Friday, December 11th 2009
MSI Readies First AMD 890-FX Based Motherboard
Here it is - the industry's first motherboard ready for market, based on the AMD 890FX chipset. This socket AM3 motherboard features a platform overhaul with its new chipset, support for USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps, and as many as six PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots. The electrical configuration of these slots isn't known as yet, but seeing that there are only two apparent groups of external PCI-Express lane switching, four of these could be electrical x8. The carries the markings of "quad-CrossFireX graphics support", which leads us to believe that at least four out of six of these are wired to the new northbridge.
The CPU is powered by a 5+1 phase VRM, with a large heatsink cooling both the VRM areas and the northbridge.Besides the six PCI-Express x16 slots, there is a lone PCI slot. This is also perhaps the first motherboard with native SATA 6 Gbps support, with as many as six SATA 6 Gbps ports. An additional controller seems to be in place for a couple of extra SATA 3 Gbps ports, and an IDE controller (indicating that the chipset has given up native IDE support). An additional NEC controller provides two USB 3.0 ports color-coded blue, on the rear panel. Its neighbours include powered eSATA, 8-channel audio with optical and co-axial SPDIF, a number of other USB 2.0 ports, FireWire one Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth. There is no word on the pricing or availability, though hopefully more could be learned about 890FX-based motherboards at the upcoming CES event.
Source:
Coolaler
The CPU is powered by a 5+1 phase VRM, with a large heatsink cooling both the VRM areas and the northbridge.Besides the six PCI-Express x16 slots, there is a lone PCI slot. This is also perhaps the first motherboard with native SATA 6 Gbps support, with as many as six SATA 6 Gbps ports. An additional controller seems to be in place for a couple of extra SATA 3 Gbps ports, and an IDE controller (indicating that the chipset has given up native IDE support). An additional NEC controller provides two USB 3.0 ports color-coded blue, on the rear panel. Its neighbours include powered eSATA, 8-channel audio with optical and co-axial SPDIF, a number of other USB 2.0 ports, FireWire one Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth. There is no word on the pricing or availability, though hopefully more could be learned about 890FX-based motherboards at the upcoming CES event.
85 Comments on MSI Readies First AMD 890-FX Based Motherboard
Anyways, I'm wondering like everyone else about how this board spreads the PCIe lanes. Also, I hope that the 8xx series brings some much better IGPs (the HD3200 was somewhat revolutionary, but it's time for an upgrade.)
That's plenty of bandwidth for any single GPU card.
Even if you're using two 5970s you only need two of the three slots. There's plenty of room for various configs. This is an excellent board.
And screw asus.
The 790FX is a the top chipset, the 790X and 790GX comes after it.
It is very unlikely to cost any where near $400, and not even the X58 boards cost this much.
There are very few boards over $400, so far its some of the EVGA and Asus boards.
I wish the other companies would take off the covers and show us what they've got hiding as well! I'm getting anxious now... :o
Kei
On the other hand, the main purpose of this particular chipset is full speed graphics slot.
That is why AMD released the 790X chipset because that is all that you usually need. ;)
I would expect a 890X chipset later.
What I meant is the GTX 280 should work fine in a x8 slot.
You did mention that the board is working right, and its good to know.
On the other hand, this thread is about this new board for the AMD platform, I am not even discussing how the P55 works.
The major difference between the 790FX and the 790X chipset is the number of PCI-Express lane avaliable.
So AMD will most likely some something similar and release a 890X.
If you don't care about running on x8 you might as well grab something that is one step down and save some cash.
Never thought id go ASUS because of price premium but here i am... the ASUS M4A79XTD EVO is like a value enthusiast board.
If ASUS could do something along those lines with the new chipset i would be all over it but no one really needs to go to the new chipset just yet i would leave it a while longer.