MSI
Intel's desktop processor transition to 45nm hi-k metal gate will gain
momentum in Q1 2008. We expect to see a top-to-bottom dual- and
quad-core (Wolfdale and Yorkfield, respectively) line-up to complement
the current Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and paper-launched QX9770 processors.
But you need chipsets that support the new processors first. Intel,
naturally, has a number of chipsets purporting support for 45nm chips,
including the performance X38 and midrange P35. NVIDIA, though, is
keeping 45nm support a little more guarded, with news that incumbent
nForce 680i SLI cannot be simply firmware-updated to provide the
necessary compatibility. Not so much of an issue now, sure, but one
that will become increasingly important
in Q1 2008.
So here's a sneak peek at a couple of MSI motherboards based on the
upcoming nForce 780i SLI.
The P7N Diamond has a couple of interesting features. The first is the
heatsink-clad chip that sits inbetween the two PCIe x1 slots. We'd love
to tell you it was some new-fangled technology that'll change the
world, but the underlying ASIC is the NVIDIA nForce 200 - the chip
required
to provide both PCI-Express 2.0 support and better lane
division without
having to re-design the
chipset bridges; a quick-fix, if you will.
The board also features four mechanical x16 PCIe slots (running at x8 electrically) and three can be
used to facilitate NVIDIA's upcoming three-way SLI multi-GPU technology
that's dubbed 3SLI (or should that be TrySLI (sic)).
The not-so-feature-laden P7N Platinum gives up the fourth mechanical
PCIe x16 slot and a few extras in exchange for a lower street price.
It's still aesthetically refulgent and garish, in equal measure, thanks
to the Circu-Pipe cooling.
NVIDIA would tell you that the boards will be available in Q1 2008 to
coincide with the release of sanely-priced 45nm Penryn CPUs. The truth
of the matter, and confirmed by more than one source, is that NVIDIA's
had significant problems in ensuring flawless 45nm support.
We expect the P7N Diamond to retail at around £160 and the
P7N Platinum for around £125 when they go on sale. The
obvious competitors will be the X48 and X38 chipset-based motherboards
from Intel, clearly.
Being based on the guts of the nForce 680i SLI both boards will provide DDR2-1066 compatibility. Expect to see the DDR3-supporting nForce 790i SLI a month or two later.
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Although not many 780i based boards have been tested yet, I would guess power consumption will be massive, because of the additional circuits required for PCIe2.0 on top of the SLI chipset. This is more important if you agree that the only reason to buy one of these boards over an Intel chipset is to get SLI, which we all know the pros and cons of.Quote
Taking the nForce 680i SLI as a base, it has six SATA2 ports running off the southbridge. We'd be amazed if MSI didn't use all six on the PCB itself and added another couple of eSATA ports from some add-in controller.Quote
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