MPower | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 30 Jan 2024 18:39:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png MPower | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 MSI to bring back MPower motherboards https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/joao-silva/msi-to-bring-back-mpower-motherboards/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/joao-silva/msi-to-bring-back-mpower-motherboards/#respond Mon, 29 Jan 2024 13:30:23 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=645834 It appears that MSI had a valid reason for withholding the release of a Unify motherboard based on the Z790 chipset. The company has decided to revive its popular MPower series, which was once a go-to choice for overclockers. The MPower line was the first to be ‘OC certified' and subjected to a 24-hour stress …

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It appears that MSI had a valid reason for withholding the release of a Unify motherboard based on the Z790 chipset. The company has decided to revive its popular MPower series, which was once a go-to choice for overclockers.

The MPower line was the first to be ‘OC certified' and subjected to a 24-hour stress test for overclocking and power stability. Despite being discontinued seven years ago during the Z170/Z270 era, according to Wccftech, the MPower series is set to make a comeback with a Z790 motherboard.

 

Image credit: Wccftech

The new motherboard has an M-ATX form factor and uses aesthetics similar to the latest MPower motherboards to be released. As for the features, like some Unify boards, it only has two DDR5 memory slots. At launch, MSI promises “superb” memory compatibility, as the company confirmed that the MPower motherboard will support DDR5-8000+ memory overclocking and a maximum capacity of 128GB, meaning that the latest 64GB DDR5 modules will work straight out of the box.

Moreover, it features a 15-power stage architecture, and the CPU's two 8-pin EPS connections support this claim. Additional connectivity includes two M.2 slots placed under an M.2 heatsink (each), two PCIe x16 slots, a PCIe x1 slot, and four SATA III ports. The rear I/O includes four USB 2.0, three USB 3.2 Gen1, and a single USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port. There's also WIFI 6E + BT 5.2, a 2.5GbE Ethernet LAN port, and a 7.1-channel audio jack. The Asian market will be the first to receive the new MPower motherboard. The projected price is $199 (MSRP) and $229 (including taxes).

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru says: Have you ever owned an MSI MPower motherboard? Would you consider getting a new one if MSI keeps doing them?

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MSI X99S MPower: Intel ‘Haswell-E’ platform gets more affordable https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/msi-unleashes-x99s-mpower-intel-x99-platform-for-haswell-e-gets-more-affordable/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/anton-shilov/msi-unleashes-x99s-mpower-intel-x99-platform-for-haswell-e-gets-more-affordable/#respond Fri, 31 Oct 2014 09:41:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=219528 MicroStar International this week rolled-out its fifth mainboard based on the Intel X99 core-logic set that is designed for Intel Corp.’s latest high-end desktop (HEDT) Core i7 “Haswel-E” central processing units. The new motherboard features premium components, overclocking capabilities and all the advantages the X99 has to offer. However, it lacks certain functions and technologies …

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MicroStar International this week rolled-out its fifth mainboard based on the Intel X99 core-logic set that is designed for Intel Corp.’s latest high-end desktop (HEDT) Core i7 “Haswel-E” central processing units. The new motherboard features premium components, overclocking capabilities and all the advantages the X99 has to offer. However, it lacks certain functions and technologies that are required by select enthusiasts, which makes it a tad more affordable than the rest platforms for the new “extreme” CPUs.

The MSI X99S MPower mainboard features LGA2011-3 socket for Intel Core i7-5800/5900-series “Haswell-E” microprocessors, eight 288-pin DIMM slots for DDR4 memory modules, four PCI Express x16 slots (which can work in x4, x8 or x16 modes) for up to four graphics cards, two PCI Express x1 slots for add-in boards, M.2 slot for solid-state drives that works in PCI Express 3.0 x4 mode (provides 32Gb/s, or 4GB/s of bandwidth), one SATA Express port, integrated 7.1 audio with MSI AudioBoost enhancements, Serial ATA-6Gb/s, USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet and so on. The motherboard comes in ATX form-factor, unlike some other members of the X99S lineup that come in E-ATX.

msi_x99s_mpower_1

Like other premium mainboards from MSI, the X99S MPower comes with what the company calls Military Class 4 components, which includes DrMOS II MOSFETs, monolithic super ferrite chokes (SFCs), highly-conductive polymerized capacitors (Hi-C Cap, made of tantalum) as well as aluminum core capacitors with low equivalent series resistors (which MSI calls Dark Caps). MSI’s motherboards designed for overclocking are marked with OC Certified sign, which means that they have passed the test running Prime95 for over 24 hours with a “highly overclocked” CPU without airflow for the mainboard itself.

