01 USBAR3011 USB
Audio
HD Audio CodecALC898ALC898ALC898ALC892
DDL/DTS ConnectNot SpecifiedDTS ConnectNot SpecifiedNot Specified
WarrantyThree YearsThree YearsThree YearsThree Years


High-end chipsets represent only a small part of the mini-ITX market, so we weren’t surprised to find only a handful of available products. It was more surprising to us that there were two companies selling Z77-based boards that specifically asked not to be included. In some cases, it seems that vendors are using pricier Z77 Express platform controller hubs for segmentation, while focusing more intently on the markets typically served by H77's feature set.

2. ASRock Z77E-ITX

The $150 Z77E-ITX is surprisingly feature-packed, providing a half-size mini-PCIe-based 802.11n wireless card and a third pair of USB 3.0 ports, in addition to the features you get built in to Intel's Z77 Express chipset. And, unlike the wary competitors who chose not to participate in today’s round-up, ASRock almost invites users to overclock aggressively by adding a CLR_CMOS button to its I/O panel (oh yeah, we know why that's there).

ASRock finally ditched the space-consuming on-board VGA connector in favor of a breakout block for DVI-I, also including HDMI and DisplayPort outputs.

Quite frankly, the mini-ITX form factor doesn’t leave enough room for companies to make many good or bad layout decisions, but we were a little disappointed by the Z77E-ITX’s lack of space for oversized CPU cooling. Crowding by the graphics card limited us to a 92 mm CPU fan and similarly-sized heat sink.

Internal connectors include four of the chipset’s six SATA ports, with one of the remaining ports re-routed to the I/O panel as eSATA. Two of the chipset’s four USB 3.0 ports also correspond to a front-panel connector, along with four of the chipset’s ten USB 2.0 ports.

Keeping in mind the size restrictions of mini-ITX, the only place we found the Z77E-ITX coming up short was its fan headers. Admittedly, many small cases have only a single fan. Several of ours have a pair, though, and one of the Z77E-ITX’s two fan headers is needed by the CPU cooler.

Though only accessible prior to system assembly, an mSATA slot on the Z77E-ITX's underside offers onboard storage capability to at least a few users, without further crowding the board's top side.

Two SATA cables are adequate for most mini-ITX and DTX cases, though enclosures designed to fit slim optical drives often require that you purchase an adapter cable separately to interface with its smaller power plug. It would have been nice to get one of those bundled. But because neither ASRock nor its competition includes it, the one thing separating the Z77E-ITX’s installation kit from the other boards we're reviewing appears to be the Magix multimedia suite on its software and driver CD.

3. Z77E-ITX Firmware

Mini-ITX doesn’t leave much room for big voltage regulators, and the enclosures designed to support mini-ITX usually lack room for large CPU coolers anyway. So, we don’t expect much additional frequency from this format. On the other hand, fully unlocked multipliers are the primary reason to choose K-series processors and Z77 Express over H77. Some flexibility, at least, should be possible.

The Z77E-ITX doesn't let us down, pushing a stable 4.5 GHz through a simple multiplier change. Other options include ASRock’s pre-defined 30% and multi-level overclocks. We prefer to set our own voltage limits, though.

ASRock's Z77E-ITX had no trouble dialing in our test configuration’s DDR3-2666 XMP profile, saving us a bunch of time compared to manual memory configuration.

Though our expectations of overclocking on a mini-ITX platform are relatively modest, so are the voltage levels we're willing to apply to our CPU. The heat levels on Ivy Bridge-based processors increase far faster than attainable clock rates once you get up above 1.25 V or so. We were able to achieve our chosen voltage at the Z77E-ITX’s 1.225 V setting. A Load-Line Calibration setting of Level 5 kept that voltage nearly stable under changing loads.

We had to drop the board's XMP-defined 1.65 V setting to 1.6335 V in order to register an actual 1.65 V, as determined by a volt meter. Fortunately, the DRAM voltage regulator doesn’t need load-line calibration to remain stable.

Like most of ASRock’s enthusiast-oriented motherboards, the Z77E-ITX includes a full set of primary and secondary memory timing controls.

4. Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe

Although it doesn't hail from the company's "Republic of Gamers" product line, Asus' P8Z77-I Deluxe still comes with a surprisingly-large and overclocking-friendly voltage regulator. Space on a mini-ITX motherboard is very valuable, so 10 high-capacity power phases that look like they were lifted from one of the vendor's LGA 2011 motherboards are moved onto an upright daughterboard.

