ASUS Z370-I Strix ITX Motherboard Preview

ASUS Z370 Strix-I ITX Motherboard Preview

Introduction

It’s easy, when a new product type appears, to get caught up in the wave of flagship models and lust after the highest of the high end. When it comes to combining flexibility with affordability though you have to be more pragmatic and look at things that suit your needs whilst fitting in under budget. ASUS Strix brand has rapidly established itself as a major player in the industry and with the new Z370 chipset there are a few new entries. We’ll be looking at the E and F models later on, but for now it’s time to see what the ITX Strix has to offer, and whether the needs of a smaller form factor have adjusted the technology level available on the newest Intel chipset.

Technical Specifications

With any ITX motherboard you’re always aware that the feature set has to be trimmed down to fit it onto the PCB, but the ASUS Strix manages to keep almost everything that makes the Z370 such an attractive chipset. There are USB 3.1 ports of both Type-A and Type-C, whilst ASUS have still managed to squeeze on a USB 3.1 front panel so you can get the full speed fun and games from the front of a suitable case. Network connections are all still present and correct too with the excellent Intel I219-V LAN being backed up by ASUS own LANGuard technology and kept company by a 2×2 AC WiFi that also has Bluetooth 4.2 support. Perfect for keeping your PC and smartphone tied together. If you think that the tiny footprint means that ASUS have had to dispense with their AURA Sync technology then you’d be wrong. Okay nobody is going to confuse the Strix-I with the Blackpool illuminations but there are onboard RGB LEDs as well as a RGB strip header.

Let’s take a closer look.

ASUS Z370 Strix-I ITX Motherboard Preview Â