The MSI X99S MPower motherboard features all the advanced overclocking capabilities that the Intel X99 platform and the rest of the MSI X99S family members have to offer, which includes fine adjustments of BCLK, voltage checkpoints, OC Genie manual overclocking feature and so on. Still, the mainboard lacks USB port on the PCB (which is only needed by extreme overclockers who do not install mainboards into PC cases), manual adjustment of CPU multiplier using OC Genie buttons, additional fan stand, heat-pipe-based cooling system for CPU VRM and the X99 PCH (which is barely needed at all) and some other minor things.

msi_x99s_mpower

In short, the MSI X99S MPower has everything needed to enjoy Intel’s latest six-core or eight-core Core i7-5800/5900-series “Haswell-E” microprocessors, including versatile overclocking functionality, but lacks certain functions only needed for professional overclockers or extreme enthusiasts.

While the MSI X99S MPower will not be exactly inexpensive, it will be more affordable than many other mainboards for LGA2011 v3 microprocessors available today. The novelty should hit the market shortly.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The MSI X99S MPower will eventually not be the only reasonably priced LGA2011 v3 mainboard on the market. As the Intel X99 platform matures, expect other manufacturers and even MSI itself to offer something even more affordable for those, who do not need advanced overclocking capabilities.

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MSI launches X99 Gaming and MPower motherboards https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/matthew-wilson/msi-launches-x99-gaming-and-mpower-motherboards/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/matthew-wilson/msi-launches-x99-gaming-and-mpower-motherboards/#respond Fri, 29 Aug 2014 16:00:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=209519 X99 is all set to launch later today and MSI is prepared with its new range of X99 Gaming and X99 MPower motherboards, offering up advanced overclocking tools and low lag Killer E2200 game networking. The X99 Gaming motherboards come with a brand new “Streaming Engine”, a dedicated hardware encoding solution to reduce the impact …

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X99 is all set to launch later today and MSI is prepared with its new range of X99 Gaming and X99 MPower motherboards, offering up advanced overclocking tools and low lag Killer E2200 game networking.

The X99 Gaming motherboards come with a brand new “Streaming Engine”, a dedicated hardware encoding solution to reduce the impact on the CPU while recording or streaming gameplay. In addition, the Gaming 7 and Gaming 9 boards feature a Killer E2200 game networking port.

The MPower boards are built with overclockers in mind rather than gamers, bringing many useful features to the table. The PCB is designed to isolate power and signal traces, resulting in higher efficiency and performance. Additionally, the socket has been designed to allow for the use of extreme cooling solutions such as LN2- a delid die guard and OC backplate are also included.

X99 Gaming 7X99 Mpower

Here's the full list of MSI X99 motherboards up for grabs:

MSI has posted full overview pages for its X99 Gaming and MPower ranges on its website. Pricing and availability information will be made available shortly.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE. Read our X99 Gaming 7 preview, HERE. 

KitGuru Says: X99 is here. What do you guys think of these new motherboards? Will you be upgrading?

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Exclusive interview with Joran Schoonderwoerd from MSI https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jules/exclusive-interview-with-joran-schoonderwoerd-from-msi/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jules/exclusive-interview-with-joran-schoonderwoerd-from-msi/#comments Thu, 18 Jul 2013 09:05:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=142738 Anyone who can remember progressing from a Commodore 64 to a PC – largely with gaming in mind – can rest assured that it's a very familiar path for the KitGuru editorial team. When we got the opportunity to interview MSI's Product Manager, Joran Schoonderwoerd, we were definitely interested. Read on to see why! Joran joined …

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Anyone who can remember progressing from a Commodore 64 to a PC – largely with gaming in mind – can rest assured that it's a very familiar path for the KitGuru editorial team. When we got the opportunity to interview MSI's Product Manager, Joran Schoonderwoerd, we were definitely interested. Read on to see why!

Joran joined MSI five years ago and handled MSI’s Marketing & Communications for several regions in Europe, including the Benelux, Baltics, Greece and Hungary. However, since 2012, he has been given responsible for MSI's Product Marketing across Europe. That means he's not only the first point of contact for most of the serious press, he's also the ‘key holder' when it comes to the cool/insider info with regard to new and interesting products that MSI plans to deliver.

We asked Joran how many product lines make up his domain.

“Right now, I am responsible for Mainboards, Graphics Cards and MSI's All-in-One PCs for Europe”, he explained.

That's definitely the ‘cool stuff' for us.

