Intel’s GMA integrated graphics lineup has never really mustered much on the performance front making it better suited to business-class computers or for users that don’t need much in the way of pixel-crunching power.

bit-tech has decided to test out how the latest Intel GMA HD, integrated on the new Core i3 and Core i5 processors, does against other IGPs:

Intel’s newly launched Clarkdale CPUs – the Core i3 and lower end Core i5 models – feature integrated Intel graphics, branded GMA HD. The graphics chip is architecturally interesting; it’s actually a 45nm chip which contains, along with the graphics, the memory controller, PCI-Express and DMI link to the PCH too. It connects to the 32nm CPU die directly via an internal QPI link, precisely the kind of modular design Intel (and AMD) have been talking about.

Its performance has improved enough that it’ll do fine for some light gaming but you’re still going to want a dedicated graphics card for more demanding titles.

Gaming rigs tend to target that absolute high end of the market where only the best components reside and custom paint jobs bump the system price up 25%, fortunately for you there are some sensible ways to go about things.

Digital Storm has cooked up an Intel Core i5 based gaming system that makes fine use of overclocking to bring astounding speeds all at a reasonable price. HotHardware has the review:

The relatively pedestrian quad-core has, in this case, been punched up to 3.8GHz from the factory. DS claims that the processors it ships in this configuration have been certified to operate “100% Stability and Reliability.” We’ll test that claim later in the review. It’s worth noting that the company doesn’t actually guarantee any single clockspeed if you opt to have the processor factory overclocked. For $45, the company will overclock the CPU to 3.3-3.9GHz, while $199 buys you entry in the 4GHz+ club.

A monster overclock all with a factory warranty, a bargain at any price!

When Intel’s P55 chipset was released to compliment the LGA1156 series of processors there were quite a few issues with  support chipsets that were to bring USB 3.0 and SATA 6G connections to the masses so motherboard manufacturers decided to ship without them. It seems as if they’ve caught up now.

The ASUS P7P55D-E Premium and Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD6 motherboards both feature SATA 6G and USB 3.0 support tacked on to the boards that should have had them in the first place. HardwareZone has the review:

ASUS and Gigabyte have been the fastest out of the blocks when it came to implementing these new features on their boards, with revised editions that are on sale now. Expect other vendors to pipe in with their own versions, either implemented directly onboard, or through third-party expansion cards. With no native SATA 6Gbit/s and USB 3.0 support in the P55 chipset however, there’s a catch to having them on these boards, as seen in their two divergent approaches. ASUS’ bridge chip adds more cost but looks to provide the best performance while Gigabyte compromises by giving users a choice between SATA/USB speeds and dual graphics. Other manufacturers, especially those with add-on cards are likely to go for the compromise.

Good performance but you’ll likely see chipsets with official support before the deluge of supporting peripherals flood the market.

There was a time when having a few extra peripheral slots was convenient, heck even necessary, but most motherboards now sport a slew of on-board devices which make ATX boards slightly less useful so you might as well save yourself some space and go microATX.

The Gigabyte P55M-UD4 looks like a solid choice if you’re going in that direction. With its Intel Core i5/i7 supporting LGA1156 socket and CrossFireX support you’d be hard pressed to find something more feature rich. HardOCP has the review:

The P55M-UD4’s layout and overall design is sleek and neat, with a nice overall fusion of looks and function. While the CPU area may look tight due to the motherboard’s small form factor, neither that area, nor any others are space constrained. The DIMM slots are a bit close for comfort to the primary PCI-Express x16 slot, but you shouldn’t have much of an issue inserting or removing DIMMs with a video card installed.

A nice layout and it overclocks like its full-sized counterparts…what’s not to like?

If you’re in the habit of putting together your own systems you’ve no-doubt run into that dud motherboard which costs you quite a bit of time what with the lengthy RMA process and the lack of enthusiasm when you finally get a working motherboard you’re lucky if you get your new machine put together some time the following year.

Unless, of course, you go for the ruggedness tested and “hardened” Asus SABRETOOTH 55i motherboard. The LGA 1156 board is designed tough and tested for a number of defects and sports quality components making for a motherboard you can trust in most any situation. HardwareZone has a look:

Yes, in case you’re still puzzled, the first ASUS’ TUF motherboard, the SABERTOOTH 55i is now available in the market. ‘TUF’, pronounced ‘tough’, here stands for ‘The Ultimate Force’, which is ASUS’ new series of motherboards that are geared towards stability, durability and all-round compatibility. To ensure that it lives up to its claims, all the capacitors and MOSFETS used on the SABERTOOTH have to pass rigorous testing usually meant for military class components.

