SANDRA CPU Math & Multimedia
This benchmark is just extra curricular. Even if you went with the innovative Core i5 661, you still get a very capable platform. If you want to see something interesting, compare your Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad to these scores.
Cinebench R10
Here, you can see just how well the H55-GD65 does with some aggressive CPU overclocking. The motherboard easily unleashes the beast from within a rather docile Core i5 661 Clarkdale processor.
Crysis
Here we just get some playable frame rates with just a single GTX280 video card. But, again, the H55 adds some extra power behind the card giving it a decent little frame rate boost. Again, the integrated graphics and the word gaming should never be used in the same sentence. Let’s not even go there.
Heaven Demo
This is a new DirectX 10 and 11 intensive benchmark we decided to add to the benchmark suite. Since we don’t have a DX11 card in the system, it automatically performs the tests in DirectX 10.
Here, we just wanted to show that the platform, again, easily supports graphic intensive applications. It’s a Gaming Series, so we really wanted to confirm there’s nothing coming up short in the PCI Express department with an adequate graphics solution in the slot.
RightMark Audio
To put the integrated Realtek ALC889 into perspective, it’s one of the most successful integrated audio codecs you can currently get in any motherboard. The only other codec that tops it is the ALC890.
After running four different tests while manipulating settings, the integrated audio solution proved to be somewhat robust as far as clarity and volume are concerned. It should be enough to more than satisfy the budget consumer or regular gamer.
If you want more than just adequate integrated audio, you’ll have to invest in a discrete solution. Something like the ASUS Xonar 2 or Creative Extreme, or Gamer X-Fi audio card should offer a noticeable upgrade at a price. Otherwise, the onboard audio isn’t that bad for what you pay.