Introduction
When MSI launched their first wave of P55 motherboards the results where nothing other than stunning. In fact the enthusiast segment MSI P55 GD80 we reviewed at the time was loaded with devotee features and options. There where a couple of wishes left undesired though, especially the 8x--8x PCIe lanes configuration for SLI and CrossfireX users was a thorn in the eyes of many of you.
As such, MSI went back to the drawing board, came up with a solution and decided to further improve the MSI P55 GD80 concept. The end result is called the Big-Bang series motherboards -- yes we'll try to not make any jokes on choice of wording on 'Big Bang'.
The new Big Bang series will entail several top of the line motherboards based on the P55 chipset. At this time MSI announced two extremely high-end models:
- MSI Big Bang Fuzion = with the Lucid Hydra chip -- (allows mixing graphics cards) this motherboard has been delayed to Q1 2010.
- MSI Big Bang Trinergy = with NVIDIA NF200 chip (adds additional PCIe lanes to the motherboard) and thus is 3-way SLI ready.
Within the Big bang series only P55 motherboards will get either an NF200 or Lucid Hydra ASIC, that board has not been released just yet. Today we take a peek at the MSI Big bang Trinergy -- with the Tri for triple lovin' on top of the regular GD80 functions, yes it makes the mainboard 3-way SLI compatible.
Next to all the cool features the board already offers, MSI added a few more extra's next to the fantastic design, V-Kit control, the mystical finger touch buttons. With the Trinergy MSI adds THX TruStudio PC and Creative's EAX Advanced HD 5 to the board with the help of an additional Quantum Wave Audio card, we see an external OC dashboard and thus full PCIe bandwidth thanks to an added NF200 nVIDIA bridge chip.
But there's much more to show you. We have lots and lots to talk about and show you, and we guarantee you that some of you probably ask your parents or girlfriend a 'Big Bang' for Christmas. Now if you do so, please refer to this article as otherwise there might be some misconception or well .. conception.
Lame puns aside, head on over to the next page where we'll startup this review.
