Zotac H55-ITX WiFi

Zotac H55-ITX WiFi review

Stuffing Intel's desktop-class H55 chipset into a miniscule Mini-ITX motherboard is hardly a standard procedure. However, the Zotac H55-ITX WiFi can't hope to get by based on nothing more than novelty. It must beat the likes of Gigabyte's identically proportioned and similarly specified H55N-USB3. On paper, you'd give the Zotac H55- ITX WiFi more than a sniff at pulling it off. It matches its Gigabyte nemesis in most regards, including support for powerful discrete graphics and a full range of video output options when running on Intel HD integrated video. To all that support it adds an integrated N-spec WiFi networking chipset. That said, the H55-ITX WiFi does lack support for USB 3.0. You might say, therefore, it's a dead heat on features. Not so for price, however, with the Zotac demanding an extra £10 or so. In that context, the solution is simple. It's a gloves-off contest for performance props. May the best board win. Okay, the Zotac H55-ITX WiFi is more expensive than its closest competitor from Gigabyte, but it does come with a few extra frills. Apart from the aforementioned WiFi networking chipset, Zotac has managed to squeeze in an extra pair of SATA ports for a grand total of six.