I wanted to build a PC as a replacement for my cable boxes and DVR, using a slim, AV-component styled and completely silent and fanless case. Since I also wanted top performance, I wanted a motherboard that could be tweaked to allow the best mix of performance, energy consumption and heat. The ASUS H77 PRO seemed like the best bet for me, and so far I haven't been disappointed.
The fit was perfect in my fanless HTPC case...it uses a network of copper heat pipes to direct heat from the CPU mount to cooling fins on the outside of the case, and everything fit without a problem. The motherboard itself fits well and aligns perfectly with the connector cutouts on my case. Unlike some other brands I've used in the past, everything is a precise fit - screw holes line up exactly, etc.
I installed an Intel i7-3770K CPU, 16GB of memory, the Ceton PCIe M-card tuner, a SSD boot disk and a pair of 4TB drives in a 6Gb SATA RAID-0 configuration. I'm using the on-board gigabit LAN and video with the HDMI output connected to my AV receiver at 1080p, I have the USB 3 connector wired to a front panel USB port, and my case supports an IR remote control capability that controls power and media center operation.
For a mid-priced motherboard, I've been really impressed. After some trial and error, I've landed on overclocking the memory about 20% and my 3.5Ghz CPU runs reliably at 4Ghz. Best of all, in my totally fanless case, even overclocked, the motherboard temperature reported by the Asus monitoring utility is only 93 degrees, and the external fins on my HTPC case don't seem to exceed about 85 degrees (Fahrenheit).
I've been using the Windows 8 Media Center as my DVR software, and once I got past a few setup problems, it's worked without incident. Between the fast CPU, SSD and overclocked memory, this is a blazing system. I'm using large disks (4TB) in Advanced Format 4K sector mode, and I/O throughput is adequate to allow seven channels of HDTV to be recorded concurrently (in addition the the 4-channel Ceton card, I also have a HDHomeRun on my network).
I've been nothing but impressed with this system, and as I write this, the system has been up and running 24x7 for about six weeks without even a reboot. This is stable, fast performance at a reasonable price point.
Definitely worth a look for your next system.
| RAM | DDR3 2200;DDR3 2133;DDR3 2000;DDR3 1866;DDR3 1800;DDR3 1600;DDR3 1333 |
|---|---|
| Memory Speed | 1866 MHz |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 4 |
