Buying Guides -> Hardware -> Motherboard New Age MotherboardsTeam CHIP | 22 June 2010
New Age Motherboards
We've lined up 14 motherboards featuring H55 and H57 chipsets. Find out what each of these has to offer.
The first generation Core i5 CPUs (Lynnfield) that came in the socket LGA 1156 package weren’t suited for building budget and mainstream PCs. So even though the new platform was out, you had to resort to the previous generation Intel Pentium Dual-Core and Core 2 Duo CPUs to build one. At the time of launch, Core i5 CPUs were priced at more than Rs 10,000, and the only chipset that supported the new LGA 1156 CPUs was the Intel P55. Also, you had to invest in a graphics card because the chipset didn’t feature integrated graphics. Even DDR3 memory was expensive back then. On the other hand, there were plenty of motherboard and chipset options (both with and without integrated graphics) for Pentium Dual-Core and Core 2 Duo CPUs.
The new generation Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs (Clarkdale) are a blessing for budget and mainstream audiences. Firstly, they cost as much as entry-level dual-core and quad-core CPUs, and secondly, they bring a host of new features and better performance to the table. The most striking feature of the new processors is the presence of an integrated graphics processor, which eliminates the need for a discrete graphics card. However, you'll need a motherboard based on the Intel H55 or Intel H57 chipset to take advantage of the on-chip graphics processor. A range of these motherboards is available from all big brands, such as Asus, Gigabyte, ECS and MSI. Even smaller brands such as Biostar have a model or two to offer. Depending on the feature set, the prices of these boards range from Rs 4,500 to Rs 15,000. So if you’re on a tight budget and you want to build a mainstream PC with the latest components, it’s now possible to do so in under Rs 30,000, and upgrading to the Core i3 platform (motherboard, CPU and RAM) should cost less than Rs 15,000.
Although Intel Pentium Dual-Core and Core 2 Duo CPUs are still available and cost less than the most affordable Core i3, it makes more sense to go in for the latter. The biggest advantage is that you’ll get a future-proof PC. Intel LGA 775 CPUs and DDR2 memory will soon become extinct, but the latest platform will have a lot of room for upgrades (for example, support for upcoming CPUs) and won’t get outdated soon. Some of the new motherboards offer features such as support for SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0. So when hard drives and external storage devices with the new interfaces become mainstream, you won’t regret your motherboard not supporting the required standards to harness their full potential.
In this roundup, we bring you 14 of the latest motherboards based on the Intel H55 and H57 chipsets. Whatever type of PC you want to build, you'll find a suitable motherboard for your budget.
Even though the MSI H55-GD65 did not score the highest points for performance, the board wins the Best Performance title because it has a great combination of features, build quality, and performance. This award was decided keeping in mind that the motherboard’s performance is also indirectly affected by its layout, cooling design and feature-set, namely more RAM slots, multi-GPU capabilities, more SATA, USB ports and expansion slots, overclocking facilities, and finally, a heat-pipe cooling solution for the CPU. Put all these features to use and the motherboard can perform better and last longer. The H55-GD65 has a very good layout - evenly spaced expansion slots, angled IDE and SATA ports, and well located power connectors. The area around the CPU has good clearance for adequate air flow. This is a great choice for gamers, as it sports the OC Genie switch. The onboard OC genie processor can detect the necessary settings and overclock the motherboard by a simple press of the switch, letting you avoid the trouble of tweaking the BIOS.
Verdict: This feature-rich motherboard is good value for money for a gaming rig.
For: Multi-GPU support, good layout, automatic OC features.
Against: None.
The Biostar H55 HD bagged the Best Value award due to its lowest price, rich feature-set, and performance. This motherboard supports the Intel Core i7/i5 /i3 processors and two DIMM slots with a maximum of 8 GB or DDR3 1333 MHz RAM. Biostar highlights that the board features an all-solid capacitor design, but there are plenty of electrolytic capacitors used, which can decrease its life span. It achieved the second highest performance score in the category. It has a microATX form factor, good build quality, and a decent layout. The only issue is the improperly placed 12V power and IDE connector, which makes cable management a bit difficult when assembling it in a case. The motherboard is compatible with Biostar’s Bio Remote, which can be used to control Windows Media Center functions or to overclock the board. For casual gaming or basic daily computing, you can opt for an i3 of i5 processor and use the CPU’s on-die GPU. For better gaming performance just plug in a discrete graphics card.
Verdict: One of the best boards for a mainstream desktop PC or HTPC.
For: Great performer, small form-factor.
Against: Electrolytic capacitors, no cooling measures.
The P7H57D-V Evo is an enthusiast-class board with an all-round feature set thanks to the some additional features like SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0 support via additional controllers. The board supports SLI in dual x8 mode and CrossFireX, which the H57 chipset supports by default. Asus has paid good attention to the layout of the motherboard and quality of components used. Since the P7H57D-V Evo is a full ATX board, the components are well spread out. The quality of plastic used for the expansion slots, RAM slots, SATA connectors and headers is top notch and so it the quality of the heatsink on the H57 chip, and voltage regulators. Like in their other high-end motherboards, Asus has gone in with a single clip design for RAM slots to ensure the retention clips don’t come in the way while installing a graphics card, or vice versa. The rear panel has six SATA ports (two are USB 3.0), DVI and HDMI video outputs, gigabit LAN jack and 7.1-channel audio jacks. The superior performance of this board is a result of Asus’ conformance to high quality.
Verdict: A superb motherboard with an all-round feature set.
For: Excellent layout, supports USB 3.0, SATA 6 Gb/s and SLI.
Against: None.
PERSONAL TAKE Motherboards that fascinate me the most are those that offer a rich feature set and are priced between Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000. These are great for building mid-range gaming rigs and HTPCs. My favorite pick from this roundup is the MSI H55M-ED55. It sports a very good layout, supports CrossFireX and has buttons for instant overclocking. The Gigabyte H57M-USB3 would have been a sweet deal had the price tag been a little lighter. Do you think it’s worth paying the premium when there are hardly any USB 3.0 devices around and hard drives can’t make full use of SATA 6 Gb/s interface? At this point in time, I would prefer a cheaper motherboard without USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s and later upgrade when USB 3.0 devices become mainstream. By that time, USB 3.0 will be a native feature of the chipset.
Anand Tuliani anand.tuliani@chip.in
Given a choice between these motherboards, I would opt for the Zotac H55 ITX Wi-Fi. It is feature-rich and is perfect for building an HTPC given its compact size. The board features Intel’s H55 Express chipset, which supports the powerful new Intel Core processors, along with a PCI Express slot, which can give you a good gaming experience. It also features a built-in Wi-Fi N network adapter and an HDMI port, which makes the motherboard complete within itself. But this motherboard does have a downside; the absence of PCI and PCIe x1 expansion slots does limit the usage of additional cards such as TV tuners and such. Also due to the compact size, the components are cramped in a smaller area, forcing you to opt for a cabinet with additional cooling fans. But looking at the sheer performance scores, the motherboard stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest in the category.
Francis D'Sa francis.dsa@chip.in
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