Gigabyte GA-H67N-USB3 Sandy Bridge Motherboard
A couple of weeks ago we mentioned that Gigabyte was working on a follow up to their highly successful GA-H55N-USB3 mini-ITX motherboard. The details of the new LGA1155 board are just starting to trickle out, including this photo posted on a Swedish website, and it appears that the new Sandy Bridge mini-ITX board from Gigabyte will be known as the GA-H67N-USB3. Gigabyte’s new GA-H67N-USB3 looks very similar to its LGA1156 predecessor. The main feature added to the new H67N-USB3 is support for the SATA 3.0 standard, courtesy of the new Intel H67 chipset, allowing speeds up to 6Gbps. To make …
Mini-ITX Memory Matters: SO-DIMM or DIMM?
With any mini-ITX motherboard that is suitable for gaming, you can count on them to have the same basic features as far as CPU support, connectivity and a PCI Express x16 expansion slot. Where the major difference lies is in the memory slots. Motherboards are available with either 240-pin DIMM slots for regular desktop memory or the more compact 204-pin SO-DIMM slots, more commonly found in laptop computers. Which one you choose will depend entirely on your personal preferences, but there are a few differences that you’ll need to consider. If you’re building a system on a tight budget be …
New Intel P67/ H67 Sandy Bridge Chipsets: No USB 3.0?
Intel has been receiving positive reviews for its upcoming line of 32mn processors, codenamed Sandy Bridge. Coinciding with the release of these processors is the new motherboard chipset, the P67 and H67, the former supporting multiple PCIex16 slots and the latter a single slot and integrated video. Both chipsets also include support for the new SATA 3.0 standard that offers transfer speeds up to 6.0 Mbit per second. Neither one, however, includes native support for the new USB 3.0 standard. This detail has caused some unrest in the gaming community as of late. Gamers who are looking to build their …
Gigabyte, ASRock and ECS to Offer ITX Motherboards
A few days ago we previewed the newest mini-ITX motherboard from ASUS, the P8H67-I, for the new “Sandy Bride” line of Intel CPU’s. It will make an excellent platform for an ITX gaming system, but it looks like we’ll have other boards to choose from as well. ASRock, Gigabyte and ECS have all indicated that they will have mini-ITX variants coming to market early in the New Year. It’s no surprise that Gigabyte and ECS are getting a jump on the LGA1155 mini-ITX platform. Gigabyte will be following up on its successful GA-H55N-USB3 mini-ITX board that was released early this …
Sandy Bridge: What it Means for ITX Gaming?
Early 2011 is the expected release date for Intel’s new line of processors, codenamed “Sandy Bridge”. The new chips are not replacing the high-end, six-core, “Gulftown” models but will fall in below them on the performance scale. Intel is maintaining the Core i- designations from the last generation of processors but is adding a fourth digit to the model number along with a single letter suffix. The new “Sandy Bridge” processors will also require a new motherboard with a LGA1155 Socket. So, what does this mean for ITX gamers? Well, it’s good news all around and not just because of …
ASUS Mini-ITX P8H67-I Sandy Bridge Motherboard
With the imminent release of Intel’s new Sandy Bridge processors, motherboard manufacturers have begun to release the details for their LGA1155 socket motherboards. Included in the Sandy Bridge compatible boards from ASUS is their new P8H67-I model, a mini-ITX form factor board featuring SATA 6.0 Gbps and USB 3.0. ASUS also chose to include two SO-DIMM slots. It will be interesting to see if a standard develops for high-end mini-ITX boards as manufacturers are split on the issue. Some, with Gigabyte H55N coming to mind, are offering standard DIMM slots and others, like this ASUS, choosing the space saving SO-DIMM …
A Step Towards Mainstream for Mini-ITX Gaming
It’s another step towards mainstream for the mini-ITX gaming system. I was perusing the magazine rack at my local Wal-Mart and my eyes fell upon the cover of the December issue of Maximum PC. Two things jumped out at me. First, it’s the middle of October, which seems a bit early for a December issue. Second, and much more important, was the secondary headline “Wee PC, Kick-Ass Power”. It would seem that the power enthusiasts over at Maximum PC have caught wind of the emergence of the mini-ITX gaming system. They put together a powerful mini-ITX system housed in a …
AVADirect Nano Cube
Once a new trend develops in the computer gaming world, it’s not long before computer OEM’s come out with their variations. AVADirect has done just that with its entry into the mini-ITX gaming arena, a mini-ITX gaming rig aptly titled the “Nano Cube”. Housed in a modified Silverstone Sugo SG05 case and touting a 300w power supply, the base configuration is listed on the AVADirect website for $867 USD. This price gets you: Intel DH57JG Motherboard Intel® Core™ i5-750 Quad-Core Processor 2 GB DD3-1066 RAM XFX GeForce® GTS 250 512MB Video Card 320 GB Western Digital Hard Drive Sony Slim …