Release of new processors Intel Core i3/i5 with integrated graphics core was immediately supported by major motherboard manufacturers, who announced a number of products based on Intel H55 and H57 chipsets. This combination of motherboard and processor is a kind of revolution, since for the first time in the history of x86 architecture the graphics core is located not on a separate card, or even on the motherboard, but directly in the processor.
Until recently, Intel had at its disposal the GMA X4x00 core, which was integral part Intel G41-G45 chipsets. And when developing Clarkdale processors, engineers also used this core, but in a slightly modified version. The built-in memory controller was moved from the processor die to the video core die, and the PCI Express bus controller was also sent there. In addition, the number of shader processors in the video core was increased from 10 to 12, and its operating frequency was increased. Note that the graphics and processor cores are separate crystals, which are made using different technical processes (45 nm and 32 nm, respectively) and are interconnected by a QPI bus. The user interface of Intel video drivers has also been radically redesigned.
Of course, instant transition budget systems will not happen on the new platform. The reason for this is quite banal - new processors and boards are significantly more expensive than systems entry level, based on G41/G45 + LGA775 or AMD Phenom + 785G combinations. However, this situation can be looked at from the other side. Firstly, the line of new Intel Core i3 processors is significantly cheaper than other processors with the Nehalem architecture. In particular, the price for the lower model Core i3 530 (2.93 GHz) is around $120 (3,500 rubles). This means that the transition to the LGA1156 platform has become somewhat easier. Secondly, the price of motherboards with Intel H55 and H57 chipsets is lower than the prices of similar products on the Intel P55 chipset, which also makes migration to the new platform easier. At the same time, the user always has the option of using the built-in graphics core, which makes it easier to upgrade the video card (which can take several days).
Let's move on to the Intel H57 chipset. In fact, the story about it will be very short, since its characteristics fully correspond to the characteristics of the Intel P55 chipset. The only difference between these chipsets is that the Intel H57 has an FDI (Flexible Display Interface) bus, which is based on the DisplayPort protocol and is designed to transmit video signals from the processor’s graphics core to external connectors. As for the Intel H55 chipset, it is a “truncated” version of the Intel H57, in which the number of USB 2.0 ports is reduced from 14 to 12 and support for RAID arrays is disabled. And finally, the Intel H57 chipset costs $43, and the Intel H55 chipset costs the same as the Intel P55 - $40.
Thus, the new combination of Intel Clarkdale processors and Intel H55/H57 chipsets can be considered as an inexpensive alternative to the Intel P55 chipset and more expensive LGA1156 processors. At the same time, the main disadvantage new system lies in a slower memory subsystem, and the main advantage is a practically free graphics core.
⇡ Comparison table of motherboard characteristics
| Name | ASUS P7H55-M Pro | Biostar TH55XE | Foxconn H55MX-S | Gigabyte H55M-UD2H | MSI H57M-ED65 | MSI H55-GD65 | Intel DH55TC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Intel H57 | ||||||
| Number of DIMM slots | 4 (DDR3) | 4 (DDR3) | 2 (DDR3) | 4 (DDR3) | 4 (DDR3) | 4 (DDR3) | 4 (DDR3) |
| Cooling (points) | Passive (5+) | Passive (5+) | Passive (5) | Passive (5) | Passive (5+) | Passive (5) | Passive (5) |
| PCIE x16/PCIE (>x1)/PCIE x1/PCI | 1/0/1/2 | 1/1 (x4)/0/2 | 1/1 (x4)/0/2 | 2/0/0/2 | 2/0/2/0 | 2/0/2/2 | 1/0/2/1 |
| AMD CrossFire | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| Power supply diagram (number of CPU phases + memory controller) | 4+2 | 5+2 | 4+1 | 5+2 | 6+2 | 5+2 | 4+1 |
| Power connectors | 24+8 | 24+8 | 24+4 | 24+4 | 24+8 | 24+8 | 24+4 |
| Number of capacitors | 11x 560 µF and 5x 270 µF | 21x 820 µF and 7x 270 µF | 15x 820 µF and 4x 470 µF | 13x 820 µF and 4x 270 µF | 17x 820 µF and 6x 470 µF | 14x 820 µF and 7x 270 µF | 13x 820 µF and 6x 1000 µF |
| Sound | ALC889 | ALC888 | ALC888S | ALC889 | ALC889 | ALC889 | ALC888S |
| Network (Gigabit Ethernet; bus type) | Realtek RTL8112L (PCI Express x1) | Realtek RTL8111DL (PCI Express x1) | Realtek RTL8111D (PCI Express x1) | Realtek RTL8111DL (PCI Express x1) | Realtek RTL8111DL (PCI Express x1) | Intel 82578 (PCI Express x1) | |
| SerialATA | 6: 6 channels H55 | 6: 6 channels H55 | 6: 6 channels H55 | 6: 6 channels H55 | 8: 6 channels H57 (RAID) + 2 channels (JMB363) | 8: 6 channels H55 + 2 channels (JMB363) | 6: 6 channels H55 |
| ParallelATA | 1 channel (JMB368) | 1 channel (JMB368) | - | 1 channel (JMB368) | 1 channel (JMB363) | 1 channel (JMB363) | - |
| USB2.0 (built-in/optional) | 6 / 6 | 4 / 6 | 4 / 6 | 6 / 6 | 6 / 6 | 6 / 6 | 6 / 6 |
| IEEE-1394 (embedded/optional) | - | 1 / 1 | - | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 1 | - |
| Size, mm | 244x244 | 244x244 | 244x218 | 244x230 | 245x245 | 305x225 | 244x244 |
| BIOS | AMI BIOS | AMI BIOS | AMI BIOS | Award BIOS | AMI BIOS | AMI BIOS | Intel BIOS |
| Vcore | 0.85 V to 1.6 V (0.00625 V) | -0.08 V to +1.26 V (0.02 V) | - | 0.5 V to 1.9 V (0.00625 V) | 0.9 V to 2.1 V (0.00625 V) | +0.006 V to +0.303 V (0.00625 V) | - |
| Vmem | 1.3V to 2.545V (0.015-0.05V) | 1.6 V to 2.53 V (0.015 V) | +0 V to +0.350 V (0.05 V) | 1.3V to 2.6V (0.02-0.1V) | 1.006 V to 2.505 V (~0.006 V) | 0.906 V to 1.898 V (0.00625 V) | - |
