@Ari,
I recently faced a problem with a 2 year old machine based on Z270 chipset not being able to support Thunderbolt 3 (mini-ITX with video card in PCI slot so no add-on card). With Thunderbolt 3 becoming the standard for connectivity, I would like my next computer to support it (or this could cause me some grief in the future !)
The config you have provided is great, but I would be looking at replacing the motherboard with the ASRock Phantom (mini-ITX), which does have a thunderbolt 3 port (same physical format as USB Type C). From my readings, I believe the Phantom is the replacement for the Fatal1ty series.
Any information you could provide on whether this would be an issue with the current $2500 Ultra-extreme ITX build ?
(any key points to look at from a motherboard perspective to ensure this work with the rest of the equipment ?)
Many thanks for your advice.
Welcome to the Forum, EnthusiastBuilder! A few other forum members have inquired about the
AsRock Phantom due to its Thunderbolt support, so it's definitely one I've considered for the guides. It is a bit more expensive than the competition, so for those who aren't as interested in Thunderbolt, it's a bit over-priced. My only concern about it when used in the $2,500 Ultra-Extreme ITX build is whether the Noctua CPU cooler will clear the heatsink array above the Phantom's I/O panel. This type of incompatibility is what got the Asus Impact board crossed off the list (one reader tried it and then informed me it didn't fit!). If you do decide to buy it, the very first thing I'd do is just hold the CPU cooler in position without the CPU in the board to see if it will hit the motherboard heatsink. That way you don't damage the motherboard while actually installing it and can still return it if necessary.
By the way, Thunderbolt 3 and USB Type-C are pretty close cousins, and I'm not sure you actually need Thunderbolt 3 in a system like this. One of its advantages is video output, but you'll be using a video card in this system, not the CPU's built-in graphics. Another advantage is video input via PCI Express, as with external GPUs. It can also deliver power, but you don't need that here. In my opinion, it's far more important on laptops than desktops. The only real advantage it has over USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C ports that come on all high-end ITX motherboards is a 40Gbps throughput, but you'd need devices able to support that, of which there are very few (that's faster than any current SSD).
Put another way, Thunderbolt 3 is pretty cool, but not a must-have in a modern PC. Having Type-C is more important for future-proofing connectivity.
