MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, today announced that it has stopped shipments in North America of Sandy Bridge products following Intel’s announcement of a design issue in the recently released Intel 6 Series chipset. The company is quickly responding to this issue by working with retailers, distributors and channel partners to stop all shipments, MSI is also offering end users replacements and upgrades for the affected motherboards and notebooks respectively at its Intel 6 Series Motherboards and Notebook Support page.

MSI North America takes the quality of its products and service to its customers very serious, therefore the company is working closely with Intel to accept the return of Intel P67 and H67 motherboards, as well as its HM67 gaming laptops. MSI’s All-in-One PCs based on the new generation of Intel Core i processors are not affected, and are still scheduled to launch in late March 2011.

MSI encourages end users who want to return their MSI Intel P67 and H67 motherboards or affected gaming notebooks, to contact the original place of purchase for more details on the return or refund policy. Alternatively, end users can register their Intel 6 Series notebook or motherboard with MSI by April 30, 2011 at http://us.msi.com/snb_replacement to be eligible for the following options.

1. HM67 gaming notebooks: End users are eligible to receive an upgrade to MSI’s next generation gaming notebook upon its availability.
2. P67 and H67 motherboards: End users are eligible for a replacement with the new B3 stepping of the Intel 6 series motherboard when it is available in channel.
3. Shipping: To make the replacement as smooth as possible, MSI will provide end users with a UPS 3 Day shipping label for returns and will deliver the brand new item by UPS 3 Day shipping, both at no cost.

"MSI is wholly committed to both our customers and to the overall quality of our products," noted Andy Tung, vice president of North American sales for MSI. "While we work with Intel to resolve the chipset issues, we want to make sure our customers know their concerns are our top priority. We believe offering future replacement options will help alleviate some of the discomfort this issue has caused."

For questions regarding replacement of MSI Intel P67 or H67 motherboard and HM67 notebook, end users may contact MSI at SNB_Support@msi.com.

For news from Intel on chipset design error, please visit Intel’s newsroom

Intel statement:
"As part of ongoing quality assurance, Intel Corporation has discovered a design issue in a recently released support chip, the Intel 6 Series, code-named Cougar Point, and has implemented a silicon fix. In some cases, the Serial-ATA (SATA) ports within the chipsets may degrade over time, potentially impacting the performance or functionality of SATA-linked devices such as hard disk drives and DVD-drives. … For computer makers and other Intel customers that have bought potentially affected chipsets or systems, Intel will work with its OEM partners to accept the return of the affected chipsets, and plans to support modifications or replacements needed on motherboards or systems."

To learn more about MSI’s complete product lines, please visit: http://us.msi.com