So, let's have it, what is MSI's hottest range right now?

“A year ago, that would have been the MPower range for extreme overclocking, but since the launch of MSI's Gaming Range, I have a new favourite”, said Joran. “Basically, the MPower range has been designed to give you the very best of everything, whereas the MSI Gaming Range is more about key features that gamers can use every day to improve their scores”.

OK, that's the simple explanation, but we wanted Joran to give us an in-depth break down of the differences between the Gaming and MPower ranges – and he was happy to oblige.

Joran told KitGuru, “The nice thing about the new Gaming Series is that they fit right in between the Classic and Overclocking series we already had for some time. The Classic Series motherboards have always been a great base for a stable and affordable PC. On the top end, we have the Overclocking Series, such as the XPOWER and MPOWER mainboards. But a couple of years ago we started encountering more and more gaming enthusiasts on events and we found their passion for games really inspiring. At that time, when we thought about gaming, we always assumed only the graphics matter.

“The funny thing was, when talking to PC gamers, a lot of them told us that some of the most frustrating issues while gaming were totally not related to graphics: lagging Internet connections, noisy audio, huge loading times, overheating PCs and so on. That’s when we started to realize we could make gaming better with a motherboard that combines a high performance, a good price and new technologies to improve the overall gaming experience”.

Joran has a little something for us, apparently
Joran has a little something for us, apparently

All the best ideas have a seed – a source – so where did the inspiration for this one come from?

Joran blames gamers in Northern Europe, explaining “This may sound obvious, but we went directly to the people who were buying the MPower kind of product – listening carefully to real users who were spending their hard earned money on MSI kit.  In the past, we tended to put most of our efforts into the feedback gained from resellers, shops etc – but we wondered if we were missing something.

“Over the last two years, I’ve been to Poland, Germany, The Netherlands, U.K. and Scandinavia, where we simply talked with lots and lots of gaming clans and leagues. We asked them what they liked and didn’t like about our products – and what is really important for them in terms of gaming. Their feedback helped us to shape our own view on what gaming could and should be. After that we started to contact companies like Qualcomm and Creative to develop new technologies for our motherboards. It quickly became clear that adding these features to our existing classic or overclocking series products would not make sense for us, so a new range of Gaming motherboards was the most logical step”.

Around 5 years ago, when KitGuru first heard that Intel was likely to move away from mainboard design and manufacture, we were shocked. Through initiatives like Skulltrail, Intel had worked long and hard to mount a credible challenge in the desktop mainboard space. Indeed, when KitGuru first achieved 5GHz with air cooling on a Core i5 655k, back in May 2010, it was 0n an Intel DP55WG Warrensburg board.

Now Intel is moving away from this market altogether. What does that mean for MSI?

“System builders who always used to go for Intel motherboards will need to be looking for alternatives, so attracting those customers is definitely something we have looked in to. We’re working closely with Intel to see if we can offer their customers a comparable product, combined with similar terms and conditions. It’s an interesting challenge for MSI as some of the channels in which vendors such as Intel operate can be totally different from what we're used to, but we pride ourselves on being fast learners”.

The graphics definitely seem more serious than the old 'shades of blue' style
The graphics definitely seem more serious than the old ‘shades of blue' style

We take this opportunity to ask Joran about the other great rumour: That Intel chipset mainboards from the main manufacturers will ship with Intel already inside the box.

Joran smiles and reminds us that, “On entry-level platforms – based on Atom, Celeron, Brazos and Kabini – we already are selling mainboards with onboard CPUs, for example the MSI C847MS-E33. So this is not completely new to us. We intend to keep doing this on a long term. For middle to higher end platforms, we don’t expect Intel and AMD will stop making sockets any time soon, despite the rumours”.

That covers the most basic of components, the mainboard onto which the key components are mounted, but what about laptops? Still important?

Absolutely. Laptops are a very important pillar of our organization. We try hard to work smart. Rather than making a huge range of laptops and doing a little bit of everything, we would rather put our energy into specific, highly-focused products – including the MSI Gaming series laptops. We’ve also increased our efforts around All-in-One PC designs – and these have done well around the launch of touch-centric Windows 8. We’re actually launching a whole new All-in-One PC series very soon, so watch this space”.

So what else can we expect from MSI in the near future?

Joran told us, “We are already way down the line working on products for 2014 and we have some cool new stuff planned for the later part of this year, but I can't go into details. Let me just say that if you watch the laptop and All-in-One markets, then you will be in for a pleasant surprise”.

Finally, how does Joran see MSI as different?

