MSI K9A2 CF review

Doesn’t do what it says on the tin

This motherboard’s got AMD written all over it

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Reasonably cheap

  • +

    Puts in a decent performance

Cons

  • -

    Is outperformed by cheaper rivals

  • -

    No support for Crossfire X despite its claims to the contrary

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There are two versions of AMD's latest chipset - the 790X and the slightly higher specced 790FX.

The only real difference is that the FX has more options for overclockers, as this features a slightly crippled version of Overdrive.

You get what you pay for

Weirdly, the box states that this board supports Crossfire X, the new four-way graphics set-up from AMD - which clearly, with only two PCIE slots, it can't.

As good value as it is, we can't help feeling a bit let down. AMD is supposed to be competing on price and yet for less money, the Gigabyte DS3L has more features and a P35 northbridge.

We don't expect performance with Phenom to be spectacular but when coupled with a cheap Athlon, it's passable as a budget system. However, it has far from won us over.

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