Asus doesn’t waste any of the Z77 Express chipset's integrated SATA ports, placing four of these internally and two on the I/O panel as eSATA. Space that might have been used by a Bluetooth transceiver is saved by combining that function on Asus' dual-band mini-PCIe Wi-Fi controller from Broadcom. This is the only solution in our round-up with a 2x2 antenna array, which should improve transmit performance versus the 2x1-capable Realtek controller on ASRock's board.

We have the same concern about Asus only including two fan headers as we did with ASRock. However, at least Asus includes the ability to tweak fan ramp-up in a granular way through its Fan Xpert feature. It's also worth noting that there's more room to install a wider cooler on the P8Z77-I Deluxe. Because the board's PCH is mounted south of the CPU, the CPU interface doesn't have to be so close to the PCI Express slot.

Room on the back of the board is recovered by ridding the I/O panel of some of the 1/8" analog jacks you might otherwise expect to find. After all, in an HTPC environment, you'd like get sound from HDMI, while a desktop gamer interested in mini-ITX will probably be using a headset rather than a surround sound speaker system. Asus replaces those connectors with CLR_CMOS and USB BIOS Flashback buttons. The Flashback feature includes an IC that allows you to flash the board's BIOS from a USB flash drive without a CPU or memory installed.

That's not to say you can't achieve multi-channel surround sound, though. The trio of 1/8" jacks Asus does expose is fully configurable, making it possible to connect a 5.1-channel setup to the rear I/O panel (so long as you're willing to give up the mic input). You can even do simulated eight-channel output by using the front-panel audio jack. Or, use the optical out to get real-time encoded DTS. Asus is the only company in our round-up that licenses the DTS Connect technology supported by Realtek's ALC898 codec, making the feature unique to its P8Z77-I Deluxe.

Other Asus-only features include the company's TPU auto-overclocking switch (which we covered in some depth in Man Vs. Machine: Four Automatic Overclocking Techs, Compared) and its MemOK memory-underclocking button. MemOK is particularly useful for smoothing over compatibility issues with improperly-programmed RAM, though the company most notorious for that issue is no longer in the memory business. The TPU is going to be more practical for inexperienced overclockers; we simply prefer setting our own parameters. The ability to charge non-Apple tablets and smartphones even when the board is powered down is unique, too (Update: Both MSI and ASRock support this functionality only on Apple devices).

Two of the P8Z77-I Deluxe’s mounting holes are filled with screws, which secure its voltage regulator sink to the main circuit board during shipping. These must be removed prior to motherboard installation.

Asus' classic Wi-Fi antennas now support the Broadcom controller's 2x2 array, though the only visible change is in the color of its connector cables. Asus also changed its front-panel quick connector from a simple block design to a short extension cable, and packs this deluxe motherboard with twice as many SATA cables compared to lower-cost rivals. Bundled software also enables UASP mode for USB 3.0 in Windows 7 through an add-on ASM1042 controller.

5. P8Z77-I Deluxe Firmware

The P8Z77-I Deluxe supports several automatic and manual overclocking methods, but those with XMP-capable memory will likely want to begin their efforts by setting XMP overclocking mode.

Asus MultiCore Enhancement takes away some of the granularity of Intel Turbo Boost, enabling the highest boost ratio with all cores at full load (within some thermal and power limits). We disabled it and set a fixed 45x multiplier for our overclock stability tests, though some builders will instead tune for lower idle power consumption.

XMP was nothing more than a baseline for our stability tests. The P8Z77-I Deluxe easily pushed our RAM to DDR3-2800 at the same timings, even after we dropped to a 1.63 V DIMM setting to compensate for the board’s over-voltage tendencies.

The P8Z77-I Deluxe supports primary, secondary, and tertiary memory timing manipulation, plus waveform controls.

Our combination of settings required a hop over to the CPU Power Management submenu for single-multiplier manipulation. Power limits are also found here, though Asus told us that we didn’t need to adjust them.

Core voltage settings were almost spot-on at idle, but we needed to increase Load-Line Calibration to Ultra High to keep it above 1.24 V under load. The next step up, its Extreme setting pushed core voltage beyond our desired limit, to 1.27 V.

