Motherboard tier list: H81 chipset

[MeteorsRaining]

H81 chipset:



The H81 chipset is the "budget" option, being the least expensive active chipset, it is very limited compared to the other consumer chipsets. It does not support SLI/Crossfire at all (natively), has only two SATA 6Gb/s ports (plus four SATA 3Gb/s ports), and only two USB 3.0 headers. Finally, H81 only supports one DIMM per memory channel so it will be limited to a maximum of two sticks of RAM.

H81 is a great option for small form factor systems where you rarely have more than one discrete card and a couple of SATA drives. It is perfect for media centers, general purpose desktops, office computers, and most importantly, it is great for OCing the budget-oriented dual-core unlocked Pentium, for which the boards have unlocked multiplier. For around $100 for CPU+MoBo (CPU being Pentium) you get great performance for price and some OCing fun. Also, it is good option for entry level gaming systems with single GPU and Pentium/ i3.

Since it does not have many features to sort out from in first place, quality and value/money have been given priorities while tiering them. Check each tier’s description for more info.



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Tier One: High quality. Great boards for OCing the Pentium, have all standard features, ie., SATA3 and USB 3.0. Separated by form factor. Quality is decent.


mATX Form Factor:


H81M-D PLUS
H81M-HDS
H81M-E34
H81M (CFX capable, though definitely not recommended to be done)
H81M Eco
H81M-P33 V2
H81M-E35 V2
H81M-HD3
CSM-H81M-P32
H81M-PLUS

Mini-ITX Form Factor:

H81M-ITX/WIFI (No USB 3.0 but has WiFi)
MSI H81I
H81I-PLUS


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Tier Two: Good quality. Fine boards for OCing, lack USB 3.0 but are otherwise decent. Seperated by form factor. Quality is fine for everyday use.


ATX Form Factor:


H81 Pro BTC
GA-H81-D3

mATX Form Factor:

GA-H81M-H
H81M-P33
H81M-DGS R2.0
H81M-E33
H81M-K
GA-H81M-DS2V
H81M-A
GA-H81M-HD2
H81M-E
GA-H81M-S2PH
GA-H81M-S2PV
GA-H81M-DS2
H81M-C/CSM

Mini-ITX Form Factor:

H81M-ITX
GA-H81N

Thin Mini-ITX Form Factor:

H81TM-ITX R2.0
GA-H81TN
H81T/CSM



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NOTE: This thread is a part of the article series 'Motherboard tier list'.

 

[Someone Somewhere]

Posting to prevent auto-deletion.

 

[VyperGaming]

Would the H81 Pro BTC even overclock a G3258?

 

[MeteorsRaining]

According to a reliable source (HERE), it does support OCing for Pentium.

 

[VyperGaming]

According to a reliable source (HERE), it does support OCing for Pentium.

How would I overclock it? Update the BIOS then use what to OC it?

 

[MeteorsRaining]

The UEFI BIOS features a "Non-Z OC" section which'll help in OCing.

 

[VyperGaming]

The UEFI BIOS features a "Non-Z OC" section which'll help in OCing.

Good to know. Anyway, I've decided to get an Asus H81M-Plus and a G3258 so I'll accept 4.2Ghz but I'll try push up to 4.6Ghz.

 

[MeteorsRaining]

No one can guarantee what core speeds you'd get as they're majorly dependent on silicon lottery, but in terms of MoBo, you won't be held back, in reasonable terms.

 

[VyperGaming]

No one can guarantee what core speeds you'd get as they're majorly dependent on silicon lottery, but in terms of MoBo, you won't be held back, in reasonable terms.

Hence why I said I'll try to get a decent OC.

 

[hornirl]

Really useful info and ty. I've the H81M-PLUS and G3258, 4.2 is not a problem at all taking all UEFI 'Auto' options and stock fan. Mileage may vary for others and >4.2 resulted in temp/stability issues and GL to those attempting (it CAN be done, look around).

My Q is whether the H81 can overclock the i5-4690K and i7-4790K, which use same 1150 socket (see http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2013/07/25/intel-overclocking-block/1 ). And if not, why not?

(Yes, I know why would you put an expensive chip with an el cheapo mobo but some of us might be waiting for these chips to come down to <$100 used and 'make do' with the $65 G3258 in interim...)

 

[CompGee]

How well does the Asus H81M-C/CSM motherboard OC an G3258?

 

[hornirl]

How well does the Asus H81M-C/CSM motherboard OC an G3258?

I don't think it's so much mobo-dependent. If it fits the 1150 socket the G3258 will OC- assuming the board permits it- up to what the "Silicon Lottery" and other factors (fan(s), thermal paste) allow it to.

In my case (H81M-PLUS, G3258, Stock fan) 4.2GHz is not a problem, though that's my CPU lottery++ limit, beyond which the system freezes. Others have gotten better performance with extra cooling++ (and/or a better lottery ticket).

 

[lodders]

You are not limited to overclocking a pentium with a H81 motherboard. You can also overclock an i5. See my signature for more details.