The motherboard... it is small.

Rob Williams · 07-04-2010, 06:44 PM

I hate to admit it, but I somehow forgot I had this beauty of a motherboard lying around. I ended up stumbling on it earlier and immediately slapped my forehead. It's not often we take a look at mATX or smaller motherboards, but when this thing arrived at my door, I found myself really excited. Why? Because it's an LGA1156 mini-ITX motherboard, of course! It's Gigabyte's H55N-USB3, and despite it's small size, it packs a punch.

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The board features USB 3.0 as the name suggests, which to me, is very, very impressive. After all, you don't even see that kind of functionality on lower-end ATX motherboards all too often, let alone mini-ITX. It also features Gigabyte's "On/Off Charge" support, which boasts faster charging of electronic devices, such as the iPhone and other iP*** devices.

Interestingly enough, the board sports 2oz of copper, like many of Gigabyte's other boards. It's interesting because that's typically a feature associated with overclocking, and looking at this, I sure don't think overclocking would be on my mind. I am still debating whether I should even TRY to overclock it or not... it just might not be built for that impressive of an overclock. I'll have to check in with Gigabyte on that one.

Just for fun, and to give a sense of scale, I installed NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 480 on the board, and well... enough said. Let me tell you, it's REALLY weird to remove the motherboard from the GPU, rather than vice versa

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You can expect a review in the weeks ahead. If you want to know anything specific about it before then, or want me to tackle something in the review, speak up!

Tharic-Nar · 07-06-2010, 02:56 PM

GPU: What’s small, blue and weighs 2oz?
MB: No idea
GPU: You! Muhahaha...
----
GPU: Ewwww, I think I stepped in something
MB: Ewwww...
GPU: Oh wait, it’s you, muhahaha...
----
MB: OMG, OMG, OMG
GPU: What , WHAT!
MB: Something big, black, loud and hungry landed on me, omg omg omg omg
GPU: Oh S***, where, kill it, KILL IT!!
--- GPU Powers down ---
MB: I just did...

Ok, on a more serious note, I’d love to see some benchmarks on this. I’ve actually been thinking about getting an ITX and attempting a mod of some kind. I was just put off because all I could find was 775 boards, so not much in terms of long term performance. These boards really do scream ‘Cute’ and ‘Mod-Me’. Overclocking... while it could be fun, I doubt you could do much, considering the power supply required and the tight space they are usually fitted in. How big is a full size ATX PSU compared to this?

Optix · 07-06-2010, 09:06 PM

Hot...as...balls.

Period.

madstork91 · 07-07-2010, 01:45 PM

Something about this screams "Make me a mini mobile PC PLEASE!"

HTPC anyone? You could install this thing behind a wall mounted tv!

Optix · 07-08-2010, 07:50 AM

So tempted to pitch the idea of building a mini-ITX system for my wife.

x.clay · 07-09-2010, 08:32 AM

I love seeing some solid iTX boards making it to the market. You could make a pretty compact and powerful PC with a board like this.

Kougar · 07-23-2010, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Williams

Just for fun, and to give a sense of scale, I installed NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 480 on the board, and well... enough said. Let me tell you, it's REALLY weird to remove the motherboard from the GPU, rather than vice versa

Haha, that is so silly looking it's just crazy. Next thing you know in 10 years they will be building the motherboard directly into the GPU card. Instead of having an integrated GPU on chip, they'll just put a processor socket on the back of the GPU.

Tharic-Nar · 07-24-2010, 03:05 AM

Nah, it'll be the grand and comical case of the battery being bigger than the motherboard.... a whole CR2032... Does that mean the newage computer will be a plastic shroud covered in vents, small enough to fit in your pocket and hot enough to burn a hole through it

.

madstork91 · 07-24-2010, 01:57 PM

You know, the more I have looked at that board, the more I have come to figure that if you lay the vid card flat some way, you really could tuck that thing into some place near a TV.

Add a USB IR sensor and remote...

The PSU would be a problem, but im sure there is some solution.

