@ eTeknix.comWith the original problems of the Intel P67 platform now well and truly fixed, a Sandy Bridge set-up is once again a great recommendation for any computer enthusiast looking for a new CPU or motherboard. We all know how blisteringly fast, stupendously overclockable and extremely good value the Intel LGA1155 processors are, especially the ‘Core i5 2500K’ and ‘Core i7 2600K’. The ‘K’ series of processors feature the unlocked multiplier meaning they are built for overclocking. Anybody looking forward to enjoying the wonders of these new processors also needs a motherboard to suit their needs and not break the bank. P67 or Z68 boards are exactly where the enthusiast crowd are looking.
The P67 platform brings new features like SATA 6GB/s support and an improved memory controller. Couple those features with the added in features on a large quantity of the mid range and high end boards and it makes for a very feature rich set-up!
When you look for a P67 motherboard which tick’s all of the boxes and comes in at an aggressive price, you are spoilt for choice. Today we will see how well MSI’s P67A-GD65 performs.
MSI are a company which has improved its quality and range of products exponentially in the past few years. They produce a variety of computing components ranging from graphics cards to motherboards and even to notebooks. They offer some of the best priced components for the value segments of the market and also some of the best performing components for the enthusiasts out there.
The P67A-GD65 is one of the more recent boards MSI have released. It is part of the MSI ‘Military class’ range of components and also contains useful features like the updated ‘OC Genie 2’ and UEFI ‘click BIOS’. It is packed to the brim with features and comes in at a very affordable price tag of around £130. It has some stiff competition in the similarly priced P67A-UD4 from Gigabyte and the slightly more expensive P8P67 PRO from Asus though.
So does the GD65 live up to its military class advertising? Or is it just class clown? Let’s take a look...
Wednesday Web Reviews:
HARDWARE
NZXT Sentry Mesh Fan Controller Review @ OCC
NVIDIA NF200 x16/x16 vs. Intel x8/x8 P67 Performance Analysis
GIGABYTE X58A-OC LGA1366 Motherboard Review @ Hardware Canucks
AURAS Shagon' AHC-118 CPU Cooler Review
Mach Xtreme MX-GX USB 3.0 16GB Flash Drive Review @ eTeknix.com
iXBT Labs Review: i3DSpeed, May 2011
G.Skill Sniper 1866 MHz DDR3 Memory Kit @ Benchmark Reviews
InWin Wavy Mini-ITX Case @Hi Tech Legion
Neoseeker's ASUS UEFI BIOS Review
Sapphire Radeon HD6950 Flex 2GB DDR5 Graphics Card reviewed in Metku.net
ZOTAC GTX590 3GB Graphics Card Review @ Vortez
Accessories
Corsair HS1A Gaming Headset @ LanOC Review