ASRock A330ION Mini-ITX Motherboard Review
Introducing the A330ION
The ASRock A330ION aims to take the small form factor Mini-ITX world to the next level by integrating the best low-power graphics ION platform, Intel’s dual core Atom 330 CPU, and, for the first time ever, support for DDR3 dual channel RAM. Packaged in a lovely blue motherboard the size of a postage stamp times 6.7 (roughly), the A330ION provides such desirable features as 4 internal SATA ports, DDR3, solid capacitors for longer life, DDR3, HDMI/DVI/VGA video output, HD audio, and DDR3. Still, don’t let the blue and/or DDR3 fool you, this motherboard is packed with nice features that set it apart from other competing Mini-ITX boards. In this review, we’ll figuratively take this board apart and leave no stone unturned, looking at the individual features, the overclocking capabilities, and the performance of the ASRock A330ION. But first, motherboard specifications!
Specifications:
| General | |
| CPU | – Intel Dual-Core Atom Processor 330 (1.6 GHz, FSB533 MHz) |
| Chipset | – NVIDIA MCP7A-ION |
| Memory | – 2 x DDR3 DIMM slots (up to 4GB) |
| Audio, Video and Networking | |
| Graphics | – Integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9 Series – DX10 VGA, Pixel Shader 4.0 – Max. shared memory 512MB – Three VGA Output options: D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI – Supports HDMI Technology with max. resolution up to 1920×1200 (1080P) – Supports Dual-link DVI with max. resolution up to 2560×1600 @ 75Hz – Supports D-Sub with max. resolution up to 1920×1440 @ 75Hz – Supports HDCP function – Supports Full HD 1080p Blu-ray (BD) / HD-DVD playback |
| Audio | – 7.1 CH HD Audio (VIA VT2020 Audio Codec) |
| LAN | – Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Mb/s (w/ WOL) |
| Expansion / Connectivity | |
| Slots | – 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot |
| Connector | – 4 x SATAII 3.0 Gb/s connectors, support RAID (RAID 0 and RAID 1) – 1 x IR header – 1 x COM port header – 1 x HDMI_SPDIF header – CPU/Chassis FAN connector – 24 pin ATX power connector – Front panel audio connector – 2 x USB 2.0 headers (support 4 USB 2.0 ports) |
| Rear Panel I/O | I/O Panel – 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port – 1 x VGA/D-Sub Port – 1 x VGA/DVI-D Port – 1 x HDMI Port – 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port – 4 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports – 2 x Powered eSATAII/USB Connectors – 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port with LED (ACT/LINK LED and SPEED LED) – HD Audio Jack: Rear Speaker / Central / Bass / Line in / Front Speaker / Microphone |
Comments are closed.