Best match : Linux support / Kaby Lake / Budget

zorrodacat wrote: Hello, I wanna build a cheap Linux box using a Pentium G4560 Kaby Lake processor ( 2 cores w. HT). I wanna get the cheapest / less expensive ASRock motherboard with the following features :  -LINUX COMPATIBILITY is the most important criteria. I know I need to use a recent kernel with Kaby. Don't worry !  -I don't care about the format (ATX / ITX or micro-ATX).... Will get a case for it anyway! -I wanna be able to put one of those nice new PCIX nnVME SSD. Must boot from it, yes of course, it's for the OS (Linux)   Just to be sure I'm talking about these drives https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167410 -I don't care much about a discrete GPU. In fact I don't care at all... Going to use Intel Graphics from the CPU. I'm not a gamer at all (would like HDMI + VGA support) dual monitor on the mobo -Would like to be able to put at least one <<normal >> 3.5" drive ( I can't consider NUC ) -I don't care about memory speed. Really. As long at it is DDR4 I'll go for it. Like I said I'm not a gamer. What is the cheapest INTEL chipset I can use ? H110 right ? Which models exactly ?  Do I need to flash the BIOS/UEFI ? Which one is the best match to support Pentium G4560 for Linux ? Thanks !  Zorro the cat =)

Your main criteria, Linux support, is the most difficult to match and answer. None of the ASRock Intel 100 or 200 series chipset boards have Linux included as a supported OS.

That does not mean it is impossible to use Linux with those chipsets, it just means, as usual for Linux, you are on your own providing support. Your best bet to track down Linux support for various Intel chipsets is in a Linux forum.

Then you want the H110 chipset, and an M.2 slot that fully supports an M.2 NVMe SSD (PCIe 3.0 x4 interface). That gives us one board, the H110M-STX:

http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/H110M-STX/

That is a new very small form factor board. Very nice really, I have one which is included in the ASRock DeskMini 110W PC:

http://www.asrock.com/nettop/Intel/Deskmini%20110%20Series/#About

I even use an Intel 600p M.2 NVMe SSD in it as the OS drive. I use Windows 10. You would need to do at least a simple UEFI booting Linux installation in order to use that SSD as the OS drive. This board only supports 2.5" drives that run from 5V power, so no 3.5" HDDs, unless they don't use 12V power.

Of course you'd be using the Intel iGPU, which might be a bit easier finding a Linux compatible video driver than one for any video card.

All Intel 100 series Skylake chipsets MUST have a Kaby Lake processor compatible UEFI/BIOS version installed in the board, or the board will not POST with a Kaby Lake processor. How do you know if a 100 series Skylake chipset board has a compatible UEFI/BIOS version? You must check it. You CANNOT assume it will have a compatible UEFI from the factory.

So many unknowns to deal with here, no wonder you are asking for help. The ASRock boards that do support Linux (Intel Apollo Lake, Intel Braswell) have built in processors, and no M.2 slots.

A Linux forum is really your best source of the information you are after.



Edited by parsec - 08 Apr 2017 at 12:12pm

Hello,

Edited by zorrodacat - 08 Apr 2017 at 6:41am