Specifications, Pictures, Procedures
| Model | Z68ITX-A-E |
|---|---|
| Chipset | Intel Z68 Express |
| CPU Socket | LGA 1155 |
| Dimensions | 6.7in x 6.7in – 170mm x 170mm |
| Form Factor | Mini-ITX |
| Memory Size | Up to 16GB |
| Memory Slots | 2 x 240-pin DIMM |
| Memory Type | DDR3 2133 |
| Onboard Audio | 1 x HD Audio Port (7.1-channel) 1 x Digital Optical S/PDIF output 1 x Front panel audio header |
| Onboard LAN | 2 x 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet ports |
| Onboard WLAN | 802.11n (300 Mb/s) WiFi |
| Onboard Video | Intel HD Graphics 2000/3000 ready |
| Package Contents | 4 x SATA cables 1 x I/O back plate 2 x WiFi antennas 1 x 8-pin power extension cable 1 x USB 3.0 header (full-size bracket) 1 x USB 3.0 low-profile bracket 1 x Vertical mini-PCIe full height bracket 1 x mini-DP to DP adapter |
| PCI | 1 x PCI Express x16 1 x Combo Mini PCI Express / mSATA (occupied by WiFi module) |
| RAID | 0, 1, 0+1, 5 |
| SATA | 2 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s |
| USB | 4 x USB 3.0 ports (2 on back panel, 2 via header) 8 x USB 2.0 ports (4 on back panel, 4 via header) |
| Video Ports | 2 x HDMI, 1 x Mini-DisplayPort |
| Warranty | 1-Year Standard Warranty; 2-Year Extended Warranty |
Lots of features, including an extension to get the USB3 header into a PCI slot in the case, complete with both full height and half height plates. Very cool feature, and something many motherboards lack.
Looking at the board, I’m very impressed by the layout of the board, Zotac managed to get an awful lot of features into a very small space.
The number one thing that impresses me is the CPU power regulation section, it has more phases and more capacitors than many full size motherboards. The downside is that many of those caps are on the back side of the motherboard and interfear with CPU cooler backplates. Pushpin type heatsinks are easier to work with on this motherboard, but backplate types can be used with some creativity.
There is a surprisingly large amount of clearance between the CPU socket and ram, not enough for a massive tower heatsink+fan, but plenty for the sort of heatsink you’d be using on an ITX board. The same goes for clearance between the full PCIe 2.0 x16 slot and the CPU, if you’re using a top end massive heatsink getting a GPU into the PCIe slot isn’t really doable.
The PCH and DrMos voltage regulators have a nicely designed heatsink that does an excellent job of keeping them cool while staying out of the way. It looks nice, too!
