ASRock M8 Mini-ITX Z87 Barebones System Review

1. Introduction2. ASRock M8: Packaging and Bundle3. ASRock M8: Exterior4. ASRock M8: Internals5. ASRock M8: Build Procedure6. ASRock M8: Size Comparison7. ASRock M8: BIOS8. Testing Methodology9. System: PCMark 810. System: 3DMark 1111. System: 3DMark12. System: Unigine Heaven Benchmark13. Processor: SiSoft Sandra14. Processor: Cinebench R11.5 64 bit15. Processor: Super Pi16. Processor: MKV HD Performance17. Processor: Media Encoding - MediaEspresso18. Motherboard: SATA Performance19. Motherboard: USB 3.0 Performance20. Gaming: Battlefield 321. Gaming: Bioshock Infinite22. Gaming: Dirt Showdown23. Gaming: Metro 203324. Gaming: Metro: Last Light25. Gaming: Sleeping Dogs26. Technical: Power Consumption27. Technical: Thermal Dynamics28. Technical: Acoustics29. Closing Thoughts30. View All Pages

If there's one thing that makes attending gaming events awkward, it's lugging an awkwardly-sized, 15kg+ system from your home to the destination. Many Mini-ITX systems have aimed to solve the problem, but very few have managed to reduce size while maintaining high levels of gaming performance. And for the companies that have been able to shrink a powerful gaming machine into a Mini-ITX case, the system can still be quite a struggle to re-locate.

Is the M8, ASRock's Mini-ITX Z87 system, the answer to those problems?

Compressing a specifically-designed Mini-ITX motherboard into a custom-built chassis that isn’t much larger than an Xbox 360, ASRock’s M8 has the power and capacity that provide the foundation for a formidable gaming system. 802.11ac WiFi, a Creative Sound Core3D audio chip, and space for graphics cards longer than 25cm give further indication that the M8 can form a powerful gaming machine.

With a 450W SFX power supply, space for up to five 2.5” hard drives, and an overclocking-capable Z87 motherboard, ASRock provides plenty of options for the M8’s target audience to build a powerful machine into its unique enclosure.

How will the ASRock M8’s compressed, Mini-ITX form factor and unique design fair when tasked with housing modern gaming components?

Features:

• Intel Z87 Motherboard Inside
• Supports 4th Gen Intel® Core Processor
• A-Command with G-sensor Integrated
• Creative SoundCore 3D 7.1 CH HD Audio
• 2T2R WiFi 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.0
• XSplit 3 Months Premium License
• Supports ASRock Key Master

ASRock ships the M8 in a black box that features computer-generated graphics of the system and information regarding its specifications.

A plastic carrying handle allows users to easily carry their M8 system to wherever it is required.

Supplied documentation consists of a driver CD, product guide, installation poster, and 3 month subscription to the live-streaming X Split service.

The installation poster features plenty of directions and tips in a black and white form. For the most part, the directions are actually clear and easy to understand, which is somewhat surprising with a Mini-ITX system of this nature.

ASRock provides the usual accessories such as SATA cables and mounting screws. A power cord is also supplied as the system uses a 3-prong version, rather than the more common kettle-style lead.

A hex-tool and screwdriver (which looks like a pen) ensure that installation can be completed without the requirement of separate tools.

The bundle consists of:

• 4x long SATA cables.
• 2x short SATA cables.
• 1x 3-prong power lead.
• Mounting screws.
• 1x screwdriver tool.
• 1x hex-tool.
• 4x rubber strips.
• 2x keys (for the chassis lock).
• 1x wide VGA card support bracket.

When first looking at the M8, it’s easy to see that the enclosure is what provides the biggest spark of innovation. Built from steel, aluminium and plastic, the Mini-ITX enclosure features a unique style that is intended to make efficient use of its space.

An octagonal window on each side panel gives a glimpse into the M8. ASRock smartly distorts a large proportion of the side panel window that gives a view into the main system area; this has the function of hiding the untidy cable section.

Strong carry handles positioned on each of the M8’s four corners allow the system to be lifted with safety. They also help to reinforce the chassis’ structure.

