This is very interesting. I was actually thinking about replacing my rig, along with its huge 800D case and water loops, with a powerful yet small 3790k micro atx combo. With this motherboard + i7 5820, I will have option to go higher end while living with a small form case.

I would probably have got this board if it had been released at launch! Might still give it a go at somepoint and see how it compares to the AsRock.

I just do not see the point of this form-factor in the x99 platform.

I just do not see the point of this form-factor in the x99 platform.

For people who like very small and very powerful computers. I´m sure there´s a market, and i wouldn´t mind having such a small beast.

For people who like very small and very powerful computers. I´m sure there´s a market, and i wouldn´t mind having such a small beast.

In that case a devils canyon i7 and Z97 sff system would be equal for less. You know people will just run the 5820k CPU. I just don't see the point still. But I guess if it sells the manufactures with build it.

i wish they would bring back that green sniper series. everyone seems to need to make black and red. or blue. not that it really matters but the green was at least a different choice. and some had that neato heatsink

In that case a devils canyon i7 and Z97 sff system would be equal for less. You know people will just run the 5820k CPU. I just don't see the point still. But I guess if it sells the manufactures with build it.

LOL, I don't. I am running mATX with a 5960x clocked at 4.4ghz 24/7, fully custom watercooled. I think it's great, having that much power in a much more compact form factor, and I definitely benefit from it vs z97 with the encoding etc that I do.

LOL, I don't. I am running mATX with a 5960x clocked at 4.4ghz 24/7, fully custom watercooled. I think it's great, having that much power in a much more compact form factor, and I definitely benefit from it vs z97 with the encoding etc that I do.

I see where both of you are coming from. While it is nice having a smaller form factor for the type of uses a 6 core cpu is used for that type of work doesn't really need to be portable and if your office/room can fit a micro atx system in it than there really is no reason an atx sized system couldn't fit as well. It's more just for the cool factor of having a really small compact system with that kind of power but it's really not a necessity. The only thing I can think of for getting a true benefit of a small matx x99 system is if you also lan party with it in addition to the encoding and work stuff the 6 core is used for. Or if you have some really heavily customized desk setup that needs a smaller PC. So while there is a tiny fraction of users that can get a real benefit most of the people getting an matx x99 system are doing it for the coolness factor. I am still waiting for an ATX sized RoG board from Asus to show up for x99 before I can even consider upgrading my x58 system. I'm probably just going to grab an EVGA classified GTX 980 to tide me over till skylake-e comes out because with the i7-980x at 4.2ghz on all 6 cores i'm not really hurting on the cpu side of things yet. All my friends and family know to get me newegg gift cards for christmas. My 5870 is really getting long in the tooth and has a hard time feeding my dell u3014 that i upgraded to after getting the PC. It really sucks having to render games at 1920x1200 and suffering the side effects of a non native resolution. Can't wait to see how fast I can OC the evga classified GTX 980 with the 3x 180mm AP182 fans cranked up to their max RPM's on my silverstone fortress FT02. Then again by the time holidays are over and 2015 has started GM200/GM210 won't really be that far off so maybe I will just save the gift cards for that and suffer with the 5870 a bit longer. I really want this GPU I buy to just slide over to my skylake-e build and when that time comes I don;t think I'll be happy with gm204 and I'll end up buying another gpu so even if I have to buy the titan 2 (which if history repeats itself will come out long before the regular gm200's do) it will still be cheaper than getting a gm204 now and another gpu when skylake-e comes out.