Verdict and Conclusion
Astonishing … absolutely astonishing! The MSI Big Bang Marshal is definitely one of the best P67 motherboards we’ve ever tested. I have to say it’s not really suitable for the average user … everything about the motherboard just screams “enthusiast” and it has more “bells and whitles” for the extreme overclocker than you could possibly imagine. Put it this way … it’s the first time I’ve overclocked a CPU past my personal record, with just a couple of clicks (and adjustments in the BIOS). I managed to overclock the Intel Core i5-2500K from the default clock speed of 3.3Ghz to a whopping 4.8Ghz with rock solid stability … all on air cooling! That’s right … No Dry Ice, No Liquid Nitrogen or watercooling. You can overclock manually via the BIOS (which I prefer) or use the MSI OC Genie II, which intelligently auto detects the clock/voltage of the CPU, memory or iGPU for best overclocking option.
Ok, let’s talk about the overall performance of the MSI Big Bang Marshal. If you take a look at the results from our benchmarks, you can see the Big Bang Marshal came out on top in all of our tests. Seriously, I needn’t say more … the results speaks for the themselves, simply superb.
Now, we all know that Intel’s “2nd Generation” of Core processors (aka Sandy Bridge) are extremely good. There’s no doubt about that, our reviews proved that … but the recent problem with the P67 chipset have really caused a lot of uncertainty among users. Thankfully however, the newly revised P67 chipet (B3 stepping) has come just in time to the rescue, and it’s proved to be quite a success … so far.
What makes MSI Big Bang Marshal so appealing is all the extras that MSI have included. It’s one of the most feature-packed motherboards I’ve come across, and the first I’ve seen with 8 PCI-E slots! There’s an onboard Creative X-Fi MB2 soundcard, which provides THX TruStudio PRO audio and surround sound. You’ll also find MSI’s OCDashboard, which is a debug LED panel/widget for monitoring the health of the motherboard and various settings. It’s perfect for any hardcore overclocker.
The “Military Class II” is MSI’s most talked-about feature. It uses components of the highest grade and quality for the construction of its motherboards. These include the use of Hi-c CAP, SFC (Super Ferrite Choke) and all solid capacitors, all of which gives the MSI Big Bang Marshal (B3) Motherboard unprecendented reliability, stability and longevity. But we’re not finished … the APS feature (Active Phase Switching) and the 24 phase DrMOS power design, offers superb power efficiency.
The MSI Click-BIOS is where all the overclocking action is done. It’s a mouse-controlled UEFI based BIOS, which is extremely easy to use … you can overclock your CPU in just a couple of clicks. If you experience failed boot attempts after overclocking, then the Multi-BIOS feature kicks in … it’s extremly handy especially during an emergency. For connectivity, the MSI Big Bang Marshal is well connected, including the support for 8 x USB3.0, 2 x USB2.0, 1 x Firewire, 4 x SATA 3Gb/s, 4 x SATA 6Gb/s, 2 x eSATA, SPDIF coaxial/optical, 2 x gigabit ethernet, and a load of audio connectors.
There’s only one issue with the MSI Big Bang Marshal. It comes in a XL-ATX Form Factor measuring 34.5cm(L) x 26.4cm(W). It’s slightly bigger than your average ATX motheboard. So one word of advice … make sure your case can support this XL-ATX Form Factor.
Pricewise, don’t expect the MSI Big Bang Marshal to come cheap. Our price search on the internet has revealed a staggering price of USD $400 (GBP 300 estimate). It is one of the most expensive motherboards we’ve tested, but it’s also one the best we’ve come across in terms of features, performance and overclockability.
Final words. The MSI Big Bang Marshal is truely an “enthusiast-class” motherboard. As far as we’re concerned, it’s one the best P67 motherboard we’ve come across in terms of features, performance and overclockability. Well done to MSI, for making it possible for us to overclock our Intel Core i5-2500K processor to a whopping 4.8Ghz all on air cooling! (with ease).
SCORE
9/10
“Designed for the Extreme Enthusiast”