6. EVGA Z77 Stinger

EVGA loves part numbers, often referring to the Z77 Stinger as its 111-IB-E692-KR or simply the E692. Interestingly, this platform seems to have been designed with bundled Wi-Fi in mind (including a spot for an antenna bracket, two knock-outs in its I/O panel for them, a mini-PCIe slot, and pre-launch photography with the adapter on-board. But there is no Wi-Fi on the version of the board we're testing.

We still find Bluetooth though, and that's a feature missing from one of the other boards in this round-up. Depending on your wireless needs, it might even be considered as valuable as Wi-Fi.

EVGA places a mini-DisplayPort connector next to an HDMI output, forgoing DVI and VGA, and keeping the rear I/O panel clean. We're sure the assumption is that anyone using an EVGA motherboard and Z77 Express-based chipset won't be bothered to use integrated graphics. Whether or not that applies depends on the role your mini-ITX platform is destined to fill.

The Z77 Stinger presented us with several surprises, the first of which was its use of an add-in controller for a pair of eSATA ports, even though two of the PCH's integrated ports went unused. This is also the smallest board we’ve seen with a Port 80 diagnostics display, power, and reset buttons. EVGA even managed to squeeze in a third four-pin fan connector, which didn't seem to be manageable for its competition.

An even bigger surprise came when we began looking for the Z77 Stinger’s front-panel audio header. It’s simply not there, even though we expect front-panel audio connections on any modern case we review. Perhaps the redundant SATA controller consumed its space?

EVGA has the best-looking case badge we’ve seen, complete with faux carbon fiber insert stickers. The company bundles both round and flat SATA cables, just in case you want to change the look inside your chassis. Braided four-drive and basic two-drive SATA power adapters are also included.

7. Z77 Stinger Firmware

The Z77 Stinger’s overclocking menu looks very basic compared to previous EVGA products, but we still found every setting we needed to push our CPU to its limit. Unfortunately, its limit on this particular samples was a modest 4.3 GHz.

Arguably, one of the reasons for that low overclock was our conservative 1.25 V core voltage setting. And yet, competing products were able to get an extra 200 MHz at the same voltage. We tried for a little more frequency through BCLK manipulation, but didn't have much luck.

Base clock frequencies reach as high as 300 MHz in EVGA's firmware, but we were barely able to push an additional 1 MHz. That adjustment also required us to select the "Apply Settings" function beneath it.

Limited to a maximum DDR3-2133 setting, the Z77 Stinger wasn't able to detect the XMP settings of our DDR3-2666 memory. We were, however, able to run at the board’s maximum DDR3-2133 setting without needing to manually adjust to the memory's rated timings.

All of the Z77 Stinger’s overclocking limitations appear to be the result of a BIOS that isn't quite "there" yet. You can bet we'll keep this board readily accessible in the lab should something big happen on the firmware front.

8. MSI Z77IA-E53

MSI’s Z77IA-E53 keeps its mini-PCIe slot open, and instead relies on a USB-based dongle for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, making it one of the most configurable boards in today’s review.

Leaning on Realtek's eight-channel ALC892 codec, the only way to get eight-channel sound from MSI's Z77IA-E53 is through the three 1/8" analog jacks on the rear I/O panel and one front-panel jack. Asus' P8Z77-I Deluxe supports the same implausible configuration. However, Asus licenses DTS Connect support to enable eight-channel output over a digital output too, while MSI does not. More realistically, you're simply limited to 5.1-channel audio on MSI's platform. We'd also be inclined to recommend a headset for gaming, or the HDMI output on whichever graphics card you install, should you deploy this board in an HTPC environment.

Alternatively, you could forgo discrete graphics altogether and simply lean on Intel's HD Graphics engine in your home theater. MSI exposes one HDMI output and one VGA output. Because HD Graphics is able to bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio to your receiver, that's a great way to get audio and video out of the Z77IA-E53 using just one cable. Notably missing are DVI and DisplayPort outputs. At the end of the day, though, this board's seemingly largest omissions end up appearing fairly insignificant.

With the Z77 Express PCH located on top, the Z77IA-E53’s processor interface crowds its third-gen PCIe x16 expansion slot. That means compact gaming systems will typically be limited to CPU fans no larger than 92 mm, or closed-loop liquid coolers, if your case of choice supports them. Check out Four Closed-Loop CPU Coolers Take On Noctua's NH-D14 for our recent take on some of the newest models.

As the least-expensive product in today’s comparison, the Z77IA-E53’s installation kit includes only two SATA cables, a Wi-Fi antenna and a pair of cable-bunching M-Connect extender blocks.

