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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.
I think that is really very cool – its a tad expensive, but I would buy it myself. fancy the idea and the design is great.
Watercooling anyone? 🙂
I like it – wonder if STEAM OS would go on it well 🙂
I always wondered why other companies like MSI, ASUS etc didn’t do something like this.
I will tell you this too for free – my ASROCK motherboard is better than my last GB or MSI boards.
Wasnt expecting this – I think a 3570k would be better for temps, not sold on those Haswell cookers.
had me until I saw it was a intel cpu and only a 450 power supply and less than a 120mm fan space i would have liked to put a water pro 2.0 in it
What is the weight of the fully assembled system?
That is a pretty important factor for a system designed to be carried around fairly frequently.
George, thanks for pointing that out.
The barebones system’s weight is just under 8kg (according to the packaging specs). With a system built inside the M8, the weight will vary depending on the components installed. For example, the GTX 760, Phanteks PH-TC90LS, and Samsung SSD that we used would probably add 1-2kg to the system. This will vary from system to system, especially if multiple mechanical drives or a bigger CPU (or VGA) cooler are installed.
The Silverstone SG05 is smaller and better in every way for $39
How much did they pay you to post this? Its a joke, maybe for 200-300 it would be reasonable.. >< almost as bad as Google's Nexus Q!!
Reviews are free Felix 🙂
You raise an interesting question though, when it comes to value.
Having built a lot of systems around products like the early SG01, we know what issues can be faced with these design restraints.
If all you look at is the material cost, then you’d never buy anything nicer than a Hyundai – because why pay more than £10,000 for ‘4 wheels and an engine’ – but life is not so simple.
You really need to see this product in the flesh, and try a build with it, to see all of the advantages – in terms of physical design and aesthetics.
If you get a chance, try and get your hands on a complete system, then come back and let us know if you still feel the same 🙂