A slot-loading DVD drive is found on the M8’s front side, above four USB 3.0 ports. Using a DVD drive is probably the best decision, given the M8's target audience (gamers). However, to many people, a BluRay drive would have been a welcomed component for a small increase in cost.

A circular OLED display and multi-function controller, which ASRock is calling ‘A-Command’, can be used to display system information and operate specific functions. The A-Command button also doubles up as the M8’s power switch.

A 4-in-1 card reader and pair of 3.5mm audio jacks can be shut into the chassis or uncovered when required.

A pair of PCI shields shows that the M8 can handle dual-slot expansion cards. Ventilation gaps also help heat escape from the graphics card area.

The 3-prong power connector positioned on the M8’s rear side extends through to the internally-housed SFX 450W power supply.

ASRock’s own Z87-M8 motherboard features a healthy set of connections on its rear IO panel. The connections include; four USB 3.0 ports, Intel Gigabit LAN, four USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA connector, DisplayPort and HDMI outputs, and 7.1 channel audio, including an optical SPDIF output.

Two 70mm fans, one intake and the other exhaust, sit beneath the M8’s ventilated roof panel. The panel also features a locking mechanism that holds both of the side panel doors securely in position.

Another pair of 70mm fans, with one intake and one exhaust, is located behind the M8’s bottom panel. Performance of the bottom intake fan is limited when standing the M8 upright on a carpet floor; external air is hard to gather when the system sinks into a thick carpet.

To access and move sections of the M8’s internal area, the hex-tool and screwdriver are used to remove one of the corner-mounted fastening mechanisms. ASRock makes the task very straightforward.

The magnetic side panels can be plucked out of position when not held in place by the locking mechanism.

Sliding the top panel out of position provides easier access to the M8’s internal sections. Removing the panel is a requirement for the build stage.

Both fans are connected to the ASRock Z87-M8 motherboard via a single 4-pin connector that adjusts their speed, based on CPU temperature.

The M8’s rear section features an appearance-enhancing piece of plastic that some power cables are fed through. The box doesn’t seem to do anything more than hold the cables in position, and provide an additional eye-catching feature when viewed through the side panel window.

ASRock’s well-laid-out components area does seem to be a tight fit at first glance, but further examination reveals just how effective the company’s use of space has been.

There is clear gap around the graphics card area for a long, gaming-calibre board. ASRock has also left a fair amount of room near the CPU socket so that a 90mm-tall aftermarket cooler can be installed (albeit a small one) and the motherboard can be removed without too much hassle.

With the M8’s chassis conforming to the standard Mini-ITX form factor, ASRock has given its users a desirable amount of flexibility to use SFF components.

ASRock's Z87-M8 motherboard uses the LGA 1150 socket and seems to feature a six-phase power delivery system to the CPU (although the phases may be for DRAM or more may be hidden elsewhere).

A pair of DDR3 SO-DIMM modules can be installed in the motherboard, allowing the M8 to hold up to 16GB of memory. As the memory speed is controlled by the processor, one could theoretically install modules with a frequency of up to 2933MHz, although we cannot confirm support as we don’t have any high-speed SO-DIMM sticks at hand.

A 450W, 80 Plus Bronze-rated SFX power supply is housed inside the M8. Featuring two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, the 450W unit has the capability to power some high-speed, gaming-calibre graphics cards.

As pointed out earlier in the review, two 70mm fans are installed in the bottom panel. Their blades are protected by ventilated mesh, ensuring that rogue cables do not cause damage.

A two-tier drive bay (shown in the bottom-left section of the above photo) can be used to house up to four 2.5” units or a single 3.5” version.

Accessing the drive bays, and installing a graphics board, requires the PCI-E riser card to be removed. Two easy-to-access screws hold it in position.

A small latch has to be lifted before the expansion card holder’s PCI slots can be accessed.

The metal expansion card holder is designed to support the weight of a graphics board when the M8 system is moved about.

When using cards that are wider-than-standard, the bundled support bracket can be clipped into one of the three slots to secure the board.

A set of screws secures a 3.5” HDD to the drive bay’s bottom tier. When a 3.5” model is installed, the drive bay’s upper tier cannot be used (not even with our slim Seagate 7200.12 drive).

2.5″ drives are held in position by screws from the bottom or side. The bay’s two tiers can then be fastened together to allow installation for up to four 2.5” drives.

