MSI X48 Platinum: Four PCI Express x16 Slots to go Please....

Initial Thoughts

Out testing was certainly not without problems, and the X48 Platinum is still far from perfect, but even in the face of this we really enjoyed our time working with this board. MSI has done a very good job of engineering a relatively low-cost X48 motherboard that shows it has the potential to hang with some of the big dogs. A few refinements here and a couple of BIOS tweaks there should allow the X48 Platinum to be a really good alternative for those who need a gaming or multi-GPU solution without the higher prices that will prevail at the top end of the X48 market. In our minds, MSI is headed in the right direction with this board; you would be foolish to make your next motherboard purchase without giving them due consideration.  Of course, we state this based on our conversations with MSI getting the BIOS in order before the launch date.

The use of four separate PCI-E x16 slots is certainly something we don't see that often. Like we mentioned before, assuming these slots are all intended for graphics cards alone is a little off kilt. MSI's use of the PCI-E bridge chip is really meant to allow for the use of more than one add-on card that needs a minimum x4 link state. Features like this will become more and more important as the industry continues to accelerate away from the aging PCI interface on its way to full support for the newer PCI Express architecture.

The latest reports from Intel place the X48 launch in mid- to late February. Picking up a new motherboard after the big Q1 refresh, as well as currently un-launched 45nm budget quad-core CPUs or the elusive E8500 dual-core CPU, will be the focus of enthusiasts worldwide. Keep your eyes on this board (hard not too with that heatsink solution or pink memory slots), with a few more tweaks, we see no reason why MSI will not be able to deliver a compelling DDR3 alternative at an attractive price. A price that would be even more attractive if DDR3 memory prices continue to fall.