The ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Gaming-ITX/ac Motherboard Review
by E. Fylladitakis on September 19, 2017 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- Intel
- ASRock
- Mini ITX
- Z270
- 7700K
- Z270 Gaming ITX/ac
The ASRock Z270 Gaming-ITX/ac Review
Software
The driver DVD comes with a very basic automated installer software with five tabs. The first tab lists all of the drivers and software that are compatible with this motherboard, plus Google’s Chrome Browser and Toolbar, even though these have their own tab. There is an “Install all” option that automatically installs everything, without leaving any room for the user to select what should be installed and what not. The Sound Blaster Cinema 3 utility and Adobe’s reader can be installed via the Utilities tab, manuals and guides can be found under the Information tab and, finally, the company’s contact information is all that can be seen under the Contact tab.
The core software package that accompanies the Z270 Gaming-ITX/ac is the ASRock App Shop, which doubles as a software and as an updates installer. Extra software packages that can enhance the system’s devices, offer more options, and even games can be downloaded and installed. Some software packages such as the “Fatal1ty Mouse Port” cannot be found in the supplied DVD but can be downloaded through the App Shop for free.
ASRock’s F-Stream utility is the single software package that allows almost full control of the motherboard’s BIOS options via the OS. In its “OC Tweaker” tab we found most of the settings that are accessible via the BIOS screen, allowing for casual overclockers to experiment with minimal risk, as the settings reset when the system restarts. It is also handy for people who do not want a permanent overclock forced via the BIOS but prefer to boot with stock settings and force an overclock whenever they want or after the OS has booted.
The ASRock XFast LAN technically is the well-known cFos software with ASRock’s skin. This software allows the user to prioritize network traffic according to his/her needs. For example, it can be set to prioritize the traffic of a specific game/application over a downloading/file sharing app or server. This is particularly useful for applications where seamless network traffic can be vital, such as, for example, when there are IP security cameras connected to the computer and they should not be disturbed by the downloading of a large OS update or other files.
Finally, the Sound Blaster Cinema 3 application offers very limited extra audio control for audiophiles and HTPC enthusiasts. Technically, it can only control the SBX Surround technology setting that enhances the audio surround. It has four preprogrammed profiles, music, film, game, and voice, plus a custom profile that allows the user to program SBX surround as he/she sees fit. Regardless of it including virtually only one tweakable option, the SBX Surround is rather effective, especially in the case of limiting 2.0 and 2.1 speaker configurations.
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GeorgeH - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 - link
100-1 something is overheating and the board is just fine.only1jv - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
that's what i figured, so i tried a different GPU, same result. I even swapped the PSU, same result. Swapped the memory, same result.The only thing i haven't swapped is the CPU but i'm running the Corsair H100i AIO watercooler and have never seen temps on it go above 70c.
I figure it has to be the mobo itself because it would even lockup while in the BIOS.
Oh and yes, i already requested an RMA. Just wanted to share my experience with this mobo after seeing this review and how after a few months it's now failing on me.
Ej24 - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
It was probably the VRM for delivering power to the cpu that was overheating causing the issue. There's no monitoring software for that so most people forget about it. Maybe you got some particularly hot chokes, mosfets, or caps that were just prone to overheating. At any rate, hope the RMA goes well.sonny73n - Thursday, September 21, 2017 - link
Last month I ran into the same problem but with Asus MB. Most of the time "clock_watchdog_timeout" error appeared when it froze. The weather then was about 100F in Southern Ca. CPU stock HSF replaced + case opened = problem solved.The_Assimilator - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
Allow me to introduce you to this magical concept know as "RMA".lucam - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
Still no iPad Pro review yet..:(Beaver M. - Wednesday, September 20, 2017 - link
I would really like to know why they removed 1 USB port at the IO panel.It was still there on the Z170 version.
Also putting in WiFi as part of the board, that cant be removed, is not a good idea either. They might have saved some space on the board, but they didnt use it (for example more USB headers), and instead wasted space on the IO panel. Some people just dont need WiFi and/or Bluetooth.
Also why doesnt AT test if the notorious ASRock USB problem with long or extended cables still exists, which could only be fixed by taking an non-Intel USB chip (either if one is on the board, or an extra PCIe card)? It has been known for at least 5 years...
DanNeely - Thursday, September 21, 2017 - link
They probably used a cheaper 1x USB3.1g2 controller. A year or two ago I don't think that budget version was available yet.bak0n - Thursday, September 21, 2017 - link
I find it odd that they release it now, when the 370's are right around to corner. A bit late to the game for my taste.mickulty - Thursday, September 21, 2017 - link
The 87350D mosfets (actually "power blocks" integrating high and low sides) are actually supplied by TI - NexFET is the range that they're from.