HardwareZone reviews the MSI RD480 Neo2 (US$90), an AMD Socket 939 CrossFire motherboard that features the ATI Radeon Xpress 200 CrossFire / ULi M1573 chipset, Dual channel memory (up to 4GB), 4 x SATA (Serial ATA 1.5Gbps interface) w/ RAID, Intel High Definition Audio (Azalia), Realtek RTL8110SB PCI Gigabit LAN, and 3 x 1394a ports @ 400 Mbps speed.
The MSI RD480 Neo2 looks like a very run-of-the-mill type of motherboard. From its features to performance, it is a mid-range board through and through. Its single redeeming factor is that it is a CrossFire motherboard and that alone makes it worth its while, especially among gamers who just want a clean gaming motherboard. Although the ULi M1573 Southbridge is showing its age, anyone will tell you that it is still a better solution than ATI's buggy SB450. Our benchmarks have also shown that it will deliver excellent storage performance and if anything, it does promise a more efficient onboard audio solution with Azalia, something not even the mighty nForce4 chipsets can boast of. [HardwareZone]
Itching to build that dual graphics machine based on ATI Crossfire? If you don't mind that it does not support SATAII, the MSI RD480 Neo2 seems like a nice choice. ATI graphics card fans will be thrilled with its inclusion of Azalia HD audio.
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