Thursday, June 7th 2018
EVGA X299 Micro 2 and B360 Gaming Motherboards Pictured
EVGA unveiled two new motherboards this Computex, with the X299 Micro 2, and the B360 Gaming. The X299 Micro 2 is a huge step up from the original X299 Micro launched last year. The retail board features an I/O shroud, which has been detached from the exhibit. The biggest change with the X299 Micro 2 is its CPU VRM, which has been redesigned to cope better with Core i9 HCC processors (12 to 18 cores), particularly the 16-core and 18-core models. While the original X299 Micro drew power from just one 8-pin EPS, the new X299 Micro 2 draws from two 8-pin EPS connectors, has higher current MOSFETS, and a much larger VRM heatsink that's actively cooled by a 40 mm fan. There's also an optional 6-pin PCIe power input, which stabilizes power-delivery to graphics cards.
Also unlike the original X299 Micro, the Micro 2 features steel-reinforced DDR4 memory and PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. You lose out on the third x16 slot slot, which has been replaced by an x4 slot. Lastly, you also get 802.11ac + Bluetooth 5.0 wireless networking, which is lacking in the original. Next up, is a bold strategic choice by EVGA, the B360 Gaming. EVGA traditionally confined itself to higher-end motherboard chipsets, going no lower than Hx70 chipset for a given platform. This is the company's first B-series chipset based product. This board is narrow (about the width of the 3-slot/2-DIMM mATX boards), but is 4-slot long, with two DIMM slots. Important connectors such as the 24-pin ATX, USB 3.1 front-panel, and SATA ports are angled.Storage connectivity on the EVGA B360 Gaming includes six SATA 6 Gbps, and a single 32 Gbps M.2 slot. Besides the lone PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, you get a PCI-Express 3.0 x4, and an x1. There's also an M.2-2240 slot meant for add-on WLAN cards. There are some interesting premium features, including Intel i219-V driven gigabit Ethernet, 6-channel onboard audio with a gaming headphones amplifier and de-pop circuit, and two USB 3.1 gen 2 ports at the rear panel.
Also unlike the original X299 Micro, the Micro 2 features steel-reinforced DDR4 memory and PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. You lose out on the third x16 slot slot, which has been replaced by an x4 slot. Lastly, you also get 802.11ac + Bluetooth 5.0 wireless networking, which is lacking in the original. Next up, is a bold strategic choice by EVGA, the B360 Gaming. EVGA traditionally confined itself to higher-end motherboard chipsets, going no lower than Hx70 chipset for a given platform. This is the company's first B-series chipset based product. This board is narrow (about the width of the 3-slot/2-DIMM mATX boards), but is 4-slot long, with two DIMM slots. Important connectors such as the 24-pin ATX, USB 3.1 front-panel, and SATA ports are angled.Storage connectivity on the EVGA B360 Gaming includes six SATA 6 Gbps, and a single 32 Gbps M.2 slot. Besides the lone PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, you get a PCI-Express 3.0 x4, and an x1. There's also an M.2-2240 slot meant for add-on WLAN cards. There are some interesting premium features, including Intel i219-V driven gigabit Ethernet, 6-channel onboard audio with a gaming headphones amplifier and de-pop circuit, and two USB 3.1 gen 2 ports at the rear panel.