Pros: Worked right out of the box
No problems with 8GB (2x4GB) G.Skill 204 pin ** DDR3


** - Please note that it uses 204 pin DDR3(L) unlike the description which still says 240 pin. Other reviews state this but the more it's said the more likely it's remembered :)

Cons: None so far.

Other Thoughts: A few reviews have stated that the board is picky with RAM so I wanted to chime in and say that G.Skill works with no issues for me.

I use this machine as a file server / iTunes server that runs all day. It runs Windows 10 since I didn't want to deal with setting up an iTunes server in Linux.

Not once have I had any issues or crashes since it went up and it's a marked improvement over the 5 year old Atom mobo/cpu/vga combo that it previously ran off of. Highly recommended if you have a low power project!

Pros: I am excited to receive my first passive cpu and board for my hobby Linux Server project.

Cons: I have not received the parts, but I wanted to help others by pointing out Newegg's specifications for the memory is incorrect.

Other Thoughts: I just wanted to help others shopping for this board. The memory specification on newegg shows 240 pin dimms. This is incorrect. The board requires 204 pin SO DIMM memory modules.

I discovered this after downloading the manual from asrock's website. There is also a list of approved memory modules on the same website. I recommend that you purchase one of these approved modules, as reports state this board can be picky about memory.

I called newegg and told them, they are paying the shipping to return the incorrect memory module. I purchased a Kingston module, 8gb for $37, instead. Good deal.

I'll post a proper review once I receive the motherboard.

Pros: Low power usage. Fanless. Hardware acceleration for AES and video. Plays 1080p H264 video flawlessly with ~10% CPU usage. Good choice for HTPC or file server.

Cons: Only 2 SATA ports. Not quite as snappy as the Core 2 Duo it is replacing. Probably not the best choice for general desktop use. But nothing I did not expect when I purchased this so I can't take off an egg for it.

Other Thoughts: I'm using this as an HTPC running Arch Linux and Kodi with no issues.

Pros: It is small, quiet, and when it is working it seems to have sufficient grunt for desktop tasks, it can more or less play 1080p video, plus it is very low energy (~6 watts for the CPU, apparently). And it wasn't too expensive. It boots quickly with a SSD. And there is a header for USB 3.0, so many cases only have front USB 3.0 ports these days. PCI Express x1 instead of a full sized PCI-E slot. Who would put a real video card on an underpowered Celeron.

Cons: This board is very picky about RAM, even after applying a UEFI update that was supposed to correct this problem. The update was a pain, it kept stalling out in the "BIOS", requiring me to restart the machine and process about a half dozen times. I had to pull another stick of RAM out of a computer to boot.

Then the board gave me piles of grief booting from a USB stick using unetbootin, multisystem, & YUMI. I used a USB DVD-RW, which seemed to put the fear of Dog into the thing, the next time it booted from a unetbootin 15.10 Ubuntu 64 bit beta, and I installed. And yes, I checked, Secure Boot was disabled.

Once I got Ubuntu installed I found that the VGA kept flicking off at irregular intervals, in some cases staying off, necessitating a hard reboot or use of the MagicSysRq sequence. So I installed XFCE, figuring it would be less finicky than Unity, which uses some funky compiz wizardry. And the problem was better, but still there. I hooked up a HDMI monitor to the unit as well, and the problem has not reoccurred in about 45 minutes, the board will eventually be hooked to a HDMI TV if I keep it, but that is still a major black mark. I know I'm using a beta release on a very new 8th generation Haswell chipset, but the very recent (4.2.0-11-generic) kernel should handle it and I've installed this image on another machine (Macbook Air 4.2) without artifacts.

The panel header is crammed right next to the right SATA port, which made it a pain to jumper when I was testing the board outside of the case. However there was a serial header that looked just like the FPANEL header in a good location next to the Clear CMOS pins (which I actually needed a couple of times). Speaking of which, what's the deal with all the legacy gunk on the I/O panel? I can kind of understand PS/2 mouse & keyboard ports, and maybe even a serial port, but really, a parallel port? At least confine that to a header on the board and give us something we can use, maybe some extra USB ports or a DVI output.

Also, it vexes me that Intel has seen fit to burden this class of motherboard/CPU with only 2 SATA ports. From what I can tell these Celerons are largely used as low-powered home servers and HPTVs and would benefit from a couple more SATA ports.

Other Thoughts: I still might return this motherboard if the screen flickering comes back. I've had trouble with Asrock Celeron boards before. One reboots often, one has a defective VGA port. I've only had 3 Asrock boards, so that is beginning to be a pattern. I may shun this company in the future.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued ASRock Customer,

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
The BIOS can be updated (easier) at UEFI/BIOS, Tools, Internet Flash (required internet connection).
For the screen flickering, please download and install the VGA driver at link below (sorry no Linux based OS supported).
Test with another monitor and cable with appropriate refresh rate.

Drivers link: http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/N3050B-ITX/?cat=Download

If you have any technical support inquiry, please contact us at http://www.ASRock.com/Support/tsd.asp
We will assist you shortly.

Thank you

ASRock Support
Tech Support Email: http://www.ASRock.com/Support/tsd.asp