Vortez - Computer Hardware News & Reviews » News » November 2011 » Leaked: Pictures Of MSI Big Bang XPower II X79

Pictures of MSI's top-of-the-range Big Bang XPower II X79 motherboard surface in our in-box.


We've just got our hands on leaked pictures of the X79 Big Bang XPower II, MSI's X79 SandyBridge-E range leader. The Big Bang XPower II is the successor to MSI's X58 Big Bang XPower but boasts all the functionality X79 has to offer.




First point to note is the aggressive styling. Gone are the blue highlights of MSI's mainstream X79, we now have black with a hint of copper. It's striking to say the least, and would look great in an all-black case interior. Size wise, our best guess is that the Big Bang XPower II is the same XL-ATX form factor as the P67 Big Bang Marshall; XL-ATX is larger than EATX, so check the dimensions of your case before buying to avoid disappointment!

MSI proudly emblazon the XPower II with Military Class III, which adds DrMOS II to the features of Mil. Class 2. Present on the XPower II therefore will be Hi-c Capacitors, Super Ferrite Chokes and Solid Capacitors, adding stability and reliability to the mix. Also of note is the 8 DIMM slots for quad-channel memory, indicating probable support for up-to 64GB of RAM and huge memory bandwidth.




2*8-Pin 12V Power for the CPU demonstrates that MSI intend the XPower II to be capable of pushing massive voltages through for absurd overclocks; the sheer number of power phases, 24 at my count, backs up this presumption. Location of the sockets is absolutely ideal at the top-left of the motherboard; keeping cabling tidy so as not to impede air-flow should be simple.




Additional PCI-Express power for heavily overclocked multiple-GPU set-ups is via a 6-pin connector between the 4th and 5th PCI-E slot. Presupposing dual-slot GPU coolers fitting the additional cables shouldn't be an issue, but it'll be nice to see that in a slightly more convenient location. With seven full-length PCI-E slots the XPower II looks born for 4-Way SLI, but we'll seek confirmation.

Slots 1 and 4 are wired for 16x lanes, other are 8x. MSI boasts support for PCI-Express 3.0 with the XPower II, allowing it to support cards which aren't even out yet.




Additional features likely include:



This is version of the Big Bang XPower II is labelled as 1.0, it's possible that later revisions will make an appearance for release.

UPDATE: It's been confirmed by an MSI Rep on the Overclockers.co.uk Forums that v1.1 of the Big Bang XPower II will relocate the 6-pin PCI-Express power to a more convenient location. Something to keep an eye out for if you're planning to purchase one.

Tagged as: MSI, Big Bang XPower II, X79, Sandybridge-E, XL-ATX

w3bbo Moderator Posts: 606 Joined: 2011-04-21

#20532 Posted on: 07.11.2011 16:43:41 Looks great save for the heatsinks. 22 phase power?...hmmmm

Mishima Administrator Posts: 4326 Joined: 2009-07-28

#20534 Posted on: 07.11.2011 17:00:47 it does look rather GIGABYTE-ish.... what with the entire black look and bullets. Not sure if its a step to close to them tbh. Looks feature laden though!

Dain VTZ Newbie Posts: 24 Joined: 2011-10-30

#20544 Posted on: 07.11.2011 17:50:57 Looks nice, love dark colors. Black being me favorite. Id rather it be a Gigabyte personally though ^

Suicidal Zebra Moderator Posts: 400 Joined: 2010-11-15

#20549 Posted on: 07.11.2011 18:24:42 I prefer the looks of these boards to that of the Gigabyte G1.Assassin 2, if for no other reason than the lack of lime green. Firearm motiff I could do without, as I've mentioned wrt to Giga's boards in the past, but if I was in the market for this board I'd almost certainly also be looking for 3rd-party heatsinks too.

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Vortez - Computer Hardware News & Reviews » News » November 2011 » Leaked: Pictures Of MSI Big Bang XPower II X79