Motherboard ASRock X370 Gaming-ITX/ac and AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac

[Acalanata]

Hey guys, this product could be a solution for 'bad heatsink' from asrock`s motherboards?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...5708012&cm_re=Enzotech-_-35-708-012-_-Product

 

[nfilipac]

Just received my new all metal heatsink from Asrock in the mail. Contacted customer support at the beginning of last week and I must say I'm pretty impressed with the speed at which it got to me. I advise you all to do the same

 

[Lordhumungus]

I had the same experience as nfilipac. I received the "bad" heatsink version after ordering from Superbiiz. I contacted ASrock support yesterday and the new heatsink is in the mail today.

 

[Midiamp]

I'm interested to build an ITX based on this motherboard... Aside from the VRM heatsink issue, I have a question for the SATA connection. Currently I have 5 storage, 3 SSD+ 2 HDD. I'm willing to invest on M.2 SSD as the C:/boot disk. So if I use M.2, will the SATA connection free for 4 other storage? I downloaded the motherboard manual but no mention of use case restriction.

Here are the specs from the website and the same written on the manual.

- 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
- 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket, supports M Key type 2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s) (with Ryzen Series CPU) or Gen3 x2 (16 Gb/s) (with A-Series APU)*

 

[arth_d]

I'm interested to build an ITX based on this motherboard... Aside from the VRM heatsink issue, I have a question for the SATA connection. Currently I have 5 storage, 3 SSD+ 2 HDD. I'm willing to invest on M.2 SSD as the C:/boot disk. So if I use M.2, will the SATA connection free for 4 other storage? I downloaded the motherboard manual but no mention of use case restriction.

Here are the specs from the website and the same written on the manual.

- 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
- 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket, supports M Key type 2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s) (with Ryzen Series CPU) or Gen3 x2 (16 Gb/s) (with A-Series APU)*

You could remove the built in wifi and add a mini pcie to 2x sata card. That will give you 6 x sata and 1 x m.2

 

[SeñorDonut]

I'm interested to build an ITX based on this motherboard... Aside from the VRM heatsink issue, I have a question for the SATA connection. Currently I have 5 storage, 3 SSD+ 2 HDD. I'm willing to invest on M.2 SSD as the C:/boot disk. So if I use M.2, will the SATA connection free for 4 other storage? I downloaded the motherboard manual but no mention of use case restriction.

Here are the specs from the website and the same written on the manual.

- 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
- 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket, supports M Key type 2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s) (with Ryzen Series CPU) or Gen3 x2 (16 Gb/s) (with A-Series APU)*

I don't see why not...

 

[Teddy]

I'm interested to build an ITX based on this motherboard... Aside from the VRM heatsink issue, I have a question for the SATA connection. Currently I have 5 storage, 3 SSD+ 2 HDD. I'm willing to invest on M.2 SSD as the C:/boot disk. So if I use M.2, will the SATA connection free for 4 other storage? I downloaded the motherboard manual but no mention of use case restriction.

Here are the specs from the website and the same written on the manual.

- 4 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug
- 1 x Ultra M.2 Socket, supports M Key type 2280 M.2 SATA3 6.0 Gb/s module and M.2 PCI Express module up to Gen3 x4 (32 Gb/s) (with Ryzen Series CPU) or Gen3 x2 (16 Gb/s) (with A-Series APU)*

What is important is what the chipset supports http://www.anandtech.com/show/11170...review-a-deep-dive-on-1800x-1700x-and-1700/13
Specifically the chipset features slide http://images.anandtech.com/doci/11170/AMD Ryzen 7 Press Deck-16.jpg
It should do what you want but with only x2 nvme if you choose the b350 board.

 

[Vendelator]

I just got my x370. What up with bad heatsinks, what should i look for?

 

[Ricdeau]

Check out this post from earlier in the thread:
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...nd-ab350-gaming-itx-ac.2341/page-9#post-57356

It's got some pictures to show the heatsink with the thick foam pad vs the one with a normal thermal pad. The other heatsink has a much more standard thermal pad thickness and doesn't visibly sit on top of silver standoffs.

 

[Vendelator]

I Mailed them. I had a thin one.


Thanks!

 

[confusis]

Thanks for the info on the VRM heatsinks guys - I'm writing a review on the two boards now!

 

[confusis]

Review is done! Read it here: https://smallformfactor.net/reviews...x370-ab350-gaming-itxac-motherboards-reviewed

 

[alexiseurope]

Review is done! Read it here: https://smallformfactor.net/reviews...x370-ab350-gaming-itxac-motherboards-reviewed

Thanks for the review! Very detailed and usefull. I just received the x370 yesterday and I was debating to return it and get the AB350 but I think I will keep it just for a piece of mind for the couple better features and potentially better overclocking. Also maybe in the future the x370 boards might have better compatibility with new cpus?
But for sure the biggest point of critisism as you said is that the x370 should have more features or differences in general from the AB350.

 

[Ares]

Review is done! Read it here: https://smallformfactor.net/reviews...x370-ab350-gaming-itxac-motherboards-reviewed

Thanks for great and detailed review! However, you didn't touch on the topic of VRM temperatures of both boards, you say there is little difference between b350 and x370 boards for 45$ price gap, but maybe x370's VRM is much cooler? That would be a selling point for me, as I'm choosing now between Gigabyte's AB350N-Gaming wifi and ASRock Fatal1ity x370 gaming itx/ac.

 

[confusis]

Thanks guys! I plan on touching on the VRM issue in the roundup, once I've reviewed the Biostar X370GTN. This will be alongside over and undercloocking testing, so that I can show if a simple voltage drop solves or minimises the issue that people have been seeing.

That, and I'm waiting on an IR temperature gun to arrive..

 

[WanderingMendicant]

Review is done! Read it here: https://smallformfactor.net/reviews...x370-ab350-gaming-itxac-motherboards-reviewed

Great review! I've got the b350 and it came with two wifi antennas. That prompted me to check out the hardware and I do indeed have the Intel AC 3168. The review seems to imply that only the x370 has dual-band wireless, but according to Intel the AC 3168 is also dual band:

https://ark.intel.com/products/94854/Intel-Dual-Band-Wireless-AC-3168

I looked at the 'package contents' on newegg and it should include '2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antennas' among other things. So if you only got one antenna with your b350, I think that was a mistake.

 

[confusis]

Apologies, mixed up dual band with dual stream! have edited the article to correct this.

 

[confusis]

Have added to the article - ASRock has stated that all new batches of both boards include the better VRM heatsink - the one with the thinner thermal pad. They also ask anyone with the thinner heatsink to contact ASRock support to get the better one, at no cost!

 

[MarcParis]

Ahah well done @confusis..

Strangely I recognized your RAM settings compared to hwbot lol..

Stupid question from my side : how fo you check your CPU OC stability please?

 

[Phuncz]

Have added to the article - ASRock has stated that all new batches of both boards include the better VRM heatsink - the one with the thinner thermal pad. They also ask anyone with the thinner heatsink to contact ASRock support to get the better one, at no cost!

That's impressive damage control, most other companies would have said:
"there can be minor differences between two manufacturing facilities, all within spec, blabla".
cough RX Vega cough