| Vimc | 1.15 V to 2.8 V (0.015 V) | 1.10 V to 2.03 V (0.015 V) | - | 1.05V to 1.49V (0.02-0.05V) | 0.47 V to 2.038 V (0.00625 V) | - | - |
| Vpch | 1.05 V to 1.4 V (0.05 V) | 1.1 V to 1.25 V (0.05 V) | - | 0.95V to 1.5V (0.02-0.1V) | 0.451 V to 1.953 V (~0.006 V) | 0.451 V to 1.953 V (0.00625 V) | - |
| Vpll | 1.8 V to 2.15 V (0.05 V) | 1.8 V to 2.73 V (0.015 V) | - | 1.6V to 2.54V (0.02-0.1V) | 1.0 V to 2.43 V (0.01 V) | - | - |
| ViGPU | 0.5 V to 1.75 V (0.0125 V) | 1.18 V to 1.78 V (0.02 V) | - | 0.92 V to 1.4 V (0.05 V) | 1.3V to 1.93V (0.01V) | 1.3 V to 1.448 V (0.0125 V) | - |
| Bclk (step), MHz | From 80 to 500 (1) | From 100 to 800 (1) | - | From 100 to 600 (1) | From 100 to 600 (1) | From 100 to 600 (1) | From 133 to 240 (1) |
| Real overclocking (Core i3 530), MHz | 190 | 186 | - | 184 | 186 | 186 | 160 |
| Memory subsystem (points) | 5- | 5 | 4 | 4+ | 4+ | 4+ | 2 |
| System monitoring (points; fan-control) | 5 (Q-Fan 2) | 5 (Smart Fan) | 5 (Smart Fan) | 4+ (Smart Fan) | 5- (Smart Fan) | 5- (Smart Fan) | 4+ (Intel Quiet System) |
| Equipment (features) | 3- | 3 | 4- | 3 | 2 | 3- | 2- |
| Number of FANs | 3 (4 pin) | 1 (4 pin) + 2 (3 pin) | 3 (4 pin) | 2 (4 pin) | 1 (4 pin) + 3 (3 pin) | 1 (4 pin) + 4 (3 pin) | 3 (4 pin) |
| Peculiarities | AI Proactive support (+); no support for LPT and FDD ports; ASUS Express Gate, TurboV EVO, EPU, EZ Flash 2, CrashFree BIOS 3, MyLogo 2, Q-Fan; BIOS profiles (8) | No FDD support; Power, Reset buttons; BIOS profiles (10); built-in MemTest utility | No VGA and ParallelATA support | No support for LPT and FDD; support DualBIOS, C.I.A2, EasyTune 6, Q-Flash, FaceWizard, @BIOS, BIOS profiles (8) | No FDD support; 12 of 14 USB 2.0 ports are implemented; support for Control Center, M-Flash, Green Power, BIOS profiles (6); Power button, ClrCMOS, OC Genie technology | No FDD support; support for Control Center, M-Flash, Green Power, BIOS profiles (6); OC Genie button; Winki shell | No support for ParallelATA and FDD; profile BIOS settings |
| Price, rub | No data | ||||||
| Name | ASUS P7H55-M Pro | Biostar TH55XE | Foxconn H55MX-S | Gigabyte H55M-UD2H | MSI H57M-ED65 | MSI H55-GD65 | Intel DH55TC |
⇡ ASUS P7H55-M Pro
ASUS has the widest range of motherboards based on the Intel H55 chipset, which includes six models. Among them, the P7H55-M Pro is a mid-range product without any unique features. Accordingly, its expansion capabilities and functionality will satisfy the needs of most users, as will the price, which is about 3,600 rubles.
Let's start with the fact that the configuration of the ASUS P7H55-M Pro expansion slots is the most optimal, and includes one PEG slot, one PCI Express x1 slot and a pair of PCI slots.
The remaining expansion capabilities are fully consistent with the capabilities of the chipset, which include a gigabit network controller, an 8-channel audio subsystem, 12 USB 2.0 ports and six SerialATA channels. ASUS engineers also installed an additional controller on the board to support the ParallelATA interface, which significantly increases its attractiveness.
We didn't have any complaints about the rear panel configuration, although we wouldn't mind the additional DisplayPort video output.
The processor power subsystem is made according to a 4-phase circuit, and the memory controller power converter is made according to a 2-phase circuit.
The ASUS P7H55-M Pro motherboard supports a large number of proprietary utilities and technologies. These include the Express Gate shell, the MyLogo 2 POST screen replacement function, as well as the BIOS firmware recovery system - CrashFree BIOS 3. Note the support for BIOS settings profiles - OC Profile:
As well as the multifunctional utility TurboV EVO, which, in addition to overclocking the processor and memory, allows you to overclock the built-in graphics core:
As for the BIOS, the board boasts a very large set of RAM settings.
System monitoring is performed at a very high level. In particular, the board displays the current temperatures of the processor and system, monitors voltages and rotation speeds of all fans, which, using the Q-Fan2 function, can change the rotation speed depending on the temperature of the processor and system.
Overclocking capabilities are concentrated in the "AI Tweaker" section, and do not have any disadvantages:
In particular, on the ASUS P7H55-M Pro board we achieved stable system operation at a Bclk frequency of 190 MHz.
It is quite easy to formulate conclusions about the ASUS P7H55-M Pro motherboard, since the price of the product fully corresponds to its main capabilities, and as a bonus, the user receives support for the ParallelATA protocol, as well as a lot of additional ASUS technologies.
- 6-phase processor power supply;
- support for USB 2.0 interface (twelve ports);
- a wide range of proprietary ASUS technologies (PC Probe II, EZ Flash 2, CrashFree BIOS 3, MyLogo 2, Q-Fan, etc.);
- additional set of AI Proactive technologies (AI Overclock, OC Profile (eight profiles), AI Net 2, TurboV EVO, EPU, etc.).
- not detected.
Board Features:
- no support for LPT and FDD interfaces;
- only one PS/2 port.
- high stability and performance;
- SerialATA II support (6 channels; H55);
- support for one P-ATA channel (JMicron JMB368);
- Gigabit Ethernet network controller + FireWire support;
- a wide range of proprietary Biostar technologies (ToverClocker, BIOS Update, G.P.U., 10 BIOS profiles, etc.);
- Board BIOS has a number additional functions(MemTest+, etc.);
- Power and Reset buttons.
- The board supports only 10 USB 2.0 ports out of twelve.
- high stability and performance;
- SerialATA II support (six channels; H55);
- support for USB 2.0 interface (10 ports).
- Incorrect determination of processor temperature.
