MSI EFI previewed

Dutch computer site Tweakers took a look at a MSI P45D3 motherboard which features EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) - this is basically a more modern replacement for the prehistoric BIOS.

EFI gives motherboard makers the opportunity to add a lot more features and makes it possible to use a more modern user interface that not only uses your keyboard but your mouse as well. The reporter took a look at the EFI system and noticed the it not only gave access to system, boot, "eco", overclock and chipset settings but also to some utilities to update the BIOS and a HDD backup utility. The MSI EFI also gave access to some games, it's questionable how useful this is but it does showcase the capabilities of EFI.



The reporter also ran some benchmarks to compare the performance of BIOS and EFI on MSI P45 motherboards but he didn't really notice any significant performance gains or losses. He concludes that EFI works fast and stable and says it has a lot of potential.

Pros:
- Userfriendly interface
- Support for multiple languages
- Support for different display resolutions
- Support for utilities
Contras:
- No full port 80 info
- Too fancy
- No POST
- The games are redundant.

You can check it out over here but it's in Dutch so you might need a Google Translation.