GIGABYTE GA-H55N-USB3 (rev. 1.0) Pro Reviews

Using the integrated Intel HD graphics that comes with those particular chips, overall platform power consumption at maximum load comes in under 100 Watts. That's well under half of what you would expect from a full ATX H55 system with discrete graphics.

The performance of the GIGABYTE H55N-USB3 motherboard was outstanding. It didn't only perform better than the competition in the majority of the tests, but also has great overclocking capabilities not seen with other manufacturers. The board fully supports LGA 1156 CPUs including the highest model available, which means it performs much better with the appropriate CPU and GPU if necessary. It also comes with a very detailed BIOS and support for low-voltage memory kits. I was able to achieve 210 BCLK and 4.2GHz with the stock heatsink-fan. I'm very happy with the results obtained with this motherboard, and it can compete against a high-end P55 motherboard if needed.

The H55N is undoubtedly a high-quality motherboard - the generous overclocking potential proves that it's decked out with high-tolerance parts that are likely to survive within a cramped mini-ITX motherboard that's starved of airflow. However, the Zotac also overclocked competently in total MHz achieved, proving much the same point. If you're planning a Blu-ray HTPC, the audio codec of the H55N is a boon, as you won't need to add a PAP-compatible sound card, while the WiFi of the Zotac justifies the extra £10 you'd spend if you don't care about Blu-ray. Both boards are great, so take your pick depending on what feature you want.

The Gigabyte H55N-USB3 differs from other mini-ITX motherboard we have seen so far, not only because several motherboards that use this form factor bring a low consuption (and thus, low performance) CPU soldered on it, but because the H55N-USB3 have a lot of features we are used to see only on high-end motherboards.

Absolutely tiny, but ideal for anyone looking to squeeze a media-centre PC into a tight space.

Other than those gripes, the H55N-USB3 is a smooth operator in every way. All of our plug-in peripherals work and overclocking/stability with Clarkdale processors is also excellent. The whole journey is made very easy by Gigabyte’s BIOS, needing very few changes to reach high bus speeds. That alone makes the H55N-USB3 the board to go for if you’ve got any kind of Clarkdale overclocking or underclocking in mind – the boards we’ve tested from ECS, DFI, Intel and Zotac don’t have the same level of options, finesse or control.

What to think of the GIGABYTE H55N-USB3? It is small; very tiny to be honest. Still, this is also a very capable board. We were extremely impressed with the performance of the board even given the consumer level CPU in it.

We said it before and we will say it again; the GIGABYTE H55N-USB3 is an impressive little board. We have seen what it can do with a Core i5 661 in it and now we know what it can do when you load things up.

We have found the Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3 mainboard to have lots of advantages and but a few insignificant drawbacks. Although compact, it is cleverly designed and has nearly all the functionality of its full-size counterparts.

This board is designed to fit into a mini-ITX or bigger case, and is targeted for the HTPC market meaning things like large after-market CPU coolers are the farthest things from the target market's minds. Considering its target market, and the amount of features including USB 3.0 with 3x power for powering up USB devices, the H55N-USB3 deserves a look from anyone building a HTPC. The onboard video when combined with the Clarkdale CPU allows for connection to the most popular monitor connections on the market. The onboard audio is a full 7.1 solution with S/PDIF out also, making it a great solution for the HTPC market as stated. If you want to install an external video card the board comes with a full-length PCI Express x16 slot.

Finally, when it comes to the price, this Gigabyte board goes for around US$105 online. It's not as affordable as ECS' similarly equipped H55 board - ECS H55H-I - which costs around US$80, but then the ECS board lacks some of the features that are standard on a Gigabyte board, like a durable build with solid capacitors and a capable BIOS. The other viable contender in the mini-ITX space that we saw is the Zotac H55ITX-A-E, which is more costly at US$130, albeit with a Wi-Fi module included.

Gigabyte didn't have to sacrifice many features typically used in larger form factors, but there are a few key things that had to leave out like dual PCIe slots for CrossfireX and SLI configurations and SATA3 capabilities because of the mini ITX form factor. But, for their first entry into the mini ITX world, they did a good job of organizing all the available components to make it a fully functional and capable mini ITX motherboard.