MSI 6147

With the rise in small home and office network computing solutions, many motherboard manufacturers are looking for ways to capture a piece of that pie. One way that many of them have found success is in the micro ATX form factor, which allows for a substantial cost saving in implementation by reducing the extraneous factors that may not be necessary for a basic PC. At the same time, the small footprint allowed by a micro ATX motherboard is a great solution for cramped quarters, like dorm rooms or office desks.

Microstar International was kind enough to send us such a board for review, The MSI-6147. At first glance, this board looks like it is made for the basic PC or network station. However, it is based on Intel's current high-end 440BX chipset, and thus supports the faster 100 MHz bus speed, and with it, the robust Pentium II/III CPUs.

MSI started in the motherboard and video card market back in 1986. With some 13 years of experience behind them, they have expanded and are now quite the international presence. Additionally, many of their products have won awards by various industry publications for their design and quality. How does the 6147 compare to its larger, full-sized ATX brothers? Does MSI maintain their tradition of quality in the relatively new micro ATX market?