- high stability and performance;
- 7-phase processor power supply;
- SerialATA II support (six channels; H55);
- High sound Definition Audio 7.1 and Gigabit Ethernet network controller;
- support for USB 2.0 interface (twelve ports) and IEEE-1394 (FireWire; two ports);
- a wide range of Gigabyte proprietary technologies (EasyTune 6, Q-Flash, etc.);
- support for Smart6, Dynamic Energy Saver 2 technologies, BIOS profiles;
- DualBIOS technology (two BIOS chips).
- only two fan headers.
Board Features:
- powerful overclocking functions and fairly high results;
- no LPT interface support;
- only one PS/2 port.
- high stability and performance;
- 8-phase processor power supply;
- presence of two PCI Express x16 v2.0 slots;
- support for AMD CrossFireX technology;
- SerialATA II/RAID support (eight channels; H57+JMicron JMB363);
- support for one P-ATA channel (JMicron JMB363);
- High Definition Audio 7.1 sound and Gigabit Ethernet network controller;
- IEEE-1394 interface support (FireWire; two ports);
- a wide range of proprietary MSI technologies (OC Center, CMOS profiles, M-Flash, etc.);
- a full set of video interfaces, including DisplayPort;
- Power and Clear CMOS buttons;
- OC Genie button and Bclk frequency change buttons.
- 12 USB 2.0 ports are implemented out of 14 possible.
- high stability and performance;
- presence of two PCI Express x16 v2.0 slots;
- support for AMD CrossFireX technology;
- SerialATA II/RAID support (eight channels; H55+JMicron JMB363);
- support for one P-ATA channel (JMicron JMB363);
- High Definition Audio 7.1 sound and Gigabit Ethernet network controller;
- support for USB 2.0 interface (12 ports) and IEEE-1394 (FireWire; two ports);
- a wide range of proprietary MSI technologies (CMOS profiles, M-Flash, etc.).
- not detected.
Board Features:
- powerful overclocking functions and fairly high results;
- no FDD interface support;
- There is support for COM and LPT ports.
- high stability and performance;
- SerialATA II support (six channels; H55);
- Gigabit Ethernet network controller;
- support for USB 2.0 interface (twelve ports).
- meager equipment.
Board Features:
- very weak overclocking functions;
- there is support for LPT and COM interfaces;
- no support for FDD and ParallelATA interfaces;
- only one PS/2 port. Results in synthetic tests
We won't dwell on performance in detail, since all boards showed approximately the same operating speed. Moreover, the difference in speed between the boards is quite small, and any update to BIOS versions can easily change the leaders. Therefore, we will make a choice of motherboard based on other criteria, such as stability of operation, expansion capabilities, packaging, compatibility with various components, compatibility with memory, and we will also take into account the price of the boards themselves.
⇡ Conclusions
First of all, we will choose an entry-level board for those users who do not need powerful expansion capabilities and overclocking functions, and who are focused on low prices. The best such board is the Foxconn H55MX-S model, which can be found for less than $100.
Close in technical characteristics Intel board The DH55TC costs $25 more, and for this difference the user will receive only two “extra” DIMM slots, two are far from superfluous USB port 2.0 and VGA connector on the rear panel. As a result, the Foxconn board looks better for this category, although we don't like such a meager choice of two boards. Therefore, we will continue to search for the most optimal entry-level board.
Further review will take place without the MSI H57M-ED65 model, since it looks completely superfluous among the reviewed boards. And the point is not that it is based on the Intel H57 chipset (and not all of its advantages are fully realized), but that its price is more than one and a half times higher than the prices of other boards. At the same time, the expansion capabilities of the board are superior to competitors only in terms of support for RAID arrays (a feature of the Intel H57 chipset).
Of the four remaining boards, we note ASUS model P7H55-M Pro, which we liked high level technical execution and support large quantity proprietary technologies.
Fans of ASUS products will definitely not be disappointed by this board, and this model costs only $10 more than its competitors, which only boast built-in support for the FireWire serial bus. We are talking about models such as Biostar TH55XE and Gigabyte H55M-UD2H. Of these, we liked the Gigabyte board best:
Its advantages include support for AMD CrossFire technology and excellent expansion capabilities. The Biostar TH55XE board is also made at a high technical level and has several interesting proprietary technologies. However, it has two fewer USB 2.0 ports (a minor drawback) and costs the same (a major complaint).
Separately, we note that all of the listed boards are made in the microATX form factor and, accordingly, have a small number of expansion slots (namely, four, including one PEG slot). Therefore, if the user has a requirement for more slots, then the choice is quite simple. This MSI board H55-GD65, which is the only model presented in this review made in the ATX form factor.
Moreover, this board can be considered as an inexpensive alternative to boards based on the Intel P55 chipset and can be used to build systems with high-performance processors without an integrated graphics core.
Designed for installation of processors manufactured by Intel. A review of this product will be of interest to those buyers who want to purchase a gaming device in the budget class. Technical specifications, reviews and recommendations from experts will help users make their choice before purchasing.
Assortment of interfaces in the Asus P7H55 motherboard
This motherboard, unlike its analogues on the computer market, has one important feature - the presence of all the necessary interfaces and connectors for connecting peripherals. The truth is that the motherboard form factor really confuses many owners. After all, a clutter of connectors on a mATX board creates inconvenience when connecting devices.
Along with a large assortment of interfaces, the board is available on the market at a decent price (up to 5,000 rubles). True, for this purpose, within the walls of Asus, technologists took a small step back and installed instead of standard solid state drives ordinary capacitors. Also on the board, the owner can find many controllers that do not have Asus branding.
First meeting
The fact that the Asus P7H55 motherboard belongs to the budget class is evidenced not only by its cost, but also by its packaging. In addition to the main device, in the box the owner will find brief operating instructions, driver disks, a plug for the rear panel and two cables: SATA and ATA. User reviews contain a lot of negativity towards the manufacturer regarding the impossibility of connecting several SATA drives to the system - you need to buy additional interface cables in the store, which is completely inconvenient.
There are also questions for the manufacturer regarding adapters for connecting components to the system’s power supply. However, as experts say, this issue should fall on the shoulders of power supply manufacturers. After all, according to the world standard, all the necessary connectors must be on the power supply.
What does compactness and reduction in cost lead to?
As the owners assure in reviews in the media, the Asus P7H55 motherboard is not intended to increase performance through overclocking. The whole problem is the availability of free space to install a powerful cooler on the processor. Capacitors lined up in several rows around the perimeter of the processor socket will not allow the installation of a powerful cooling system.
