MSI Releases X79A-GD45 PLUS Motherboard
MSI has released a new high-end motherboard with some very interesting features.
MSI has launched a new LGA 2011 socket motherboard, the X79A-GD45 PLUS which comes with an X79 chipset and a very nice feature set. For starters, the board comes with a 9-phase power design for the CPU, eight DDR3 DIMM slots that support up to 128 GB of Quad-Channel DDR3-2400 memory, three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots that supports 3-way CrossFireX / SLI, two PCIe x4 slots (shaped like x16 slots), and a single PCIe 2.0 x1 slot.
The motherboard comes very close to reference specifications and uses very few third party controllers since most of the work is done by the X79 chipset itself. Regarding connectivity, the X79A-GD45 PLUS has all the features we expect from a modern, high-end motherboard such as two SATA3 ports, four SATA2 ports, four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear I/O, two on front header) and a handful of USB 2.0 ports.
The audio on the motherboard is handled by a Sound Blaster Cinema chip with 7.1 HD audio and features both coaxial and TOSLINK outputs. Also included are Intel Gigabit LAN, PS/2 ports and a clear CMOS button.
At the time of writing there is no word on availability, but expect pricing to be between $200 and $250.

The one that has been lurking in my case for almost the past 4 years is still alive and well(P45 Neo2).
The only problem that I have is that alot of things are lost in the asian to english translations, and their BIOS can be quirky sometimes.
That's what I'm talking about. It takes these companies so long to let go of the old technology for motherboards. We're finally beginning to see a majority of boards without conventional PCI slots. I think the last conventional PCI device I owned was a sound card circa 2002. The OEMs must buy a crap-ton of connectors and controllers when the tech is introduced and just use them until they're gone whether they remain in demand or not.
Maybe because they're cheaper, so you could put more for less, and most stuff is still limited to 2.0 on the peripheral side of the story. Or at least, that's what i can think of, though i wish too that they'd drop 2.0 entirely now.
WHAT? NO.
That's wrong.
USB 3.0 ports tend to require special drivers and have software issues far more often than USB 2.0 ports. At least without the proper drivers installed, USB 3.0 ports often don't work at all, so I'd hate to have a computer that had no legacy USB connectors to fall back on in case of issues. Basically, although I don't see good reason for a whole six USB 2.0 connectors, it wouldn't make sense to drop 2.0 completely. Having at a bare minimum of two USB 2.0/1.x connectors should be necessary for a long time yet and no more than four seems necessary to me.
Hmmm ... I still have a USB 2.0 stick, I'll try it on a USB 3.0 connector.
I've been checking quickly on the net qnd I'am quite convinced USB 2.0 devices work on USB 3.0.
That sounds reasonnable to me. 2-4 USB 2.0 and lots of USB 3.0.
A mouse or a joystick, etc... don't need USB 3.0. They could make keyboards with USB 3.0 ports though.
My daughter yanked my keyboard out of the back of my computer and I am to lazy to plug it back into that USB 2.0 port. I do have a USB 3.0 back there with an extension on it for my USB 3.0 flash drive. So I plugged my keyboard into that, my keyboard works fine and I am pretty sure this cheap SIIG keyboard is not USB 3.0
But just use logic here. USB is everywhere there has to be backwards compatibility.
Is that why my usb 2.0 wirless adapter is working in my usb 3.0 slots? same with my flash drives.
For compatibility. Older OS preboot environment don't play nice with USB 3.0.
I do NOT consider just TWO Sata3 ports in a new motherboard to be anywhere near "high-end"