msi k7n2g-ilsr motherboard
	Ships with the following: IDE ATA66/100 Cable 2x Serial ATA Cables FDD Cable Driver CD User Manual USB2.0 Bracket 6-channel Audio Bracket S-Video, Composite Out Bracket IEEE 1394 Bracket Rear I/O Back Panel WinDVD Software
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Looks familiar too doesn't it? The MSI K7N2G-ILSR shares the same layout as the K7N2-L but this time we're looking at the heavy weight of the family. Packing 5.1 audio, 10/100 LAN, Serial ATA, IEEE 1394 and an integrated GeForce4 MX videocard the K7N2G-ILSR is second only to the AOpen AK79G Max in terms of features. Oh there's also a TV Out bracket thrown in for good measure.

We were happy to see that MSI now cools the Northbridge with an active HSF instead of using a passive heatsink. We like those heatsinks on the MOSFETs as well. All MSI motherboards are well labelled and the K7N2G-ILSR is a prime example. Installing the motherboard even for newbies should be a breeze.

With the MCP-T Southbridge you're guaranteed to get chrisp Dolby Digital quality sound out of the soundcard. Performance of the K7N2G-ILSR was very good in the tests however the board is not much of an overclocker.

There's not much to complain about, I guess it would have been nice to see a blue PCI slot instead of CNR and perhaps have a heatsink on the Southbridge. The board is a bit on the pricy side at $178 CDN ($131 US) but that's expected with all the goodies onboard. If you don't need the extra's you can get by on something that's a bit cheaper. Up next, we hit the benchmarks and separate the boards by performance!