The pursuit of compactness has led to the fact that the user may have problems installing proprietary RAM modules that have cooling grilles on the side faces. The same high capacitors placed close to the DDR3 connectors do not allow memory modules to be inserted into the slot. Fortunately, capacitors block access to the interface only on one side. The presence of 4 receivers for memory modules can partially solve the problem with installing non-standard strips.
Expansion cards and video controllers
Owners of Asus P7H55 who have PCI devices for connection (TV tuner, sound adapter or LAN card), I was luckier with my purchase than others. After all, the manufacturer, in addition to standard interface PCIex16, equipped its product with two PCI interfaces and one PCIex1 port. The motherboard is equipped with video output connectors (analog VGA and digital outputs DVI with HDMI). True, to output a video signal you will need a processor with an integrated video core.
In terms of connection hard drives Users won't have any problems either. The motherboard has 6 corresponding SATA connectors. In addition, they are placed quite compactly, near the basket for installing disks. The owners of the old ones will also rejoice optical drives with IDE interface. There is a corresponding connector on the board.
Motherboard Specifications
The motherboard is built on a chipset and is designed to install all processors of the Intel Core i7/i5/i3 line, as well as Pentium processors, which are installed on the LGA 1156 socket. For installing RAM, there are four DDR3 interface connectors that support the operation of modules at frequencies of 1066-2200 MHz. The maximum supported memory capacity is 16 GB. The interface for connecting hard drives operates according to the SATAIII standard, but does not support the creation of arrays at the hardware level.
As can be seen from the review, for the Asus P7H55 motherboard specifications They look quite attractive, although they have a number of limitations. But as practice shows, the same RAID array used by only a few users for every million customers. All owners are more interested in throughput and stability, which the motherboard can demonstrate in games and work with resource-intensive applications.
Decent BIOS system
But at first glance, the unremarkable BIOS, which does not have a built-in graphical shell, clearly hints to the owner that overclocking is a basic functionality for the Asus P7H55 motherboard. Settings and power management are possible for both the processor and RAM with video adapter. And there is no need to think that the user is only given a choice of actions from a recommended list. There are also settings with manual data entry, as is implemented on gaming motherboards.
The only drawback that all owners of this motherboard complain about in their reviews is the language pack that the BIOS is equipped with. The manufacturer has provided it with six popular languages, including Russian. And if you consider that the operating instructions are written in English language, then many users may have problems setting up the system.
Drivers and software
Owners of the Asus P7H55 motherboard do not need to spend hours on the Internet selecting the necessary utilities to install drivers and all the necessary software for overclocking the platform. Asus was ahead of all its competitors in this matter, bringing together the entire necessary set on one disk. All utilities and drivers have a convenient multimedia shell, which will install what the user needs in a matter of minutes software on computer.
The manufacturer selected the TurboV EVO program as a tool for overclocking the processor and memory by changing the voltage on the motherboard. The fact is that this is the only stable product that can overclock the built-in graphics core on Intel processors. True, many owners, judging by their reviews, believe that all operations with increasing the frequency should be performed in the BIOS (less time is spent checking the stability of operation after rebooting the computer).
Testing and overclocking
The performance of a motherboard whose characteristics depend more on the processor, memory and video card is quite difficult to measure. Therefore, many test laboratories focus not on performance, but on the stability of the system during overclocking (constant voltage, heating, absence of failures and failures at maximum loads). This is where a representative of the budget class was able to surprise all users who wanted to test this motherboard and compare it with more expensive representatives of the computer market.
Autumn, high stability and performance are guaranteed by the introduction of some innovations from the manufacturer Asus. This is a 6-phase system for powering the processor, proprietary BIOS protection technologies, intelligent control overclocking and cooling system and other additional sets of functions.
Gaming potential
In maternal Asus board The P7H55 has one interesting feature that enthusiasts discovered while testing the device in dynamic, resource-intensive games. When installing a Core i3-based processor and an AMD Radeon HD 5-7 series video adapter, the motherboard automatically adapts to the resources of the installed components and reveals their full potential in games. For comparison, the Core i7 processor only slightly outperformed its younger brother.
As owners note in their reviews, this phenomenon occurs at the BIOS level. Judging by the statistics reflected in the testing programs, the intelligent system of the motherboard produces controlled automatic overclocking of the processor, memory and video card, forcing them to operate at the same frequency. This action will definitely lead to increased productivity.
Finally
As practice shows, users should have no complaints about budget-class devices with a correspondingly low cost that take part in testing with more expensive motherboards. Yes, there are shortcomings in terms of compact placement of capacitors on the Asus P7H55, but this is more of an organizational issue that does not have much impact on performance.
But there are many advantages and they all play an important role for the future owner when purchasing: the presence of all possible connectors, the presence of video outputs, digital sound, a gigabit network and similar interfaces, which in the last few years have begun to disappear from devices from many other manufacturers.
The age of socket 1156 is already coming to an end, everyone has long been updated to 2011, but I decided to try this build.
I cannot convey the riot of emotions that I experienced when unpacking the parcel.
An interesting story about how I chose the product.
I found a suitable board at a good price.
The seller has 4 options. 
I added it to my order and wrote to the intermediary: I need ASUS!!! 
Answer: ok, and increased the price
What has arrived? 
Very similar, it also has an 8 pin power supply and a VRM heatsink.(sarcasm)
The issue was resolved with support, a refund was made to my Account, I will order it with the next parcel.
It was the seller who cheated, not the intermediary. And I saved money by not requesting a photo of the product.
The motherboard is used and in a form that is far from commercially available. Does the seller have a warehouse in a barn in a swamp?
Very unhappy with the appearance, but the packaging was excellent.
It was delivered in a regular box, the motherboard was wildly wrapped in bubble wrap, and the socket was covered with a piece of paper from a glossy magazine. 
This is what the new board looked like 
What upset me, because I was not eager to buy it: the absence of a radiator in the VRM zone, 4-pin power supply, only two slots for RAM. Only “power” capacitors are solid-state.
Characteristics 
Size: microATX 244mm x 210mm
Now back to the main thing: why socket 1156? It's all about the processors; decommissioned server Xeon x3440, which are analogues of the first generation i7, cost ridiculous money.
I found a very convenient sign online. 
Prices for older models are no longer relevant (lower)
For tests I ordered x3440 and x3470 (prices are $15/$26, respectively.)
What do we have in this case? For a thousand rubles - i7, which can be decently overclocked on the bus (BCLK)
What are the risks of overclocking? An increase in the temperature of both the processor itself and the motherboard components, especially the VRM zone.
This means that you need to install relatively expensive cooling per cent and buy an expensive motherboard.
