MSI BIOS
MSI's BIOSes have becoming increasingly similar to those manufacturers who place a special emphasis on end-user manipulation.
The voltage screen gives the user a scary amount of adjustment. From a default of 1.55v, you can raise the Vcore to an impractical 2.3v. However, I'd recommend some kind of phase-change cooling if you're even contemplating going anywhere near 2v. MSI's trait of having to cycle through each individual voltage before arriving at your desired level remains intact here. The voltages go up in 0.0125v steps to 1.6v and then 0.1v up to 2.3v. Vcore voltage seemed to fluctuate heavily under even moderate load. Settings a Vcore of 1.75v resulted in a BIOS load voltage of 1.65 - 1.68v and a Windows' load voltage of 1.59 - 1.65v. That's far more tolerance than normal. The test PSU's 12v line took a harder beating than usual with this board.
In a similar vein 3.3v DIMM voltage is a little silly. Modules show heavy diminishing returns after 2.8v. It's there if you're confident you can use it. 2.1v AGP is almost unheard of too.
The DDR frequency list is equally impressive. I doubt there's any standard system memory that can run at DDR-532 speeds. Just don't be surprised if your board doesn't boot when applying the very highest settings in each category.
The range of FSB increments, all in 1MHz steps, are outlined for various boards above. 500MHz (2000MHz QDR) is just a pipe dream for present CPUs and RAM modules.
RAM timings are given the usual treatment. Be warned that applying anything other than SPD timings pushed system memory down to DDR-320 levels, even with some top-quality Corsair XMS3500 memory. MSI assure us that this is just an issue affecting review samples. Just like the Asus board, SPD timings is the way to go.
The only aspect to mention here is the Promise PDC20378 controller. It can be setup as either S-ATA, RAID, or disabled. The setting's important as it has the ability to run in independent S-ATA and independent P-ATA, RAID0 S-ATA or RAID0 P-ATA, RAID0+1 S-ATA or RAID0+1 P-ATA, and RAID0 and RAID0+1 S-ATA + P-ATA combined. Phew.
A subscreen highlights the various options open to you on the ICH5R. You'll need a clear head when inputting to this screen. It's there for you to dismiss redundant, unused controllers.
The temperatures quoted by the 875P Neo seemed a little too high to be believable. Cooling used was a ThermalRight AX478 and 25CFM Cooler Master fan.
