What is the most important component in your system? Is it the $400 video card? The $300 CPU? The smokin' pair of Raptor drives that you dropped $300 on? Could it be the 1gb of PC4400 RAM that burned an almost $400 hole in your wallet? While each component is very important, and the video card being top of the list for gamers, there is one more part that some people seem to forget…the motherboard. The motherboard dictates everything, from what type or RAM you can use to which hard drives you can use. The motherboard is the part that pulls it all together.

If we took a poll of GruntvillE readers asking them to list the Top 5 motherboard manufacturers, there are three names that would show up on just about every ballot; Abit, Asus, and MSI. Micro-Star International (MSI), has been around since 1986 and is headquartered in Taiwan . They have been making motherboards for quite a while and over the past few years have expanded their range to include server boards, video cards, barebone systems, optical drives, and communications products. They have offices around the world and have become quite a force in the industry. One thing they are known for, at least in the enthusiast PC market, is their red PCBs. MSI Motherboards and video cards now use red boards instead of your typical brown or green.

About a year ago MSI introduced the “Neo” series of boards using the Intel 865 and 875 chipsets for the Pentium 4. Today we will be putting their top-of-the-line 875P Neo FIS2R board through its paces and seeing how it holds up.

In the past some people have commented on how they want us to do more head-to-head reviews, well, today is your lucky day…

“Are yoooooooouuuuuu ready to ruuuuuuummmmmbbllle!”

In this corner, coming in at $159 and wearing the black PCB we have one of the most recognized names in the business, the Abit IC7-G. And over here, wearing the red PCB with the flashing fan we have the MSI Neo FIS2R. Okay gentlemen, you know the rules, so Let's Get Ready to Ruuuuuuuuuuummmmmmbbbbblllllle!