How expensive is everything? A minimally adequate motherboard costs from 36 bucks, is that the one I wanted to get? Asus p7h55-m
There is a radiator on the power supply circuits, the supply phases are not enough, of course. 
ASUS P7P55D is already significantly more expensive, about $60 at Tao. (+ delivery) 
There are even more advanced options, but here the price/performance ratio drops.
I received the most Beachy motherboard for testing without radiators and 5 power phases.
The review will be narrowly focused.
This parcel arrived. 
Used motherboard box 
Condition... hmm. 
There are only two connectors for propellers: the CPU and one Sys Fan, which is located at the bottom of the board. 
Point one, performance.
The output area on the front panel is labeled, everything is clear. We close PW. 
The motherboard started up.
In the BIOS section, integrated peripherals tab, switch the operating mode to AHCI 
To boot from a flash drive, set USB-HDD as a priority.
Windows loaded, updated, etc., etc. I installed all the drivers, and now the main thing.
Point two, acceleration- its main task.
I'll hide it under the spoiler
Open the first settings of the first line of the BIOS
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The latest BIOS version is F3. 
The first line of the sub-menu will show the current state of the PC. 
You may notice that the bus, instead of the standard 133 MHz, has already been overclocked by me to 186 MHz. At the same time, the CPU frequency is 3.5 GHz, and the memory is 1800 MHz, with timings of 10-11-11-28.
Point two: Advanced frequency settings. 
Strange, but working with a multiplier is allowed, but problematic. To check the overclocking capabilities of the bus, I set the multiplier to 9 and then could not roll back to 19, so I reset the BIOS. In general, don't touch it.
The QPI multiplier was set to the minimum, because As the bus overclocks, the QPI bus frequency will increase.
Advanced CPU core features: 
It is recommended to turn off turbo boost and energy saving algorithms.
To access bus overclocking you need a section BCLK control move to position Enabled.
Memory multiplier, maximum: x10.
I didn't touch the rest.
Manual timing settings are possible. In auto mode, the motherboard set normal values, did not change. 
Advanced voltage settings 
There is no direct control of the processor voltage, but you can change the DVID values.
There are options: auto, normal, numerical values above and below normal. With a 186 bus, the processor works stably without increasing the voltage.
Ideal overclocking method:
1) Set the minimum processor multiplier. (x9)
2) We limit the memory multiplier to the minimum (x6)
3) We expose BCLK bus at 200 MHz and change it step by step according to the result.
* the system has started and is stable in heavy benchmarks -> after the run we increase it by 2 (5) units.
* the system did not start or is not stable in heavy benchmarks -> lower by 2 (5) units.
4) If Windows starts, but crashes in tests / crashes after startup, increase the processor voltage by one step.
The motherboard does not have heatsinks in the VRM zone, so overclocking was carried out without increasing the voltage.
The cooler came in handy because... The board is not in the case. 
After running LinX, the temperature on the power circuits is about 82 degrees and is not evenly distributed. (in apartment 30+C) 
In everyday tasks (games too), the processor is loaded at 0-50% of its maximum and the VRM temperature is about 50C
Already ordered radiators. 
Is this antiquity worth attention? Yes, definitely.
In synthetics it loses to my i7 7700, which is logical, BUT! Considering the price, its gaming performance is remarkable.
Stability test example 
System config:
x3440, 3.5 GHz, Tower Deepcool GAMMAXX S40, Rx460, SSD 120GB, 4+4 1600 MHz RAM.
The processor has enough strength to load the 1060, details in the CPU review very soon. 
Power consumption with rx460
peak 245 W 
idle 90-95W 
The cost including delivery from China of two sets is $210. 
You can limit yourself to the built-in one and take an i3 or i5, you will get a very budget PC for work.
10/18/2010 | Qntality |
1 - ASRock H55M Pro 2 - Biostar H55 HD 3 - Testing. Conclusions Display on one page
With the release of LGA1156 processors based on the Clarkdale core, a new Intel platform has finally become widespread, although its predecessor is not giving up its position. This is due to the fact that for most users the main criterion when choosing a system is price, and in this regard, components for LGA775 look much more attractive. Enthusiasts are already turning their attention to more advanced solutions, and the cost of such products fades into the background.
The more affordable processors of the Core i3-5xx family still occupy the middle niche, as they are designed to replace high-frequency Core 2 Duo models and low-end quad-core processors with the LGA775 socket. In this case, it makes no sense to expect an aggressive pricing policy from Intel. Moreover, CPUs based on the Clarkdale core have a built-in graphics core, something that previous generation solutions cannot boast of. But motherboards with full support for all the functions of the new processors cost twice as much as available products based on integrated Intel G4x system logic sets. It turns out that you can’t install it in an office PC, and you won’t be able to play on the built-in adapter.
If we consider the Core i3-5xx as the basis of a powerful multimedia system or even a gaming system, but with an eye to upgrading the video accelerator, then these processors will do their job perfectly. Motherboards based on the Intel H55 Express chipset will undoubtedly help them with this, a couple of which we will consider in this material.
| Model | ||
| Chipset | Intel H55 Express | Intel H55 Express |
| CPU socket | Socket LGA1156 | Socket LGA1156 |
| Processors | Core i7, Core i5, Core i3 and Pentium G | |
| Memory | 4 DIMM DDR3 SDRAM 800/1066/1333/1600/1866*/2133*/2600+* (* - OC), 16GB max |
2 DIMM DDR3 SDRAM 800/1066/1333/1600* (OC), 8GB max |
| PCI-E slots | 1 PCI Express 2.0 x16 1 PCI Express 1.1 x16 (x4) |
1 PCI Express 2.0 x16 1 PCI Express 1.1 x1 |
| PCI slots | 1 | 2 |
| Built-in video core (in processor) | Intel HD Graphics | Intel HD Graphics |
| Video connectors | D-Sub, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort | D-Sub, DVI and HDMI |
| Number of connected fans | 2 (2x 4pin and 1x 3pin) |
2 (1x 4pin and 1x 3pin) |
| PS/2 ports |
1 (keyboard) |
1 (keyboard) |
| USB 2.0 ports |
12 (5 connectors on the rear panel + 1 paired with eSATA) |
8 (4 connectors on the rear panel) |
| ATA-133 |
- |
1 channel (two devices, VIA VT6415) |
| Serial ATA |
5 channels SATA-II (H55) |
4 channels SATA-II (H55) |
| eSATA |
1 channel (H55) |
- |
| RAID |
- |
- |
| Built-in sound |
VIA VT1718S (7.1, HDA) |
Realtek ALC662 (5.1, HDA) |
| S/PDIF |
Optic |
- |
| Built-in network |
Realtek RTL 8111DL (Gigabit Ethernet) |
|
| FireWire 1394 |
VIA VT6308S |
- |
| LPT |
+ (on board) | + (on board) |
| COM |
1 (on board) |
1 (on board) |
| BIOS |
AMI |
AMI |
| Form factor |
microATX |
microATX |
| Dimensions, mm |
244 x 244 |
244 x 200 |
The ASRock brand appeared at the beginning of this century to promote products from a more famous manufacturer in the low-end segment. Apparently, the effectiveness of such a step turned out to be low, and the parent company let its brainchild float freely. She herself simply began to produce a series of affordable boards under her own brand.