Beneath the power supply is a bay that holds the slim DVD drive and provides a mount for one 2.5” unit. The single 2.5” mount is very convenient for those who want to install a boot SSD and storage hard drive; the 3.5” unit will use up the main hard drive bay, while the remaining 2.5” slot can be used to hold the boot SSD.

Accessing the optical and 2.5” drive tray required the power supply to be removed. Removing the power supply is fairly straightforward, and well explained by the installation guide.

Replacing the power supply is a very difficult procedure that requires skill and patience. The unit has to be blindly slid into position so that it aligns with fastening rails and its screw holes. I spent over 20 minutes trying to get the power supply re-installed, so I would not recommend removing it unless required to do so.

The dual-band, two-stream 802.11ac WiFi card connects to the motherboard’s mini-PCI-E slot. Both of the two antennae are mounted to the chassis and connect to the card via a pair of white cables. The card also provides Bluetooth 4.0.

A chip for the Creative Sound Core3D audio system is located beneath a lavish, red and black cover, which possibly acts as an EMI shield.

Despite using a 4-pin CPU power connector on the Z87-M8 motherboard, ASRock’s chosen power supply uses an 8-pin EPS cable.

There is clearance for a CPU cooler around 90mm-tall to be installed inside the M8. We managed to fit the reference 4770K heatsink and Phanteks’ PH-TC90LS inside, without problems.

The CPU cooler’s width is likely to be the biggest constraint, as the RAM slots are located very close to the LGA 1150 socket on ASRock’s Z87-M8 motherboard.

All six of the outwards-facing SATA ports operate at 6Gb/s bandwidth from the Z87 chipset. At some point, the internal USB 3.0 header’s two connections are duplicated to provide the M8’s four front panel ports.

ASRock’s custom PCI-E riser card slots into the motherboard’s single x16 connector. Our 24cm-long GTX 760 was able to fit inside the M8 without any clearance issues.

We would recommend keeping VGA card length to a maximum of 25cm. There is scope for longer cards to be installed, but interference with the PSU power lead will occur.

Non-reference cards with a width of up to 130mm (possibly a few millimetres more) can be installed inside the ASRock M8. As shown by the straight ruler positioned in the above image, wider-than-standard cards will have reduced clearance (in terms of length) due to the M8 chassis’ angled edges.

Although we were not able to test it, we can see a clear potential for triple-slot graphics cards to be housed by the M8. Cooling may become an issue when the card is pressed up against other structures, and the drive tray’s upper tier will almost certainly have to be sacrificed.

As a general and cautious recommendation, we would advise serious care and thought when installing any card that is physically larger than the GTX 760 that we used.

A corner section of the M8’s internal area is used to house and route many of the system’s power cables.

Thankfully, the 450W PSU uses short cables that reduce interference with neighbouring components.

ASRock conveniently routes the unused power cables to the area where they are likely to be required.

Even with a 24cm-long GTX 760 and reference Intel heatsink installed, there is still a fair amount of space inside the M8’s chassis.

Removal of the CPU cooler or memory modules can be completed without having to disconnect other components. It’s worth noting that an after-market CPU cooler that makes use of a backplate will cause the entire motherboard (and therefore PCI-E riser card) to need removing.

Thanks to ASRock’s use of specifically-sized power and data cables, clutter is kept to a minimum inside the M8.

To improve our test system's CPU cooling capacity, and reduce noise output, we installed a low-profile Phanteks PH-TC90LS cooler. The low-profile, Mini-ITX-tailored CPU cooler was able to fit inside the ASRock M8 system without clearance issues.

A graphics card’s display outputs are rotated by 90 degrees. The recessed slots should provide additional flexibility when connecting bulky cables in a tight environment.

Lighting & A-Command Button:

A subtle red glow is emitted by the M8 when its lighting system is activated. Control for the light output can be set via the A-Command controller.

ASRock’s unique A-Command controller features a red glowing LED backlight and red display digits. After a certain period of inactivity, the LEDs are switched off to avoid causing disturbance.

Information such as the date, time, current CPU speed, LAN usage percentage, and system volume (amongst others) can be displayed on the A-Command’s OLED panel.

