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Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3 mini-ITX Motherboard Review

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Jack_Pepsi 15th June 2010, 08:48 Quote
Gigabyte seem to be consistently fantastic boards but their colour schemes are so incredibly horrible. Which, is unfortunately (and stupidly) a major factor in my purchasing. Still, if I was to purchase an mITX board I'd definitely be looking at this board first.
Landy_Ed 15th June 2010, 08:51 Quote
Is anyone actually going to stick a 5870 on a mini itx board?
Pete J 15th June 2010, 09:18 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Landy_Ed
Is anyone actually going to stick a 5870 on a mini itx board?
I think quite a few people would like to build a small yet powerful gaming system! Speaking of which...

Hey guys (Bit-Tech staff), I know that these boards aren't really made to run quad cores like the 750 but I'd really like to see if they can actually get a decent overclock on them nonetheless.
Bindibadgi 15th June 2010, 09:29 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete J
I think quite a few people would like to build a small yet powerful gaming system! Speaking of which...

Hey guys (Bit-Tech staff), I know that these boards aren't really made to run quad cores like the 750 but I'd really like to see if they can actually get a decent overclock on them nonetheless.

I might ask Gigabyte to have a go, because I have other plans for this one and can't afford to repaint the walls if it does go up in flames. :)
faugusztin 15th June 2010, 09:44 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Landy_Ed
Is anyone actually going to stick a 5870 on a mini itx board?

Ever heard of Lian Li PC-Q08 ? :)
Bindibadgi 15th June 2010, 10:01 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by faugusztin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Landy_Ed
Is anyone actually going to stick a 5870 on a mini itx board?

Ever heard of Lian Li PC-Q08 ? :)

Or Silverstone SG07?

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2010/04/26/silverstone-sg07-due-brings-performance-to/1
Yoy0YO 15th June 2010, 10:01 Quote
Hey guys! Thanks for reviewing this board! It makes me feel that my decision on purchasing this motherboard better.
I'll be chucking on a 750 (like you) and a vapor-x 5850 on this motherboard in a SG05.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack_Pepsi
... but their colour schemes are so incredibly horrible. Which, is unfortunately (and stupidly) a major factor in my purchasing. Still, if I was to purchase an mITX board I'd definitely be looking at this board first.

I kinda like the Blue/White scheme. There are too many boards that are Black/Colour which kinda bores me. The blue white is a little easier on the eyes.
Jipa 15th June 2010, 10:07 Quote
Abotu the color scheme: just slap a large heat sink there and you won't see the board anyway. And personally I just don't care about the color scheme, some sure look better than others, but would it effect what I buy? Nope.
leonlee 15th June 2010, 10:12 Quote
Hey Bit-tech, couldn't you guys have added results from the DFI P55-T36? It would have been the primary and more similar competitor of the Gigabyte board (no wifi, better OC potential).
Redkachina 15th June 2010, 10:19 Quote
What a nice and small looking board..overclocks well too..
Now if only there's an AMD version as well..lucky you Intel user *sigh*
Bindibadgi 15th June 2010, 10:59 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by leonlee
Hey Bit-tech, couldn't you guys have added results from the DFI P55-T36? It would have been the primary and more similar competitor of the Gigabyte board (no wifi, better OC potential).

Our fantastic photography department broke the socket just after we reviewed it earlier this year, and we've reset our tests and drivers since then so old results cannot be compared. DFI are certainly not sending us a new one since we broke this story too: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/motherboards/2010/06/03/the-lanparty-is-over-for-dfi/1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redkachina
What a nice and small looking board..overclocks well too..
Now if only there's an AMD version as well..lucky you Intel user *sigh*

Im arranging AMD mini-ITX boards: 880G from Asus and 890GX from J&W soon for review ;)
Tom @ CCL 15th June 2010, 11:17 Quote
Walked in this morning to see one of these sat on my desk ready for me to have a play with.

Looks a fantastic board, little dissapointed you did not mention the packaging in your review though. Its my favourite box for a PC component, it is only JUST big enough to safely hold the motherboard, manuals and cables.

Dropped an 875K into it and will see what it can do. :)
Jack_Pepsi 15th June 2010, 12:26 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom @ CCL
Walked in this morning to see one of these sat on my desk ready for me to have a play with.

Looks a fantastic board, little dissapointed you did not mention the packaging in your review though. Its my favourite box for a PC component, it is only JUST big enough to safely hold the motherboard, manuals and cables.

Dropped an 875K into it and will see what it can do. :)

I hope it doesn't get too hot like the DFi board did... does.
Tom @ CCL 15th June 2010, 12:28 Quote
It will be going into a case with average ventilation at best, I will still put money on it being rock solid stable as I have found Gigabyte's motherboards the ones that stand up to silly amounts of punishment the best over the past couple of years.
Landy_Ed 15th June 2010, 12:50 Quote
Bindibadgi, Pete, faugusztin, yes yes & of course yes (I read the forums too), but thinking about the larger target market for itx, it strikes me that the gaming benchmarks with a high end gfx card goes straight past the interests of a large market in favour of the pure performance interest. thermals, quietness, simplicity, surely these are big factors too?
Pete J 15th June 2010, 12:56 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom @ CCL
Dropped an 875K into it and will see what it can do. :)
Awesome! Let us know how it gets on!
Denis_iii 15th June 2010, 14:17 Quote
now they just need to do a 140W 890GX version!!! wish Asus would do ROG itx boards:)
Jack_Pepsi 15th June 2010, 14:43 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom @ CCL
It will be going into a case with average ventilation at best, I will still put money on it being rock solid stable as I have found Gigabyte's motherboards the ones that stand up to silly amounts of punishment the best over the past couple of years.

