MicroStar International, a leading maker of mainboards, has introduced a new family of mainboards that are not only specifically designed for overclocking of microprocessors, but which virtually guarantee successful overclocking. The MSI OC Certified platforms undergo military class specific testing with Intel Core i7 central processing units operating at 4.60GHz, significantly above default frequencies.

The mainboards that belong to the  OC Certified series will be submitted to a Military Class stress-test for overclocking. The first member of the family, MSI Z77 MPower should survive 24 hours of Prime95 with LGA1155 microprocessors operating at 4.60GHz. The main conditiond of the OC Certified test is a high temperature amid the lack of airflow.

OC Certified is a major extension of MSI's Military Class certification. Military Class III mainboards already have their component quality tested in rigorous tests to ensure all-round stability. OC Certified puts these components to the ultimate test. When an MSI Z77 MPower passes the OC Certified test, it is guaranteed to be able to run in overclocked conditions in high temperatures with little to no airflow. Final OC results of course vary with the component quality of the entire system and users’ technique, but at least one can count on mainboard not being the limiting factor.

MSI OC Certified motherboards will also feature enhanced PWM cooling and better power stability thanks to usage of high-quality components. The enhanced PWM cooling test ensures that even without airflow in a high-temperature room (30°C) without airflow from a CPU cooler. the mainboard will survive at least 24 hours, a clear evidence of its high quality.

MSI's first OC Certified mainboard is the Z77 MPower that is based on Intel Z77 core-logic and is designed for overclocking of microprocessors in LGA1155 form-factor.

Tags: MSI, OC Certified, Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Intel