The turning dial allows users to select which piece of information they want displayed on the panel. Pressing the button inwards activates the selection.

An integrated sensor allows the displayed writing to rotate, dependent upon whether the M8 is positioned vertically or horizontally.

One annoying point regarding the A-Command controller was its inability to save preferences when the system was fully powered down (unplugged from the wall). A simple battery would have allowed user preferences to be saved, but instead one has to manually activate the lights when the system is powered up again.

Compared to an original Xbox 360 (used as a well-known size reference), the ASRock M8 is noticeably larger, but not by a too much of a margin. Given that the ASRock M8 is housing a fully-fledged gaming system, the increased size (in comparison to an original Xbox 360) is a compromise that many PC gamers will be happy to make, especially those who regularly attend LAN events.

Compared to full-tower (NZXT Phantom 630, left) and micro-ATX (Corsair Obsidian 350D, centre) cases the ASRock M8 is noticeably more compact.

While there are some net-top systems that are smaller than the M8, they don’t offer anywhere near the level of performance capability that ASRock’s machine does.

Firstly, we are pleased to report that our Roccat Kone XTD mouse worked to its usual standard in the UEFI BIOS of the M8's ASRock Z87-M8 motherboard. This is a positive point as we have experienced problems when using certain mice in the UEFI BIOS of other motherboards in the past.

The Z87-M8 motherboard’s UEFI BIOS follows ASRock’s typical styling.

System information, such as the memory quantity and speed, is displayed on the UEFI interface’s ‘Main’ page.

 

Despite its Mini-ITX form factor and modest overclocking requirements, ASRock’s Z87-M8 motherboard provides plenty of flexibility in regards to voltage and frequency settings.

Four optimised CPU overclock profiles are installed on the Z87-M8 motherboard. We weren’t able to test their operation as heat became an issue with our test components.

A feature that has become common in ASRock’s modern UEFI BIOSes is system browser. The tool outlines some of the installed components and attached devices and can be useful when troubleshooting problematic hardware.

Up to three UEFI BIOS setting profiles can be saved to the Z87-M8 motherboard’s memory. I would typically say that three profiles is an inadequate number, especially when testing out different overclocking settings, but given the M8’s intended usage scenarios, the quantity should be sufficient.

For example, one profile could be allocated for daily usage with low- power and noise states active. Another could be used for gaming when enhanced cooling is necessary, but sound output isn’t a major concern. That leaves another profile free to be tweaked to an individual’s preference.

ASRock’s HWMonitor page gives users access to temperature, fan speed, and voltage readings.

The customisable fan profile allows a unit’s speed to be tweaked at five difference temperature intervals which is good for keeping temperatures or noise output under close control.

To test the ASRock M8, we paired it with an Intel Core i7 4770K processor and 8GB of 1333MHz SO-DIMM memory in a dual channel configuration. We will be outlining the ASRock M8's performance with the Core i7 4770K CPU at its stock frequency of 3.5GHz and standard Turbo Boost settings.

While we could have overclocked the processor, heat quickly became an issue in the M8's confined dimensions. Overclocking a processor installed in ASRock's Mini-ITX system would either require one of the best CPU coolers that fits inside the chassis or a chip with a lower TDP than our 4770K.

We will be comparing the ASRock M8-based system's performance to that of our Z87 test system which is based around the ASRock Z87 OC Formula motherboard. Where possible, we use identical hardware and software on each system so that the results are as comparable as possible.

By default, the ASRock Z87-M8 motherboard allows the 4770K to operate at its default turbo settings. This will give it what seems to be a performance disadvantage against other Z87-based systems whose motherboards use forced-turbo settings for the 4770K.

ASRock M8 Test System:

• Motherboard: ASRock Z87-M8 (ASRock M8).
• Power Supply: 450W SFX 80 Plus Bronze (ASRock M8).
• Case: ASRock M8 with 4x 70mm fans.
• Optical Drive: LITE-ON DC-8A2SH Slim Slot Loading 8x DVD±R/RW (ASRock M8).
• Processor: Intel Core i7 4770K 3.50GHz.
• Memory: 8GB (2x 4GB) Komputerbay DDR3 1333MHz CL9 (SO-DIMM).
• Graphics Card: nVidia GTX 760 2GB.
• System Drive: 500GB Samsung 840 Series SSD.
• CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC90LS.
• Operating System: Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit.

