The Apex model has not been represented among the products of the ROG Maximus series earlier. The specialists of the company considered the release of Kaby Lake-S processors as a good time for updating the assortment. Impact has been considered to be the best model for memory overclocking, and serious system loads has been carried out with the participation of senior representatives of the series like Extreme or Formula. In the novelty under consideration, these features are successfully united. It is worth noting, the price tag for such a product is quite humane, taking into accont the widest possible range of consumers is obvious.


Huge dimensions do not mean the presence of various kinds of auxiliary controllers. The design is more refined than complex. All the features are based on the Intel Z270, only two last-generation USB sockets on the rear panel are required due to the presence of a third-party adapter on the card.


Charactristics

Chipset: Intel Z270

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ASRock enters the market with a mainboard, targeting new Intel Apollo Lake CPUs (14 nm, Intel Goldmont micro-architecture). The J3355B-ITX model is thought to be integrated within laptops or entry-level all-in-one solutions. As seen from the codename, the board is developed in mini-ITX form-factor. It comes equipped with Intel Celeron J3355 processor, operating at 2.0-2.5 GHz frequency. The CPU features 10 W TDP; hence, cooling is backed by a noiseless passive cooler.



ASRock J3355B-ITX accommodates a pair of SO-DIMM slots for DDR3/DDRL3 modules with 1866 MHz frequency (up to 16 GB). The board comes with an integrated Intel HD Graphics 500 GPU that runs at 700 MHz. The connection of drives is realized via two SATA III ports. The incorporated PCIe 2.0 x16 slot is optimal for expansion cards, rather than a VGA card.


To continue, audio subsystem is based on 7.1-channel Realtek ALC887 controller, whereas network facilities are ensured with the help of Realtek RTL8111GR …

SilverStone is about to release a standalone solution – a PC case with 8 bays for NAS or HDD/SSD subsystem. The CS380 boasts sleek design and is made of steel & plastic. Featuring 487.5x426.5x215.3 mm dimensions, internal layout is targeting ATX motherboards with up to 7 expansion slots. The recommended retail price makes up 121 EUR.



SilverStone CS380 comes fitted with three 120-mm fans: one is situated on the rear panel, while the two others – on the side panel. Their ultimate rotational speed approximates 1200 RPM. The chassis supports PS/2 ATX power supply units, 241-mm long graphics card and 146-mm high CPU cooler.


One of the key attractions of the NAS case is the frontal panel. It looks like a door with a lock which hides 8 disc bays, the external I/O panel with two USB 3.0 ports and two 3.5-mm audio jacks as well as a Power button. Furthermore, the drives support hot swapping function – thus, the user can retrieve the item any time during the operation.