If you want quality construction and a well tested board right out of the box for your Core i5/i7 chip then this just might be your best choice.

The LGA 1156 platform has stormed on to the scene with a nice selection of processors that cater to everyone from budget seekers to the enthusiast set. Thankfully the tweakers get the greater share of motherboard manufacturer attention.

Benchmark Reviews has a look at the Asus P7P55D EVO P55 motherboard which inundates you with its massive amount of IO connections and jagged heatsinks:

For those who decide to manually overclock, the ASUS P7P55D EVO has another useful feature called MemOK!. Should you push the memory too far, holding the MemOK! button will restore failsafe values without resetting the rest of the BIOS. It’s great for those times when you can’t get a display signal during boot.

If tweaking were to get any easier well the speed fiends will just have to find something else to do with their spare time…like sewing.

While we’d all like to own the top of the line when it comes to hardware and the like sometimes you’ll settle for the lower cost option because you really don’t need all of that power or the budget is set lower than you’d want. That doesn’t mean you can’t get your game on.

Test Freaks has a look at the iBuyPower Corei5 gaming computer which puts together a competent set of hardware for your gaming needs all at an acceptable price:

Before we get into the comparison, I wanted to touch on the Express Gate Asus Splashtop. It’s a nice feature so you can get some stuff done, without actually having to boot into windows, the entire OS is right on the board itself. I’m not going to go into it all as it’s been covered many other places in depth but it’s a very useful, and quick to do quite a few things.

Heck their test system even includes a built-in OS should you want to do some basic web browsing without the tedious operating system load up.

Intel motherboards of the past were an uninspired bunch offering up the basic features to get your computer up and running which made them the stable and reliable option but enthusiasts opted to go for the motherboards with absurd amounts of tweaking options.

Benchmark Reviews has a look at the Intel DP55KG Extreme motherboard which maintains the same old reliable pedigree but tosses in those overclocking features every tweaker wants:

Another benefit of the Intel DP55KG is the performance features. Intel went with a six-phase power deliver system and their CHiL technology. When overclocking, the Desktop Control Center software, pictured above, can help out as well. For those who prefer BIOS overclocking, Intel includes their watchdog timer for BIOS recovery and a new Back-to-BIOS switch. I found the Back-to-BIOS switch particularly useful as it allows you to return to a stable BIOS without losing any settings.

System overclocking software that actually looks polished? Might consider one just for the that.

Intel’s Core i5 and i7 processors have the sort of performance that make people take notice. It’s undisputed performance hasn’t been completely tested in the mid-range so TechSpot went about comparing the Intel Core i7 920 / 860, Core i5 750, Core 2 Quad Q6600, and AMD’s Phenom II X4 965 in a variety of tests.

Some interesting results appeared:

Moving down the ladder we have the Phenom II X4 965, which is the current AMD flagship processor. The Phenom II X4 965 operates at 3.40GHz, and with a retail price tag of $250, it’s quite a good value option. Also worth keeping in mind is the Phenom II X4 955, which is virtually the same processor at a 24% discount. Both are “Black Edition” processors featuring unlocked multipliers, so by simply increasing the multiplier of the X4 955 by one notch, you get the 3.40GHz of the Phenom II X4 965.

Whatever your choice there’s plenty of performance to be had on the cheap.

If there’s one thing that’s true of most enthusiast motherboards it’s the fact that they all sport some form of high contrast color combination in order to draw your eye to their product and given how much surface area there is on a board there are plenty of opportunities for them to splash color all around.

EVGA chose a more muted approach with their P55 LE motherboard opting for a nearly all black motherboard which should be a nice option for those aesthetic seekers but it’d be foolish to ignore its other benefits. Hardware Secrets has a review:

EVGA P55 LE has two PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots. These slots are actually connected directly inside the CPU, and this in one of the main new features brought by socket 1156 processors. If only one video card is installed, the main slot will work at x16, but if two video cards are installed the speed drops to x8 on each slot. This is a limitation from the CPU, not from the chipset or the motherboard, since the CPU is the component controlling these slots, as explained. P55 LE supports CrossFire configuration, but not SLI. SLI support on P55-based motherboards will depend on whether the manufacturer licensed this technology from nVidia or not. From the EVGA line-up, only P55 LE does not support SLI, all the other five models do.

A slick board but given the equally flashy designs of memory, CPU coolers, and graphics cards you won’t be seeing much of it buried under all of your hardware…for shame.