ASRock’s Intel Core-X X299E Mini ITX motherboard finally lands in the UK

Back at Computex in June, we had the chance to check out ASRock’s full X299 line up for Intel’s new Core-X series processors. At the time, ASRock was the only motherboard maker showing off a Mini-ITX board for the new HEDT platform. It has taken a few months to get there, but the X299E Mini-ITX board is finally coming to the UK.

The X299 Mini-ITX board uses a full size LGA 2066 socket, rather than a narrow version like the previous generation X99E-ITX motherboard. It carries room for quad-channel SODIMM memory with support for speeds of up to 3200MHz. It also features Dual GbE/ac WiFi, three M.2 slots and USB 3.1 Gen 2.

There is a downside to this motherboard. It is only compatible with Skylake-X processors with six cores or more. This means that Intel’s quad core Kaby Lake-X series Core i5 and Core i7 will not work. Aside from that, the asking price is also quite high, with SCAN listing the motherboard with a £419.48 price tag.

Here is the full feature list for those interested:

• Supports Intel® Core X-Series Skylake-X Processor.
• Digital PWM, Dr.MOS.
• Supports 4 SO-DIMMs quad channel, DDR4 4000+(OC).
• 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec).
• Supports Purity Sound™ 4 & DTS Connect.
• 6 SATA3, 1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3), 2 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4).
• 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 10Gb/s (1 Type-A + 1 Type-C).
• 6 USB 3.1 Gen1 (2 Front, 6 Rear).
• Dual Intel® Gigabit LAN.
• Intel® 2T2R Dual Band 802.11ac WiFi + BT v4.2 Module.
• ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antenna.
• ASRock RGB LED Header.

KitGuru Says: Bringing powerful HEDT CPUs down to the Mini-ITX form factor is always an impressive feat. You are going to need to pay a premium to shrink things down to that level though. Are any of you thinking about putting together a high-end Mini-ITX rig? What do you think of ASRock’s X299 offering?

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