CPUs|Motherboards

Based on the mainstream Intel H55 chipset, the Asus P7H55D-M EVO has premium features like eSATA, FireWire, and USB 3.0 powered by NEC controller. It also has a tweak-friendly BIOS, making it a more versatile platform for Clarkdale than Intel's DH55TC.

A die-shrink to 32nm has given Intel enough room to pair a dual core processor and integrated graphics on the same chip package. The Clarkdale LGA1156 Core i5-661 also features Intel's new GMA HD graphics, TurboBoost, and hyper-threading.

Intel's D510M0 mini-ITX motherboard features the new Atom D510 processor and NM10 Express chipset. With the memory controller and graphics core on the same die, this new Atom platform looks to lower power consumption and possibly deliver better performance.

The 785GPMT-UD2H is the most fully loaded of the three 785G mATX AM3 solutions offered by Gigabyte. We examine it for power consumption, and general performance in a variety of other areas.

The first Atom-embedded mini-ITX board from Intel to feature the mobile 945GSE Express Chipset. You can hear the cheers from minimalist, green, and silent PC enthusiasts. Along with the lower power profile, the physical profile has also been dramatically reduced, allowing fanless operation in the 1.2-liter Morex T1610 case.

The newly released Athlon II X4 630 and 620 finally bring quad core performance to the $100 level. With respective prices of $120 and $100, the high value X4 630 and X4 630 continue AMD's sniping of Intel.

To be a fitting successor to LGA775, Intel's new LGA1156 will have to offer a fair increase in performance and energy efficiency, but not so much to overshadow LGA1366. Lynnfield takes mostly after Nehalem, but requires only a single chipset (the new Platform Controller Hub), has a dual channel memory controller rather than triple, and uses a more aggressive form of Turbo Boost. Our first detailed look at LGA1156.

785G is an evolution of 780G that brings some improvements and support for the AM3 socket with DDR3 memory. The onboard graphics chip, dubbed HD 4200, supports DirectX 10.1, HDMI 1.3, UVD 2.0, and Sideport memory which provided a nice performance boost on the more expensive 790GX-based boards.

For more price-conscious users, Intel now offers the DG41MJ, a more affordable but less capable alternative to the DG45FC. Value is the name of the game.

The DFI LANParty JR 790GX-M3H5 is a mATX AM3 motherboard utilizing the AMD 790GX chipset. DFI is known for the high level of BIOS controls to satisfy overclockers, but it's also an asset for silent PC enthusiasts.

Intel markets the Q9550S quad core processor as an energy efficient variant of the Q9550. Our comparison seeks to answer two basic questions: Is the Q9550S' power savings enough to justify its much higher price, and how does it compare to an undervolted Q9550?

Zotac is the first to market with a real flesh-and-blood ION motherboard, the IONITX. The version under review, the IONITX-A, is a mini-ITX board with an embedded dual-core Atom processor, Nvidia's ION GPU (based on GeForce 9400M) and a comprehensive feature set. It promises to be an all-in-one solution for small, energy efficient computing with versatile multimedia capability including full 1080p Blu-ray playback.

AMD's newest processors, the Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition and the Athlon II X2 250, priced aggressively at $102 and $87 respectively, are aimed squarely at the bread and butter value segment of the desktop processor market. We take a look at their non-gaming and energy efficiency performance, and compare them against likely Intel competitors.

The Asus M4A78-HTPC/RC is one of many AM2+ motherboard based on the 780G chipset. Asus has thrown in a few extras to differentiate it from the crowd - as you can guess by the model number, the board is aimed specifically at the HTPC market.

The GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi is not just Zotac's flagship product, it is THE flagship product for mini-ITX. This is the board that small form factor enthusiasts have been waiting for — a mini-ITX motherboard with full support for Core 2 processors (including high TDP quad cores), good quality integrated graphics, a PCIe 16X expansion slot, and wireless connectivity. On paper, the board has no rival.