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MSI 7411 Motherboard Sneak Peek (share your thoughts!) - Page 3

post #61 of 3488
3/6/08 at 4:49pm
Thread Starter 
Perhaps, but fitting 5 banana jacks in a low profile card config is not really possible. The connector used is a standard, high density speaker block. There is no standard dongle to go from high density connectors to banana jacks.

The board was designed around standardization and was intended to be used in both low profile and full height chassis.

Why build a board and then force people to only be able to use it in full height configurations?

Some people will like taller chassis, others will like lower profile solutions.
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post #62 of 3488
3/6/08 at 7:03pm
One of these with the 7.1 preamp will be fantastic, all the flexability of a PC with a power amp to drive the speakers! cant wait...
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post #63 of 3488
3/6/08 at 8:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by A_Dude View Post

A product that has audiophile intentions should use audiophile speaker connectors.

I think it makes more sense for MSI to pursue as big of market as they possibly can and not try to cater to the audiophile market until this kind of product has maturity and approval from the bleeding edge DYI experimenters. Having said that, the connectors look to be screw down (and not spring clips as suggested earlier). If that's the case, it's good enough for me; pin connectors will get you problem free connections to higher gauge wire with no _real_ audiophile issues.
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post #64 of 3488
3/6/08 at 8:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lellis View Post

One of these with the 7.1 preamp will be fantastic, all the flexability of a PC with a power amp to drive the speakers! cant wait...

It's probably worth noting that modern receivers are essentially proprietary computers these days. I'd like to see an Open Source project form around this kind of platform.....
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post #65 of 3488
3/7/08 at 11:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisMorley View Post

If you're going to be getting the 7411 board, then of course the D2Audio solution is going to be the best fit. That's what I'd buy, personally. For other solutions out there that don't have internal amplification, that's why we offer the TF AMP.

Sounds promising - I really respect that you actually recommend another product/combination than Omaura offers - this makes it so much easier to really trust your postings when you recommend omaura products - thanks!
What was the timeframe regarding the 7411 board with the amplification-board?
Regards, Tommy
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post #66 of 3488
3/7/08 at 12:46pm
Thread Starter 
Early May MSI should be in production.
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post #67 of 3488
3/7/08 at 1:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Java Jack View Post

Early May MSI should be in production.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I have no patience
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post #68 of 3488
3/7/08 at 3:28pm
So I take it that a chassis which requires a pci/pci-e riser card is out of the question if you are using this board with one of the audio add-in cards?
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post #69 of 3488
3/8/08 at 1:03am
Thread Starter 
Yes, because the riser card would not have the correct slot for the audio plug in card.
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post #70 of 3488
3/8/08 at 9:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Java Jack View Post

Yes, because the riser card would not have the correct slot for the audio plug in card.

Java Jack, are you positive it couldn't work? If I understand correctly, the cards just use one pci-e 1x slot (front) and one pci-e 4x slot (rear) to connect. Seems to me, that if you used a 'ribbon cable' based extender for each slot, that it should work with no trouble. Can you confirm what slots the add-in card use?

I'm REALLY liking the idea of this mobo/card combo to replace my AVR, but my case is slim so I'd need a way to put the card in sideways.

Thanks for the info!

-PGPfan
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post #71 of 3488
3/8/08 at 9:37am
Imagine that. They went to the trouble of making all of this work in a low profile case (low profile brackets and all) and someone actually wants it smaller...
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post #72 of 3488
3/8/08 at 9:44am
Nobody said 'smaller'. How about the flexibility to mount it more compactly. Is that better?

-PGPfan
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post #73 of 3488
3/8/08 at 3:43pm
JK, it was not meant to be critical. Just humorous. Everyone wants things a certain way. Nothing wrong with that. If you look back someone else wanted it to be full height brackets so it could have binding posts instead of clips.
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post #74 of 3488
3/9/08 at 12:12am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by PGPFan View Post

Java Jack, are you positive it couldn't work? If I understand correctly, the cards just use one pci-e 1x slot (front) and one pci-e 4x slot (rear) to connect. Seems to me, that if you used a 'ribbon cable' based extender for each slot, that it should work with no trouble. Can you confirm what slots the add-in card use?

