MSI A88X-G45 gaming review - Introduction

MSI has released two new AMD APU motherboards, and they do look chill. As such we review the MSI A88X-G45 Gaming edition. It seriously is one of the most beautiful and feature rich motherboards that MSI can offer for Kaveri. The new MSI FM2+ gaming series motherboards features Killer LAN, Audio Boost sound enhancement technology, and a whole new software and hardware design for enhanced gaming performance. In addition Assassin's Creed Liberation HD comes for free. We will test this motherboard with AMDs new A10-7850K APU, which has has eight Radeon cores totalling towards a nice 512 shader processors clocked at 654 MHz base and 720 MHz boost. The APU memory controller supports up to DDR3-2400 MHz memory speeds. As a K-series processor it is unlocked as well so you may tweak a little more out of it. The motherboards features a Killer Gigabit Ethernet controller and now comes with Audio Boost technology for better sound clarity and USB Audio Power that delivers a constant 5V power at all times to the USB ports. Based on Military Class 4 components you should get better durability and stability when overclocking. The motherboards have DVI, HDMI, VGA and DisplayPort out with a maximum resolution of 4K over DP. The A88X-G45 Gaming is an ATX form factor board and can seat two graphics cards. You are going to spot six USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports. It's four DIMM slots that house a total of 32 GB of DDR3 memory at a maximum of 2400 MHz. The A88X-G45 Gaming features eight SATAIII connectors.

The MSI A88X-G45 Gaming edition is extremely feature rich in its category, here is an overview as promoted by MSI:

Reward your ears with true quality. Get ready for ear-drum shattering sound, with MSI Audio Boost! With Audio Boost we're delivering the highest audio quality with the use of Creative Sound Blaster Cinema so you can enjoy crystal clear sound and music through 8-channel HD Audio. Because the complete audio circuitry is isolated from other features through EMI shielding, you'll enjoy less interference and more stability resulting in a sensational sound quality. Topping this with the use of gold plated connectors, illuminated isolation line, studio level integrated headphone amplifier and high quality audio capacitors, and whether you demand the best sound quality for music or professional gaming, MSI Audio Boost delivers.

When connecting USB devices such as External DACs, only MSI Real USB Power can continue to deliver 5V to the USB ports on motherboards. Not just one USB port, MSI USB Audio Power exclusively supports all USB ports. The USB audio power design, which powers the USB port independently, offers more stable power and audio signals. The whole new design results in much clearer sound effects with reduced noise along with stable voltage for improved stability for the users' extra devices, enjoying an enriched sound presentation. Make use of advantages while gaming online with MSI to get ahead. Killer LAN automatically detects and accelerates game traffic ahead of other network traffic for smoother, stutter-free in-game performance and the competitive edge. With this exclusive, automatic traffic prioritization, games and real-time chat get priority over low-level system chatter, giving you the lowest latency for game data on the most controllable network hardware available. Military Class 4 is the next step in high quality components. The Hi-c Cap, Super Ferrite Choke and Solid CAPs will make sure that your PC runs more stable under extreme conditions. These key components have all passed the seven tests of MIL-STND-810G military class which are performed by independent laboratories to ensure stable operation under the harshest environments. MSI GAMING motherboards are equipped with many exclusive new technologies, including the all new two-stage one-second overclocking OC Genie 4, the world's first graphical monitoring interface Click BIOS 4, and the Control Center software that combines monitoring, tuning and remote controlling, and much more. The easy to use high quality software and hardware design allow consumers to gain more convenient experiences.

Next page please, where we'll go a little more in-depth.

 MSI A88X-G45 Gaming FM2+-motherboard with Killer E2205