Comparison Z87 Test System:

• Processor: Intel Core i7 4770K 3.50GHz.
• Motherboard: ASRock Z87 OC Formula.
• Memory: 8GB Patriot Viper Xtreme Division 2 2133MHz.
• Graphics Card: nVidia GTX 760 2GB.
• System Drive: 500GB Samsung 840 Series SSD.
• CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i.
• Case: NZXT Phantom 630.
• Power Supply: Seasonic Platinum 1000W.
• Operating System: Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit.

Settings:

• GeForce 320.49 VGA drivers.
• Intel 9.4.0.1017 chipset drivers.

Software Suite:

• 3DMark
• 3DMark 11
• PCMark 8
• Unigine Heaven Benchmark 4.0
• SiSoft Sandra 2013 SP4
• Cinebench 11.5 64 bit
• Super Pi
• VLC Media Player 2.0.7
• CyberLink Media Espresso 6.7
• ATTO
• Battlefield 3
• Bioshock Infinite
• Dirt Showdown
• Metro 2033
• Metro: Last Light
• Sleeping Dogs

PCMark 8 is the latest version in the popular series of PC benchmarking tools. Improving on previous releases, PCMark 8 includes battery life measurement tools and new tests using popular applications from Adobe and Microsoft. Whether you are looking for long battery life, or maximum power, PCMark 8 helps you find the devices that offer the perfect combination of efficiency and performance for your needs.

The ASRock M8 system's PCMark 8 performance suffers due to the use of Intel's reference 4770K speed, rather than the common forced-turbo setting.

3DMark 11 is designed for testing DirectX 11 hardware running on Windows 7 and Windows Vista the benchmark includes six all new benchmark tests that make extensive use of all the new features in DirectX 11 including tessellation, compute shaders and multi-threading.

After running the tests 3DMark gives your system a score with larger numbers indicating better performance. Trusted by gamers worldwide to give accurate and unbiased results, 3DMark 11 is the best way to test DirectX 11 under game-like loads.

If you want to learn more about this benchmark, or to buy it yourself, head over to this page.

As was the case with PCMark 8, 3DMark 11 shows performance deficits for the ASRock M8 system with its variable turbo settings.

3DMark is Futuremark's latest benchmark. It can be used to benchmark and compare everything from mobile devices, such as smart phones, tablets and laptops, to high-end gaming systems. The benchmark is available for Windows, Windows RT Android and iOS.

With 3 separate tests, each of which is intended to be used alongside a specific classification of hardware, 3DMark is a very versatile benchmark. Ice Storm is intended to be used with mobile devices, Cloud Gate is good for use with laptops and home PCs, and Fire Strike can be used to push the performance of gaming PCs.

We used the ‘Fire Strike' benchmark which is designed to be used on gaming PCs. We opted for the Normal setting, NOT the Extreme mode.

3DMark performance by the M8 system is generally strong. Only the physics score receives a negative impact from the variable-speed CPU operations.

Unigine provides an interesting way to test hardware. It can be easily adapted to various projects due to its elaborated software design and flexible toolset. A lot of their customers claim that they have never seen such extremely-effective code, which is so easy to understand.

Heaven Benchmark is a DirectX 11 GPU benchmark based on advanced Unigine engine from Unigine Corp. It reveals the enchanting magic of floating islands with a tiny village hidden in the cloudy skies. Interactive mode provides emerging experience of exploring the intricate world of steampunk.

Efficient and well-architected framework makes Unigine highly scalable:

• Multiple API (DirectX 9 / DirectX 10 / DirectX 11 / OpenGL) render
• Cross-platform: MS Windows (XP, Vista, Windows 7) / Linux
• Full support of 32bit and 64bit systems
• Multicore CPU support
• Little / big endian support (ready for game consoles)
• Powerful C++ API
• Comprehensive performance profiling system
• Flexible XML-based data structures

Unigine's graphically-intensive Heaven benchmark shows response to differences in CPU and memory frequency, but it is heavily swayed by graphics power.

Due to the confined dimensions of ASRock's M8 chassis, our GTX 760 graphics card is likely to turbo boost to a lower frequency than it would in a well-ventilated enclosure.