ASRock, as we see, has not disappeared and over time has earned popularity among a certain category of users for its inexpensive and fairly functional solutions. Sometimes she even indulged in bold experiments in terms of designing various combines that support different types graphic interfaces or processors of the Core 2 family on the Intel P865 chipset. And even now the company continues to produce original products that will interest many. For example, the 939A790GMH board based on AMD 790GX allows you to install an old Athlon 64 or Sempron (Socket 939), thereby breathing new life into them. True, the performance of such a combination will clearly not be up to par.
But let's return to the topic of our conversation, namely the board on Intel based H55 Express - ASRock H55M Pro. This model is made in the microATX form factor, ideal for media centers and compact systems.
The board, as befits such solutions, comes in a small box. There is nothing special in the design. Noteworthy is the declared support for DDR3-2600+ memory and the ability to install cooling systems for the LGA775 platform. One can argue with the first one, since at such a frequency the memory will function under severe overclocking conditions. And it’s not a fact that the board will be able to operate at a base speed of more than 200 megahertz. The second is more down-to-earth and feasible - ASRock H55M Pro has additional mounting holes around the processor socket.
The scope of delivery is more than modest:
- instructions for the motherboard;
- driver disk;
- two SATA cables;
- rear I/O strip.
The design of the model is more or less thought out. But we have already noted more than once that it is not worth looking for any flaws in the arrangement of elements on such compact boards, since such products are not intended for permanent shift system components. When assembling without problems, you can spend 10-15 minutes more time if one or another connector is in the wrong place. But assemblers of ready-made systems will have to contend with the shortcomings of some products. ASRock H55M Pro, of course, is not one of them.
Note that the manufacturer uses black PCB, while some companies use it only for their high-level solutions.
Of the supported processors, all models with the LGA1156 socket are declared, but the default memory with Clarkdale and younger Lynnfield processors will be able to operate at a frequency of 1333 MHz, with Core i7 - 1600 MHz. To achieve higher frequencies, you will have to resort to overclocking, raising the base frequency.
The functionality of the board is at a sufficient level: five SATA-300 channels; twelve USB 2.0 ports, six of which are connected to back panel, including one paired with eSATA; two FireWire (one port on the rear panel), based on the VIA VT6308S controller; one PCI and two PCI Express x16 connectors, one of which has only four high-speed interface lines from the H55 chip. There are no latches on the connectors. There is another PCI Express x1, but when installing a powerful video card you can forget about it, since it is located right next to GUI. For antique lovers, the ASRock H55M Pro has LPT and COM ports. But the board does not have IDE support - the external controller, alas, is not soldered, there is not even room for a connector. You can also forget about connecting a floppy drive.
The rear panel has one PS/2 port for the keyboard, five USB, one eSATA/USB, IEEE 1394, network connector, optical S/PDIF and six audio connectors. Sound subsystem implemented using another controller from VIA - VT1718S. To connect video signal receivers there is an analog D-Sub and digital DVI-D and HDMI. This number of various connectors and interfaces is enough for all occasions.
Now what interests more advanced users. The processor power subsystem is implemented according to a 4+1 scheme, where four phases (STMicroelectronics L6716 chip) belong to the CPU itself, and one (Richtek RT8105) belongs to its memory controller. To power the built-in graphics core of Clarkdale processors, a separate phase is provided based on the STM L6706 PWM controller. The EPS12V standard additional power connector looks unusual on a board in this price category, while many manufacturers limit themselves to a standard four-pin connector, even when using the P55 chipset. We also note the use of purely polymer capacitors in all circuits, which are already replacing electrolytic capacitors in entry-level solutions.
The PCH chip is cooled by a tiny radiator, on which is attached a cover with the company logo. To connect fans, there are two four-pin connectors and one three-pin connector - the number is more or less sufficient for a motherboard of this class.
BIOS Setup
The board's BIOS is based on AMI microcode. When initializing devices, the user can see one of three images (lake shore, expressive company logo, or White background with the EuP logo), replacing each other with each new start of the system. You can disable this feature or leave a specific picture that will greet you when you turn on the computer.
The Main section contains only information about the system: BIOS version, what processor is installed, amount of memory, frequencies of the above components. You can immediately change the date and time.
Settings related to overclocking are concentrated in a specialized section of OC Tweaker.
Until recently, mATX motherboards were strikingly different from their full-fledged counterparts in terms of overclocking capabilities. But now almost every model of this form factor has the appropriate settings, and some even achieve the results of conventional ATX solutions without any problems. ASRock H55M Pro was no exception. The board supports the Turbo 50 function and allows the user, when activated, to overclock the processor up to 50% (depending on the model) without any intervention on their part.
All you need to do is select the appropriate item, and the board itself will raise the base frequency and supply voltage. Indeed, our test Core i5-660 was overclocked from a nominal 3.33 GHz to 4.4 GHz, and it functioned absolutely stably. You can immediately select the required frequency in the Load CPU EZ OC Setting item (for our processor it was 3.8-4.4 GHz in 200 MHz increments), or the memory operating mode - DDR3 1600 and DDR3 1866. In the latter case, the base frequency will be raised, and the processor multiplier will be reduced to the required value.
If automatic overclocking does not suit you, you can set the required values for the Bclk frequency, memory, QPI bus, and various voltages manually. But with any change in parameters related to overclocking, it is impossible to understand how much the processor frequency has increased, which is not very convenient. There is no such problem with other components.
The QPI bus multiplier of the H55M Pro, unlike some motherboards from other manufacturers, varies within x12-x24, due to which overclocking via Bclk will not be hampered by this interface.
The number of variable timings is small, but quite sufficient to fine-tune the operation of certain memory modules.
