Best Mini ITX Motherboard UK – My Honest Review
Choosing the best Mini ITX Motherboard UK is an integral part of your PC build. Nearly every component in the PC will be attached to the motherboard so it’s form factor decides how big your PC is going to be and what kind of processor will be compatible with it.
The ITX motherboards listed in this article are some of the best and compact ones in the market that allow you to build a mini PC like no other.
Ideal for gaming and brilliant for a home theater PC, ITX motherboards are way better than full sized motherboards and if you’re confused then you’re pretty much at the right place.
Today I’m going to help you find the best mini ITX motherboards in the market, ones that will surely satisfy your every need.
Here are the top 6 best mini ITX motherboard UK:
- Asus ROG Strix Z490-I
- MSI MB Z170I Pro AC
- MSI Performance Gaming B450I
- ASRock FATAL1TY Z170
- Asus Z971I Plus
- Asus ROG Strix B550
What you need to know?
Best Mini ITX Motherboard for Gaming in UK
Thanks to their minimal size, when it comes to portability of your rig, ITX motherboards have a significant advantage over others.
Laptops are great too but their main disadvantage is that you won’t be able to upgrade them to something you need. If you want a powerful laptop then you will surely have to shell out a bomb.
These mini ITX motherboards are undoubtedly some of the best you can find. So, let’s get into the top best mini ITX motherboards UK.
Asus ROG Strix Z490-I
The Asus ROG Strix Z490-I is not a unique mini ITX but it does offer the right amount of everything making it one of the best gaming mini ITX motherboards in the market. It offers AI overclocking, low-noise AI cooling, optimized memory capabilities and comes with a digital power control that ensures this motherboard has the ability to control even the latest and most powerful Intel processors.
This mini ITX is equipped with a rad cooling system that features a custom delta superflo fan, a MOS heatsink with a L-shaped heat-pipe, a triple decker heatsink and thermal pads so that it never gets too hot when running multiple applications or when playing even the most powerful games.
It even features a unique memory trace design that can support up to 32GB per DIMM slot allowing you a total memory capacity of 64GB. There are two M.2 slots available and both of them support DATA and PCIe 3.0.
Specifications
| CPU + Power | Intel® Socket 1200for 10th Gen Intel® Core™, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 support depends on the CPU types. Supports Intel® 14nm CPU |
| Memory | 2 x DIMM, Max. 64GB, DDR4; Dual Channel Memory Architecture Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) |
| Graphics | 1 x HDMI 2.0a1 x DisplayPort 1.4 |
| Expansion Slots | 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 mode) |
| Storage | 1 x M.2_2 socket 3, with M Key, Type 2242/2260/2280 (PCIE 3.0 x4 and SATA modes) storage devices support |
| Wireless | Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX2012x2 Wi-Fi 6 Supports up to 2.4Gbps max data rate Supports CNVI interface Supports dual band frequency 2.4/5 GHz Supports channel bandwidth: HT20/HT40/HT80/HT160 |
MSI MB Z170I Pro AC
This mini ITX motherboard from MSI Professional was designed to be a powerful component of SFF builds (small form factor). It’s perfect for gamers as it comes with OBS streaming software so you can share your game streams with the world.
It supports 6th gen Intel core, Pentium and Celeron processors for the LGA 1151 socket and can support turbo mode, gaming boost and even gaming LAN so there’s absolutely no lag or latency even with games that demand high processing power.
The Z170I Pro AC comes with an upgradeable Intel WiFi/Bluetooth antennas and even has Intel’s Wireless DisPlay allowing you to send files wirelessly to any HDTV. Another great point is that this mini ITX comes with MSI DPC latency tuner that allows you to optimize your PC’s settings so you always have a smooth audio/video playback experience.
Specifications
| CPU + Power | Pentium, Celeron, Core i5, Core i3 and Core i7 processors via LGA 1151 socket |
| Memory | 2x DIMM DDR4 slots supporting up to 32 GB main memory |
| Graphics | 1 x HDMI™ port, support a maximum resolution of 4096×2160@24Hz, 2560×1600@60Hz – Support for HDMI™ 1.4 version.1 x DisplayPort, Support a maximum resolution of 4096×2304@60Hz, 2560×1600@60Hz, 3840×2160@60Hz, 1920×1200@60Hz |
| Expansion Slots | 1x CPU; 2x DIMM 288 pin; 1x PCIe 3.0 x 16 |
| SATA 600 / PCIe 3.0 connectors | 4x 7 pin SATA; 1x M.2; 1x SATA Express port; RAID 0/1/10/5 supported |
| Wireless | 802.11 AC and Bluetooth 4.2 |
MSI Performance Gaming B450I
The MSI B450I is an affordable mini ITX motherboard that’s been on the market for quite some time now and has been hailed as one of the best mini ITX motherboards of all time. It comes equipped with a decent range of storage capacities which include 4 SATA ports, a M.22 slot and high-performance networking capabilities like Gigabit Ethernet and Intel 3168 802.11ac WiFi.
It works well with 1st and 2nd Gen Ryzen processors and comes equipped with an AM4 socket along with 4 USB 3.1 ports and 2 USB 2.0 ports.
This mini ITX motherboard features core boost, DDR4 boost and Turbo M.2 for better cooling and performance. It even comes with an MSI audio boost that enhances your listening experience and delivers the highest sound quality possible.
