Introduction and Technical Specifications
We put the mini-ITX P8Z77-I Deluxe board through the paces to see how well it sizes up…
Introduction
Courtesy of ASUS
The P8Z77X-I Deluxe is ASUS' high-powered answer to the small form factor crowd. Through some unique design decisions and an upright daughter-board, ASUS was able to cram a full 10-phase digital power delivery system into this board without sacrificing any other integrated components. It's nice to see a manufacturer step up and design a mini-ITX board in the same vein as its full-sized counterpart. We put the board through our normal gamut of tests to see how well this mighty Mini-ITX board sized up with its full-sized brethren. At a retail list price of $219, the P8Z77-I Deluxe needs to prove its worth against the full sized boards.
Courtesy of ASUS
ASUS designed a full 10 phases of digital power, housed in the board's upright daughter card sitting parallel to the CPU cooler. The P8Z77-I Deluxe with its high-end power plant is packed full of features, including SATA 2, SATA 3, e-SATA, USB 2.0, and USB 3.0 ports for storage devices. Networking capabilities include an Intel GigE NIC, a Broadcom dual-port 802.11n adapter, and a Broadcom Bluetooth adapter. The board also features a single PCI-Express x16 slot for graphics cards and other expansion cards.
Courtesy of ASUS
Technical Specifications (taken from the ASUS website)
CPU |
Supports Intel® 22 nm CPU Supports Intel® 32 nm CPU Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 * The Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types. * Refer to www.asus.com for CPU support list |
Chipset |
Intel® Z77 |
Memory |
2 x DIMM, Max. 16GB, DDR3 2400(O.C.)/2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/2000(O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1800(O.C.)/1600/1333 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory Dual Channel Memory Architecture Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) * Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs. |
Graphics |
Integrated Graphics Processor Multi-VGA output support : HDMI/DVI/DisplayPort ports – Supports HDMI with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz – Supports DVI with max. resolution 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz – Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz Supports Intel® HD Graphics, InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Inside |
Multi-GPU Support |
Supports LucidLogix® Virtu™ MVP Technology |
Expansion Slots |
1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 |
Storage |
Intel® Z77 chipset: 2 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), gray 2 x SATA 3Gb/s port(s), blue 2 x eSATA 3Gb/s port(s), red Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10 Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology, Intel® Rapid Start Technology, Intel® Smart Connect Technology |
LAN |
Intel® 82579V, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller(s) |
Wireless Data Network |
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n Supports dual band frequency 2.4/5 GHz |
Bluetooth |
Bluetooth V4.0 Bluetooth V3.0+HS |
Audio |
Chipset: Realtek® ALC898 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC – Supports: Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking Audio Feature: – Absolute Pitch 192kHz/ 24-bit True BD Lossless Sound – DTS Ultra PC II – DTS Connect – Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel |
USB Ports |
Intel® Z77 chipset: 4 x USB 3.0 port(s) (2 at back panel, blue, 2 at mid-board) 8 x USB 2.0 port(s) (4 at back panel, black, 4 at mid-board) ASMedia® USB 3.0 controller: 2 x USB 3.0 port(s) (2 at back panel, blue) |
Overclocking Features |
Overclocking Protection: – ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall) |
Special Features |
ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM: ASUS TPU: – Auto Tuning – TurboV – GPU Boost – TPU switch ASUS EPU: – EPU ASUS Digital Power Design: – Industry leading Digital 10 Phase Power Design (8 -phase for CPU, 2 -phase for iGPU) ASUS Wi-Fi GO! – Wi-Fi GO! Function: DLNA Media Hub, Smart Motion Control, Remote Desktop, Remote Keyboard & Mouse, File Transfer, Capture & Send – Wi-Fi GO! Remote for portable Smartphone/Tablet, supporting iOS & Android systems – Wi-Fi Engine for network sharing and connection: Client Mode, AP Mode ASUS Exclusive Features: – USB BIOS Flashback – MemOK! – AI Suite II – Ai Charger+ – USB Charger+ – Anti-Surge – ASUS UEFI BIOS EZ Mode featuring friendly graphics user interface – Network iControl – USB 3.0 Boost – Disk Unlocker ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution: – Stylish Fanless Design Heat-sink solution – ASUS Fan Xpert ASUS EZ DIY: – ASUS O.C. Tuner – ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 – ASUS EZ Flash 2 ASUS Q-Design: – ASUS Q-Shield – ASUS Q-Cable |
Back I/O Ports |
1 x DVI-I 1 x DisplayPort 1 x HDMI 2 x eSATA 3Gb/s 1 x LAN (RJ45) port(s) 4 x USB 3.0 4 x USB 2.0 1 x Optical S/PDIF out 3 x Audio jack(s) 1 x Clear CMOS button(s) 2 x Wi-Fi antenna port(s) 1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button(s) |
Internal I/O Ports |
1 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.0 port(s) (19-pin) 2 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 port(s) 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s) 2 x SATA 3Gb/s connector(s) 1 x CPU Fan connector(s) (4 -pin) 1 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (4 -pin) 1 x S/PDIF out header(s) 1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s) 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s) 1 x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP) 1 x Internal speaker connector(s) 1 x System panel(s) 1 x Chassis Intrusion connector(s) 1 x MemOK! button(s) 1 x TPU switch(es) 1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s) |
Accessories |
User's manual ASUS Q-Shield ASUS Q-Cable 2 x SATA 3Gb/s cable(s) 2 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s) 2 x Wi-Fi Ring Moving Antenna(s) |
BIOS |
64 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0a, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 2, ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3, F12 PrintScreen, F3 Shortcut Function and ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory information |
Manageability |
WfM 2.0, DMI 2.0, WOL by PME, PXE |
Support Disc |
Drivers ASUS Utilities ASUS Update Anti-virus software (OEM version) |
Form Factor |
Mini ITX Form Factor 6.7 inch x 6.7 inch ( 17 cm x 17 cm ) |
Well done. It is so rare that
Well done. It is so rare that a reviewer actually lists all the bios settings used to attain a stable overclock. Thanks so much for that.
More Sata ports and I would
More Sata ports and I would have been sold!
Good work Morry! I have this
Good work Morry! I have this motherboard and I have to agree with your assessment. I’ll be water cooling it this summer including the VRM daughter board. I’m excited to see what the overclock will be and I think your review will be helpful.
Love the review. Solid
Love the review. Solid performer. What I think is the most feature packed mini-itx mobo. Looking to throw together this motherboard inside a prodigy case.
Does this have clearance for
Does this have clearance for a Noctua DH14 heatsink? It’s the big air cooler.
I’m considering a mini-itx gaming build and would love to stick with this cooler :).
You should not have a problem
You should not have a problem with the Noctua coolers and that board – the socket has a massive amount of space around it (the pictures don't do that justice unfortunately).
Also, more information about the fit of the Noctua cooler in this thread:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1281628/plan-on-new-rig
Nice review, I am planning on
Nice review, I am planning on getting this to use with my NCASE M1 case when it launches this summer!
Lol. I ran across this
Lol. I ran across this review while searching for mATX reviews. This seems to be the best MOBO in the class. I too am watching the NCASE M1 develop and will be buying it when it releases. Such a sleek case. Really can’t wait to get my hands on it.
The ASUS BIOS process, from
The ASUS BIOS process, from my experience, isn’t rock solid. It has a tendancy to get corrupted which, in my case, caused the on board Intel GPU to disappear and the CPU ratio to get stuck at 42.
Here is some of the drama people are going through.
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2314371&page=1
If your ASUS BIOS starts going sideways you’ll want to start google someone named Coderush.
Is it still possible to buy
Is it still possible to buy this card?