SiSoftware Sandra (the System ANalyser, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant) is an information & diagnostic utility. It should provide most of the information (including undocumented) you need to know about your hardware, software and other devices whether hardware or software.

Sandra is a (girl’s) name of Greek origin that means “defender”, “helper of mankind”. We think that’s quite fitting.

It works along the lines of other Windows utilities, however it tries to go beyond them and show you more of what’s really going on. Giving the user the ability to draw comparisons at both a high and low-level. You can get information about the CPU, chipset, video adapter, ports, printers, sound card, memory, network, Windows internals, AGP, PCI, PCI-X, PCIe (PCI Express), database, USB, USB2, 1394/Firewire, etc.

Native ports for all major operating systems are available:

• Windows XP, 2003/R2, Vista, 7, 2008/R2 (x86)
• Windows XP, 2003/R2, Vista, 7, 2008/R2 (x64)
• Windows 2003/R2, 2008/R2* (IA64)
• Windows Mobile 5.x (ARM CE 5.01)
• Windows Mobile 6.x (ARM CE 5.02)

All major technologies are supported and taken advantage of:

• SMP – Multi-Processor
• MC – Multi-Core
• SMT/HT – Hyper-Threading
• MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE 4.1, SSE 4.2, AVX, FMA – Multi-Media instructions
• GPGPU, DirectX, OpenGL – Graphics
• NUMA – Non-Uniform Memory Access
• AMD64/EM64T/x64 – 64-bit extensions to x86
• IA64 – Intel* Itanium 64-bit

Sandra's processor arithmetic results are where we would expect them to be, given the M8's reference turbo multipliers set on our 4770K.

Memory bandwidth takes a substantial throughput hit due to the use of 1333MHz CL9 SO-DIMM modules inside the M8. Faster modules are available to purchase, however, such as an 1866MHz Corsair Vengeance kit.

CINEBENCH R11.5 64 Bit is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Spider-Man, Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia and many more.

CINEBENCH is the perfect tool to compare CPU and graphics performance across various systems and platforms (Windows and Mac OS X). And best of all – it’s completely free.

Cinebench performance for the M8 system is down in comparison to the forced-turbo, 3.9GHz competitor. The M8's CPU frequency can be increased, and forced-turbo parameters can be applied, but our test system would have required improved cooling.

Super Pi is used by a huge audience, particularly to check stability when overclocking processors. If a system is able to calculate PI to the 2 millionth place after the decimal without mistake, it is considered to be stable in regards to RAM and CPU.

We used Super Pi's '32M' benchmark setting.

Even though the 4770K will turbo up to a maximum of 3.9GHz when one core is active, Super Pi shows performance benefits when fast memory is used.

The Matroska Media container is a very popular, open standard multimedia container which is usually found as .MKV files. It is a very popular format in enthusiast circles and can be played directly in VLC or Windows Media Player with suitable codecs installed.

We played our 1080P MKV rip of The Dark Knight using the latest version of VLC Media Player.

Due to the rounding of our recorded CPU utilisation results, the lower-clocked 4770K in the M8 seems to outperform the forced-turbo optimisations on our ASRock Z87 OC Formula test system.

The CPU overhead required by background and stability applications may also be lower for the M8 system, hence its reduced utilisation when playing 1080P MKV content.

CyberLink MediaEspresso 6 is the successor to CyberLink MediaShow Espresso 5.5. With its further optimized CPU/GPU-acceleration, MediaEspresso is an even faster way to convert not only your video but also your music and image files between a wide range of popular formats.

Now you can easily playback and display your favourite movies, songs and photos not just on your mobile phone, iPad, PSP, Xbox, or Youtube and Facebook channels but also on the newly launched iPhone 4. Compile, convert and enjoy images and songs on any of your computing devices and enhance your videos with CyberLink’s built-in TrueTheater Technology.

