Motherboard: MSI G41M

Verdict: If you’re looking to build a mainstream office
computer, this motherboard is a very good option. It has
most of the latest features, especially multiple display
output options. We’d say it’s a steal at this price!

For: Good feature set, remains cool under load, excellent mainstream performance.

Against: Badly placed 4-pin power connector.

Features
Built around the Intel G41, the MSI G41M boasts a flamboyant feature set, especially considering its modest price tag. The most pronounced feature is the presence of multiple options for display output, including DVI, VGA and DisplayPort. Its chipset and LGA 775 socket support the latest Intel Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo. The FSB speed is same as its predecessors—1333 MHz— and maximum amount of DDR2 RAMsupported is 8 GB, the same as that of the G33 and G35 chipsets. The on-board graphics are courtesy Intel's GMA X4500 which suffices for mainstream office applications as well as the latest Windows Vista eye candy.
           However, gamers will need a discrete graphics card for any over-the-edge entertainment, for which a PCIe x16 slot is provided. That brings us to the other features, such as the presence of a 6-pin FireWire port (plus another via a header), eight USB ports (four of them via headers), and four SATA ports. A parallel port header adds to the rich feature set, not to mention backwards compatibility. Finally, there is a Realtek  ALC888 chip for 8-channel audio; and for connectivity there’s Gigabit Ethernet.
Performance
              The MSI G41M is a boon for mainstream users. Even an upper-mainstream processor such as the C2D E7300 will match well with this board, along with a decent set of 2 GB DDR2 RAM modules. Such a combination would turn this motherboard into a powerful mainstream performer.