- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Location
- Atlanta, GA, USA
Since P55 was introduced, it seems like I’ve seen nonstop complaints about options for running multiple graphics cards. This is because most P55 boards only have a total of 16x available, to be divided between however many cards you happen to be running. So for an SLI or Crossfire setup, you’re only going to get 8x/8x speeds. The difference between 16x/16x and 16x/8x and 8x/8x (and so on) have been well documented and can be easily found with a quick Google search. This bandwidth limit seems like just another obstacle for the P55 platform.
MSI has fixed this by adding nf200 chip (already used in many X58 boards for the same purpose), providing either 16x 16x for dual card configurations, or 16x 8x 8x for triple card configurations. How effective is the addition of the nf200 chip? Well, if you do not want to run more than one GPU, it’s not. But for the rest of us that want the highest bench scores possible, or the best possible gaming performance we can get, I’d say this feature is invaluable. But before showing all of my benchmark and gaming performance figures, I’d like to discuss the Trinergy’s feature set a little more.
The huge pile of accessories barely fits in the box, and I doubt I could pack everything back in again.
Since the last board I tested was MSI’s P55-GD80, I had a good idea of what to expect when the Trinergy arrived. On the surface, it looks almost like the P55-GD80’s twin with a few buttons moved around and redesigned heat sinks. The Easy Touch 2 buttons are one feature of the GD80 I loved and am very happy to see on the Trinergy. Turning on or resetting the system is as easy as brushing your finger over the button (or where a button used to be). It’s easy to accidentally hit these if you’re not careful, but once you remember they’re there, it becomes less frequent. The OC Genie and Clear CMOS buttons are on a different corner of the Trinergy than the GD80, possibly to make them more convenient for users running inside a case.
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