Intel DH55TC Motherboard Review

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Intel DH55TC Motherboard Review


Introduction:

Intel is off to a flying start in 2010 with the release of the highly anticipated Clarksdale 32nm CPU's that incorporate on-die graphics processing. Couple this with the launch of their new DH55TC motherboard and everything adds up to a reasonable price for the mainstream desktop/Media Center PC user, allowing for small form factor builds that deliver new levels of performance.

In this review today, we will be testing the performance of the DH55TC motherboard and Clarksdale Core i5 661/670 CPU's against the DG45ID socket 775 motherboard and Core 2 8600 & Core 2 Quad Q9650 CPU's that this platform has now replaced.


Let’s take a look at what DH55TC and Clarkdale bring to the table...






Features:
Brand Intel
Product name DH55TC: Current Price *
Product code BOXDH55TC

Processor / Chipset / Memory
Form factor Micro ATX
Supported processor(s) Intel Core i3 / i5 CPU socket Socket 1156
Memory type DDR3 Supported memory DDR3-1333 Module type DIMM Dual channel memory 4
Chipset Intel H55

Integrated video card
D-Sub (VGA) output
DVI output
HDMI output

Expansion slots'
PCI Express x16 slots 1
PCI Express x1 slots 2
PCI slots 1
DDR3 DIMM slots 4

Connectivity
USB 2.0 - Total 12
USB 2.0 - On board connectors 6

Audio
Onboard audio - Channels 5.1 channels
Onboard audio - Codec chip Realtek ALC888
Onboard audio - Codec type HDA

Network
LAN - Chip Intel 82578DC
LAN - Speed 1000 Mbit/s

Storage
Serial ATA connectors 6

Cooling
FAN connectors 3
Chipset cooler Passive
CPU power phases six

Other
Power supply connector 24 pins
Onboard speaker
BIOS type Phoenix Award 6.00


Board Layout


CPU Fan header





CPU Socket





SATA Power






DIMM Sockets






Winbond chip and Front Panel Fan header






4-pin power






24-pin power






Rear fan Header






USB






The Rear I/O on the board is comprised of six USB ports, a RJ-45 jack/LAN, three audio jacks for the onboard sound, D-Sub (VGA) output, DVI output, HDMI output, PS/2 mouse or keyboard port.

The ALC888 series supports host/soft audio from the Intel ICH series chipset, and from any other HDA compatible audio controller. With EAX/Direct Sound 3D/I3DL2/A3D compatibility, and excellent software utilities like Karaoke mode, environment emulation, software equalizer, HRTF 3D positional audio, optional Dolby® Digital Live, DTS® CONNECT™, and Dolby® Home Theatre programs, the ALC888 series provides an excellent home entertainment package and game experience for PC users.




Excluded from the Rear I/O panel are Firewire and an optical port for S/PDIF.




The expansion slots for this board include one PCI Express x16 slot, two PCI Express x1slot's and one PCI slot. You can install one ATI or an NVIDIA card into the blue slot to improve gaming performance; this will of course disable the IGP.

Concerning storage, Intel includes six SATA 3 GB/s ports. These are placed on the edge of the board facing in an upwards position, which could be a problem when fitting a large GFX card.






The bundle itself is rather sparse with only two SATA cables, driver/software DVD, board Layout sheet, Quick Reference Guide, and the rear I/O backplate.






CPU and H55 chipset interface with system.







Bios






Test System 1
Intel DH55TC motherboard
Intel Core i5 LGA-1156 661 CPU 900MHz Integrated video
Intel Core i5 LGA-1156 670 CPU 733MHz Integrated video
Intel stock heat-sink
4GB Crucial DDR3 1333MHz memory
1 x Samsung HD32H
Sony BD Rom
Cooler Master 450W PSU
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit



Test System 2
Intel DG45ID motherboard 533MHz Integrated video
Intel Core 2 due 8600 CPU
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 CPU
Intel stock heat-sink
4GB Corsair DDR2 800MHz memory
1 x Samsung HD32H
Sony BD Rom
Cooler Master 450W PSU
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit



Tests and Results











































































As you can see, we have compiled a large amount of data for the two systems to explore every aspect of stock performance.

The reason we’re focusing on stock performance today is because the motherboards we’re testing today don’t offer much in the way of overclocking or tweaking and are geared primarily for stock operation. Intel’s enthusiast line of boards and those from third party vendors will obviously open up avenues for overclocking, but stock compares to other platforms will have to suffice for now.





Overclocking Clarkdale on P55

As stated earlier the Intel board is not based around the overclocking crowd, so we used an ASUS Maximus III Formula Motherboard for this section of testing to see just how far we could push the Core i5 661 and Core i5 670 CPU's.

The cascade results were a little disappointing, it seems that the ASUS Maximus III Formula has cold boot/bug issues with these CPU's. The cascade is capable of cooling these processors down to -130c, however, we were limited to -90c as the board locks up as soon as you drop temperatures any lower.

Even though we were limited to -90c we did manage to obtain a validation on our Core i5 661 to 6.4GHz: The Core i5 670 unfortunately died on us during extreme testing, so we provide any results for this CPU at this moment in time:








Conclusion
The Intel DH55TC is a very good all round motherboard for those wanting a Media PC, with all of the features to play back Blu-Ray movies and a good audio solution in the form of the Realtek ALC888 chipset that delivers just what you need when it matters.

The socket 775 DG45ID motherboard puts up a good fight against its younger brother the DH55TC. The DG45ID has some features that would have been nice to see on this new DH55TC board, such as the Realtek ALC889 chip, SPDIF output and maybe a rear IO Firewire port. When it comes to performance, there is no getting away from the fact that this new breed of motherboard and CPU combination is leap years ahead of the old socket 775 system.

There is nothing extreme regarding the DH55TC motherboard and why should there be? It is for general use and geared for outright functionality. And let’s not forget; when it comes to chipset and board functionality, nobody does it better on Intel chipsets than Intel themselves.

If you are looking for a high-end hardcore gaming or overclocking system then this board is not for you, but if you are looking to upgrade your old system or looking to build a new media PC then this one comes highly recommended.

The Intel DH55TC is a ‘must have’ product for 2010 if you want to build a reliable and functional PC with a Clarkdale CPU, the combination works perfectly.