The fourth X79 board we have in the lab is from MSI in the form of the X79A-GD65(8D). This board features the third generation of their Military Class of hardware as well as what MSI calls true Gen 3 PCIe The X79A-GD65(8D) has a price tag under $300 which makes these represents the lowest priced board we have tested so far. Now the question is; does the X79A-GD65(8D) have the same level of quality and performance as its more expensive peers, or will we find out that the old maxim “you get what you pay for” is true. We will take a look at both the performance and the design choices behind the X79A-GD65 and let you know. We will kick things off with the design and features.
The Box and Goodies -The box that the X79A-GD65(8D) is a little busy but not so bad that it would keep you from buying it. One thing that we noticed right off the bat was the appearance of a new Better Business Bureau sticker. This is interesting, but really only applies to consumers that are in the US. Still it is good to see as it indicates that MSI is concerned about taking care of their customers. The other item that jumps out is the Gen 3 PCIe logo. Although this is not going to be terribly important until Ivy Bridge hits the market it still can get you a 9-12% performance benefit if you drop in an AMD 7 series GPU today.
The back of the box gets a little more cramped, but still has some good information on for potential buyers.Inside the box we find more documentation than we are used to, but that is not completely a bad thing. You get an overclocking guide, two types of quick start guides and then two manuals, one for the software and one for hardware. MSI has also included a certificate of quality and stability… which will be good for some.
Other than that you get some typical loot inside the box; multiple SATA cables, header adapters, an e-SATA bracket, and a USB 3.0 bracket for the peripheral slots in whatever case you chose.