Edit: Maybe even hook a touch screen up to it over top somehow... iunno. But the entire board a ram sticks length squared. There are just got to be some wicked cool things and places you could put this.

TheCrimsonStar · 11-08-2010, 02:58 PM

LOL I just realized...go to newegg.com and look up this board. It comes with an IDE cable...but doesn't even have any IDE slots. FAIL

Rob Williams · 11-08-2010, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCrimsonStar

LOL I just realized...go to newegg.com and look up this board. It comes with an IDE cable...but doesn't even have any IDE slots. FAIL

You're right... I see it in another review of the board as well. Talk about an oversight.

eunoia · 11-13-2010, 06:42 PM

Ran and checked one I have lying around, mine just has 2 SATA cables and I/O plate. Did any of these really ship with an IDE?

eunoia · 11-13-2010, 07:02 PM

Just checked my H55M-USB3 (man, I have a collection of motherboards all of a sudden...) and it does come with and IDE slot and a cable. I'm guessing this is where the confusion arose.

TheCrimsonStar · 11-14-2010, 01:37 AM

so they're sending you an IDE cable with the N model just to confuse you then haha.

Rob Williams · 11-23-2010, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheCrimsonStar

so they're sending you an IDE cable with the N model just to confuse you then haha.

Better that than them ship the boards with no SATA cable!

07-04-2010, 06:44 PM	#1
Rob Williams Editor-in-Chief Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Atlantic Canada Posts: 13,246	The motherboard... it is small. I hate to admit it, but I somehow forgot I had this beauty of a motherboard lying around. I ended up stumbling on it earlier and immediately slapped my forehead. It's not often we take a look at mATX or smaller motherboards, but when this thing arrived at my door, I found myself really excited. Why? Because it's an LGA1156 mini-ITX motherboard, of course! It's Gigabyte's H55N-USB3, and despite it's small size, it packs a punch. The board features USB 3.0 as the name suggests, which to me, is very, very impressive. After all, you don't even see that kind of functionality on lower-end ATX motherboards all too often, let alone mini-ITX. It also features Gigabyte's "On/Off Charge" support, which boasts faster charging of electronic devices, such as the iPhone and other iP*** devices. Interestingly enough, the board sports 2oz of copper, like many of Gigabyte's other boards. It's interesting because that's typically a feature associated with overclocking, and looking at this, I sure don't think overclocking would be on my mind. I am still debating whether I should even TRY to overclock it or not... it just might not be built for that impressive of an overclock. I'll have to check in with Gigabyte on that one. Just for fun, and to give a sense of scale, I installed NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 480 on the board, and well... enough said. Let me tell you, it's REALLY weird to remove the motherboard from the GPU, rather than vice versa You can expect a review in the weeks ahead. If you want to know anything specific about it before then, or want me to tackle something in the review, speak up! __________________ Intel Core i7-990X EE @ 3.43GHz, GIGABYTE X58A-UD5, Kingston 12GB DDR3-1333, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 2GB Kingston HyperX 3K 240GB SSD, WD VR 1TB, WD 2TB, Seagate 2TB, LG BD-ROM, ASUS DVD-RW, Corsair 1000HX, Corsair H60 Cooler Corsair 800D, Dell 2408WFP 24", ASUS Xonar Essence STX, Gentoo (KDE 4.10, 3.7 Kernel) "Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get!" - H.P. Baxxter <Toad772> I don't always drink alcohol, but when I do, I take it too far.

07-06-2010, 09:06 PM	#3
Optix Basket Chassis Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Posts: 1,653	Hot...as...balls. Period. __________________ Intel i5 3570K, MSI Z77Z-GD55, 4x2GB Kingston Genesis 2133mhz, 120GB Mushkin Chronos SSD, 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue, Intel 210 cache drive, MSI 7850 Power Edition OC, Corsair H100, Silverstone Strider 750w Gold, Killer2100 NIC, Corsair 600T SE White, LG W2242, ROCCAT Kone+, Isku & Kave, 200GB Western Digital Scorpio Black external drive

07-07-2010, 01:45 PM	#4
madstork91 The One, The Only... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: TEXAS! Posts: 1,434	Something about this screams "Make me a mini mobile PC PLEASE!" HTPC anyone? You could install this thing behind a wall mounted tv! __________________ ..

