MSI has announced two new motherboards – the B85I Gaming and the B85M Gaming. Both of these motherboards are based on the B85 chipset from Intel and feature the LGA1150 socket.
The B85I Gaming motherboard is largely identical to its non-gaming B85I, with a couple of subtle changes to make it appeal more to gamers. These changes include better USB power, Killer LAN, and improved audio hardware.
The motherboard carries MSI’s Audio Boost technology, which gives it a high-quality headphone amplifier as well as overall better sound quality as compared to standard solutions. Also aboard is the company’s so-called USB Audio Power design, which is essentially a separate and more stable power circuit for the USB ports for use with external DACs.
MSI has also equipped the B85I Gaming with the Killer E2200 gaming network adapter, which should reduce network lag in online games through improved prioritization.
The motherboard is also themed to look like a gaming motherboard, as it has a black PCB with oversized heatsinks, on which a red dragon can be seen.
MSI hasn’t given us any images of the Micro-ATX B85M Gaming motherboard, though it did indicate that it will feature the same above specifications, making for essentially the same motherboard with more room for expansion.
No word on pricing yet.
