ASRock Industrial has introduced the IMB-X1316, a high-density motherboard designed for edge AIoT applications and industrial automation. While many compact motherboards are limited to two memory slots, the IMB-X1316 utilizes a Micro-ATX form factor to accommodate four DDR5 DIMM slots, enabling a maximum memory capacity of 192GB.
The motherboard is built on the Intel W680 chipset and supports 14th, 13th, and 12th Generation Intel Core processors (LGA 1700) with a TDP of up to 125W. The four memory slots support dual-channel ECC or non-ECC DDR5 modules at speeds up to 5600 MHz. This high memory ceiling is intended to support data-intensive workloads, such as local AI inference and complex scoring systems, which typically require significant bandwidth and capacity.
Connectivity and expansion are primary features of the IMB-X1316. The board includes two PCIe Gen5 slots (configurable as one x16 or two x8), alongside two PCIe Gen4 x4 slots. For storage, it provides eight SATA3 ports and two M.2 Key M slots for NVMe SSDs (one Gen4 x4 and one Gen3 x4). The “10G” variant of the board, the IMB-X1316-10G, features an integrated Marvell AQC113 controller for 10 Gigabit LAN, supplemented by an Intel 2.5G port and a standard Gigabit port.
The I/O panel supports quad-display outputs via two HDMI 2.0b ports, one DisplayPort 1.4a, and an internal LVDS header. USB connectivity includes one USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C port and five USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports. The motherboard also retains several legacy industrial interfaces, including six COM ports (RS-232/422/485) and a parallel header.
This hardware configuration positions the IMB-X1316 as a competitor for compact AI workstations. By supporting large memory pools and high-speed networking in a 9.6-inch by 9.6-inch footprint, it offers a platform for developing small-form-factor PCs capable of handling petascale-level AI tasks when paired with high-performance discrete GPUs.
The ASRock Industrial IMB-X1316 and its 10GbE counterpart are currently available through industrial distributors and specialized retailers. Retail pricing for the IMB-X1316-10G is approximately $675 CAD (roughly $490 USD), depending on the vendor and regional taxes. The motherboard includes a one-year manufacturer’s warranty and supports Windows 10 and Windows 11 64-bit operating systems.
