Conclusion

MSI K8N Diamond is the first mainboard based on the nForce4 SLI chipset we have tested. Besides the SLI mode (we will examine this particular technology in more detail in our upcoming articles), this chipset has brought no other surprises and performs almost like the nForce4 Ultra. Well, we have some suppositions about its worse overclockability, but we need to check them out first before making any statements.

As for the particular mainboard, the K8N Diamond from MSI, it is a good choice for an extreme gamer’s computer. However, you shouldn’t forget that the price of top-end mainboards, thanks to NVIDIA and MSI, has closely approached the $300 mark. Are you ready to pay this money for an excellent mainboard with SLI and integrated SoundBlaster Live!?

Highs:

• Good stability and reliability;
• Support of the SLI mode;
• Excellent audio solution based on the Creative SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit;
• Excellent networking capabilities, provided by two Gigabit Ethernet controllers and NVIDIA’s ActiveArmor;
• Six Serial ATA II channels with support of RAID;
• Dynamic overclocking and Cool’n’Quiet, and the temperature-controlled speed of the CPU cooler.

Lows:

• High price;
• Insufficient number of expansion slots;
• Inappropriate design of the chipset cooler.