MSI AMD Fusion Platform System Prototype – world first exclusive

As this is a prototype build from MSI (to guide system builders) there is no fancy box or packaging. We do love Silverstone Sugo cases however, the brushed aluminum is beautiful.

The front of the chassis houses dual USB 2.0 connectors and underneath is a headphone and microphone port. At the bottom is a power switch which is flush with the surface.

MSI have installed a low profile dual layer DVD burner at the top, fully colour coordinated.

The bundle contains the MSI E350IA-E45 motherboard box, with literature and a software and a driver disc. There is also a power cable and SATA cables (some of which are used in this build).

The Silverstone chassis is diminutive, but still capable of high levels of airflow. All the panels are vented to allow for maximum airflow. It does need cleaned out fairly regularly however as there are no dust filters on any of the vented areas.

At the back we have VGA, HDMI ports next to a single PS/2 socket. There are six USB 2.0 ports and two additional USB 3.0 ports (via the Realtek NEC 720200 chipset). Optical/coaxial audio are offered alongside a 3.5mm audio in/out socket based around the Realtek chipset. Finally there is a 10/100/1000 LAN port for fast networking.

The outer chassis is easily removed from the rear, exposing the internals.

From the top, we can see the 80 Plus certified power supply and the slim profile DVD drive.

The motherboard is a traditional blue and black scheme, similar to other models in the MSI range which we have reviewed in the past. It is a mini ITX design and makes a perfect partner for this Silverstone design. The E350 APU is actively cooled and resides underneath an aluminium heatsink. The motherboard also supports a discrete graphics card, although it this is only a 4x PCIe capable slot.

The Hudson M1 chipset is passively cooled, although there will be decent levels of airflow in this chassis thanks to the large rear fan. The motherboard also has four sata connectors which are 6GB/s. The board supports up to 8GB of DDR3, although this configuration has 2x2GB Kingston HyperX installed … more than enough for the mainstream audience.

MSI have designed the board incorporating quality solid capacitors which are said to have a lifespan of over 10 years. They have also utilised protection circuitry across the USB components.

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