Gigabyte E350N-USB 3 Review

The E350N-USB 3.0 board is a very capable product, offering a wealth of connectivity and high build quality, as we would expect from Gigabyte. When compared with the other Fusion boards we have tested, this particular model fares well. It has USB 3.0 support, which can sometimes be omitted on cheaper Fusion products such as the ASRock E350M1. It also utilises full sized DDR3 memory, unlike the Sapphire Pure Fusion Mini 350 which we reviewed in February.

The Gigabyte product was actually one of the first Fusion boards to be released to press, but we only managed to slot it into our review schedule in recent weeks. It has impressed us by delivering a very well balanced set of specifications and has been rock solid throughout the last week of testing. The only Fusion board which we like more would be the Asus E35M1-I Deluxe which is passively cooled and allows for fairly high levels of overclocking. It is more expensive however, and with these products you really do get what you pay for. AMD's partners have lined up a widely configured range of products to suit every bank balance.

The Gigabyte E350N USB 3 retails for around £120 inc vat in the UK, so it is one of the more expensive boards available in this range, but it is worth the money.

Pros:

• A well balanced board with high levels of connectivity
• Rock solid
• Modest gaming performance with lower IQ settings at 720p
• E350 processor is much stronger than current ATOM designs
• runs cool
• power consumption is minimal

Cons:

• If you don't need USB 3.0, the ASRock E350M1 can be found for £40 less

Kitguru says: High standards of build quality from Gigabyte and a great all round basis for an HD media center.

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