The AM1 Kabini Motherboard Preview: Analyzing the Hardware
by Ian Cutress on April 19, 2014 2:00 PM ESTASRock AM1B-M
ASRock’s first motherboard falls under the $40 mark and also represents a slightly different variation on the theme. So far no two motherboards have been alike, and the ASRock AM1B-M exchanges the higher audio and video outputs instead for more rear USB 2.0 ports and an extra fan header. On the face of it, this does not seem like a good deal compared to the previous MSI, unless you need extra USB 2.0 ports.
The AM1B-M seems to have a lot of spots unoccupied by connectors. This is mostly likely due to variations of products, where the cheapest tends to have expensive connectors removed to hit a price point. We see two SATA ports missing, an IDE pin layout but no connector, and also a DVI connection missing on the rear panel. In the middle of the board is also a USB 3.0 pin layout, suggesting that another model has an additional USB 3.0 controller as well.
What the ASRock AM1B-M also does differently to all the motherboards we have examined before now is include a COM port, LPT port and a TPM port on the same PCB. It would be interesting to see which niche that combination would be good for.
The PCIe layout uses the PCIe 2.0 x4 from the chipset in a full sized slot, with an additional PCIe 2.0 x1 underneath. Thankfully the SATA ports are alternate facing for removing locking SATA cables, and the placement of the 4-pin CPU connector also helps cable routing. The AM1B-M has three fan headers, one more than the others – two on the top of the motherboard either side of the DRAM slots, and a third on the bottom right.
The AM1B-M has four USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, or what I like to call my happy minimum (installing an OS via USB helps with at least three USB 2.0 ports). That being said, the sole VGA connector looks lonesome, and the ALC662 audio codec is not a particularly good choice.
| ASRock AM1B-M | |
| Price | Link |
| Size | Micro-ATX |
| CPU Interface | FS1b |
| Chipset | Kabini |
| Memory Slots |
Two DDR3 DRAM slots, supporting 16GB Single Channel, 1066-1600 MHz |
| Video Outputs | VGA (2048x1536 at 60 Hz) |
| Onboard LAN | Realtek RTL8111GR |
| Onboard Audio | Realtek ALC662 |
| Expansion Slots |
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x1 |
| Onboard SATA/RAID | 2 x SATA 6 Gbps |
| USB 3.0 | 2 x USB 3.0 (Chipset) [rear panel] |
| Onboard |
2 x SATA 6 Gbps 2 x USB 2.0 headers 3 x Fan Headers 1 x TPM Header 1 x LPT Header 1 x COM Header Front Panel Header Front Audio Header |
| Power Connectors |
1 x 24-pin ATX 1 x 4-pin CPU |
| Fan Headers |
1 x CPU (4-pin) 1 x CHA (4-pin) 1 x SYS (3-pin) |
| IO Panel |
1 x PS/2 Combination Port VGA 2 x USB 3.0 4 x USB 2.0 1 x Gigabit Ethernet Audio Jacks (ALC662) |
| Product Page | Link |
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Chrispy_ - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
The whole concept of an expensive AM1 motherboard is ridiculous, because as metioned in the article, once the CPU+platform cost reaches about $80 you could buy an FM2 solution which would be significantly more powerful and have many more features.Asus, in this case, completely misses the point.
silverblue - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
Yet it would be a dual core, with a much higher TDP. None of these Kabini boards are full ATX, either, so you're not forced into a large form factor.Admittedly, I would go FM2/FM2+ as I would want the performance, but I could make a much smaller and quieter PC with Kabini for obvious reasons.
johnny_boy - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
Exactly (about the TDP). There's still reason to go AM1 over FM2(+) purely for thermal/wattage reasons. I was eyeing a super small ITX case with 60W pico PSU for HTPC use that could also serve for NAS purposes and be always on. I wouldn't run a 65-100W FM2 chip 24/7 or for HTPC use unless I wanted to do some light gaming.Ortanon - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
This actually insinuates that a low-energy/low-heat desktop solution has a price premium the same way a high-performance desktop solution does. That kind of makes sense on the surface, but when you think about it things don't add up. A lower-TDP solution is necessarily less performant, but higher-TDP solutions aren't necessarily loud, and the differences in power draw are often negligible in terms of energy costs.All in all, a weaker system should be cheaper. Plain and simple. When I saw that it'd be at least $75 for an AM1 CPU/mobo, I just shook my head and moved along. Also they REALLY should've figured out a way to squeeze dual-channel into the spec.
My fantasy is for an AM1 board that has nothing but RAM slots and two full mini-PCIE slots. That's it. You slide a board full of cards into a tiny-ass case and boom. No stupid cables, no nothing. Hell, there's your under-$40 mobo right there. How difficult is that? I've been waiting for that for SO MANY years, and yet...
RoboJ1M - Tuesday, April 22, 2014 - link
You forgot no daft ATX+12 connector rubbish.You just want a DC jack on the back plate and some switched converters on board.
And an HDMI and a USB port on the back.
But yeah, that's what I'm looking for as well.
Case + Mobo + CPU + Ram + Laptop PSU = Internet PC.
Ortanon - Tuesday, April 22, 2014 - link
There are already SFF PSUs so that doesn't bother me as much. It just confuses me that after so many years of having mini-PCIe/mSATA, so few mini-ITX (!) motherboards have it, and far fewer than that have two (for your WiFi + SSD scenarios).Stand-alone cases could get a LOT smaller if that one change was made, not to mention the elimination of at least two cables from the build.
Really, I'd be looking to use full-speed mSATA storage on ANY size setup. The cards don't cost extra anymore.
solos - Friday, November 20, 2015 - link
Buy a notebook with broken screen (for next to nothing) , keep the bottom case and have your wish fullfilled ;)Flunk - Sunday, April 20, 2014 - link
If you don't produce things to hit different points of the market, how will you know they won't sell? It's worked for ASUS before.Samus - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
Asus missed the point? ASRock is the one charging $60!ntgeralt - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
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