ASRock M8 Mini-ITX Z87 Barebones System Review

The ASRock M8 is a highly versatile, Z87-based barebones system that gives users the flexibility to add mainstream components of their choice. With its 450W, 80 Plus Bronze power supply, the M8 had no problems powering our 4770K- and GTX 760-based system, and delivering impressive frame rates while doing so.

Being able to house an 8-thread Core i7 processor and 2GB GTX 760 graphics card inside a Mini-ITX chassis that isn't much larger than an Xbox 360 is an impressive feat. Add room for up to five storage drives and a 90mm-tall CPU cooler into the equation, and ASRock's M8 has the capability to house a powerful gaming system that can also be used for general purpose scenarios.

By far the most impressive part of ASRock's M8 bundle is the unique chassis. Custom-designed to house a Mini-ITX motherboard with other, not-so-small components, the chassis is eye-catching and well-built.

ASRock's integrated A-Command button is another unique and entirely worthwhile feature. The OLED display can be used to show system information while the dial controls parameters such as the LED activation and toggling between content displayed on the screen. We just wish that the A-Command device had a built-in memory chip or battery so that it could remember our settings preferences when the system is unplugged.

Other features such as the standard Mini-ITX motherboard that uses a Z87 chipset, eight USB 3.0 ports, six SATA connections, Creative Sound Core3D audio, built-in 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 add to what is a well-thought, all-round system from ASRock.

Perhaps the biggest issue with ASRock's M8 is its cooling capacity. It may sound silly for us to complain about a Mini-ITX chassis that struggles to keep our hot 4770K cool, but with the ASRock M8, it is designed to house gaming-calibre parts. A better CPU cooler would have helped reduce processor temperature levels, but as with most Mini-ITX systems, space around the socket area is tight.

Rather than criticise ASRock's M8 (and the limited heatsinks that we used) for struggling to cool our 4770K, we would recommend using a lower-powered LGA 1150 part. The 4670K would be a better choice as it lacks the i7's temperature-increasing hyper-threading technology. A Core i3 would also be a good choice as many of the modern variants deliver strong gaming performance that will not bottleneck mid-range graphics cards.

Another criticism comes from the memory slots. While SO-DIMM slots help to reduce the space required on a motherboard, full-sized DIMM slots would have been preferred by many gamers who like using fast RAM. This is more of a trade-off than an all-out negative aspect; I'd rather be forced to use SO-DIMM memory than lose support for the WiFi card or a number of SATA ports.

Given that the M8 is intended to be transported to and from gaming events, ASRock's choice of materials is generally very good as most of them are scratch resistant. Except for the windows, that is. The acrylic windows easily pick up scratches and blemishes after being placed on a floor (when building inside the system). This is disappointing and the windows' scratch-resistance is definitely something that ASRock should try to improve on.

ASRock's M8 is priced at around £480 from UK retailers and available from the second week of October. For that money, the main components you get are; a well-designed chassis, a 450W SFX PSU, a slot-loading DVD RW, and a Z87 motherboard with built-in wireless connectivity. The PCI-E riser card also adds to the M8's cost.

While £480 is a large sum of money to spend on a barebones system that still requires a storage drive, CPU, memory, and graphics card, we feel that it will be a reasonable amount to somebody who likes to move their gaming system to different locations on a regular basis. Given that the M8 can be picked up and carried with one hand, many of its target audience will be happy to pay to incorporate that type of flexibility into their gaming system.

ASRock's M8 is a unique system that gives gamers who regularly attend LAN events a way of transporting their gaming hardware without a great deal of hassle. While the M8 does have its shortfalls, the majority are easy to fix with an updated version or on future iterations. To a hardcore gamer who transports their system on a regular basis, the ASRock M8 is definitely worth buying.

Pros:

• Excellent chassis and very well-constructed.
• A-Command button with controller and display is useful.
• 450W, 80 Plus Bronze power supply.
• Well-equipped motherboard: 802.11ac WiFi, eight USB 3.0 ports, six SATA 6Gb/s connections, overclocking-ready.
• Creative Sound Core3D audio.
• Supports gaming-calibre graphics card, such as the GTX 760.
• Up to five storage drive bays.

Cons:

• Limited cooling potential with some of the hardware that can be physically installed (4770K).
• Side panel windows scratch easily.
• Can get very loud under a gaming load.
• A sizeable investment.

KitGuru says: A fantastic product that gives gamers an easy-to-transport system capable of housing powerful hardware in its Mini-ITX form factor.

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