MSI K9AGM2-FIH AMD Motherboard

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Max Slowik
Beth
MSI
Nov. 26, 2007

Specifications

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BIOS and Overclocking

The tweaking in the BIOS is kept to a minimum, and it's about what you'd expect from a locked-down, big-OEM-style BIOS. There are absolutely no overclocking options, and very little to do other than manage the fan speeds.

The fan control options, on the other hand, are quite thorough. They allow users to manage speeds with regards to CPU and system temperatures, and vary the fan speeds incrementally (by percentages). This is a welcome inclusion for quiet enthusiasts.

Overclocking
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Stock

CPU

Memory

Gigabyte 690G S2

MSI K9AGM2-FIH

200

MHz

350

Stock

CPU

Memory

Gigabyte 690G S2

MSI K9AGM2-FIH

235

n/a

MHz

350

Stock

CPU

Memory

Gigabyte 690G S2

MSI K9AGM2-FIH

266

n/a

MHz

350

Conclusion

The K9AGM2-FIH does have a couple of things working for it, but they're both stock features of all MSI products: MSI Update and the fan regulation. With them out of the equation, you're left with a motherboard without a bundle, a poor layout, and few features. Given the performance of the board, it's pretty hard to recommend it.

This motherboard lacks all the attention to detail that MSI has proved itself very capable of. To top it all off, limited connectivity and cheaper audio standard makes the K9AGM2-FIH look like a regular reference design, with no effort whatsoever to differentiate it from the rest.

This would be a different story if the motherboard cost less. It just doesn't have a chance when there are so many better options at better prices. The only real reason to buy this board is if you're in need of a micro-ATX 690G motherboard manufactured by MSI. I mean, it's a 690, so it's a cut above the other AM2 chipsets, but there are plenty of better 690 boards to choose from.

Pros

Good BIOS-level fan controls
MSI Update utility

Cons

Poor layout in general
Annoying chipset heatsink
Lack of bundle
Overpriced

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Page 3 of 3

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Page 1: Introduction, Board Layout & Bundle
Page 2: System Configuration & Benchmarks
Page 3: Overclocking & Conclusion

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