Please say a Silverstone SG05 (I prefer that to the SG07) or will it go on a work-bench type of chassis?
Tom @ CCL 15th June 2010, 14:57 Quote
Try more like a major OEM unbranded special. :)

It is being looked at for use in high performing applications for education / small business. Slot a more powerful machine in amongst the farm of Atom and VIA powered devices.
Jack_Pepsi 15th June 2010, 15:48 Quote
Arrh fair enough.

I wish our clientèle were more adventurous in regards to hardware than they currently are, which is that they aren't.

:(

I look forward to your results Tom.
Tom @ CCL 15th June 2010, 15:53 Quote
It will be from an entirely different point of view to the bit-tech review as what I will be trying is more down the lines of "just how badly can you treat this motherboard".

Performance is almost secondary to bulletproof reliability no matter what a customer decides to do with the machine.

- Pile books on and around the unit.
- Put it in a cupboard with no ventilation.
- Have no airflow due to ignored fan failure etc etc

End users are the biggest strain on hardware, not overlcocking enthusiasts! :)
Jack_Pepsi 15th June 2010, 15:55 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom @ CCL
End users are the biggest strain on hardware, not overlcocking enthusiasts! :)

QFT!

However, if these people didn't exist, I doubt I'd have my job now.
Tom @ CCL 15th June 2010, 16:02 Quote
I would have to say the same.

They are the majority of PC users not the minority and what I would say are the driving force behind PC development.

All the BIOS overclocking features were not driven by overclockers, but people wanting to become overclockers.

Auto-reset to default BIOS tech was not brought on by overclockers (but welcomed), it was the end users RMA'ing motherboards for incorrect BIOS settings that sparked the development of this feature. Only later was it branded as an overclocking plus!

The history of our hobby is littered with examples of where the general consumer has spawned requirements that have benefited the enthusiast community.

It is only in the last year, maybe two where genuine high development cost enthusiast only products have appeared. Even then you can debate they are not true overclocking parts as they are the halo product in a range for use with the most expensive components around.

"back in the day" the fun of overclocking was taking mid-low range hardware to the speeds of the top end hardware and beyond. Not spending as much as possible initially to take the top end hardware a bit further.

I do feel overclocking had a bigger impact in the price V performance wars before the manufacturers all got behind the concept. I do look back fondly on overclocking in the NF7-S + Athlon Mobile 2500+ and before overclocking days but I do not wish for them to come back.
Jack_Pepsi 15th June 2010, 16:11 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom @ CCL
I would have to say the same.

They are the majority of PC users not the minority and what I would say are the driving force behind PC development.

All the BIOS overclocking features were not driven by overclockers, but people wanting to become overclockers.

Auto-reset to default BIOS tech was not brought on by overclockers (but welcomed), it was the end users RMA'ing motherboards for incorrect BIOS settings that sparked the development of this feature. Only later was it branded as an overclocking plus!

The history of our hobby is littered with examples of where the general consumer has spawned requirements that have benefited the enthusiast community.

It is only in the last year, maybe two where genuine high development cost enthusiast only products have appeared. Even then you can debate they are not true overclocking parts as they are the halo product in a range for use with the most expensive components around.

"back in the day" the fun of overclocking was taking mid-low range hardware to the speeds of the top end hardware and beyond. Not spending as much as possible initially to take the top end hardware a bit further.

I do feel overclocking had a bigger impact in the price V performance wars before the manufacturers all got behind the concept. I do look back fondly on overclocking in the NF7-S + Athlon Mobile 2500+ and before overclocking days but I do not wish for them to come back.

Again, QFT!

You've also described my first experiences in OC'ing - I spent years saving up and scourging the net for an XP-M 2500 and ended up with 2; a 2400+ and a 2500+. Built in my SN45G (again, using an nForce 2 chipset) I was well on my way. I used to leave the chassis on my windowsill with the cover off in winter so that I hit even higher timings. I'll have to look 'em out but I swear I have some CPU-Z screenshots of me at 2.6GHz
Bindibadgi 15th June 2010, 16:35 Quote
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom @ CCL

"back in the day" the fun of overclocking was taking mid-low range hardware to the speeds of the top end hardware and beyond. Not spending as much as possible initially to take the top end hardware a bit further.

It still is and it's what we actively promote! Gigabyte UD3R/UD2H's usually these days often take the crown.

We rarely ever do silly dick-swing OC articles or report on OC records because they offer nothing to the majority of our readers. Our most popular articles are often the "overclocking a CPU" ones that gives a how to walkthrough of the process and likely performance gains, and PC buyers guides. We've been trying to get an i3-530/G6950 out of Intel for ages to do an OC article there.

For Landy:
thermals: It gets quite hot: it's a small heatsink, but Intel PCH's can always take a bit of heat and still be happy.
quietness: There's a single, passive heatsink so it makes no noise.
simplicity: Can you build a PC? Then it's pretty simple. ;)
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