I'm REALLY liking the idea of this mobo/card combo to replace my AVR, but my case is slim so I'd need a way to put the card in sideways.

Thanks for the info!

-PGPfan

I am positive. While the connector is a standard x4, it is rotated 180 on the board because it is running proprietary signals from the D2 Audio chip.
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post #75 of 3488
3/9/08 at 9:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Java Jack View Post

I am positive. While the connector is a standard x4, it is rotated 180 on the board because it is running proprietary signals from the D2 Audio chip.

Hi Java Jack,

I guess I'm not being very clear with what I mean. I understand what you are saying regarding the rotated x4 jack, that would cause a problem with typical riser cards. What I'm asking is: is there any reason why the extender cable below couldn't work? As far as the jack is concerned it 'should' be the exact same orientation, pinout, etc. as the reversed slot if mounted reversed.


Do you see any trouble using an x1 and x4 version of one of these?

-PGPfan
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post #76 of 3488
3/10/08 at 6:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scientest View Post

It's probably worth noting that modern receivers are essentially proprietary computers these days. I'd like to see an Open Source project form around this kind of platform.....

True, true....the AV rack could become just a PC at this rate...
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post #77 of 3488
3/10/08 at 8:39am
hey, That D2 Audio - makes the chip/tech in my Harmon Kardon AV245 & DPR 2005....very cool...

i had flash backs when i went to the site Linked ....was like, hey i've been here before...hehe
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post #78 of 3488
3/10/08 at 10:41am
Anyone have a clue as to the PSU requirements of this board when equiped with the ampplifier module? The D2 site says it uses the exising power supply, but in an HTPC (especially a quiet one) that can mean wattage on the low side so I wonder what 'real world' effect the power supply size is on sound quality and power output.

-PGPfan
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post #79 of 3488
3/11/08 at 1:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by PGPFan View Post

Anyone have a clue as to the PSU requirements of this board when equiped with the ampplifier module? The D2 site says it uses the exising power supply, but in an HTPC (especially a quiet one) that can mean wattage on the low side so I wonder what 'real world' effect the power supply size is on sound quality and power output.

-PGPfan

I'd really like to know that as well
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post #80 of 3488
3/11/08 at 3:47pm
Java Jack, you still following this thread?

-PGPfan
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post #81 of 3488
3/11/08 at 8:23pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry, been a tad busy.

While technically, you could try the flexible riser, it is hard to say how well it would work. The riser is going to have a standard slot configuration and therefore, you would have to bend it severly to rotate it so the card would plug in. You would also need a x1 riser since the cards pull power out of the x1 and the signals out of the x4. Flipping the riser could crack the wire traces on the cable.

In theory, it should work and you would probably get audio out, but it is hard to tell how good the audio quality would be.

As for PSU requirements, 300W or better should be fine. I would suggest a 380W or so as that would give you a little head room. Sound quality is not really impacted by PSU size. Larger PSUs would give more room for higher Output Wattage out of the card, but the card design would likely need to be altered somewhat to provide higher peak or continous power.

For CPU, I would recommend 45W or 65W part, dual core or higher.
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post #82 of 3488
3/11/08 at 11:05pm
sounds great Jack...I want one, hurry up
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post #83 of 3488
3/12/08 at 6:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lellis View Post

sounds great Jack...I want one, hurry up

You and me both! I really hope this thing hits Newegg soon. Thanks for the post, Java Jack!

-PGPfan
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post #84 of 3488
3/12/08 at 7:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Java Jack View Post

While technically, you could try the flexible riser, it is hard to say how well it would work. The riser is going to have a standard slot configuration and therefore, you would have to bend it severly to rotate it so the card would plug in. You would also need a x1 riser since the cards pull power out of the x1 and the signals out of the x4. Flipping the riser could crack the wire traces on the cable.

