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MSI G965MDH

22 Mar 2007

Motherboard shopping for a new Media Center PC? MSI's new G965MDH comes with Intel's newest integrated graphics solution and an uncommon Intel Southbridge especially customized for Viiv.

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HWZ's Overall Rating: 8.0

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			<h2 class="header-green">MSI G965MDH (Intel G965)</h2>
		<span class="byline">Reviewed by Vincent Chang on Thursday, 22 Mar 2007</span>
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		 		<h2 class="page-title">Introduction</h2>
		 		<h3 class="page_title">Introduction</h3>
<p>In spite of its marketing clout, Intel's vision of a platform for Media Center PCs - Viiv - has not really captured the mind share and crucially, the market share for digital entertainment like how its Centrino branding has become associated with notebooks. More than a year after its introduction, with the initial publicity long gone, the market has greeted the new entrant with a little indifference. Perhaps that has to do with the still-niche status of digital entertainment PCs, or it could be the feeling that the sum of its parts isn't particularly different from any other reasonably capable modern PC. There still isn't really a compelling reason to jump on the concept just yet, but despite it, all Viiv continues to evolve.</p>
<p>Intel is still improving on the main components making up the Viiv platform and motherboard makers are still continuing to show their support for Intel's initiative. These continual efforts come together in MSI's latest Viiv certified microATX motherboard based on the Intel G965, the MSI G965MDH, which also uses the Digital Home variation of the ICH8 Southbridge.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" title="MSI's mATX Viiv-enabled motherboard, the MSI G965MDH, based on the Intel G965 Northbridge." src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/04/fcb01df57c.jpg" /></p>
<p class="rteleft">Since we got an early preview unit from MSI, there were no accessories included, but a quick check at MSI's website shows that you generally can expect the following bundled in the retail box:</p>
<ul>
    <li>2 x SATA data cables</li>
    <li>1 x SATA power converter cables (dual plugs)</li>
    <li>1 x 80-conductor Ultra ATA data cable</li>
    <li>1 x floppy drive data cable</li>
    <li>I/O shield</li>
    <li>Driver CD and diskettes</li>
    <li>User's manuals and guides</li>
</ul>
<p class="rtecenter"><img alt="" title="For a board that has the Viiv logo certifying its Media Center PC credentials, the lack of optical and coaxial S/PDIF is rather disappointing. There is also no DVI output - we got the VGA analog output instead." src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/04/b191285654.jpg" /></p>			</div>
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