News ASRock Unveils the X299E-ITX/ac: Mini ITX + X299 + Quad-channel Memory

Mod edit:

Detailed overview of what we know about the X299E-ITX/ac thus far here: https://smallformfactor.net/news/asrock-x299e-itxac-little-monster-detailed

Original:

ASRock did it! Finally, there's an Intel HEDT platform motherboard with full quad-channel DDR4 memory. The new X299E-ITX/ac is for those who need up to 18 CPU cores and up to 64 GB of quad-channel DDR4 memory in their SFF machines for reasons. The board manages its limited PCB real-estate by going vertical. It features two riser cards, one with a few onboard controllers, and a pair of 32 Gb/s M.2 slots), and the other riser with SATA 6 Gb/s ports, a third M.2 slot, and the headers such as USB 3.1. The board draws power from 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, conditioning it for the LGA2066 CPU using a 7-phase VRM. The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 3.0 x16, memory is handled by four DDR4 SO-DIMM slots. Connectivity includes two Intel I219-V driven gigabit Ethernet interfaces, 802.11ac WLAN, and Bluetooth 4.1.

Source

 

[D10S]

Just a question on this fabolous mobo...
is it possible to move the "usb/sata daughterboard" to another location using an extension?

 

[|||]

Just a question on this fabolous mobo...
is it possible to move the "usb/sata daughterboard" to another location using an extension?

Two things...

1) They are using a standard M.2 physical connector, so yes, there can be an extension device that could allow the remote mounting of the daughter board somewhere
2) This is not a standard implementation of the connector. Signal integrity will be affected by including an extension cable (with an extra M.2 interface in the middle); you may have to empirically test it to find out if this is any sort of issue or not.

 

[D10S]

Two things...

1) They are using a standard M.2 physical connector, so yes, there can be an extension device that could allow the remote mounting of the daughter board somewhere
2) This is not a standard implementation of the connector. Signal integrity will be affected by including an extension cable (with an extra M.2 interface in the middle); you may have to empirically test it to find out if this is any sort of issue or not.

Thank you III ! (like a lot your name! )
So i can try with one of these R44SF?:
https://it.aliexpress.com/item/Rise...32846325413.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.zqiePT MOD EDIT: Added link



I read that this mobo "should work" without the "m2 daughterboard",
on which the usb controllers are positioned...so:
- this mobo can work without this daughterboard too (sata/usb)?

I would like to risk and buy an extention to empirically test it,
if doesn't work, i can use it in one of the m2 connector on the side of the mobo

 

[|||]

Thank you III ! (like a lot your name! )
So i can try with one of these R44SF?:
https://it.aliexpress.com/item/Rise...32846325413.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.zqiePT MOD EDIT: Added link

I would like to risk and buy an extention to empirically test it,
if doesn't work, i can use it in one of the m2 connector on the side of the mobo

That looks like it could work...try it out and let us know what you find out! I'm sure there are others on here that would like to know...I know some are concerned with air flow in tight air-cooled builds.

I read that this mobo "should work" without the "m2 daughterboard",
on which the usb controllers are positioned...so:
- this mobo can work without this daughterboard too (sata/usb)?

Maybe @confusis could help, as he was the one to do the review of the motherboard.

 

[confusis]

The board will boot, however, pretty much all of the USB is disabled with that daughterboard removed.

 

[D10S]

The board will boot, however, pretty much all of the USB is disabled with that daughterboard removed.

Thanks @consusis, i'll try! (when ram 'll arrive)
Ok all USB disabled...but of course usb on side panel should work, correct?
Raiser ordered, so we'll see what happen!

 

[confusis]

To be honest, I'm not sure. The board is no longer in my hands so I can't test it!

 

[EdZ]

According to the manual the read USB 3.1 ports are fed from the ASM3142 (as expected), but bizarrely all the rear USB 3.0 ports are fed from the ASM1074 hub rather than from the X299 chipset's own (much better) controller. The manual also confirms those ports will stop working if you remove the rear card.

 

[D10S]

According to the manual the read USB 3.1 ports are fed from the ASM3142 (as expected), but bizarrely all the rear USB 3.0 ports are fed from the ASM1074 hub rather than from the X299 chipset's own (much better) controller. The manual also confirms those ports will stop working if you remove the rear card.

