MSI Unveils DDR2+DDR3 Combo Motherboards

[malware]

During CeBIT, MSI showcased two AMD 790GX motherboards that combine support for both DDR2 and DDR3 on the same board. Although both the MSI 790GX-8D and the MSI P45-8D are designed for different platforms, the enormous RAM capacity support - both offer four DDR2 slots and four DDR3 memory slots - makes them really unique. The AM3 board 790GX-8D featuring the 790GX chipset, supports DDR2-1066 or DDR3-1333 RAM. It is also capable of supporting socket AM2+ processors with DDR2 RAM. Moreover, the 790GX-8D allows overclockers to increase the RAM frequencies at any time using an onboard control dial. Users can even erase the CMOS RAM with the touch of a Reset button or switch into power saving mode by pressing the "Green Power" button. The board offers two PCIe x16 slots, two PCIe x1 slots, and a vanilla PCI slot.
As for the P45-8D, this motherboard makes use of Intel's P45 +ICH10/ICH10R chipset and supports Intel's 45nm and 65nm Core 2 (Extreme) processors. The board has one PCIe x16 slot, one PCIe Gen2 (1x16) slot, one PCIe x1 slot, and three vanilla PCI slots. The P45-8D should be widely available already, while the MSI 790GX-8D AM3 child is still unavailable.
MSI nicknamed the boards - "Memory Lover".



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[theorw]

The left mobo is really not suitable for aftermarket coolers...I mean what kind of cooler would fit between the rams and the vr heatshink??

 

[TreadR]

It's kinda a cheap idea... what would happen if someone would populate both DDR2 and DDR3 parts?

Since both of them have 240 pins of the same size, removing the physical separator and adding markings for where the actual separators would be would result in a 2 in 1 concept. Then with a switch like method changing between one or the other... I think that would have been a more "user friendly" approach with more space.

But with the low advantage that DDR3 offers over DDR2 at present time, I don't see the benefit.

 

[ShadowFold]

I think they should've just put 4 dimms. Two DDR2 and two DDR3. There really isn't a point in having 4 dimms anymore since 2x2 kits are so damn cheap nowadays.

 

[eidairaman1]

The left mobo is really not suitable for aftermarket coolers...I mean what kind of cooler would fit between the rams and the vr heatshink??

Ultra 120 from Thermalright

 

[jcfougere]

They are kind of late with the offering, Asus released a DDR2/DDR3 combo board for P35 in 07...P5KC.

I admit, I haven't had need for DDR3 yet, but I was so devastated when I bought my s939 and then DDR2 became mainstream, that I didn't want to buy a boad that would be left in the dust again. Needless to say DDR2 is still a far better alternative to DDR3, but I like having the option to switch if indeed they make DDR3 with better timings.

 

[devguy]

"taste the rainbow"

 

[silkstone]

Damn those are ugly boards. I might even try to chew the power cable off if i woke up and found one of them next to me!

 

[Apocolypse007]

I would much rather see an x58 board with support with both types of memory. Would make it much easier to upgrade. Or does Core i7 not support DDR2 at all?

 

[devguy]

I would much rather see an x58 board with support with both types of memory. Would make it much easier to upgrade. Or does Core i7 not support DDR2 at all?

With the Core i7, Intel finally adopted the idea of an integrated memory controller that AMD has had since the K8 architecture. Although, they certainly seemed to do a good job with it, as their first attempt let loose a stable, triple channel controller.

Therefore, it is no longer the northbridge that dictates the type of memory that can be used. I believe this will be the same for the Core i5, but only with a dual channel controller, like AMD.

 

[suraswami]

hmm effective use of real estate there. Why can't they just dump the ugly long desktop mem slots and offer 8 SODIM slots, that will reduce some clutter.

 

[DrPepper]

hmm effective use of real estate there. Why can't they just dump the ugly long desktop mem slots and offer 8 SODIM slots, that will reduce some clutter.

Then we will all bitch about how it uses sodimm and that they could have used the desktop ones.

 

[Hayder_Master]

nice from msi , but there is something wrong in 790gx design which is you can't use big cooler when you use first solt's of ram's

 

[CheetoLover]

Ultra 120 from Thermalright

yup, exectly, any of the ultra coolers from thermalright would fit, i got an ultra90 with a 120mm fan on it

 

[hat]

Unless you're running autocad or photoshopping extremely big images you don't need any more than 4gb. I've been there myself... I bought an 8gb kit and just sold 4gb because I didn't even use 4gb of the 8.

 

[RevengE]

yup, exectly, any of the ultra coolers from thermalright would fit, i got an ultra90 with a 120mm fan on it

LoL you have almost the same Ava as Wizzard one of our Admins
Also this is just like the M4A79 board from Asus.

 

[Deleted member 3]

They are kind of late with the offering, Asus released a DDR2/DDR3 combo board for P35 in 07...P5KC.

Yup, the P35, best AMD chipset ever...

hmm effective use of real estate there. Why can't they just dump the ugly long desktop mem slots and offer 8 SODIM slots, that will reduce some clutter.

Because memory controllers can't handle that, unless you use registered memory. Nowadays they already have issues with two modules per channel, so forget about four.