MSI lets slip AMD 790FX mobo

RD790 real-world moniker revealed

Motherboard maker MSI has pipped its rivals to the post and unveiled its first chipset based on AMD's as yet unannounced 790FX chipset - better known as the RD790.

MSI's K9A2 Platinum supports Socket AM2 and Socket AM2+ processors, including the upcoming four-core Phenom range of CPUs. Four DIMM slots allow up to 8GB of 1066MHz DDR 2 memory in dual-channel configuration to be added.

MSI's K9A2 Platinum: AMD's 790FX chipset on board

The board has a pair of PCI Express x16 slots of CrossFire-connected graphics cards, and two more PCIe x8 slots to allow four x8 graphics cards to be installed, if multi-monitor gaming is your thing. A pair of PCI slots and an PCIe x1 slot complete the board's opportunities for add-ins.

The K9A2 has six 3Gbps SATA slots capable of hosting drives in RAID 0, 1, 5 and 0+1 configurations. There are ten USB 2.0 ports, a pair of Firewire connectors and a single Gigabit Ethernet port.

The chipset's components receive passive cooling from the K9A2's array of heatpipe-connected heatsinks.

MSI didn't say when the K9A2 Premium will go on sale, or how much it's likely to cost.