New and Improved Features

• Ultra Fast Media Conversion – With support from the Intel Core i-Series processor family, ATI Stream & NVIDIA CUDA, MediaEspresso’s Batch-Conversion function enables multiple files to be transcoded simultaneously.
• Smart Detect Technology – MediaEspresso 6 automatically detects the type of portable device connected to the PC and selects the best multimedia profile to begin the conversion without the need for user’s intervention.
• Direct Sync to Portable Devices – Video, audio and image files can be transferred in a few easy steps to mobile phones including those from Acer, BlackBerry, HTC, Samsung, LG, Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and Palm, as well as Sony Walkman and PSP devices.
• Enhanced Video Quality – CyberLink TrueTheater Denoise and Lighting enables the enhancement of video quality through optical noise filters and automatic brightness adjustment.
• Video, Music and Image File Conversion – Convert not only videos to popular formats such as AVI, MPEG, MKV, H.264/AVC, and FLV at the click of a button, but also images such as JPEG and PNG and music files like WMA, MP3 and M4A.
• Online Sharing – Conversion to video formats used by popular social networking websites and a direct upload feature means posting videos to Facebook and YouTube has never been easier.

For our testing today we are converting a 4.4GB 720p MKV file (1h:58mins) to Apple Mp4 format for playback on a portable device. This is a common procedure for many people and will give a good indication of system power.

Hardware acceleration is disabled to provide an accurate interpretation of the CPU performance.

Media Espresso performance is affected by CPU frequency. Our Z87 OC Formula test system's forced-turbo parameters give it a sizeable performance boost over the M8 system.

Media encoding isn't the M8's primary function, but the fact that its design and thermal capacity do not have a disappointingly-negative effect on conversion performance is pleasing.

The ATTO Disk Benchmark performance measurement tool is compatible with Microsoft Windows. Measure your storage systems performance with various transfer sizes and test lengths for reads and writes. Several options are available to customize your performance measurement including queue depth, overlapped I/O and even a comparison mode with the option to run continuously.

Use ATTO Disk Benchmark to test any manufacturers RAID controllers, storage controllers, host adapters, hard drives and SSD drives and notice that ATTO products will consistently provide the highest level of performance to your storage.

Our testing uses a 500GB Samsung 840 SSD.

Using the SATA 6Gb/s ports operating from the ASRock Z87-M8 motherboard's chipset allow a modern SSD to show off its full performance potential.

With its emergence as the new standard for high-speed portable devices, USB 3.0 performance on a modern motherboard needs to be good to ensure that data transferral bottlenecks aren't created.

We tested USB 3.0 performance using an ADATA SP300 SSD connected to an Icy Box IB-223StU3 USB 3.0 enclosure (ASMedia ASM1051 controller). ATTO was the benchmark used.

Using ASRock's UASP-activating XFast USB software, transfer rates through the SuperSpeed interface can reach the region of 250MB/s.

According to EA, Battlefield 3 garnered 3 million pre-orders by the day of its release. It is unknown at present whether these figures are worldwide or just for the US. The pre-order total makes it “the biggest first-person shooter launch in EA history”, according to the publisher. The engine is beautiful on the PC and very demanding of the partnering hardware.

We used the game's demanding ‘Ultra' setting and a 1920 x 1080 resolution to push today's gaming hardware. Our data was recorded using a section of the game, not a built-in benchmark.

Battlefield 3 performance is likely hampered by the ASRock M8 system's confined dimensions. The moderate amount of airflow provided to our GTX 760 is likely to force it to turbo to a lower frequency than it would in a well-ventilated chassis.

Set in 1912, in Bioshock Infinite, players assume the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, sent to the flying city of Columbia on a rescue mission. His target? Elizabeth, imprisoned since childhood.

We used the game's demanding ‘Ultra' setting and a 1920 x 1080 resolution to push today's gaming hardware. Our data was recorded using a section of the game, not a built-in benchmark.

With a solid mid-range graphics card and LGA 1150 processor installed, the ASRock M8 system has no problem delivering high frame rates with Bioshock Infinite's Ultra settings.

Dirt Showdown is the latest title in the franchise from Codemasters, based around the famous Colin McRae racing game series, although it no longer uses his name, since he passed away in 2007.

We used the game's maximum settings and a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Our data was recorded using the game's built-in benchmark.

Dirt Showdown runs smoothly on our gaming-adapted M8 system. The 4770K and GTX 760 manage to provide strong frame rates, even at the game's maximum settings.

