The AM1 Kabini Motherboard Preview: Analyzing the Hardware
by Ian Cutress on April 19, 2014 2:00 PM ESTMSI AM1I
MSI has a single AM1 motherboard at Newegg at the time of writing, a mini-ITX model that takes a slightly different line. Being the cheapest AM1 mini-ITX motherboard (the Biostar AM1ML is more a half-way to micro-ATX), MSI has gone slightly creative and added a mini-PCIe slot. This opens up the platform for an integrated WiFi solution. It would be interesting to see what bundle price MSI could produce with a combined 802.11ac card.
MSI has learned from other mini-ITX projects and helpfully placed the 24-pin ATX connector outside the DRAM slots. The DRAM slots themselves use single-sided latches, to help with removing memory when a large PCIe device is installed. The PCIe slot, while an x4 designation from the chipset, seems to be fully populated with pins (which is a little odd).
Next to the mini-PCIe slot is a pair of SATA 6 Gbps ports, angled away from each other to allow easy removal of locking SATA cables. Perhaps confusingly the COM header and the front panel header are next to each other just inside the DRAM slots, and the front panel header is not labeled. Ideally this would be outside the DRAM slots on the right and labeled for ease of use.
The 4-pin CPU power connector is in a good position for cable management, and MSI have tried to save some cost by having the motherboard battery stuck to the rear panel.
The rear panel is similar to the previous motherboards, consisting of PS/2 ports, video outputs, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port and ALC887 audio jacks.
| MSI AM1I | |
| Price | Link |
| Size | Mini-ITX |
| CPU Interface | FS1b |
| Chipset | Kabini |
| Memory Slots |
Two DDR3 DRAM slots, supporting 32GB Single Channel, 1333/1600 MHz |
| Video Outputs |
VGA (1920x1200) DVI-D (1920x1200) HDMI (4096x2160) |
| Onboard LAN | Realtek RTL8111G (10/100/1000) |
| Onboard Audio | Realtek ALC887 |
| Expansion Slots |
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4) 1 x mini-PCIe |
| Onboard SATA/RAID | 2 x SATA 6 Gbps |
| USB 3.0 | 2 x USB 3.0 (Chipset) [back panel] |
| Onboard |
2 x SATA 6 Gbps 2 x USB 2.0 Headers 2 x Fan Headers 1 x TPM Header 1 x COM Header Front Audio Header Front Panel Header |
| Power Connectors |
1 x 24-pin ATX 1 x 4-pin CPU |
| Fan Headers |
1 x CPU (3-pin) 1 x SYS (4-pin) |
| IO Panel |
1 x PS/2 Mouse Port 1 x PS/2 Keyboard Port VGA DVI-D HDMI 2 x USB 2.0 2 x USB 3.0 1 x Gigabit Ethernet Audio Jacks (ALC887) |
| Product Page | Link |
So far we have moved from $33 to $36 in our analysis and the changes made between the Biostar and MSI are actually quite drastic. The MSI platform (including MSI’s standard software one would assume), while slightly more expensive, offers a lot better value. The only downside is perhaps the name. Putting an ‘I’ next to a ‘1’, in the wrong font, makes the AM1I look odd.
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rRansom - Sunday, April 20, 2014 - link
Test acknowledged.Samus - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
I got it too.Ortanon - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
lollmcd - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
The MSI would do better to have antenna and an attach point for everything for 2-3 $ more.lmcd - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
The commentary on the ASRock AM1H-ITX price misses the mark -- the benefits of the DC laptop power option mean that a tiny case attached to a VESA mount can be more easily used. Also, aren't such power supplies cheaper?teldar - Monday, April 21, 2014 - link
I built one with the a asrock am1h and didn't even use a case. It's screwed to a piece of lexan and th e ssd is stuck underneath it.MonkeyPaw - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
I would love to see some tests with GPUs installed. Since the jaguar core is also used in the latest consoles, I'm curious to see what happens when you drop comparable GPUs (to the new consoles) inside. Can the PS4/XboxOne even make good use of all that GPU power with such a basic CPU? Do it for science!wolrah - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
A tricky difference with the consoles is that they get twice the cores compared to retail offerings.tuxRoller - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=20215You're welcome:)
MonkeyPaw - Saturday, April 19, 2014 - link
I saw that, but it's on Ubuntu, which isn't quite up to speed as Windows.Also, while I know the new consoles have 8 cores, they run at lower clocks than the 5350. I also have my doubts that most games can use all 8 cores effectively. I think they are there more for better multitasking. Like I said, it would be interesting to see what a mid-range GPU could do here. Would it be worth it to spend $80 on AM1 and $150 on a GPU, or would that $230 go further another way, like with an A10-7850K? Which would make a better budget gaming combo? You might also be able to skimp on RAM with AM1 since you'll have a dedicated GPU will