Long gone are the days when a powerful server required a dual socket Xeon motherboard. Nowadays, you can get all the power of a good server in a mini-ITX form factor. This is a relatively new thing, only can it be done with Intel’s latest 32nm architecture, since its performance per watt in the server sector is superior to anything seen before. The Intel S1200KP motherboard is a mini-ITX motherboard supporting the full range of 32nm socket 1155 Xeon’s. Intel is also given the option to use desktop i3’s in this board too, in fact any i3 or Xeon up to 95W is supported.
The chipset used is one you may have never heard of before, the C206. It has native SATA II and III support which is ideal for a storage server and it also has the ability to utilise onboard video so the server can output video signals too. Dual LAN ports are included along with ECC memory support up to 1333MHz speeds or up to 15GB in capacity.The board retails at about $200 equivalent in China so expect it to be a little pricier in North America and Europe.