The processor supply voltage can be rigidly set within the range of 0.84375-1.6 V in steps of 0.00625 V, or increased by 0.2 V relative to the nominal value in the same step. It is even possible to avoid voltage sags when heavy load on the CPU (the ASRock VDroop Control item is responsible for this). The voltage change step supplied to the built-in memory controller (CPU Vtt) is very large and amounts to 0.06-0.07 V, and the minimum and maximum may differ depending on the installed processor model. The situation is similar with the remaining components of the system:
| Parameter | Range of changes |
| CPU Voltage Value | From 0.84375 to 1.6 V in steps of 0.00625 V |
| CPU Voltage Offset | +0.00625 to +0.2 V in 0.00625 V steps |
| DRAM Voltage | 1.3 to 2.0 V in 0.05 V steps |
| VTT Voltage | From 1.11 to 1.5 V in steps of 0.06-0.07 V From 1.05 to 1.5 V in steps of 0.06-0.07 V |
| PCH Voltage | 1.05 to 1.25 V in 0.1 V steps |
| CPU PLL Voltage | From 1.81 to 2.18 V in steps of 0.12-0.13 V |
| GFX Voltage | +0 to +300 mV in 100 mV steps |
The now fashionable saving of profiles with settings is also present here. In total, the user has three profiles available, which can be named as you like using the Latin alphabet. The maximum length of the name is 15 characters.
System monitoring monitors the temperature of the processor and motherboard, the rotation speed of three fans, two of which can be configured to change the rotation speed (processor in automatic mode, case - in manual), as well as the supply voltage on the processor and three main lines. In general, everything is very modest.
For BIOS updates ASRock Instant Flash utility is built-in. In this regard, the company does not lag behind more famous manufacturers. All you need to do is connect a flash drive with microcode to the board and update it.
Overclocking
To determine the overclocking potential of the board, the following configuration was assembled:
- thermal interface: Noctua NT-H1;
- power supply: Tagan BZ 1300W (1300 W).
With these settings, the ASRock H55M Pro was able to reach 200 MHz base. Any change in parameters better result did not lead. But even with this indicator, we can say that the board is quite suitable for overclocking most processors with the LGA1156 socket.
Below is a screenshot of the CPU-Tweaker 1.5 program window, which shows all the settings set by the board when automatically overclocking the test processor to the maximum possible frequency (naturally, according to the H55M Pro).
As already noted, when the CPU was overclocked to 4.4 GHz, the system remained stable and not a single failure was detected during an hour of testing OCCT 3.01.
The second motherboard also belongs to mATX solutions, but has a slightly smaller size, a different layout and functionality.
Biostar H55 HD was tested without any delivery kit, so let's immediately move on to its description appearance and features.
The board, like the ASRock model, is also made on black PCB, but its width is only 200 mm - even narrower than the previously reviewed Gigabyte and MSI products. This miniaturization affected the arrangement of some elements. Thus, the memory slots are installed on the top edge of the board, and the additional power connector has now moved almost to its center. When using memory with high heatsinks and a large processor cooling system, problems with their compatibility may arise.
Fans of neat cable management will also be disappointed by the IDE connector located behind the board's power connector. But in general, if you “set it and forget it”, use drives with a SATA interface and not very extreme components, then everything is done quite normally, and again, you shouldn’t expect anything different from the layout of such solutions.
In terms of functionality, the Biostar H55 HD is slightly inferior to its competitors: the supported memory capacity is limited to eight gigabytes, there is no FireWire interface, the number of SATA channels is only four, and there is no eSATA. The number of USB ports has been reduced - four on the board and the same number on the rear panel, which may not be enough. Such a limitation is a price to pay for compactness, but there is hardly anything stopping you from installing additional USB ports on the rear panel. To install expansion cards, there are two regular PCI slots, one PCI-E x1 and a graphical interface. There are also LPT and COM ports.
The manufacturer, apparently, decided to compensate for the lack of number of SATA connectors with one IDE channel, implemented on the rarely used VIA VT6415 chip. The audio subsystem is based on a relatively old six-channel Realtek ALC662 HDA codec, although an eight-channel one would be more preferable.
The rear panel looks empty: one PS/2, four USB ports, D-Sub, DVI and HDMI, a network port (Realtek 8111DL chip) and three mini-jacks.
The processor is powered by a converter built according to a 4+1 circuit, which uses purely polymer capacitors. For the remaining circuits, conventional electrolytic containers are provided. An additional ATX12V power connector is located near the graphical interface and the cable to it will have to be pulled almost across the entire board.
The chipset is cooled by a small needle-type aluminum heatsink. There are only two connectors for connecting fans, including a four-pin processor one. Not enough, but quite enough for a small system.
Bonus
A media center cannot exist without a means remote control. Especially if you use one of the latest ones as the OS Windows versions with integrated Windows application Media Center. For these purposes, some users purchase remote controls from third-party manufacturers. But the Biostar company took care of them in advance, offering its own version of such a device, which came to us along with motherboard H55 HD.
Biostar TSGV-IR01 is a remote control about 20 cm long, which contains all the necessary buttons to control the Media Center. In fact, it completely replaces the keyboard and mouse during running application. With a supported tuner installed, you can also switch between channels and even record your favorite TV program to your hard drive.
To operate the remote control, just connect the included IR receiver to a special port on the board - CIR, activate it in the BIOS and after booting operating system install the driver. After which Windows will detect two devices:
The operation of the remote control with other players has not been tested. There is probably such a possibility, but we know nothing about it.
BIOS
Like the ASRock board, the Biostar's BIOS is based on AMI microcode. It is not so rich in capabilities, but in most cases it is enough to fine-tune the system.
The first section contains settings for the date and time, as well as the disk subsystem. Information about the system as a whole is presented briefly.
The H55 HD does not have the usual allocation of monitoring into a separate section - it is responsible for the Hardware Health Configuration and Smart Fan Configuration items in the Advanced menu.
In the first, you can track the temperature of the processor and motherboard, and fan speed. Voltage monitoring is quite sufficient: processor, memory controller, RAM modules and main system power lines.
The second item allows you to configure the operation of the processor fan.
Settings for changing memory parameters and overclocking the system are located in the Performance section. Here you can immediately disable the energy-saving Speed Step technology, change the processor multiplier, memory frequencies and Bclk.
Memory operating modes are limited by the processor's capabilities. The list of timings is small, but the main ones are fully present. Only when transferring them to manual mode settings, you cannot select auto mode for them.
Adjusting the PCI Express bus frequency is placed in a separate subsection Clock Gen Configuration. It is not clear why the manufacturer organized the system settings in this way; anyway, there are not many parameters and they could easily be located in one main section.
