X-bit labs

DDR2 or DDR3: MSI P35 Platinum Combo Mainboard Review (page 3)

Category: Mainboards

by Doors4ever

[ 02/29/2008 | 04:37 PM ]

PCB Design and Functionality

Even a quick glance at MSI P35 Platinum Combo mainboard will reveal significant similarities between this solution and the non-Combo model. This mainboard inherited a lot of features from its counterpart, including both: advantages and drawbacks. The advantages are definitely more numerous that a few layout issues we will point out later on.

MSI P35 Platinum Combo uses the same remarkable unusually looking “Circu-Pipe” chipset cooling system. Some of you may see it as a sophisticated water-pipe system, the other associate it with the rollercoaster model, but the MSI engineers claim that “the new Circu-Pipe provides the best cooling solution with its fin-typed heatsink around the heat-pipe”.

However, there are still a few differences that we should point out here. For example, the heatsink on top of Intel ICH9R South Bridge chipset has now become a little lower compared with the one used on MSI P35 Platinum non-Combo model.

This is the only noticeable difference, other than that Circu-Pipe cooling system looks exactly the same. The heatpipe originating from the chipset South Bridge heatsink base goes through the North Bridge heatsink base, rises and ends above it in a half-loop.

The second heatpipe starts with the same half-loop above the North Bridge heatsink, goes through its base and leads to the heatsink on top of MOSFET transistors.

There are two more heatpipes originating from this heatsink. One connects it to the chipset North Bridge heatsink, while the other goes through it and ends in a heatsink right next to the memory slots.

This way Circu-Pipe cooling system consists of four heatsinks with four heatpipes distributing the heat among them. The disadvantages of this approach are evident: you will inevitably have hard times installing large processor coolers onto a CPU socket framed at three sides with three other heatsinks. There are some cooler models that are completely incompatible with Circu-Pipe cooling system. However, we have already dealt with mainboards where there are four heatsinks around the processor socket, and they are still very popular among computer users. However, efficient heat distribution pattern and large heat dissipating surface of the Circu-Pipe cooling system will let you do without any additional fans, which we saw during our MSI P35 Platinum non-Combo mainboard tests.