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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.
I keep meaning to pick one of these up, but I think ill opt for the passively cooled asus model,. seems a better long term option. no fans, always a good thing
Are there any other passively cooled fusion boards out? that asus board is great, but its a small fortune. surely some other company has a passive one out at less money? its hard to even get stock here at all.
IT has to be passive for me if I was getting one, and the only one ive seen is ASUS, who used a massive cooler over the whole PCB basically…….
Im waiting for their quad core designs, these are rather boring, just like a better Atom. good idea, but I need more power,e ven for media system
I like thier motherboards, but passive would have been a better option. I would love to know what the temps would increase to if the fan was disabled inside a decent cooled case? possible ?
Those boards looks nice as a “mom” / grandparents PC…
Hmm putting more of these pages together would help .. also def compare it to an atom/ion system. I do like this for both a Future HTPC and NAS. Just have to get a Freeview HD tuner, and 3 x3.5 hd and a nice case, one that wont revolt my eyes every time I look at it. Do they have full Mythbuntu drivers? resume from s1,s2.s3 properly? If so I’m set.