There would even be enough space for items responsible for changes in supply voltage, of which there are very few: for the processor, memory, built-in controller and graphics core. The positive fact of the separate location of the voltage settings is the partial duplication of information from the monitoring section, which allows you to control the expected changes in the settings.
But the voltage range is very small:
| Parameter | Range of changes |
| CPU Vcore Voltage | From +5% to +15% of nominal value in 5% increments |
| DRAM Voltage | 1.2 to 1.9 V in 0.1 V steps |
| CPU VTT Voltage | 1.2 to 1.35 V in 0.05 V steps |
| IGD Voltage | 1.1 to 1.175 V in 0.0125 V steps |
For the CPU, the maximum will be 1.35 V. DDR3 memory, due to the architectural features of the Nehalem/Westmere platform processors, is limited to 1.65 V, but the board will not be able to supply such a voltage to the modules - either 1.6 V or 1.7 V. Parameter CPU VTT Voltage has a threshold of 1.35 V, while to achieve maximum overclocking voltages of up to 1.4 V may be required. Considering the inability to change the speed of the QPI bus, even such values will be more than enough - the board will still hit the Bclk frequency, equal to about 180 MHz. And this, in fact, is not too much to raise all possible tensions.
Turbo Boost technology management is located in the Intel PPM Configuration subsection. There is no option to save user profiles, and they are not needed with such modest settings. Updating the BIOS microcode can only be done using DOS mode and there is no built-in utility for this purpose. You will have to resort to a pre-prepared bootable “flash drive” and perform an update from it, which by modern standards is becoming completely archaic.
Overclocking
The Biostar H55 HD was overclocked using the same configuration as the ASRock product reviewed above. The maximum stable Bclk frequency was 175 MHz.
The reason for such weak overclocking is the inability to reduce the QPI bus multiplier, which exceeded the effective 8400 MHz. If the multiplication factor could be changed, then perhaps we would be able to master higher frequencies. For junior processors of the Westmere family, this is not a problem, since they have a lower QPI multiplier. But they also have lower core frequencies compared to the Core i5-6xx, and with such a weak base overclock, reaching 4 GHz will only be possible on Core i3-540 and higher models. In general, you won’t be able to get the most out of the Biostar H55 HD. It's a pity, the board is very, very interesting.
Test configuration
Nothing has changed in our configuration:
- processor: Intel Core i5-660 (3.33 GHz);
- memory: G.Skill F3-12800CL8T-6GBRM (3x2 GB, DDR3-1600);
- cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems + Nanoxia FX12-2000;
- thermal interface: Noctua NT-H1;
- video card: Inno3D GeForce GTX 295 Platinum Edition (GeForce GTX 295);
- hard drive: Samsung HD502HJ (500 GB, SATAII);
- power supply: Tagan BZ 1300W (1300 W);
- OS: Windows 7 Home Premium x64.
The parameters of the ASRock H55M Pro under which it was tested were as follows:
Biostar H55 HD installations:
Test results
Memory subsystem
conclusions
So let's start with the list. The ASRock H55M Pro motherboard, despite its size, turned out to be a very functional device, the capabilities of which are sufficient for both an HTPC and a gaming PC. Four slots for RAM and support for CrossFireX, although not full-fledged, promise good prospects for increasing the power of your computer. The automatic system overclocking function will appeal to novice overclockers, who will only need to select the required menu item in the BIOS Setup, and the board will do the rest itself. The overclocking potential was only 200 MHz, but this is quite enough for many processors based on the Clarkdale core. Let's add some good options for fine-tuning the system, updating the BIOS microcode using the built-in utility, and we will get a product that is excellent in all respects. It's a pity there are no fashionable USB 3.0 and SATA 3.
Biostar H55 HD is the most affordable motherboard model based on the Intel H55 Express chipset. In addition, she is also the smallest. True, this affected its functionality: the board has only everything necessary, limited by the capabilities of the chipset, two SATA-2 channels are missing, there are only eight USB ports, and the number of memory slots has been reduced to two. The BIOS capabilities are meager, and the overclocking potential leaves users no headroom. In general, a budget product in all its glory. But is it worth asking for more from a $75 board with a relatively new chipset? There are no complaints about stability, it copes with the assigned tasks - we put it in the case and forget about it. All. Yes, if you use Biostar H55 HD as part of a multimedia PC with support Windows Media Center, then the remote control offered by the manufacturer itself is perfect for it. That's it now.
Testing equipment was provided by the following companies:
- 1-Inkom - G.Skill F3-12800CL8T-6GBRM memory kit, Prolimatech Megahalems cooler and Nanoxia FX12-2000 fan;
- Biostar - Biostar H55 HD motherboard;
- Intel— Intel processor Core i5-660;
- Noctua - Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste;
- SerOl—Inno3D GeForce GTX 295 Platinum Edition video card;
- Syntex - Seasonic X-750 power supply.
Today we will look at the first motherboard based on the Intel H55 Express chipset, designed to work in tandem with 1156-pin processors from the same manufacturer. This is the first such board that came into our laboratory, so let's start by introducing this logic set and related ones. And let's go, as usual, from afar :).
In relation to computers intended for household use, the generally accepted classification includes four market segments: flagship, productive, mass and budget.
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When at the end of 2008 Intel introduced the new Nehalem architecture in the form of Core i7 processors based on the Bloomfield core with 1366 pins and the corresponding X58 Express logic set, few would have thought that this would be all there was to it. Several CPU models and a single chipset are all that the world's leading processor manufacturer still offers in the top segment.However, the rest were completely left to processors with a 775-pin socket, whose history stretches back to 2004, the time of the NetBurst architecture. Intel, indeed, was in no hurry to bring a new platform to the market: its Core 2 CPU still felt very good in the fight against AMD Athlon and Phenom.
But after the appearance of the Phenom II processors, thanks to which the main competitor managed to get closer to the mass and productive solutions of Intel both in terms of specific performance (per GHz) and frequency potential, it was impossible to postpone the announcement of the new platform. Therefore, at the end of last summer 2009, a combination of processors with an LGA 1156 socket and the P55 Express logic set was presented. There are only a few CPU models (all quad-core, Lynnfield core), and again only one set of logic. It seemed that history was repeating itself.
However, the processor socket with 1156 pins was initially conceived as a complete replacement for the “old man” LGA 775. And at the very beginning of 2010, the expected expansion took place. Intel presented a whole “pack” of processors based on the Clarkdale core, as well as several sets of logic intended for them. However, the P55 Express is also compatible with new CPUs - there are no exceptions in terms of support for processors between chipsets (yet). But they still differ significantly from each other. Let's try to summarize these differences in one table.