AMD has just released Kabini as a socketed SoC with the AM1 platform. Not far behind is a few motherboards… because who wants a socketed APU without a socket? Chumps, that's who. Since no-one wants to be a chump, ASUS is getting ready to release two options in April. They are designed for low-power desktops and home theatre PCs.

The two boards are named the AM1M-A (Micro ATX) and the AM1I-A (Mini ITX). Otherwise, the two boards are very similar, but not identical. For instance, the Micro ATX version has two extra USB 3.0 ports while the Mini ITX has an extra COM header. The Micro ATX also has VD… by that, I mean a Realtek ALC887-VD sound card, where the Mini ITX has the ALC887 sound card without the suffix (I do not think there is a difference). The Micro ATX board also has a PCIe x16 slot (although it is electrically PCIe x4) to connect a larger-socketed add-in board (AIB) to it. As far as I can tell, they are basically the same, though.

Both motherboards will be available in April, but we do not yet have pricing information.

If interested, check out ASUS' press release after the break.

ASUS Announces AM1M-A and AM1I-A Motherboards

High-value AMD AM1-socket-based SoC motherboards packed with exclusive
ASUS technologies including 5X Protection, UEFI BIOS and USB 3.0 Boost

 
Fremont, CA (5th March, 2014) – ASUS today announced the AM1M-A and AM1I-A, two exciting new motherboards that support the latest AMD AM1-socketed SoC (system-on-a-chip) Athlon™ and Sempron™ series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs).

These revolutionary APUs combine high processing power, advanced Microsoft® DirectX® 11.1 graphics, and Fusion controller hubs (FCHs) in one small, efficient package — improving performance by over 50% compared to the previous (‘Brazos 2.0’) generation of AMD APUs.

With low power consumption and excellent graphics performance, the AM1M-A and AM1I-A are great-value choices for desktops and home-theater PCs (HTPCs).
 
High-endurance quality and ASUS-exclusive features
The AM1M-A and AM1I-A have been engineered to the highest standards and are packed with a host of ASUS exclusive features:

ASUS 5X Protection safeguards sensitive components from short-circuits, electrical surges and similar risks. It includes ASUS DIGI+ VRM (voltage-regulator module) to ensure smooth power delivery to the processor, overcurrent protection to prevent short circuits damaging DRAM, electrostatic-discharge (ESD) guards and high-quality solid-state capacitors – a combination of technologies that provide excellent reliability and durability.

USB 3.0 Boost with UASP Mode accelerates the already-fast speed of USB 3.0, intelligently optimizing transfer commands so that more data can be sent and received in shorter times than is possible with other motherboards.

These new motherboards also include ASUS’ award winning UEFI BIOS that presents a friendly graphical interface, allowing users to set up shortcuts and favorites for quick access to the options that are used most often. They also benefit from AI Suite 3 software, an exclusive ASUS dashboard-style control panel that lets users fine-tune almost every aspect of an AM1M-A- or AM1I-A-based system for the best balance between performance, stability and efficiency — all via a simple and intuitive interface.

AVAILABILITY
The ASUS AM1M-A and AM1I-A will be available in early April. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

SPECIFICATIONS*
ASUS AM1M-A ASUS AM1I-A
  • AMD Sempron and Athlon series (AM1 socket) APUs
  • Chipset built in to AMD Sempron and Athlon series APUs
  • 2 x DIMM slots — up to 32GB of single-channel DDR3 DRAM
  • 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (at x4 speed)
  • 1 x HDMI output
  • 1 x DVI-D output
  • 1 x D-Sub (VGA) output
  • Realtek® 8111GR Gigabit LAN
  • Realtek ALC887-VD 8-channel audio
  • 2 x SATA 6Gbit/s
  • 4 x USB 3.0 (2 front; 2 rear)
  • 8 x USB 2.0 (4 front; 4 rear)
  • 1 x TPM header
  • 1 x LPT header
  • 1 x COM header
  • Micro ATX – 22.6cm x 17cm
  • AMD Sempron and Athlon series (AM1 socket) APUs
  • Chipset built in to AMD Sempron and Athlon series APUs
  • 2 x DIMM slots – up to 32GB of single-channel DDR3 DRAM
  • 1 x PCI Express 2.0 x4 slot
  • 1 x HDMI output
  • 1 x DVI-D  output
  • 1 x D-Sub (VGA) output
  • Realtek® 8111GR Gigabit LAN
  • Realtek ALC887 8-channel audio
  • 2 x SATA 6Gbit/s
  • 2 x USB 3.0 (2 rear)
  • 8 x  USB 2.0 (4 rear; 4 mid-board)
  • 1 x TPM header
  • 1 x LPT header
  • 2 x COM (1 rear; 1 mid-board)
  • Mini ITX – 17cm x 17cm
* Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors.
Full specifications are available at www.asus.com