iEi announced the release of a new board IMB-Q470 in the Micro-ATX form factor, built on the computing power of the 10th/11th generations of Intel processors (Comet Lake and Rocket Lake) and with 14 USB ports on the rear panel!
The Micro-ATX motherboard form factor is not as widespread and popular as the well-known ATX form factor. The main difference between them is the number of slots for installing memory modules and expansion slots. Figuratively, the Micro-ATX form factor can be called “stripped down” ATX. The main advantage of Micro-ATX over ATX is the physical dimensions of the board, which are just 244x244 mm compared to 305x244 mm. Micro-ATX was designed with the main purpose of using it to build compact systems where a type of board that is as close in functionality as possible to ATX is needed. Also, Micro-ATX boards often become the base platform for 2U systems that use PS/2 or Mini Redundant power supplies. In the cases of these systems there is simply no space for installing an ATX form factor board.
Let's look at the key features of iEi’s new board IMB-Q470:
Supports 10th/11th generation Intel Core i processors
Declared support for i9/i7/i5/i3/Pentium and Celeron processors. Important - TDP no more than 125W. LGA1200 socket. Chipset Q470. For cooling, any cooler suitable for the socket can be used or one of those recommended in the specification for IMB-Q470 from the manufacturer.
Two network ports – 2.5 Gbit/s and 1 Gbit/s
Network controllers are Intel I225V and Intel I219-LM. It is worth mentioning that 2.5 Gbit/s ports became widespread with the advent of the 12th generation of Intel processors, so for the 10th/11th gen this port is a striking feature.
Expansion slots
Despite the fact that the total number of expansion slots for Micro-ATX is always smaller compared to ATX, they still remain fully operational and often this number is sufficient for use. IMB-Q470 has a PCIe-16 slot and two PCIe-4 slots. For storage and additional modules, the board also has M.2 key M slots, with support for NVMe drives, and M.2 key B.
Maximum possible number of USB and COM slots
Perhaps this is the main feature of the new board IMB-Q470. By default, USB type A ports are located on the rear panel: 6xUSB 2.0 and 8xUSB 3.2 Gen1. This is the total number of USB ports present on the board. COM ports are provided additionally using brackets. 2xRS-232 are output via standard 2x5-pin connectors, 8xRS-232 via 2x20-pin special connectors. The article number and photo of the recommended cable can be found in the specification for the mainboard.
The new IMB-Q470 is a striking example of a motherboard that is not the most common Micro-ATX form factor, but has rich functionality in combination with the most current technologies in the industrial IT industry today.
