Got the build done a few days ago Everything works great. The mobo looks good and the features packed into it make it definitely worth the price if you're looking to build a compact gaming machine. I could go on about what is great about it but I will instead use this thread to post my only 2 complaints... Driver CD. I know it's common practice to ship motherboards with all of the software and drivers on a CD. That's fine usually, but I think Asus may have missed (or thought of, but decided to ignore) a common trend: A lot of Mini ITX builders, especially gamers, aren't installing CD drives anymore! Personally, I have an H100i in a Bit Fenix prodigy which makes CD drive installs impossible. Since this is a gamer oriented board, designed specifically for the ITX format, at a premium price bracket, ASUS should have included all of the software and drivers on a USB thumb drive. I know every little thing adds to the cost of the product, but I really feel this would be worth it, and USB sticks are super cheap, especially in bulk. I don't think you'd need more than a 2GB stick. OK that's the first complaint. Second complaint: IO shield. The padded IO shield is a cool idea but it has the potential to really make the board a bitch to install! You basically have to mash the mobo up against the padding and hold it there, while trying to thread a screw with your other hand at the same time! OK I'm done complaining! The board is awesome, looks awesome and performs awesome
1) Copy DVD to USB drive on another PC/laptop! DVDs are generally reliable and 1000th of the cost of a USB stick. Cheap USB NAND is extremely unreliable. It would be worse to have a dead USB stick and no drivers at all. Even my ATX PC at home has no DVD drive, it's not uncommon now. 2) The idea is that you mash it up against the padding - the padding is there so it doesn't hurt It must form a complete connection with the metallic surface to ensure proper grounding/electromagnetic seal. Have you questioned how well your case is constructed to ATX spec?
OK OK fair points Bindi I'm not really complaining, just needed to grasp for straws to find anything to complain about here! Great product!
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Okay, so complaints with the Impact? 1) The audio daughter board is lovely...apart from the placement of the front panel header. When you plug a cable in to it, the result loves to clash with the CPU area (ie: coolers), because the header projects horizontally. It needs to be either rotated 90 degrees, or provide a right-angle adapter for the cable. 2) Please, punch out the holes for the WiFi/Bluetooth antennae already. I didn't notice the blanks were still there, so they were amazingly annoying to remove when installed in the case. 3) Speaking of, the tiny clips to hold the antennae cable to the IO shield are pathetic. They don't work, and more often than not put a hole in the cable shielding instead. Just provide some 3M adhesive points. 4) Location of fan headers. Seriously, who was smoking crack that morning? ITX builds are tight, we know this, so why put the two CPU fan headers right up in the top left corner (by the IO shield and VRM stack) that makes them an exercise in frustration and contortionism to connect a fan to? Still, it's a fantastic board, just needs a few tweaks. I'm very happy with the location of nearly every other port/header (particularly power), and performance is very good. Still need to resolve my weird booting up by itself problem though :/
1) Noted will feedback. 2) Noted will feedback. 3) Noted will feedback. 4) Fan headers and pin-outs are difficult at the best of times to place on ITX Where would be better?
Glad to hear your design team might listen I understand that headers are hard to place on ITX, but these need to be shifted - I had to apply pressure to the fan cable with a screwdriver to get them in place, and it took nearly 20 minutes to get them properly connected. Ideally they should stay up on that end of the board, roughly round the RAM slots?
Cei, why not install the cooler/fans before you put it into the case? I thought that was common practice nowadays.
Because a tower cooler in an ITX rig won't fit when pre-installed to the motherboard - or at least in the more compact cases. You have to tilt the motherboard to around 45 degrees to get it to go in, and when you do that the cooler is clashing with the rear panel. No go! So you have to install the board with the backplate on and CPU in the socket, and then add the cooler once you've fastened the board to the standoffs.