9. Z77IA-E53 Firmware

The Z77IA-E53's firmware continues MSI's trend toward bulky buttons and tiny adjustments. It eagerly boosted our processor to the same 45x multiplier as the top two competitors, and in the same way stopped there. Under Windows 8, we couldn’t boost the base clock at all without causing services to crash.

Setting Vdroop Offset Control to 100% yielded a consistent voltage setting, but the CPU still crashed. It might have been luck-of-the-draw, but the more prone-to-sag 75% setting cleared up those issues.

The Z77IA-E53 didn’t have any problems setting our memory’s DDR3-2666 XMP profile, but our voltmeter showed a true 1.65 V only after dropping the motherboard’s set voltage to 1.633 V.

Primary and secondary memory timings are adjustable over a wide range.

10. Test Settings And Benchmarks

We retained most of the hardware from our previous Z77 motherboard round-ups, but were not able to reach the same CPU clock speeds. A shift over to Windows 8 was our biggest change, and services crashing under that operating system appeared to limit what we could achieve compared to Windows 7.

Test System Configuration
CPUIntel Core i7-3770K (Ivy Bridge): 3.50 GHz, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, LGA 1155
CPU CoolerXigmatek Loki w/Zalman ZM-STG1 Paste
RAMG.Skill F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD (16 GB), DDR3-2200 at DDR3-1600 CAS 9, 1.50 V
GraphicsNvidia GeForce GTX 580 1.5 GB
772 MHz GPU, GDDR5-4008
Hard DriveSamsung 470 Series 256 GB, SATA 6Gb/s SSD 
SoundIntegrated HD Audio
NetworkIntegrated Gigabit Networking
PowerSeasonic X760 SS-760KM, ATX12V v2.3, EPS12V, 80 PLUS Gold
Software
OSMicrosoft Windows 8 Professional RTM x64
GraphicsNvidia GeForce 310.70 WHQL
Virtu MVPVersion 2.1.114, GPU Virtualization Only, No HyperFormance, No Virtual Vsync
ChipsetIntel INF 9.3.0.1025


Graphics card crowding on the ASRock and MSI boards forced us to track down a 92 mm cooler. It might be natural to blame the smaller heat sink and fan for our reduced overclocking success, but lower ambient temperatures during the winter actually helped ensure that our CPU never got close to its thermal threshold. That is, at least after we modified the Xigmatek Loki installation kit.

Threaded spacers visible in the image above prevented the Loki’s base from applying enough pressure against our CPU’s heat spreader. Removing those spacers fixed that issue. The spacers were likely designed for a thicker LGA package, such as the long-outdated LGA 775 or the less-archaic LGA 1366.

While G.Skill’s F3-17600CL9Q-16GBXLD provides the default DDR3-1600 CAS 9 settings we want for benchmarks, it’s no longer fast enough to push the limits of today’s best memory controllers. The firm provided a set of its F3-2666C11Q-16GTXD Trident X DDR3-2666 specifically to extend our overclocking capabilities.

I updated this round-up’s benchmark suite to match that of our most recent System Builder Marathon for several reasons. Chief among these was a split in the high-end mini-ITX motherboard market. The suite leans heavily on the gaming and transcoding apps typical of LAN event and media center usage.

