Couldn't find this with a search, so I thought I'd share some impressions.
Background:
I came to 1155 after having run a 775 for four years, until my board starting dying (random crashes, LAN controller failures, firewall dropouts, etc).
Selections:
I wanted an 1155 board with the following:
mATX,
at least one SATA 6GB/s port,
onboard DVI,
separate PS/2 for keyboard and mouse (not a dealbreaker, tbh)
four memory slots (future-proofing),
PCI-e 3.0 (future-proofing),
pricing between £50 and £60.
As you can imagine, this didn't leave me much to pick from - a few Gigabytes, a few ASUS, and a couple of MSI - as it was obvious I was locked into the B75 chipset by the pricepoint. I had no interest in hardcore overclocking, but I do go in and tweak some settings now and then.
Enter the MSI B75MA-P45, which I scooped for just under fifty quid.
The Board:
This is an outstanding "system builder" board - it just goes in and works. Set the memory to XMP, set the fan cut-in temps, and you're off. The I/O is the bare minimum for a "modern" system IMO, and I like that; no LPT, no serial, and three audio jacks. One PCI-e 3.0 x16, one PCI-e x1, and one PCI - enough for any graphics card you like, and a soundcard. Again, exactly enough.
Three fan headers (but this includes the CPU). Two of them are PWM, and the 3-pin is smack in the middle of the expansion slots - great positioning for aftermarket graphics cooling.
Looks good as well - the MSI black-and-blue motif is great (but I imagine it would be tough to match component colours if you were so inclined).
Driver installation couldn't have been easier: a CD autoloads with five buttons to press. I'm used to keyboard BIOS, so the mousey version is a real boon. In for a good three weeks now, and not a single crash.
Verdict:
If just want an 1155 system and aren't into fiddling with anything to deep, this is the one. I would have considered it a bargain at £60, but at £48 it's more like a steal. With a SATA 6, four DIMMs, and PCI-e 3.0, it makes a fantastic upgrade platform as well - I'm currently on an i3 and mechanical HD's, but a jump to an i5 and SSD will give it a huge kick up the arse!
Background:
I came to 1155 after having run a 775 for four years, until my board starting dying (random crashes, LAN controller failures, firewall dropouts, etc).
Selections:
I wanted an 1155 board with the following:
mATX,
at least one SATA 6GB/s port,
onboard DVI,
separate PS/2 for keyboard and mouse (not a dealbreaker, tbh)
four memory slots (future-proofing),
PCI-e 3.0 (future-proofing),
pricing between £50 and £60.
As you can imagine, this didn't leave me much to pick from - a few Gigabytes, a few ASUS, and a couple of MSI - as it was obvious I was locked into the B75 chipset by the pricepoint. I had no interest in hardcore overclocking, but I do go in and tweak some settings now and then.
Enter the MSI B75MA-P45, which I scooped for just under fifty quid.
The Board:
This is an outstanding "system builder" board - it just goes in and works. Set the memory to XMP, set the fan cut-in temps, and you're off. The I/O is the bare minimum for a "modern" system IMO, and I like that; no LPT, no serial, and three audio jacks. One PCI-e 3.0 x16, one PCI-e x1, and one PCI - enough for any graphics card you like, and a soundcard. Again, exactly enough.
Three fan headers (but this includes the CPU). Two of them are PWM, and the 3-pin is smack in the middle of the expansion slots - great positioning for aftermarket graphics cooling.
Looks good as well - the MSI black-and-blue motif is great (but I imagine it would be tough to match component colours if you were so inclined).
Driver installation couldn't have been easier: a CD autoloads with five buttons to press. I'm used to keyboard BIOS, so the mousey version is a real boon. In for a good three weeks now, and not a single crash.
Verdict:
If just want an 1155 system and aren't into fiddling with anything to deep, this is the one. I would have considered it a bargain at £60, but at £48 it's more like a steal. With a SATA 6, four DIMMs, and PCI-e 3.0, it makes a fantastic upgrade platform as well - I'm currently on an i3 and mechanical HD's, but a jump to an i5 and SSD will give it a huge kick up the arse!
