Today we are taking a look at the H55N-USB3, a mini-ITX socket LGA1156 motherboard from Gigabyte based on the Intel H55 chipset, allowing you to build a mainstream computer in an SFF (Small Form Factor) case. Let's check it out.

Frequently mini-ITX motherboards come with embedded low-consuption CPUs, like the Intel Atom, and they are used in computers where the focus is size and power consumption, not performance. But the H55N-USB3 is an exception: it accepts any socket LGA1156 CPU, like the Core i3, Core i5 and even some Core i7 models. It also brings one PCI Express x16 slot, which allows you to install even a high-end video card (if it fits your case), and two USB 3.0 ports.

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Figure 1: Gigabyte H55N-USB3 motherboard