Power MOSFETs can generate a lot of heat. These electrical components traditionally use the PCB to sink away the heat,
but in this case the 915P Neo2 has a small aluminum heatsink. The heatsink is
cooled with the air from the processor fan, and helps to keep the MOSFET temperatures down
when the board is overclocked.
To help bolster sales, MSI are including a coupon for a
free 802.11g wireless PCI card within the package, which can be redeemed with proof of purchase. A nice touch
as wireless networking in the home continues to enjoy strong popularity.
No motherboard is ever perfect, but difficult to use sockets, clips,
or headers can make things hard for a user trying to adjust components
inside a case. On the MSI 915P Neo2, the PCI Express x16 videocard slot lock is
a real pain to use.
It's about the most difficult lock I have
ever dealt with, and I can't see how anyone would be able to remove the videocard without having
to first remove the motherboard from the case. In fact, when we were
trying to release the lever I actually broke a pen tip! That's how much force
you need to disengage it!
I think MSI should also consider supplying some better quality 'rounded' cables
with their motherboards. With the 915P Neo2 Platinum, the cables are simply regular
cables crumpled up together and wrapped in plastic. They're even more difficult
to manipulate than a standard IDE ribbon cable, and never seem stay in
position which is frustrating.