By | Tony Smith 6th August 2005 11:08

MSI signs Northamber

Launches 'World's first' real-time DTS audio mobo too

MSI this week launched its latest Intel 945P-based motherboard, which it claims it's the first in the world to support DTS surround sound.

The hardware company also announced it had appointed Northamber is a UK distributor.

The 945P Platinum Deluxe supports dual-core processors, such as Intel's Pentium D, connected across a 1066MHz frontside bus, backed by 667MHz DDR 2 SDRAM in dual-channel configuration. For graphics there's a PCI Express x16 slot backed by a pair of PCI-E 1x slots. There's a proprietary by PCI-based WLAN/Bluetooth adaptor slot too.

On the audio side, the board supports real-time 7.1-channel encoding, and can simulate 7.1 sound from two-channel sources such as MP3 files.

The 945P PD provides four sets of 3Gbps Serial ATA connectors, using the on-board Intel Matrix Raid sub-system to provide RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and JBOD. There's also an external SATA connector, along with Firewire and ten USB 2.0 ports.

For performance chasers, MSI said the board provides auto-overclocking, dynamically upping the clock by up to 115 per cent, depending on system load. The board's third-generation DOT Express Technology also dynamically overclocks the memory, PCI-E and FSB clocks, yielding performance gains of up to 15 per cent within safety limits, MSI said. The 945P PD also incorporates a SafeBIOS feature to recover BIOS settings after a system crash or failed start-up.

MSI 945P Platinum Deluxe

The 945P PD will be one of the first boards Northamber takes. The distributor will be joining MSI's three other distribution partners - Maniland, Spire and SCL - to offer the full MSI product line but with an emphasis on motherboards and graphics cards, MSI said.

The two companies will also be looking to promote MSI's growing range of notebook, comms and communications products as the Taiwanese manufacturer moves to broaden its range beyond the components for which it is best known. ®