14 DAY TRIAL // The mini-ITX form factor has gained quite a lot in popularity among motherboard makers in the last couple of years, so Gigabyte has recently launched a new compact H61 solution based on such a design, dubbed the H61N-USB3.
Since this is an entry level offering, the motherboard doesn't packs so many features as its more expensive siblings, but users will still get USB 3.0 support as well as Gigabyte's own Super4 design.
According to the company, this approach offers a series of advantages over other competing solutions including dual-BIOS support, all Japanese solid capacitors, Ultra Durable 2 technology, ferrite core chockes, low RDS MOSFETs and a high-end 108dB HD audio codec.
In addition, the board features four phase CPU power, two DIMM sockets, that can support up to 16GB of DDR3 memory, and a pair of SATA 3Gbps ports.
Graphics wise, users can opt for the Sandy Bridge built-in graphics or can add a dedicated GPU thanks to the PCI Express x16 slot.
Moving to the board's I/O panel, we get all the basic ports and connectors that one would expect from such a motherboard, including DVI and VGA connectors, four USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports (driven by a Fresco Logic FL1009 controller), a Gigabit Ethernet port, and 5.1-channel audio with optical and coaxial S/PDIF out.
An HDMI video output and an eSATA port complete the I/O list, providing users with nearly anything they could ask for building a compact HTPC system.
The Gigabyte H61N-USB3 has already made its appearance in stores across Hong Kong where it retails for NT$3090, which is the equivalent of $106 US.
The H61 chipset is destined to be used in budget Sandy Bridge systems and should be a great choice for users who buy the cheaper Pentium CPUs, launched at the beginning of this summer. (via VR-Zone)