Perfect, the Rear card should stay in place, i'd just like to move the Front one,
when reiser arrives, we'll find out if it works (...and how)

 

[D10S]

First test, this doesn't work with Front Card

 

[EdZ]

Careful! Those cards are not using m.2 or SODIMM buses, they're just using the same physical connectors because those connectors are readily available parts. The actual interfaces are completely custom.

 

[SeñorDonut]

Probably doesn't work because there's pins missing/grouped. Try one that has all the pins and none grouped.

 

[D10S]

@EdZ : i was lucky, no explosion here!
@SeñorDonut : yes, this was my point too, but watching pins on m2 discovered that was different too, so thinking this riser simply was wrong, but... i put it in the Rear Card, in its m2 housing anc connected a m2...and SBAM! Works like a charme!
So, i'd like to try again this riser on Front Port
just because it was hard to leave it in place in this "frankestein situation" in which this rig is, you can't fix it with screw, and you can't fix the sata/usb part to riser too, so probably, when i'll get rad and psu and they will be mounted properly, I can move and rotate the case appropriately so i can do a test of the riser effectively and be 100% sure that does not work on the front door, however, the idea of completely removing the front door and living only with 3 m2 is not so badly sincere, also because here space to put a ssd with related data and power cables I do not see so much ... the riser will still serve me for a door m2 on the back of the motherboard as I should leave it without heatsink (curve the motherboard) and already with the heatsink the temperatures with the open houses seem quite high ...

p.s .: if you have risers to suggest, do it!

 

[Phuncz]

First test, this doesn't work with Front Card

It seems like it has another key if it is indeed M.2, B and M-key are hard distinguish when you don't know which orientation it's supposed to be in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2#Form_factors_and_keying

 

[D10S]

It seems like it has another key if it is indeed M.2, B and M-key are hard distinguish when you don't know which orientation it's supposed to be in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.2#Form_factors_and_keying

m2 b key fits in m2 m key (flipped) ?
I have no experience with b key, my eyes looks them a little different...
...but i'm watching it on web

 

[EdZ]

m2 b key fits in m2 m key (flipped) ?

No, they are at different positions:

 

[D10S]

No, they are at different positions:

By the way, finally installed windows on m2 and:
YES, this mobo works fine without Front Port!
So, i could go with 3 m2 and stop...
Eventually an m2 to sata would be nice (does it exist?),
but probably m2 to usb 3 is easy&cheap,
for a future "hackintosh hacking session" with a ssd as a test

 

[VegetableStu]

small off-topic update:

Ahh, got it. I'll check back on those cards in a few months

Note to self: Intel Wireless AC 9560

found one on ebay! will be ordering one to see what's what

 

[chx]

Eventually an m2 to sata would be nice (does it exist?),

M.2 to SATA probably exists but the question makes no sense because there's no such thing as M.2. I will skip the back and forth of "what M.2 you have" and give you an answer for all of them. Note while devices might be keyed for two kinds of slots, typical combos are B+M and A+E the slots are always single keyed.

There is a simple cheap M.2 key B http://eshop.sintech.cn/sata-hdd-to-m2-ngff-socket-adapter-converter-card-p-951.html to SATA converter. This is pretty much the only simple and cheap case.

If it's M.2 key M (or B but you want multiple disks) then https://www.aliexpress.com/item/M-2...pter-controller-Card-Support/32848672157.html might work, however the standing SATA connectors are annoying. Even worse is the four port version https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5O4UNB/?tag=theminutiae-20 because it's not only high but it's too wide as well. Possibly M.2 key M to key M risers could work. It really is annoying they couldn't flatten the SATA connector like they did on the mPCIe one http://a.co/hLdxQSU (bloody expensive!). Converting M.2 key M to mPCIe and using the mPCIe SATA controller is possible too: http://a.co/0BXBgJ1 adapter, if you want a cable, look around for R46SF and prepare for a heart attack price wise.

Finally the single PCIe lane in the M.2 key A or E can be broken out into mini PCIe https://www.ebay.com/itm/282329918728 or https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Ris...230-To-Mini-PCI-E-mPCIe-mini/32838872166.html if you want a riser w/ cable. I do not think there are SATA signals in the A/E slot as commonly implemented so this is the only reasonable way -- since those slots are typically 2230, it really is tricky to get any cable in there much less a SATA controller and some sort of cable.

 

[thefiend1]

I wonder if AsRock is going to release a revised version of this board once (if?) the Basin Falls refresh comes out. Been waiting to pull the trigger for awhile... hopefully Intel will have something to say about it this week!