GA-H55N-USB3: Mini-ITX mobo with USB 3.0

Designed to run home theater PCs, this Gigabyte motherboard also features USB 3.0 ports.

Spotted at Gigabyte's COMPUTEX 2010 booth was the GA-H55N-USB3, a mini-ITX motherboard designed to provide home theater PCs with enough power and a small profile. But the H55N elicits interest because of its generous provision of ports. You've got 2 USB 3.0 sockets complemented by five USB 2.0 ports. Rounding out this comprehensive line-up are eSATA, Gigabit Ethernet, six audio jacks, a PS/2 port, and S/PDIF.

On the video front, the H55N can output HDMI, DVI-I, and D-SUB signals—but only if one of those new Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 CPUs with integrated graphics are used. Alternatively users can also use the PCI Express x16 slot for discrete graphics, if they can find a way to fit everything into the usually small cases of the mini-ITX format.

The H55N has four SATA/300 ports for storage components, and two DDR3 1666 MHz DIMM sockets. This puts the maximum RAM at 8 GB. According to Gigabyte, the GA-H55N-USB3 costs around $130 depending on the retailer. It should hit the market right as you read this, or within this month at the latest.