Added extras
Bundled as standard with the Big Bang Trinergy is a Quantum Wave soundcard and MSI's exclusive OC Dashboard.
The OC Dashboard, pictured close up below, connects via a proprietary cable and a single USB cable. What's cool is that the unit sports a magnetic back panel, allowing it to be easily attached to most chassis.
Plug it in and you're given access to a selection of BIOS-specific functions. The OC Dashboard can be used to display system information, including debug messages, and it also allows users to adjust system voltages on the fly - even whilst in Windows. Extremely useful for the tweaking crowd.
The soundcard, too, is no lightweight. MSI reckons Quantum Wave is the world's first stand-alone soundcard to support both THX TruStudio PC and Creative's EAX Advanced HD 5.0, and it's clearly touting the card's ability as a key selling point. Here, in MSI's own words, is what to expect from Quantum Wave:
- EAX Advanced HD delivers double the voice count, so you get more detail and speed in your games. It also adds a dedicated bass feed for each of the 128 simultaneous voices, so gaming audio becomes more cinematic.
- EAX Voice allows you to literally become part of the game! Using a microphone connected to an EAX Advanced HD 5.0 compliant audio device in any game title, you can speak and hear your voice with the same effects as the environment your character is in. Furthermore if the game supports 3D Voice Over IP then other players in the game will be able to hear your voice as you do and coming from the correct direction!
- EAX PurePath - Truly Cinematic Gaming Audio! The function of EAX PurePath is to improve the LFE (Low Frequency Enhancement). The game developer can have higher flexibility to control low-pitched sound in a game.
- Environment FlexiFX - Xtreme Gaming Audio! The completely re-designed effect engine gives developers total freedom to use any of four simultaneous effects with any of the 128 voices.
- EACH MacroFX - Getting You Closer To Your Gaming Audio! The feature allows EAX Advanced HD to simulate sounds passing very close to you! Someone whispering to your ear, a bullet flying a couple inches by your head and so on.
- Environment Occlusion - OK, The Bad Guys Are Outside! The previous version called occlusion only delivers basic sound effect occluded by the direct sound, but not the environmental reverb associated with that sound. Environment Occlusion improves the realism by allowing the reverb effect itself as well as the direct sound to be muffled due to occluding objects. So you get the best simulation of real-world audio ever achieved.
Slotting into one of the board's two PCIe x1 slots, the Quantum Wave soundcard provides support for 7.1 audio and offers both forms of S/PDIF-out.
