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PC Stats has posted a MSI E7205 Master-L Workstation Motherboard review



Before the i875 Canterwood chipset surfaced and brought in support for 800MHz FSB Pentium 4 processors, we had the Intel E7205 Granite Bay. Slated as a the new 'workhorse of workstation systems', this chipset has been received with much interest, though in limited numbers. PCstats.com tested out one such example in the form of the MSI GNB Max-FISR motherboard a few weeks ago, which while incorporating the E7205 chipset, is a purely desktop-oriented solution. The GNB Max is a good board by its own right, but if your computing situation demands more of a heavy-hitter then todays review of the MSI E7205 Master-L could be just what the doctor ordered. Boasting the same dual channel DDR memory capabilities, the MSI E7205 Master-L is clearly a solution for workstation environments which demand a little more punch, like (drop-in) onboard SCSI for example. Outfitted with a MiniPCI socket, the board has a level of expandability not often seen out of the server, or SBC (Single Board Computer) environment. Of course, the inclusion of the MiniPCI socket does not a workstation motherboard make. Other appealing features included on the MS9126 E7205 Master-L are a 50-watt 8X AGP slot, Gigabit Ethernet care of Intel's own RC82540EM chipset, 5.1 channel AC'97 codec-based audio, and five bright blue 32 bit PCI expansion slots. For the MiniPCI slot, MSI currently sell optional cards which bring ATI Rage XL video, IEEE 1394 firewire or Ultra 160 SCSI into the fold as we have already mentioned. The unit we received for testing came with the Adaptec Ultra 160 SCSI card, but this is an optional extra and not included in the standard retail package.
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