MSI FX5200U-TD128, Continued
The software bundle is very extensive and extraordinary. In addition to the aforementioned 3D! Turbo Experience tool, MSI ships a number of other utilities with the board. These are: Live Update 2 (automatic check for, download and installation of new BIOS files and drivers), MSI Secure Doc (file encryption utility), MSI GoodMem (a tool to flush the system memory), MSI LockBox (security software which allows the user to lock the computer when he or she leaves the workstation), and MSI WMI Info (a system information tool).
On top of these utilities, MSI's bundle also includes the programs E-Color 3Deep, TwinSoft BeTwin (a tool for managing multiple user accounts on a PC), Trend PC-Cillin (Anti Virus software), Media Ring Dialer, Virtual Drive (VirtualDrive Copy DVD and Virtual CD-ROM ), RestoreIT! (RestoreIT! Data Recovery & System Backup ) as well as MSI 3D Desktop, Supreme Foreign Language Learning Machine (a language learning software), and Intervideo's WinDVD 5.1 software DVD player.
MSI's Media Center Deluxe II is more than just a media center - it lets users control their entire PC (program launching, videos, music, radio, picture viewer, TV (video-in)). The big on-screen buttons and the large fonts make navigation especially easy when the PC is hooked up to a TV by TV-out, or when using the infrared remote control that comes with this version of the card. Using the remote, the Media Center software can be completely remote-controlled. Unfortunately, the remote control feature does not extend to mouse support via IR. The IR receiver is connected to the TV-out adapter using a 90-cm long cable.
The games bundle is another highlight. The card ships with full versions of "Morrowind - The Elder Scrolls III" (2002), Tom Clancy's "Ghost Recon" (2001), "Duke Nukem - Manhattan Project" (2002), and an extra CD featuring seven game demos.
Conclusion: Although the FX5200U-TD128 doesn't feature many hardware extras, it is nonetheless an interesting package, thanks to its well-rounded software bundle and the quiet fan.
+ Very quiet fan
+ TV-out
+ Video cable included (S-VHS, 2 m)
+ Huge software bundle (see text for details)
+ MSI software tools
+ Media Center Deluxe II (control center for the PC, useful in combination with TV-Out)
+ Good games bundle with current titles
| MSI FX5200U-TD128 | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | MSI |
| 3D Chip | NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 |
| Memory | 128 MB DDR (128bit), Hynix 28 |
| Memory Specs | Max. Clock Rate: 700 MHz (DDR) |
| Clock Rate (Chip/Memory) | 325 / 650 MHz (DDR) |
| Hardware Features | Video-Out |
| Fan Noise | 37.0 dB |
| Software | MSI 3D! Turbo ExperienceMSI Media Center II DeluxeMSI Tool SammlungMSI 3D DesktopE-Color 3DeepTwinSoft BeTwinPC-Cillin (Anti-Virus)MediaRing DialerFarsatone VirtualDriveFarstone RestoreIT!WinDVD 5.1Supreme Foreign Language L.M.MorrowindGhost ReconDuke Nukem Manhattan ProjectDemo CD |