07-08-2010, 07:50 AM	#5
Optix Basket Chassis Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: New Brunswick, Canada Posts: 1,653	So tempted to pitch the idea of building a mini-ITX system for my wife. __________________ Intel i5 3570K, MSI Z77Z-GD55, 4x2GB Kingston Genesis 2133mhz, 120GB Mushkin Chronos SSD, 1TB Western Digital Caviar Blue, Intel 210 cache drive, MSI 7850 Power Edition OC, Corsair H100, Silverstone Strider 750w Gold, Killer2100 NIC, Corsair 600T SE White, LG W2242, ROCCAT Kone+, Isku & Kave, 200GB Western Digital Scorpio Black external drive

07-24-2010, 01:57 PM	#9
madstork91 The One, The Only... Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: TEXAS! Posts: 1,434	You know, the more I have looked at that board, the more I have come to figure that if you lay the vid card flat some way, you really could tuck that thing into some place near a TV. Add a USB IR sensor and remote... The PSU would be a problem, but im sure there is some solution. Edit: Maybe even hook a touch screen up to it over top somehow... iunno. But the entire board a ram sticks length squared. There are just got to be some wicked cool things and places you could put this. __________________ ..

07-06-2010, 02:56 PM	#2
Tharic-Nar Techgage Staff Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Posts: 1,152	GPU: What’s small, blue and weighs 2oz? MB: No idea GPU: You! Muhahaha... ---- GPU: Ewwww, I think I stepped in something MB: Ewwww... GPU: Oh wait, it’s you, muhahaha... ---- MB: OMG, OMG, OMG GPU: What , WHAT! MB: Something big, black, loud and hungry landed on me, omg omg omg omg GPU: Oh S*, where, kill it, KILL IT!! --- GPU Powers down ---** MB: I just did... Ok, on a more serious note, I’d love to see some benchmarks on this. I’ve actually been thinking about getting an ITX and attempting a mod of some kind. I was just put off because all I could find was 775 boards, so not much in terms of long term performance. These boards really do scream ‘Cute’ and ‘Mod-Me’. Overclocking... while it could be fun, I doubt you could do much, considering the power supply required and the tight space they are usually fitted in. How big is a full size ATX PSU compared to this?

07-09-2010, 08:32 AM	#6
x.clay Obliviot Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 48	I love seeing some solid iTX boards making it to the market. You could make a pretty compact and powerful PC with a board like this.

07-24-2010, 03:05 AM	#8
Tharic-Nar Techgage Staff Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: UK Posts: 1,152	Nah, it'll be the grand and comical case of the battery being bigger than the motherboard.... a whole CR2032... Does that mean the newage computer will be a plastic shroud covered in vents, small enough to fit in your pocket and hot enough to burn a hole through it .

11-08-2010, 02:58 PM	#10
TheCrimsonStar Tech Monkey Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Strawberry Plains, TN Posts: 816	LOL I just realized...go to newegg.com and look up this board. It comes with an IDE cable...but doesn't even have any IDE slots. FAIL

11-13-2010, 06:42 PM	#12
eunoia Partition Master Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Outside Poker Flat Posts: 305	Ran and checked one I have lying around, mine just has 2 SATA cables and I/O plate. Did any of these really ship with an IDE?

11-13-2010, 07:02 PM	#13
eunoia Partition Master Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Outside Poker Flat Posts: 305	Just checked my H55M-USB3 (man, I have a collection of motherboards all of a sudden...) and it does come with and IDE slot and a cable. I'm guessing this is where the confusion arose.

11-14-2010, 01:37 AM	#14
TheCrimsonStar Tech Monkey Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Strawberry Plains, TN Posts: 816	so they're sending you an IDE cable with the N model just to confuse you then haha.

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