AM4 boards roundup: iTX format

[Dirk Broer]

AM4 boards roundup: iTX format

At this moment there are three different chipsets being used in AM4 boards: the X370, the B350 and the A320. Still to come are the X300 and A300.

The usual advantage of the X370 -SLI/Crossfire- falls away in the iTX scenario -my Antec ISK 110s do not even support a discrete video card-, so why would you want to spend extra money on it?

The X370 chipset can connect up to six SATA drives (four when using Ryzen) and supports up to a massive ten USB 3.1 gen1 ports and two USB 3.1 gen2 ports.
So far we've had the ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming-ITX/ac and the Biostar Racing X370GTN with this chipset.
If you don't have plans to make your tiny iTX into a hedgehog of USB connectors you can save money and go for a B350 board instead.
It can connect up to four SATA drives (two when using Ryzen) and still supports up to six USB 3.1 gen1 ports and two USB 3.1 gen2 ports.
So far we've seen the ASRock Fatal1ty AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac, the Biostar Racing B350GTN and the Gigabyte AB350N-Gaming WiFi. The Asus RoG Strix B350-I Gaming is announced

The X370 boards: What do they offer, is the chipset fully utilized?

Model	SATA 600	M.2 S600/ Pcie3.0x4	USB 3.1 Gen2	USB 3.1 Gen1	USB 2.0	NIC	WiFi	Bluetooth	Video out	Sound	Power design phases
ASRock Fatal1ty X370 Gaming-ITX/ac	4x	1x	-	2 Front, 3 Rear 1x Type-C	2 Front, 2 Rear	Intel I211AT	Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 867 Mbit/s	4.2	2x HDMI	Realtek ALC1220	6+2
Asus ROG Strix X370-I Gaming	4x	2x (1x M.2 PCI-e 2.0 x4)	2x Type-A	2 Front, 4 Rear	2 Front	Intel I211AT	Dual Band Wireless	4.2		ROG SupremeFX S1220A	6+3
Biostar Racing X370GTN	4x	1x	1x Type-A 1x Type-C	2 Front, 4 Rear	2 Front	Realtek RTL8118AS	-	-	DVI-D, HDMI	Realtek ALC892	5+2

WiFi and Bluetooth don't come free and the Asrock board is by far the most expensive choice. How do these boards hold up against the B350 competition, as they do not fully utilize the advantages the X370 chipset offers?

Model	SATA 600	M.2 S600/ Pcie3.0x4	USB 3.1 Gen2	USB 3.1 Gen1	USB 2.0	NIC	WiFi	Bluetooth	Video out	Sound	Power design phases
ASRock Fatal1ty B350 Gaming-ITX/ac	4x	1x	-	2 Front, 3 Rear 1x Type-C	2 Front, 2 Rear	Intel I211AT	Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 433 Mbit/s	4.2	2x HDMI	Realtek ALC1220	6+2
Asus RoG Strix B350-I Gaming	4x	2x (1x M.2 PCI-e 2.0 x4)	2x Type-A	2 Front, 2 Rear	2 Front	Intel I211AT	Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC	4.2	-	ROG SupremeFX S1220A	6+3
Biostar Racing B350GTN	4x	1x	1x Type-A 1x Type-C	2 Front, 4 Rear	2 Front	Realtek RTL8118AS	-	-	DVI-D, HDMI	Realtek ALC892	5+2
Gigabyte AB350N Gaming WiFi	4x	1x	2x Type-A	2 Front, 4 Rear	2 Front, 2 Rear	Realtek	Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165 433 Mbit/s	4.2	Display Port, HDMI	Realtek ALC1220	4+2
MSI B350I Pro AC	4x	1x	2x Type-A	2 Front, 2 Rear	2 Front, 2 Rear	Realtek RTL8111H	Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3168 433 Mbit/s	4.2	Display Port, HDMI	Realtek ALC887	6+2+1

USB Type-A is the old, well known always-wrong-the-first-time USB connection, Type-C is the always-right type. The two USB front ports, whether 2.0 and/or 3.0/1 are provided through headers on the motherboard.

Did I hear jaws drop? There is nothing to justify the X370 models in terms of functionality -the B350 board do support PCIe express too-, they only cost more money! Someone smack some engineers for me....

If this all is still too much for your needs -e.g. because it just won't fit all into your small iTX casing-, there's the A320 chipset.
It can also connect up to four SATA drives (two when using Ryzen) and also supports up to six USB 3.1 gen1 ports, but only one USB 3.1 gen2 port.

But: there are no iTX boards yet with the A320 (nor with the X300 or A300). It seems the mobo companies have decided that you're just gonna use a BIG iTX case, like the Bitfenix Prodigy. or the total and utter behemoth of iTX computing: the Thermaltake Core X1, that is even stackable when you go into custom loop liquid cooling and need room for a reservoir (why not try to add another iTX board instead?):