The Z97E from ASRock is a good motherboard but is not recommended if you are into overclocking your CPU. The small size limits the cards and components which can be installed but the M.2 slot at the back does redeem some functionality in this Mini-ITX board.
The placement of most of the components including the CPU ATX power connector, USB 2.0 headers, fan headers, SATA connectors etc., are quite odd. If you were to install a custom CPU cooler then some of these aforementioned components will be difficult to connect making these features non-usable. But realistically speaking, this board isn’t one which is going to be purchased by an overclocker who’d need such a cooler so you’ll easily be able to get the maximum out of this board.
Though we do believe that a better job could have been done to arrange the components. And better cable management matters in SFF computers which make use of such motherboards. This board has plenty of features packed into a small area but lacks better component placement compared to others.
Specifications
Chipset: Intel Z97
Memory support: 4×3200(OC)MHz upto 32GB
LAN: Intel Gigabit Ethernet
Audio: ALC1150 7.1
SATA: 6x SATA III
Expansion: 1x PCIe X16
Dimensions (LxWxD): 170 mm x 170 mm
Warranty: 38 months