Metro 2033 is a first-person shooter video game with survival horror elements, based on the novel Metro 2033 by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. The game is played from the perspective of Artyom, the player-character. The story takes place in post-apocalyptic Moscow, mostly inside the metro system, but occasionally missions bring the player above-ground.

We used the game's built-in benchmark set to ‘Very High' quality to offer an intense challenge for the gaming hardware while also making playable frame rates a possibility.

Our M8 system delivers solid performance in Metro 2033.

Metro: Last Light takes place one year after the events of Metro 2033, proceeding from the ending where Artyom chose to call down the missile strike on the Dark Ones. The Rangers have since occupied the D6 military facility, with Artyom having become an official member of the group. Khan, the nomad mystic, arrives at D6 to inform Artyom and the Rangers that a single Dark One survived the missile strike.

4A Games’ proprietary 4A Engine is capable of rendering breathtaking vistas, such as those showing the ruined remnants of Moscow, as well as immersive indoor areas that play with light and shadow, creating hauntingly beautiful scenes akin to those from modern-day photos of Pripyat’s abandoned factories and schools.

We used the game's built-in benchmark set to ‘High' quality to offer an intense challenge for the gaming hardware while also making playable frame rates a possibility.

Our M8-based system managed to keep Metro: Last Light's average frame rate above 40 FPS.

Sleeping Dogs started development as an original title, but was announced in 2009 as True Crime: Hong Kong, the third instalment and a reboot of the True Crime series.

As a result of the game’s high development budget and delays, it was cancelled by Activision Blizzard in 2011. Six months later, it was announced that Square Enix had picked up the publishing rights to the game, but the game was renamed Sleeping Dogs in 2012 since Square Enix did not purchase the True Crime name rights.

We used a mixture of the highest settings and a 1920 x 1080 resolution. Our data was recorded using the game's built-in benchmark.

Sleeping Dogs takes a hit from the M8's lower component frequencies, but the frame rates are still at playable levels.

We measured the power consumption with the system resting at the Windows 7 desktop, representing idle values.

The power consumption of our entire test system is measured at the wall while loading the CPU using Prime95Blend and GPU using FurMark.

Gaming numbers are gathered while playing Battlefield 3's campaign mode. Our 1080P MKV movie is played to provide data for power consumption during HD playback.

At idle and when playing HD content, the M8's efficient power supply keeps draw at the wall to low levels. With a full graphics and processor load applied, almost 300W of power is used by our GTX 760- and 4770K-based system inside the M8.

The tests were performed in a controlled environment with the temperature maintained at a constant 23°C. Idle temperatures were measured after sitting at the desktop for 5 minutes. Load measurements were acquired by running FurMark and Prime95′s Blend setting together for 5 minutes.

As gaming is one of the main usage scenarios for the ASRock M8, we also decided to measure component temperatures while playing Battlefield 3. We did the same while playing a 1080P MKV movie file.

We allowed the CPU cooler to operate at its default – PWM – settings. All fans were operating from the ASRock motherboard's ‘standard' profile.

With a Prime95 load applied, the temperature of our 4770K CPU quickly reached the limit where it would start throttling – 100°C. Safety measures ensured that the processor stayed slightly below 100°C by reducing CPU voltage and operational frequency.

It's clear that the M8 isn't ideally suited to housing the hot-running 4770K processor, not with the reference or Phanteks PH-TC90LS CPU coolers, at least. A better CPU cooler may have provided lower temperatures, but they would still be in a region that is potentially dangerous for long-term usage. We would advise using a lower-powered, cooler-running part, such as the 4770S or a Core i3/i5.

GPU temperature stays around the levels that we have observed with the GTX 760 housed inside most cases. The fan speed increases to keep load temperatures around the 82°C-mark.

We measure from a distance of around 2 foot from the chassis with our digital sound level meter to mirror a real world situation.

Please refer to our KitGuru noise guide for a comparison between the noise levels of this system and everyday scenarios.

KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum

At idle and when viewing HD content, the ASRock M8 system's four 70mm chassis fans are quiet enough to be deemed unobtrusive.

When a gaming or demanding load is applied, the fans quickly spin up to highly audible levels. Topping out at over 50 dBa when gaming, the ASRock M8 isn't ideal for users wanting a quiet system.

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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