“One thing I like in particular about MSI is the attention to details we have for our mainboards. A nice example are the MPOWER series, for which we’ve literally spent days debating just the aesthetics of the boards. With each bit of text and each little chip on the beta-boards, we asked ourselves ‘Do we really need this? Does it add to the look, feel and functionality?’.

“Even though 99% of our component hardware ends up in a closed chassis, we are still determined that the first impression a customer has when opening the box is impressive. And we want that feeling to last way past the moment of assembly. Put a modern MSI overclocking motherboard next to any other board, past or present, and you will know exactly what I am talking about. The MPOWER just breaths sexiness”. His eyes drift a little. “Hmm, now I’m beginning to doubt whether the Gaming series really is my favourite”.

MSI-Elmor-World-Records-MPOWER-KitGuru.

Enough of the seriousness – time for KitGuru to open up Joran's character with some personal probing:-

What was the first computer Joran owned?
I had a blast with my Commodore 64 playing ‘Tanks’ and ‘Last Ninja’. In the mid-nineties I bought my first Compaq computer, but can’t remember the exact model.

If you were driving along a Pacific highway, on ‘the perfect day’, which car would you be driving, what song would be on your radio and who would be your passenger?
I would be cruisin’ in a black Ford Mustang GT, listening to ‘Regulate’ by Warren G and Nate Dog, sitting next to my girlfriend, Michelle.

If you wanted to impress friends, what would he cook at home?
My cooking skills are pretty basic, but I can make a killer quiche. Not sure if that’s a good way of putting it though…

Which dish does Joran love, but can’t make it right – so he always needs to order it at a restaurant?
Asian pastries. I cannot even pronounce them correctly, let alone make them. But I love them and want them.

If you could invent one thing, what would it be?
An anti-traffic-jam-button.

Field testing begins on Joran's anti-traffic-jam button
Field testing begins on Joran's anti-traffic-jam button.

KitGuru says: First up, a BIG thank you to Joran for taking the time to speak with us. We have spoken with a major UK system builder recently and they have announced that 100% of their PCs now come with MSI mainboards. When we asked why, they told us that the improvements made at MSI over the past couple of years have been phenomenal – especially on the after sales support side of things. The support they were talking about is the kind MSI and its competitors need to provide fast and on a large scale when issues arise. Companies winning more business because of their after-sales support is a story that we love to hear all day long. We'll keep you posted on any new laptop/All-in-One announcements from Joran and MSI! 

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Channel prepares to launch MSI Z77 MPower at £179 https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/harrison/channel-prepares-to-launch-msi-z77-mpower-at-179/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/harrison/channel-prepares-to-launch-msi-z77-mpower-at-179/#respond Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:22:38 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=102670 One of the most successful MSI mainboard ranges of recent times was the Big Bang. While very appealing in terms of pure specification, the boards were priced high and not accessible to everyone. Now MSI's engineers have taken a step back, pulled out the best features from Big Bang and used them to create something …

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One of the most successful MSI mainboard ranges of recent times was the Big Bang. While very appealing in terms of pure specification, the boards were priced high and not accessible to everyone. Now MSI's engineers have taken a step back, pulled out the best features from Big Bang and used them to create something far more affordable. KitGuru dons an anti-static wrist band to investigate.

On 9th July 2010, almost exactly 2 years ago, KitGuru Labs went into 20 pages of deep investigation of MSI's X58 Big Bang board. Weighing in at a whopping £270, our conclusion was that it was the best board available at the time. Impressive stuff. But there's still the matter of the two hundred and seventy gold coins with the queen's head on them.

August 2012 promises to see the launch of a more affordable high-end option from MSI, as the company prepares to launch its Z77 MPower products. According to MSI, this range has been designed hand-in-hand with some of the world's most extreme overclockers. The approach has been to ‘over-engineer' every important part of the product – from power phases to cooling to its OC friendly layout.

When we first got up close and personal with these boards at Computex, we noted that the hardware was just the beginning. It's the way the MSI warranty covers the board for overclocking use that's likely to bring a new wave of clockers to the MSI brand. Especially those that fancy a go at LN2, but were worried about warranty support evaporating as fast as the liquid gas.

MSI prepares the channel for the launch of its 'O/C Guaranteed' MPower Z77 boards

KitGuru says: The price information we have received tells that MPower will be taking an aggressive nose-to-nose stance with boards like the Sabretooth. The proof, as they say, is the the Lab-bing – so please place yourself in ‘standby mode' until we bring you our independent judgement on MSI's affordably priced MPower.

Comment below or in the KitGuru forums.

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