Overclocking Micro-ATX!
Granted, not too many folks go looking for m-ATX platforms to overclock or exploit. However, these aren’t like our previous generation or average platforms. There are plenty of audio and video enthusiasts who wouldn’t mind getting a little more for their buck. The added extra value is built in to the capable Intel H55 Chipset, that we know is capable of a lot more. All three platforms offer a bit more overclocking beyond the software capability. You can pretty much guess the order of results based on looks alone.
Overclocking the ASUS P7H55D-M EVO
The ASUS P7H55D-M EVO lead the pack achieving an impressive 210MHz BClock with the least amount of CPU voltage tweaking. Many of the many BIOS options didn’t even need to be touched. Only the CPU VCore and VTT settings really needed a little more tuning. There was little voltage droop during testing which is excellent for overall stability.
Overclocking the GIGABYTE GA-H55M-USB3
The GIGABYTE GA-H55M-USB3 came in second maintaining a 200MHz BClock with some CPU and chipset voltage tweaking here and there. The system would not budge even with more aggressive voltage to the CPU VCore. Voltage droop was average during testing but manageable for the second best overclock.
Overclocking the MSI H55M-ED55
Like a broken record, the MSI H55M-ED55 takes up the rear in performance. It seemed to have the hardest time breaking 190MHz BClock. With a lot of extra ICH, CPU, and VTT voltage, the platform would boot at 200MHz, but nothing would make it stable. And, despite the CPU settings, a bit of voltage droop was noticeable during testing.