ITX Overclocking Contest: H55N-USB3
If you had any doubts that a mini-ITX system can’t run with the bigger boys, the you need to head over to the HWBOT website and check out the results of the Gigabyte mini-ITX H55N-USB on HWBOT contest. Enthusiasts participated in the contest by overclocking their mini-ITX rigs and shooting for the fastest Super PI 32m times. First Place went to a Gigabyte H55N-USB3 with an i5 670 overclocked to an incredible 6400.9 MHz. Using 4 GB of GSkill PerfectStorm RAM, it cranked out Pi to 32 million digits in just 6 minutes 18 seconds and 469 milliseconds. Of course, …
Gigabyte GA-H55N-USB3: Easy Overclocking
Gigabyte’s GA-H55N-USB3 is a worthy competitor to the gaming-capable mini-ITX market. The first inclusion of USB 3.0 gives this board an edge over earlier boards from other manufacturers. The lack of onboard WiFi might be a deal breaker for some. The only wireless options involve sacrificing the PCIe x16 for a wireless card or using a USB dongle. However, the ability for easy overclocking due to the Gigabyte’s wider BIOS options should make it a favorite with ITX gamers. The low price point won’t hurt either. Manufacturer: Gigabyte Model: GA-H55N-USB3 Retail Price: $105 USD (NewEgg) Chipset: Intel® H55 Express Southbridge: …
MINIX 890GX-USB3: ITX, AMD Flavored
J & W Technology comes to the mini-ITX table with an offering of a different color, AMD green. Forgoing the Intel® H55 chipset in favor of AMD’s powerful 890GX, J & W also raises the bar with the inclusion of SATA 3.0 with transfer rates up to 6Gbps. The only shortcoming may be the choice to use SO-DIMMs in place of traditional desktop memory. There is less selection of high-end SO-DIMMs available and they usually cost a bit more. The specs for the AMD-powered MINIX 890GX-USB3 mini-ITX board are: Manufacturer: J & W Technology Model: MINIX 890GX-USB3 Retail Price: N/A …