The Intel Compute Stick is a miniature computer that can be connected to your monitor or TV. It’s powered by an Intel Atom processor, and it comes with Windows 10 pre-installed.
The best lga 1200 mini itx motherboard is a compact but powerful computer that can be used for gaming, streaming, or any other application.
Introduction
There are probably more Mini-ITX motherboards for Intel CPUs than for AMD processors. This makes it simple and cheap to construct a tiny form-factor PC using Intel CPUs. Because Intel’s newest generation CPUs are supported by a variety of chipsets, and each chipset has a variety of motherboards, I’ve chosen the finest from each of them and put them here to make it simple for you to choose the best one.
Keep in mind that the performance of a Mini-ITX motherboard is comparable to that of an ATX motherboard. It’s possible that the discrepancies are due to overclocking, although this isn’t always the case. The main difference is upgradeability, but if you already know that and have made up your mind that you don’t need a lot of hard drives or numerous graphics cards, then a Mini-ITX motherboard is the perfect option for you. I’ve gone through the advantages and disadvantages of each motherboard, as well as what to pick and what to avoid. However, if you need more assistance, please do not hesitate to ask in the comments area.
Purchase the Best Intel Processors
MOTHERBOARDS FOR INTEL MINI-ITX
H310I PRO by MSI
Price on Amazon.com
The H310I Pro from MSI is the first on the list, and it is currently the finest affordable Mini-ITX motherboard with the H310 chipset. It’s because it comes with a lot of useful features for a low price of about $80. In the ITX form size, there are presently two excellent H310 motherboards that should suffice. The first is the one mentioned above, while the second is the ASRock H310M-ITX/ac. The ASRock offers a few nice features, such as an extra chassis fan header, but the MSI H310I Pro has a few more.
This motherboard features a 4+2 power phase VRM that is cooled by tiny but adequate heatsinks that are missing on the ASRock board. This board has a nice appearance to it, with black and silver accents on the heatsinks, giving your build a premium look. The board includes useful features such as an 8-pin CPU power connector and an EZ Debug LED for troubleshooting. It can easily handle any Intel 9th generation CPU, but it’s recommended to put something like an i3 9100F or an i5 9400F on this board to create a decent budget gaming PC for around $500.
There is also a 1x M.2 slot for installing an NVME SSD, which is very fast, and 4x SATA ports that enable SATA hard drives and SSDs for additional storage. The only issue I have with the SATA ports is where they are located. The ASRock H310M-ITX/ac has all four ports in one location, while this one includes two near the M.2 slot, which makes wire management harder owing to the addition of a graphics card. Aside from that, this is an excellent board for any day-to-day work or even gaming without breaking the bank.
Gaming Asus Strix B360-I
Price on Amazon.com
The Strix B360-I Gaming from Asus is the second chipset on the list, which is the B360. The Asus Strix motherboards are well-known for their performance and looks, and this one does not disappoint. You will have more choices for upgradability and your system will be better since the B360 chipset is a bit better than the basic H310.
Although you won’t be able to overclock on this board, it does include a good 4+3 power phase VRM, which is excellent for stability. Despite this, Asus did a fantastic job of supplying a robust VRM with a sufficient heatsink on the VCore side to keep the temperature down. Aside from that, there are three fan headers: the CPU fan header, the chassis fan header, and the AIO pump header, which you can use to either install an AIO cooler in your chassis or just power up some fans to improve airflow in your case.
This motherboard also has built-in wifi and 2T2R Wifi antennae, so you won’t have to worry about losing internet access. Apart from that, it features a heatsink on the M.2 slot that will keep your NVME SSD cool while also looking nice. It also includes an RGB LED strip beneath the motherboard on the right side for aesthetics, which lights up automatically when you turn on your system. If you wish to add more RGB lighting to your RIG, there are 1x RGB and 1x ARGB connectors on the right side that you can use to light up RGB fans or LED strips. This is an excellent B360 board for any locked Intel CPU for just $120, however if you want additional performance via overclocking, avoid this one and buy the Z390 chipset board mentioned below the following board.
H370M-ITX/AC ASRock H370M-ITX/AC
Price on Amazon.com
Despite the fact that the H370 chipset isn’t designed for overclocking, it includes nearly everything else. Except for the aesthetics, which Asus excels at, this H370 chipset board from ASRock is a deal breaker for under $100 since it offers even more functionality than the Asus Strix B360-I Gaming.
This board includes a 6-phase VRM with doublers for increased stability, as well as an 8-pin CPU power connector. There are 3x fan headers on it, including the CPU fan header, as well as a variety of other headers that may or may not be helpful to you, but in terms of upgradability, this is definitely a step ahead of the boards I mentioned above. It also includes 6x SATA connectors, which are common on ATX boards, and a single M.2 slot for fast NVME SSD storage.
There are a total of 8 USB ports on the I/O, 4 of which are USB 3.1 Gen 2 and 2 of which are USB 3.1 Gen 1. There are also two Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports for LAN connection, as well as a built-in wireless wifi adapter that supports the Intel 802.11ac standard and Bluetooth 4.2. If you don’t care about looks, go with this one instead of the Asus Strix B360-I Gaming since it has more functionality and has 20 PCI-E 3.0 Lanes instead of 12, which is useful when connecting high-speed devices like an NVME SSD and a graphics card at the same time.
Gaming ASUS ROG Strix Z390-I
Price on Amazon.com
If you don’t want to make any compromises in your ITX build, the Asus ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming, which is a top-tier Mini-ITX board for Intel unlocked CPUs, is the way to go. The previous three motherboards are suitable for locked CPUs, but if you want to utilize an i7 9700K or even an i9 9900K, I would only suggest this board because to its strong VRM.
Other Z390 Mini ITX boards have weaker VRMs, but this one has doublers and 11 power phases for optimum stability and can outperform boards like ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming and Gigabyte Z390 I Aorus Pro wifi thanks to the huge heatsinks on both sides. The M.2 slot is additionally protected by an aluminum heatsink, and there is another M.2 slot on the rear to expand the system’s upgradeability.
This board is also not lacking in terms of aesthetics and troubleshooting. On the right side of the motherboard’s PCB, there is an LED strip that lights up, as well as RGB and ARGB connectors for attaching additional RGB devices. There are features like MEMOK II Switch for memory troubleshooting, and a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C connection for front I/O, which is used by many excellent cases today.
The Asus ROG Strix Z390-I Gaming is the finest option for any current-generation Intel CPU for ultimate and no-compromise performance, and you will not be disappointed if you get it.
Conclusion
Choosing a motherboard may be challenging due to the many options available in each chipset, but if you know what you need and desire, you can find the perfect one for you without spending a lot of money. Because I’ve already done the legwork for you, you can see which one best fits your needs, and if you have your heart set on a motherboard other than what I’ve mentioned, please let me know in the comments section if you need any help!
The best mini itx motherboard for ryzen is a category that includes motherboards that are smaller than standard ATX motherboards. These motherboards are designed to fit inside of a computer case with dimensions of up to 18 x 13.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Whats the best mini-ITX motherboard?
The best mini-ITX motherboard is the ASRock X299E-ITX/ac.
Are mini-ITX motherboards less powerful?
What is the smallest mini-ITX motherboard?
The smallest mini-ITX motherboard is the ASUS H110i-Plus.