Specifications
| CPU + Power | AMD RYZEN 1st and 2nd Generation; AM4 Socket |
| Memory | DDR4-3466+(OC) Memory |
| Graphics | 1 x DisplayPort, support a maximum resolution of 4096×2304 @60Hz, 2560×1600 @60Hz, 3840×2160 @60Hz, 1920×1200 @60Hz1231 x HDMI 2.0b with HDR port, Supports a maximum resolution of 4K @60Hz |
| Expansion Slots | 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slotSupports x16 speed with 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ processors Supports x8 speed with Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics processors Supports x4 speed with AMD® Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors |
| Storage | 1 x M.2 ports (M2_1, Key M) Supports PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA 6Gb/s 2280 storage devices (1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™/ Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Graphics) Supports PCIe 3.0 x2 and SATA 6Gb/s 2280 storage devices (AMD® Athlon™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics) |
| Wireless | 802.11n, 802.11b, 802.11g; Bluetooth 4.2 |
ASRock FATAL1TY Z170
The ASRock Z170 gaming ITX is pretty competitive in terms of specs and performance. It offers the same capabilities as a full-scale motherboard with a much more compact form factor. It’s equipped with impressive networking capabilities and is perfect for those looking to overclock an Intel Core i7 processor.
It comes game ready and uses the M.2 SSD slot, USB 3.1 and HDMI that supports 60Hz for avid gamers to do what they love. Apart from this, you get faster WiFi capabilities, along with wired and wireless connectivity for a complete lag-free gaming experience.
This mini ITX motherboard is equipped with a serious range of ports and connectivity options including but not limited to HD audio ports, DisplayPort 1.2, Optical SPDIF output, RJ45 LAN support and more.
Specifications
| CPU + Power | Supports 7th and 6th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 / i5 / i3 / Pentium® / Celeron® Processors (Socket 1151) |
| Memory | Dual Channel DDR4 Memory Technology- 2 x DDR4 DIMM Slots- Max. capacity of system memory: 32GB* – 15μ Gold Contact in DIMM Slots |
| Graphics | Supports Intel® HD Graphics Built-in Visuals : Intel® Quick Sync Video with AVC, MVC (S3D) and MPEG-2 Full HW Encode1, Intel® InTru™ 3D, Intel® Clear Video HD Technology, Intel® Insider™, Intel® HD Graphics 510/530 |
| Expansion Slots | 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1: x16 mode)* – 1 x Half-size Mini-PCI Express Slot: For WiFi + BT Module |
| Storage | 6 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors, Support RAID (RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10, Intel® Rapid Storage Technology 14 and Intel® Smart Response Technology), NCQ, AHCI and Hot Plug |
| Wireless | Intel® 802.11ac WiFi Module; Supports Bluetooth 4.0 / 3.0 + High speed class II |
Asus Z971I Plus
The Z971I Plus is equipped with an M.2 that is capable of delivering up to 10GBPS data transfer speed so you experience smooth and lag-free gaming. It supports DDR3-SDRAM and come with DIMM memory slots that are capable of holding up to 16GB.
It’s an Intel compatible motherboard and can easily support Celeron, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and Pentium with a H3 LGA 1150 socket. You can use the Serial ATA III interface to connect the hard disk.
This mini ITX motherboard comes with turbo LAN technology and uses Fan Xpert3 to control the onboard cooling system. With DIGI and ARM backing this device, you even get enhanced DRAM current protection and ESD guards.
Specifications
| CPU + Power | Pentium, Celeron, Core i5, Core i3, Core i7; LGA1150 Socket |
| Memory | Dual Channel DDR4 Memory Technology 16GBIntel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP), dual channel memory architecture |
| Graphics | Graphics adapter (CPU required); 512MB |
| Expansion Slots | 1 x CPU2 x DIMM 240-pin 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 |
| Storage | SATA-600 -connectors: 4 x 7pin SATA, 1 x M.2 – RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 10 / RAID 5 |
| Wireless | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet |
Asus ROG Strix B550
The ROG Strix B550 mini ITX motherboard allows you to rise above the battlefield with robust power delivery, AI noise cancelling MIC, BIOS flashback and WiFi 6 for unmatched gaming performance.
It embodies the ROG spirit with eye-catching aesthetics and even come equipped with an S210 control chip that automatically detects the connected device so you can either use the USB-C as an audio port or data transfer port.
This mini ITX features the most intense cooling options ever and comes equipped with a configurable fan that you can control via the Fan Xpert4 or the UEFI BIOS. It follows motherboard trace routing that offers your CPU access to memory bandwidth so it can perform really well.
Specifications
| CPU + Power | AMD AM4 Socket 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors; AMD B550 |
| Memory | 2 x DIMM, Max. 64GB, DDR4 Dual Channel Memory Architecture ECC Memory (ECC mode) support varies by CPU |
| Graphics | 1 x HDMI 2.1(4K@60HZ) 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 |
| Expansion Slots | 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x16 mode) |
| Storage | 1 x M.2_2 socket 3, with M Key, Type 2242/2260/2280 (PCIE 3.0 x4 and SATA modes) storage devices support; 4 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s),1 x M.2_1 socket 3, with M Key, Type 2242/2260/2280 (PCIE 4.0 x4 and SATA modes) storage devices support |
| Wireless | Intel® I225-V 2.5Gb Ethernet; Intel® Wi-Fi 6 AX200Supports dual band frequency 2.4/5 GHz Supports channel bandwidth: HT20/HT40/HT80/HT160 |
How to choose my ITX motherboards – Takeaway
These are currently the best mini ITX motherboards in the country and you can find all of them online via sites like Amazon. They’re perfect if you’re looking to build a true gaming mini PC or just one for a really good entertainment experience.
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Based out of the UK, Pat is the youngest member of TheMiniBlog family and comes with extensive experience in all things Mini. He has been reviewing products for a while now and is well versed in everything related to mini gear and technology.