Benchmark Configuration
3D Games
Battlefield 3Campaign Mode, "Going Hunting" 90 Seconds Fraps
Test Set 1: Medium Quality Defaults (No AA, 4x AF)
Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Defaults (4x AA, 16x AF)
F1 2012
Steam version, in-game benchmark
Test Set 1: High Quality Preset, No AA
Test Set 2: Ultra Quality Preset, 8x AA
Elder Scrolls V: SkyrimUpdate 1.5.26, Celedon Aethirborn Level 6, 25 Seconds Fraps
Test Set 1: DX11, High Details No AA, 8x AF, FXAA enabled
Test Set 2: DX11, Ultra Details, 8x AA, 16x AF, FXAA enabled
StarCraft IIV1.5.1, "Tom's Hardware Guide V2" custom map, 60 Seconds Fraps
Test Set 1: High Details, High Quality
Test Set 2: Ultra Details, Extreme Quality
Adobe Creative Suite
Adobe After Effects CS6Version 11.0.0.378 x64: Create Video that includes three streams, 210 Frames, Render Multiple Frames Simultaneously
Adobe Photoshop CS6Version 13 x64: Filter 15.7 MB TIF Image: Radial Blur, Shape Blur, Median, Polar Coordinates
Adobe Premeire Pro CS6Version 6.0.0.0, 6.61 GB MXF Project to H.264 to H.264 Blu-ray, Output 1920x1080, Maximum Quality
Audio/Video Encoding
iTunesVersion 10.4.1.10 x64: Audio CD (Terminator II SE), 53 minutes, default AAC format 
Lame MP3Version 3.98.3: Audio CD "Terminator II SE", 53 min, convert WAV to MP3 audio format, Command: -b 160 --nores (160 Kb/s)
Handbrake CLIVersion: 0.98: Video from Canon Eos 7D (1920x1080, 25 FPS) 1 Minutes 22 Seconds
Audio: PCM-S16, 48,000 Hz, Two-Channel, to Video: AVC1 Audio: AAC (High Profile)
TotalCodeStudio 2.5Version: 2.5.0.10677: MPEG-2 to H.264, MainConcept H.264/AVC Codec, 28 sec HDTV 1920x1080 (MPEG-2), Audio: MPEG-2 (44.1 kHz, Two-Channel, 16-Bit, 224 Kb/s), Codec: H.264 Pro, Mode: PAL 50i (25 FPS), Profile: H.264 BD HDMV
Productivity
ABBYY FineReaderVersion 10.0.102.95: Read PDF save to Doc, Source: Political Economy (J. Broadhurst 1842) 111 Pages
Adobe Acrobat XVersion 10.0.0.396: Print PDF from 115 Page PowerPoint, 128-bit RC4 Encryption
Autodesk 3ds Max 2012Version 14.0 x64: Space Flyby Mentalray, 248 Frames, 1440x1080
BlenderVersion: 2.64a, Cycles Engine, Syntax blender -b thg.blend -f 1, 1920x1080, 8x Anti-Aliasing, Render THG.blend frame 1
Visual Studio 2010Version 10.0, Compile Google Chrome, Scripted
File Compression
WinZipVersion 17.0 Pro: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to ZIP, command line switches "-a -ez -p -r"
WinRARVersion 4.2: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to RAR, command line switches "winrar a -r -m3"
7-ZipVersion 9.28: THG-Workload (1.3 GB) to .7z, command line switches "a -t7z -r -m0=LZMA2 -mx=5"
Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings
3DMark 11Version: 1.0.1.0, Benchmark Only
PCMark 7Version: 1.0.4 x64, System, Productivity, Hard Disk Drive benchmarks
SiSoftware Sandra 2011Version Version 2013.01.19.11, CPU Test = CPU Arithmetic / Cryptography, Memory Test = Bandwidth Benchmark
11. Results: 3DMark And PCMark

Proving that all four boards have similar gaming capability, 3DMark’s tiny performance differences reflect the diminutive base clock differences between boards.

PCMark shows a similar, though slightly tighter, performance spread.

PCMark’s Starting Applications drive access pattern has a slightly larger spread, though this can be affected by small things like how long the drive has been idle.

12. Results: SiSoftware Sandra

ASRocks’ Z77E-ITX stands out in only one of the several Sandra CPU tests, appearing to have been boosted in a similar manner to Asus’ Multicore Enhancement BIOS option. Sandra doesn’t contribute to our overall performance averages, and this single metric is the only place where the Z77E-ITX performance stands out.

13. Results: Battlefield 3 And F1 2012

As expected, Battlefield 3 shows that performance differences are insignificant and likely due to differences in CPU base clock.

The Z77E-ITX takes a slight dip at our lowest F1 2012 setting, but that loss is still too small to be noticed in actual game play.

14. Results: Skyrim And StarCraft 2

The P8Z77-I Deluxe takes a mysterious lead at our lowest Skyrim settings, but once again it’s too small for us to actually see whilst playing the game.

We retested several times and never found a good reason for the Z77E-ITX’s marginal loss in StarCraft II. I’ve never completely trusted games that require an internet connection for single-player mode, so I’d blame the servers if I could get away with it here in the office.

15. Results: Adobe Creative Suite

Performance parity continues through Adobe's Creative Suite 6, assuring us that we can return to a cut-back benchmark suite set in future motherboard round-ups and still accurately capture the speed of each platform.

Because Acrobat is actually a productivity application, the tiny performance difference we see in this single-threaded test will be combined with the results on our next page in the final analysis.

