Intel Unveils Smaller-Than-Mini-ITX 5x5 Motherboard

Fun fact: Mini-ITX boards are really small. It's compact, reliable, and allows you to stick with smaller PC cases that are a lot easier to lug around than monster PC rigs. And, for many, it's just as valuable as a larger board.

However, did you know that there's a new motherboard standard? Intel has recently announced its brand new lineup of ultra-compact 5x5 motherboards. Yes, it is small, measuring at 140mm x 147mm (5.5" by 5.8"), which is 29 percent smaller than the mini-ITX. And for a small motherboard, it packs quite a punch. The most important aspect of this motherboard is that it offers a socket for LGA processors, meaning that builders can either upgrade or apply a new CPU. Yes, Intel's Miniature PC NUC is incapable of having such a feature. Like the mini-ITX, it offers two laptop SO-DIMM slots, room for 2.5" SATA drive or M.2 Solid State Drive. There will also be models offering wired and wireless options.



All entries will be able to support between the Celeron CPU and the high-end Core i7. Additionally, the motherboard will also support between 35W and 65W TDP CPUs. According to Digital Trends, this motherboard unfortunately may not be released to consumers, but instead be only available to device manufacturers. It'd be really nice for LAN gaming though, considering the portability.

If it helps, there will not be support for a PCIe slot, so... that's the major disadvantage--for gamers anyway. If this motherboard was made available for purchase with a PCIe slot, would you consider purchasing it?