ECS recently released their first mini-ITX Z97 motherboard under the L337 Gaming Gank Series – the ECS Z97I-DRONE. According to the company: “with the rise of the Mini ITX gaming market demand, L337 Gaming Z97I-DRONE is the wonderful choice for users from every perspective.” Some of the highlighted features of this mini-itx Z97 motherboard are: Sound Blaster Cinema 2 audio core, dual advanced MOSFETS and Icy Chokes, M.2 NGFF slot, memory overclocking support up to 3000+MHz, Intel I218V Ethernet and many more. Check out the rest of its features and specifications from the official release below.
ECS Z97I-DRONE Features
L337 (pronounce as LEET) is derived from ELITE. The L337 alphabet is a specialized form of symbolic writing. The term L337 is used as an adjective to describe formidable prowess or accomplishment, especially in the fields of online gaming. L337 Gaming was created to dedicate efforts in developing products focused on gamers, and Z97I-DRONE is the latest member of L337 Gaming Motherboard. Equipped with Z97 Express Chipset, the Mini ITX form factor Z97I-DRONE provides 2 Dual Channel DDR3 3000+ (OC) Memory up to 16GB, 1 PCI-Express x 16 Gen. 3 Slot, and 1 M.2 Slot for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth device. In addition to enhance the gaming experience, the “Low-to-Full USB Speed” technology is designed for gamers, delivering an optimized 8-time faster keyboard and mouse report rate from 125Hz to 1000Hz, which is a true benefit, especially for FPS gamers. Besides, Z97I-DRONE introduces IntelI218V Gigabit LAN to provide the outstanding fast LAN networking for gaming and avoid latency.
In order to fulfill the higher standard ITX motherboard requested from users, ECS Z97I-DRONE L337 Gaming equips the new “Hybrid Power” technology to strengthen the outstanding performance and deliver remarkable stability. First of all, the Hybrid Digital 5-Phase PWM is designed for managing microprocessor core and memory voltage regulator with auto phase shedding, and Dual Advanced MOSFETs provides up to 90% power efficiency, which allows extreme heat dissipation with the optimal combination of fast switching, high efficient power conversion and low on-resistance. And speaking of stability, Z97I-DORNE adopts the ultimate long-lifespan Nichicon Japanese Capacitors with the highest standard of stability, reliability and longevity to fulfill hard core gamers’ demand and overclocking application. Lastly, the Icy Choke from Hybrid Power provides 1.5X greater stability, offering 50° wider temperature range and reducing heat by 13% more than standard ferrite chokes, even under full loading operations.
As the new addition to L337 Gaming squad, the ECS Z97I-DRONE combines not only high performance and stability but also gaming-centric features, giving users a total package of Z97 ITX gaming motherboard. Learn more about L337 Gaming Z97I-DRONE
ECS Z97I-DRONE Specifications
| Processor | Supports new 5th & 4th gen Intel® Core™ family/ Pentium / Celeron series processors for LGA 1150 socket DMI 5.0GT/s 5 Phase Thermal Design Power VRD 12.5 100% Solid capacitor design Intel® K Series Unlock CPU Support |
| Chipset | Intel® Z97 Express Chipset Supports Intel® Rapid Start technology Supports Intel® Smart Connect technology Supports Intel® Smart Response technology |
| Graphics | Supports DirectX® 11 .1 Supports Intel® HD Graphics, InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider™ Supports HDMI 1.4a & Premium Audio |
| Memory | Dual-channelDDR3 Memory architecture Supports DDR3 3000 non-ECC, Un-buffered SDRAM Memory 2 X 240-pin DDR3 DIMM socket Support up to 16 GB* Intel® extreme Memory Profile (XMP) 1.3/1.2 Memory Modules |
| Expansion Slot | 1 X PCI Express X16 Gen 3.0 slot(s) 1 X M.2 slot for WiFi/BT |
| Storage | Support by Intel® Z97 Express Chipset • 5 X Serial ATAIII 6Gb/s • RAID0, RAID1,RAID5, RAID 10 configuration Supports Intel® Rapid Storage Technology |
| Audio | 8-Channel HD audio CODEC Realtek ALC1150 8-channel High Definition audio CODEC |
| LAN | Intel I218-V Gigabit Fast Ethernet Controller Wake-On-LAN |
| USB | Support by Z97 Express Chipset • 6 X USB3.0 port(s) up to 5Gb/s Back Panel 4 port(s) Onboard 2 port(s) • 6 X USB2.0 port(s) Up to 480 Mb/s Back Panel 4 port(s) Onboard 2 port(s) |
| Rear Panel I/O Ports | 1 X Audio port (Line-in,4x Line-out, SPDIF out) 1 X RJ-45 port 1 X HDMI port(s) 1 X DVI-D port(s) 1 X Display port 1 X Optical S/PDIF Out port(s) 4 X USB3.0 port(s) 4 X USB2.0 port(s) |
| Connectors and Headers | 1 X 24-pin ATX Power Supply connector 1 X 8-pin ATX 12V Power Connector 1 X 4-pin CPU_FAN connector with smart fan 1 X 4-pin SYS_FAN connector 1 X Front Panel switch/LED header 1 X Front panel audio header 1 X Speaker header 1 X USB 3.0 header • Support additional 2 USB ports 1 X USB 2.0 header • Support additional 2 USB ports 5 X SATA III 6Gb/s connector(s) 1 X CLR_CMOS header 1 X ME_UNLOCK header 1 X Chassis intrusion header |
| System BIOS | AMI BIOS with 64 MB SPI Flash ROM Supports M.I.B X Utility Supports ACPI 5.0 & DMI F7 hot key for boot up devices option Over-Clocking Graphic OC Support Triple Display Support ECS EZ BIOS Support GUI UEFI BIOS Plug and Play, STR (S3) / STD (S4) , Hardware monitor, Multi Boot Multi-Language BIOS Audio, LAN, can be disabled in BIOS ICC Clock adjustment (increase of 1MHz) * Adjustable CPU Voltage * Memory Voltage Adjustable * Support CPU over-clocking function: Adjustable CPU Clock Multiplier * Graphic Voltage Adjustable |
| Form Factor | Mini ITX Form Factor 170 mm X 170 mm |
| OS Support | Windows 7 32-bit Windows 7 64-bit Windows 8 32-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8.1 32-bit Windows 8.1 64-bit |
| Certifications | CE/FCC Certification ErP/EuP Certification WHCK Certification |
| Bundled Software | ECS Intelligent EZ Utility : eBLU, eDLU, eOC, eSF Free Bundle: Norton Internet Security ,CyberLink PowerDVD, CyberLink PowerDirector 9, Muzee with trial version Creative Sound Blaster Cinema2 software |
Price and Availability
As of today, the company hasn’t disclosed its manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the ECS Z97I-Drone mini-ITX Z97 motherboard. I’ll try to update this post soon when this product becomes available in retail stores.