16. Results: Productivity

We’re forced to jump all the way down to our third productivity chart, ABBYY FineReader, to find a noticeable performance difference between today’s contenders. Small gains or deficits like these won’t mean much by the time we calculate averages.

17. Results: Audio And Video Encoding

The two motherboards with tiny default overclocks (around 0.3%) take top position in iTunes encoding. Number rounding appears to be the only factor in making this performance difference stand out in the charts.

18. Benchmark: File Compression

Large performance differences in platforms with the same processor and chipset typically point to a product being broken or, conversely, cheating. Though performance parity isn’t very exciting, boring charts are perfect for proving the integrity of manufacturers and their products. That's what we see here.

19. Power, Heat, And Efficiency

ASRock’s minor loss in a few benchmarks is offset towards efficiency by its lower power consumption under full load. MSI appears to idle down a little better, while Asus packs its board with extra features.

EVGA’s Z77 Stinger had the lowest voltage regulator temperatures at default fan settings, while ASRock had the lowest CPU temperatures. Asus’ default fan profile appears to be more focused on quiet operation, though its firmware has several settings between 100% duty cycle and low noise.

Efficiency compares energy to work, which is most easily accomplished by comparing average power to average performance. We’ll need to average the performance of each board to use this method.

Repeated for this comparison, the efficiency formula from our recent System Builder Marathon is weighted at 30% games, 60% other applications, and 10% hard drive performance. Without any big performance differences between boards, we can expect the Z77E-ITX’s low power consumption to top our efficiency charts.

Comparing each motherboard’s performance to the average performance of all motherboards gives us a 100% baseline, which is zeroed-out for this chart by subtracting one (100%) from the result. The Z77E-ITX is 6.9% more efficient than the average of today’s boards, while the P8Z77-I Deluxe is 5% less efficient than that average. Though most people are willing to accept a few extra pennies a month on their electric bill, this chart is simply a reminder that extra features consume extra energy.

20. Overclocking Compared
BIOS Frequency and Voltage settings (for overclocking)
 ASRock
Z77E-ITX
Asus
P8Z77-I Deluxe
EVGA
Z77 Stinger
MSI
Z77IA-E53
Reference Clock95-150 MHz (0.1 MHz)80-300 MHz (0.1 MHz)80-130 MHz (~0.1 MHz)0-655 MHz (0.1 MHz)
CPU Multiplier14-63x (1x)16-63x (1x)16-80x (1x)16-63x (1x)
DRAM Data Rates1066-3000 (200, 266)800-3200 (200, 266)1066-2133 (200, 266)800-3200 (200, 266)
CPU Vcore0.60-1.70 V (50 mV)0.80-1.99 V (5 mV)0.90-1.92 V (1 mV)0.81-2.16 V (5 mV)
CPU VTT0.98-1.56 V (~6.5 mV)N/A0.90-1.53 V (1 mV)0.95-1.55 V (20 mV)
VCCSA0.93-1.21 V (~18 mV)0.61-1.56 V (5 mV)N/A0.94-1.58 V (20 mV)
DRAM Voltage1.17-1.80 V (5 mV)1.20-2.135 V (5 mV)0.90-1.99 V (1 mV)1.11-2.47 V (7.5 mV)
CAS Latency4-15 Cycles1-15 Cycles4-15 Cycles5-15 Cycles
tRCD3-15 Cycles1-15 Cycles4-99 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRP3-15 Cycles1-15 Cycles4-99 Cycles4-15 Cycles
tRAS9-63 Cycles1-255 Cycles10-63 Cycles10-40 Cycles


Though the broadness of each setting varies with each motherboard, all four are capable of exceeding safe and sane voltage levels, or, if you’d prefer, moderate underclocking for reduced energy use. We did encounter one fairly large surprise however.

We've learned to expect 4.6 to 4.7 GHz from this specific Core i7-3770K sample, but that was under Windows 7. With Windows 8, we encountered errors in some services at clock rates greater than 4.5 GHz. The fourth board, EVGA’s Z77 Stinger appears to need a firmware re-work.

Our expected 110 or 111 MHz base clocks are also gone, with the P8Z77-I Deluxe getting closest to our Windows 7 highs under Windows 8. We’ve heard of Windows 8-optimized firmware, but have not, until now, seen any evidence that those optimizations might affect overclocking.

