MSI Big Bang XPower X58 motherboard gets pictured

Within a month or two MSI plans to unveil its third Big Bang motherboard, the XPower. This new motherboard uses Intel's X58 chipset and features six PCI Express x16 slots, six DDR3 memory slots, SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0.

The motherboard is designed for hardware enthusiasts, it features 16-phase DrMOS PWM, two 8-pin power connectors, Hi-C capacitors, an extra 6-pin PCIe power input for the PCIe slots, OC Dashboard and V-Kit. Audio is provided by a Quantum Wave audio card with 7.1 channel audio, EAX 5.0 and THX TruStudio PC Suite.

The cost of using tantalum capacitors have made them prohibitive in motherboard design. It looks like MSI is using a generous splattering of them on the new Big Bang XPower. Q1 in 2010, and it already looks like we're supposed to spell "promising" with the "I" before the "M."

Larger photos can be viewed at VR Zone. The motherboard looks a bit naked but that's because the photos don't show the cooling solution that will be shipped with the retail models.