Not sure I get this. I take it the second slot has it's socket already reversed on the board and that the card that plus into it is similarly reversed? As such, any pair of extenders that plug into the front and back sockets separately are going to maintain the corresponding orientation and no "flip" will be necessary. Eg:

Code:
         mother board
 Front socket           Back socket
  -------->               <--------      (Orientation)
   XXXXXX                   XXXXXX
   XXXXXX                   XXXXXX
   XXXXXX                   XXXXXX     (Extender)
   XXXXXX                   XXXXXX
   XXXXXX                   XXXXXX
 --------->               <--------- 
         Amp or preamp board
(Excuse the hasty ASCII art).
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post #85 of 3488
3/12/08 at 8:57am
Thread Starter 
I see your point, with all the twisting, I got myself a little confused. You are right, since the connector is rotated on the board, the riser would need to rotate accordingly therefore, no twisting would be required.

So this leaves the question of any timing lag that might be introduced (doubtful) by adding the riser card into the question. There could be some minor signal integrity loss going over another connector, but it should only be a little if any.

In theory, it should work. However, the conservative in me states I am not sure if it will work or if there will be any quality loss since I have not tried using a riser for this.

The decision to put the audio down on the board and use a standard plug in connector was made to keep the signal path as short as possible for improved audio performance.
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post #86 of 3488
3/12/08 at 9:14am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Java Jack View Post

I see your point, with all the twisting, I got myself a little confused. You are right, since the connector is rotated on the board, the riser would need to rotate accordingly therefore, no twisting would be required.

So this leaves the question of any timing lag that might be introduced (doubtful) by adding the riser card into the question. There could be some minor signal integrity loss going over another connector, but it should only be a little if any.

In theory, it should work. However, the conservative in me states I am not sure if it will work or if there will be any quality loss since I have not tried using a riser for this.

The decision to put the audio down on the board and use a standard plug in connector was made to keep the signal path as short as possible for improved audio performance.


Yeah, that was what I though of as well. It can be tricky enough to produce a quality PCI-E x16 riser, which we believe we have done.

If there's any interest in the possibility of designing something like that, though, Omaura would be happy to partner on the project.
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post #87 of 3488
3/12/08 at 11:28am
X-bit Labs write-up on the MSI Diva. Includes a tip-of-the-hat to the Omaura TF!

There's another MSI/D2Audio board called the MS-6465? (have to wonder about X-bit's fact-checking--they say the 780G comes with an HD 3400 IGP).

ah, in expanding one of the pics, it becomes apparent that the MS-6465 is RS780M-based....and now I see X-bit's reference to a "mobile" 780G.

EDIT: for hardcore oc'ers/cooling fanatics, flip back a page to see the Foxconn BlackOps with built-in LN2 cooling dish and extension tower.
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post #88 of 3488
3/12/08 at 11:48am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zenoicus View Post

X-bit Labs write-up on the MSI Diva. Includes a tip-of-the-hat to the Omaura TF!

There's another MSI/D2Audio board called the MS-6465? (have to wonder about X-bit's fact-checking--they say the 780G comes with an HD 3400 IGP).

ah, in expanding one of the pics, it becomes apparent that the MS-6465 is RS780M-based....and now I see X-bit's reference to a "mobile" 780G.

EDIT: for hardcore oc'ers/cooling fanatics, flip back a page to see the Foxconn BlackOps with built-in LN2 cooling dish and extension tower.

Actually, it is the same board in both the Omaura chassis and the MSI Diva box. Not sure what happened with the signage there.
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post #89 of 3488
3/12/08 at 12:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisMorley View Post

Yeah, that was what I though of as well. It can be tricky enough to produce a quality PCI-E x16 riser, which we believe we have done.

If there's any interest in the possibility of designing something like that, though, Omaura would be happy to partner on the project.

Well, you've got riser card interest here, if that means anything.

-PGPfan
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post #90 of 3488
3/12/08 at 12:18pm
ChrisMorley -

I want to put this motherboard in one of your cases (congrats getting them sold at Dell!). While I like the TF8 and think this mobo would be a good fit, I am leaning toward the TF11 because I want to put in a separate full-size HD3870 video card and use the hybrid crossfire to support occasional gaming. Will the TF11 be just too big for this small board?
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