Which 1156 socket mobo, Asus or Gigabyte

I would go for the gigabyte board. I use the biostar TH55B HD for about half the price of either of your boards. It doesn't have usb 3.0 or the new sata standard, but overclocks great. The new sata standard is good for ssd's, but you won't notice any difference with most regular sata II hardrives.

I went with the Asus P7P55D-E Pro. It's got all the features, and I got it in a combo deal with a Corsair 850tx for $40 off. Thanks though.

I have the Gigabyte bd, and have not regretted it for a moment. Rock solid.