Monday, October 27th 2008

MSI X58 Eclipse Motherboard Preview

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malware
 Discuss (24 Comments)
MSI has dropped a few pictures of its fancy X58 Eclipse motherboard featuring Intel's X58 and ICH10R chipsets. With this board MSI has decided to use normal copper and heat-pipe cooling rather than their circu-pipe cooling that in my humble opinion looks awful. The board is made out of high-quality components only such as solid aluminum capped capacitors, Hi-C capacitors around the CPU area, sealed ferrite chokes, and Intersil ISL6336 PMWs. The board features MSI's DrMOS MOSFET + Driver IC 6-phase power source design and removable PCIe x1 based 7.1 Creative X-FI audio controller with EAX 4.0 HD support. The board also features a handful of switches and buttons. MSI is providing power, reset, and DLED2 on/off buttons as well as a dip-switch for changing the base clock speeds to 133, 166, or 200MHz at POST time. Several LED status indicators are also informing you for everything from standby mode to QPI phase status. Finally the MSI X58 Eclipse can take up to three PCIe 2.0 x16 graphics cards, a total of ten SATA drives and twelve USB 2.0 devices. More pictures are available here.
Source: AnandTech

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24 Comments on MSI X58 Eclipse Motherboard Preview

#2
cheesemonkey
malwareremovable PCIe x1 based 7.1 Creative X-FI audio controller with EAX5 support
its EAX 4.0
Posted on Reply
#3
jbunch07
Lovely board, great color color scheme, nice features. I like the CPU dip switch, that's a cool idea.
Posted on Reply
#4
OnBoard
I'd like the colors more if the blue was the same color as the bottom PCI-E 16x slot, now it looks a bit off. Nice full copper cooling though :)
Posted on Reply
#5
HaZe303
Like what I see! Nice layout, nice colors, and finally a nice cooling!
Posted on Reply
#6
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
now i *do* like that sound card.

While i dont want creative cards due to the drivers, its very nice that it comes with a PCI-E card - it means you can REMOVE IT entirely if you get your own card later.
Posted on Reply
#7
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
cheesemonkeyits EAX 4.0
You're correct, the card only supports up to EAX 4.0 HD.

MSI is downright lying about it being "hardware audio", it's not. That CA-0110 chip is merely a good quality audio chipset, it's not an audio processor. The real "hardware audio" from Creative, is the CA-20k series used in the X-Fi cards.
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#8
HaZe303
btarunrYou're correct, the card only supports up to EAX 4.0 HD.

MSI is downright lying about it being "hardware audio", it's not. That CA-0110 chip is merely a good quality audio chipset, it's not an audio processor. The real "hardware audio" from Creative, is the CA-20k series used in the X-Fi cards.
Yeap, this is the same thing as with X-FI Xtreme Audio, its not a real X-FI, but more like an Audigy 1-2?
Posted on Reply
#9
Unregistered
HaZe303Yeap, this is the same thing as with X-FI Xtreme Audio, its not a real X-FI, but more like an Audigy 1-2?
ya. but it can give sound quality like the X-fi's although it does it by software rather than HW
Posted on Edit | Reply
#10
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
HaZe303Yeap, this is the same thing as with X-FI Xtreme Audio, its not a real X-FI, but more like an Audigy 1-2?
Depends on which Audigy 1/2 model you're referring to. High-end ones use EMU-10K. Audigy SE is the same thing (software acceleration).
Posted on Reply
#11
Morgoth
Fueled by Sapphire
pre-ordered :D
Posted on Reply
#12
Octavean
Finally an X58 board with 7 expansion slots. There are indeed things to like about this board but I’m not too keen on the Creative X-FI audio at all much less losing a PCIe X1 slot to it. I’d rather have some more or less conventional on board audio.

I’ve seen too many disgruntled Creative users to want to mess with it.
Posted on Reply
#13
BOSE
10 SATA ports, thats what every mobo should have.
Posted on Reply
#14
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
OctaveanFinally an X58 board with 7 expansion slots. There are indeed things to like about this board but I’m not too keen on the Creative X-FI audio at all much less losing a PCIe X1 slot to it. I’d rather have some more or less conventional on board audio.

I’ve seen too many disgruntled Creative users to want to mess with it.
if you dont like it... take it off. you end up with the PCI-E 1x slot spare, unlike the asus boards with that custom backwards slot.
Posted on Reply
#15
Solaris17
Super Dainty Moderator
Morgothpre-ordered :D
were? i wants it its the oly thing i need!
Posted on Reply
#16
Wile E
Power User
Musselsif you dont like it... take it off. you end up with the PCI-E 1x slot spare, unlike the asus boards with that custom backwards slot.
Mine isn't backwards. It's a standard PCIe x1 slot.

At any rate, this board has a perfect slot layout, imo. Unfortunately, it is only sporting 6-phase power. I'll pass. The search continues. :(
Posted on Reply
#17
btarunr
Editor & Senior Moderator
Wile EAt any rate, this board has a perfect slot layout, imo. Unfortunately, it is only sporting 6-phase power. I'll pass. The search continues. :(
A lot of it is PR crap, but not half bad a read nonetheless: www.xfastest.com/redirect.php?tid=15646&goto=lastpost

(takes time to load)
Posted on Reply
#24
Solaris17
Super Dainty Moderator
NOES!!! Morgoth if they dont come out in the US within the next couple weeks i wil give you the money and you need to send it to me would you?
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