Intel DH67BL Conclusion

IMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate.

The Intel DH67BL H67 Motherboard provided increased performance in nearly every area when compared not only to the AMD 890GX platform, but also to the Intel X58 enthusiast platform. Especially extraordinary was the performance in the areas where Intel touted advancements. Some of those include Arithmetic Processes, AES-NI, Media Transcoding, and Memory Bandwidth. A Core i5-2500K in the DH67BL was able to outperform a similarly priced Phenom-II X4-975BE in the 890GX chipset in almost every test and by a significant margin. The new Sandy Bridge platform looks like a real game changer, and we can't wait to see AMD's response.

Intel doesn't change a lot in terms of appearance with the DH67BL. The motherboard looks much like you would expect. Even the CPU cooling mounts stay the same as the socket 1156 motherboards, which is a nice feature. The H67 is an entry-level chipset, and the Intel DH67BL is made by Intel, not a separate motherboard manufacturer. With that in mind, it's not surprising that the frills and cool-looking features are left off this motherboard.

The DH67BL motherboard seems to pretty well-constructed overall. The Intel DH67BL uses a lot of solid state capacitors but most of the capacitors are not. This will likely be one of the changes made by other manufactures. Intel doesn't include a MOSFET heatsink on the DH67BL either. This was initially a concern of mine, but since there is no performance tuning to speak of with the H67 chipset, a MOSFET heatsink would do nothing but add cost. Other features that could be added are more SATA 6Gb/s ports and more USB 3.0 ports. The USB 3.0 ports might come in especially handy for this media-centric motherboard.

While the functionality of the Intel Core i5-2500K is quite impressive, I am less moved by the functionality of the DH67BL motherboard. There are a lot of things I like about it, such as the removal of legacy hardware like IDE, floppy, serial, and VGA ports. HDMI 1.4a compatibility is a definite plus for the growing media market, as is the inclusion of an S/PDIF audio port. The main thing that keeps nagging at me, though, is the complete lack of overclocking functionality. My only hope is that some motherboard manufacturers will find a way around this problem, sort of like they did when AMD took ACC out of the 890 chipset.

As of January 2011, the Intel DH67BL is available at NewEgg for $99.99. This puts it near the entry-level of motherboards, although not at the bottom. Still, the lowest H57 motherboards are retailing at about this same price. With the solid performance of the Intel Core i5-2500K CPU and the overclocking restrictions on even the P67 motherboards, a $100 Intel H67 motherboard is a pretty good deal. The key, though, would be to not waste an extra $10 or $15 on a K series CPU if you get an H67 motherboard. In reality, I wouldn't recommend it anyway, but certainly not with the H67 chipset.

Pros:

+ Performance better than X58 in many areas
+ USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s
+ Graphics Improved
+ Media Processes Greatly Improved
+ Not too Pricey

Cons:

- No Overclocking Allowed
- Intel HD Graphics still not up to par in games
- Only 2 USB 3.0 and 2 SATA 6Gb/s

Ratings:

• Performance: 9.50
• Appearance: 8.50
• Construction: 8.50
• Functionality: 8.75
• Value: 9.00

Final Score: 8.85 out of 10.

Quality Recognition: Benchmark Reviews Silver Tachometer Award.

Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.

Related Articles:

• Seagate Barracuda 3TB Hard Drive ST3000DM001
• Corsair Graphite 600T Computer Case
• AZiO Levetron GM533U Gaming Mouse
• Mtron MOBI 3500 SLC SSD MSD-SATA3535-064
• Radeon HD5830 DirectX-11 Gaming Performance
• MSI R6870 Radeon HD 6870 Video Card
• TRENDnet TEW-691GR 450Mbps WiFi-N Router
• ATI Radeon HD 5830 DirectX-11 Video Card
• Cooler Master ARC Macbook and iPad Stand
• D-Link DNS-323 SATA RAID Gigabit NAS