The board with the big voltage regulator, Asus’ P8Z77-I Deluxe also has the highest stable memory data rate. On the other hand, the Z77IA-E53’s third-place memory finish was still good enough to reach our memory’s rated DDR3-2666.

EVGA’s Z77 Stinger reached its top ratio limit, corresponding to DDR3-2133, with less than 1% base clock flexibility, giving it an extra 3 MHz.

21. Which Mini-ITX Z77-Based Board Is Right For You?

MSI has the least-expensive board in today’s comparison, its Z77IA-E53 selling for $145. But we still need to compare its features against products that cost more. Otherwise, it'd take a clear lead in performance-per-dollar, and I think we can all agree that the following chart fails to tell the whole story of what's going on in the mini-ITX market.

ASRock's Z77E-ITX suffers in that chart because the company chooses to use a pricier PCIe-based wireless adapter, which it doesn't derive any performance from in the benchmarks. However, it also lacks Bluetooth connectivity, and MSI's board does come with that. We’re not sure how many people necessarily have to have Bluetooth, but the feature is certainly worth something to those who can use it. The applications we can think of where Bluetooth might be important are wireless gaming control, which can now be accomplished via smartphone-based applications, music synchronization, which could be a key feature for media center PCs, and phone/tablet file transfers. Compact gaming and media centers are primary targets for both products.

Beyond that, ASRock's Z77E-ITX costs $5 more than MSI’s Z77IA-E53. Is it able to derive any additional value elsewhere? A higher-quality wireless adapter (with two receive antennas) isn’t ASRock’s only advantage over MSI, though. MSI’s board, for example, lacks the DVI and DisplayPort connectors featured on the Z77E-ITX, and ASRock gives you enough back-panel analog audio outputs to do 7.1-channel sound without involving a front-panel jack. Let's frame those features within the compact gaming and media center markets, though. Gamers typically don’t have more than six-channel sound systems. And if you're in a home theater environment, you can either use the board's HDMI output or the connector on a discrete card to bitstream high-quality audio to your AVR anyway. Thus, ASRock is going to have a hard time justifying the added expense of its extra connectors if they're typically not needed. We're willing to count the extra pair of USB 3.0 ports and higher-performing Wi-Fi controller as worth the Z77E-ITX’s $5 price premium.

With MSI and ASRock nearly tied, we have to decide whether Asus' P8Z77-I Deluxe is worth $30 more than MSI's board and $25 more than ASRock's. Asus starts off right in justifying its value with a PCIe-based dual-band Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo card armed with two transmit and two receive antennas, an added pair of USB 3.0 ports, an extra eSATA connector, and a full set of on-board video outputs. The P8Z77-I Deluxe has the same analog audio connectivity issues as MSI, necessitating front-panel involvement if you want eight-channel sound. But DTS Connect addresses those issues by encoding simulated 7.1-channel audio and sending it through the optical output. Asus maintains a list of other technologies only found on its platform, including the ability to charge smartphones and tablets through its USB ports, more granular fan control, and the ability to flash the board's BIOS without a CPU or memory installed. The P8Z77-I Deluxe also has far more space for CPU cooling, since Asus places the Z77 PCH between the processor interface and graphics slot. The voltage regulator daughterboard is even short enough to fit under the bottom fin of most tower-style coolers. More aggressive tuning becomes the best reason to pay $30 more for Asus’ P8Z77-I Deluxe.

And so, the best value you can find for a media center-oriented Z77 Express-based motherboard turns out to be a tie between ASRock’s Z77E-ITX and MSI’s Z77IA-E53, depending on the features you need.

Asus unquestionably takes the recommendation as the best board to build a miniaturized gaming platform on, its P8Z77-I Deluxe able to deliver more wattage and accommodate a wider range of coolers. It also comes with a longer list of features, which you do pay for. But there's a lot more cool functionality included than you might expect to find on a mini-ITX motherboard.

What about EVGA’s Z77 Stinger? It's more limited in features, overclocking on it seemed to be hamstrung, and it's expensive. Those quibbles could be fixed if the company ditched its $20 mail-in-rebate in favor of a lower base price, added the missing Wi-Fi card, and worked on its under-developed firmware. Even then, this is the only board we’ve seen in many years without a front-panel audio header. That's simply a standard feature that every commercial builder uses, and any commercial builder would have a tough time explaining why a PC’s front-panel audio jacks are dead. And as do-it-yourselfers, most of us expect our machines to be more functional than those built commercially.