Home | Forums | Article Search | Subscribe & Shop | Contact Us | Log Out Gigabyte H55M-USB3 Email This Print This View My Personal Library Heavy Gear March 2010 • Vol.10 Issue 3 Page(s) 28 in print issue Add To My Personal Library Gigabyte H55M-USB3 H55M-USB3 $110 Gigabyte www.gigabyte.us CPU Rating: 4 Newegg Item#: N82E16813128429 Specs: Socket LGA 1156; Intel H55 Express chipset; Max memory: 16GB DDR3-1333; Slots: 2 PCI-E x16 (1 running at x4), 2 PCI; Ports: 7 SATA 3 Gbps, 2 USB 3.0, 6 USB 2.0, 1 eSATA, 1 FireWire, 1 Gigabit Ethernet; Video outputs: DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, VGA Intel recently launched its Clarkdale-based Core i5 and Core i3 processors, demonstrating that the dual-core, Hyper-Threading architecture can stand up to the company’s previous-generation quad-core chips in a great number of benchmarks. But because all of the 32nm CPUs also include an on-package 45nm graphics core, as well, they come off as best-suited for business-class builds. You aren’t forced to use the integrated graphics, though. These chips, like the Lynnfield-based Core i5s and Core i7s, offer 16 lanes of PCI-E 2.0 connectivity for attaching discrete GPUs. Still, there’s so much integration that third-party motherboard vendors would seem to have very little room for differentiation. Thus, it’s no surprise to see Gigabyte putting forth a concerted effort to make its value-oriented H55- and H57-based motherboards stand out. Its H55M-USB3, specifically, centers on Intel’s most entry-level desktop chipset yet includes extras such as NEC’s two-port D720200F1 USB 3.0 controller, an additional two-port SATA 3Gbps controller, and Realtek’s ALC889 audio codec with Dolby Home Theater support, enabling Dolby Digital output over the board’s optical connection. Should you choose to use the H55M-USB3 in an office or home-theater set-up, you’ll have the option of tapping into the processor’s graphics core through DVI, VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort outputs. Although the integrated GPU isn’t suited to 3D gaming, it’ll handle Blu-ray playback without a problem. Just be aware that, although Intel’s Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs can drive two displays at a time, one of the outputs must be VGA. We like that Gigabyte has built so much functionality onto a microATX platform that sells for just over $100. And the side effects are relatively minor: RAM slots that won’t open with a discrete graphics card installed, and a dual-slot graphics card that will block one SATA port. The H55M-USB3 is otherwise a very well laid-out platform. by Paul Cross  User Reviews Be the first to write a review of this product Want more information about a topic you found of interest while reading this article? Type a word or phrase that identifies the topic and click "Search" to find relevant articles from within our editorial database. Enter A Subject (key words or a phrase): ALL Words (‘digital’ AND ‘photography’) ANY Words (‘digital’ OR ‘photography’) Exact Match ('digital photography'- all words MUST appear together) Home      Copyright & Legal Information      Privacy Policy      Site Map      Contact Us Copyright © 2010 Sandhills Publishing Company U.S.A. All rights reserved.