MSI Showcases 890GX Mainboards

The 890GX chipset from AMD has finally been formally introduced and is the first core-logic set from the 8 Series to make its debut. With support for next-generation AM3 processors, including upcoming six-core Phenom chips, and integrated graphics, the chipset is aimed at “virtually any PC budget.” Following the aim of providing mainstream users with high performance at an affordable price, MSI has put on display, at CeBIT 2010 in Hanover, Germany, two motherboards based on the new technology.

The two products being showcased are the 890GXM-G65 and the 880GMA-E45. Both of them have support for the next-generation interfaces known as SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0. As such, in addition to the high processing power of AM3 chips and the excellent multimedia capabilities of the integrated ATI Radeon HD 4290 graphics processor, the two mainboards will also provide users with high-speed data transfers for both internal and external storage devices.

In addition to the capabilities inherent in the chipset itself, MSI gave its two products extra features. One of them is the OC Genie, which allows the easy and quick overclocking of the entire system, for improved performance when running both processing and graphics tasks. Another technology built into the motherboards is active phase switching (APS). This feature automatically controls power consumption depending on the actual system needs.

Both of MSI's new models aim to reach a balance between features and price, but are targeted at different consumer bases. The 890GXM-G65 is designed as an “excellent price-to-performance choice for gaming.” As such, the board features two PCI Express slots, whereas the 880GMA-E45 is designed with only one such slot, being meant as a “budget offering with the features that enthusiasts need.”

Other specifications that the two cards share are four memory slots and loss-less 24bit/192kHz HD audio. Exact pricing and availability details are still unknown.

Live report by Traian Teglet from CeBIT 2010 in Hanover, Germany.