Conclusion - Intel DH57JG Jet Geyser

Conclusion

Overall, the DH57JG is a balanced performer in almost every department (apart from slow USB throughput) and like most Intel desktop boards it’s geared for conservative use. In this instance we think that Intel made the right choice, because we haven’t seen anyone execute mini-ITX well enough for heavy overclocking. On the face of it, all three mini-ITX boards we’ve looked at over the past few months have similar limitations in power delivery. Out of the three vendors though, it seems Intel have put more work into planning what can and cannot work well over the long-term and have trimmed the DH57JG BIOS accordingly without the need for a bout of public beta testing first.

Most of the BIOS menus are well laid out and uncomplicated, which makes things less daunting for users who lack experience. It's also pleasing to know that we did not encounter a single instance where the board refused to work with any of our test peripherals. The only bone we have to pick with current BIOS functionality is with regards to CPU multiplier ratio control for Clarkdale processors – we can only use the stock CPU multiplier ratio, and we can’t understand why that’s the case when you can adjust multipliers on Lynnfield processors.

There’s also the looming issue of price, $125 for mini-ITX seems a tad expensive when you glance over the feature sets of similarly priced (or cheaper) m-ATX boards. Of course, we need to factor the questions of product reliability, long-term support, validation processes for updates and ease of use, areas where third party vendors seem to come up short in some instances. Perhaps that’s the positive element of investing in the purchase of an Intel motherboard - you're guaranteed long term support.

To sweeten the deal further, we’d like to have seen USB 3 or some kind of wireless capabilities at the $125 mark, and it would be nice if we don’t see retailers charging early adopter premiums on that figure because you’ll be paying more than the board is fundamentally worth.

The alternative to the DH57JG is Zotac’s H55-ITX, which is more 'enthusiast' oriented (you get 10 USB ports on the rear I/O and WiFi capabilities), although you have to pay $145 for the whole experience. We’re hopeful that other manufacturers will jump onto the mini-ITX bandwagon and help drive these prices down.

In fact, if all vendors adopt Intel's no-fluff desktop board approach and focus R&D/support departments on the basics, we're sure they'd be able to deliver products that are just as if not more functional than what Intel are offering at $125. As such, it's probably wise to wait a couple of months and see how things pan out. If waiting is not an option though, and all you need is a plug and play stock-runner, rest assured that the DH57JG will certainly deliver over the long haul. 

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