MSI's A68HM-P33 and A68HM-E33 FM2(+) Motherboards Are Both Cheap and Strong

Even though Intel's Core i5 and i7 central processing units rule the high-end market, it's still very much possible to create gaming systems with AMD hardware. In fact, it is a lot more convenient to do so for many people, given how cheap the hardware is in comparison.

Mid-range gaming systems may as well be high-end conventional PCs, but if you only look at the gaming front they are well behind the big names indeed. Nevertheless, even “mid-range” gaming PCs have what it takes to run even the latest games, even if they can't quite go beyond Full HD, or even that far in some cases, not without some advanced setting compromises. Micro-Star International has just unveiled a pair of motherboards that will let you create such a system: the A68HM-P33 and A68HM-E33.

MSI's A68HM-P33 and A68HM-E33 FM2(+) motherboards

It's not really clear what the difference between the two products is. The press release doesn't really say. It may be that one of the models will be sold in the Americas and the other in the rest of the world, or some other global plan. It may also be that one of them will be sold through retail, to DIY PC makers, while the other will be reserved for OEMs to make full pre-configured PCs with. Whatever the case may be, the specs are mostly the same across the board. There is a PCI Express 3.0 slot, for example, where you can install one video card. Since AMD's latest Kaveri APUs have Radeon GPUs with Dual Graphics support, you'll be able to get good performance even if you buy a mediocre board, since the resources will combined with those of the on-board graphics chip. It's a variation of AMD EyeFinity technology.

The 7000-series APUs aren't the only ones supported. The Richland and Trinity, 6000, and 5000 series work on FM2/FM2+ sockets just fine too. Onboard LAN is available as well, as are SATA 6.0 Gbps ports (for HDD or SSD storage), with a Dothill RAID controller there to help combine multiple drives into one) and USB 3.0 connectors. Furthermore, MSI included the OC Genie 4 (one-touch overclocking) and Click BIOS 4, plus the Command Center software to let you monitor, tune, and control the hardware parameters.

Availability and pricing

Unfortunately, the information isn't available. With MSI Military Class 4 components and protection mechanisms (humidity, high temperature, electromagnetic fields), the tag probably won't be as low as it could be, but it will surely not be too high either.

Press Release:MSI, world leading in motherboards, launches 2 new AMD A68H series FM2+/FM2 socket based motherboards, the MSI A68HM-P33 and MSI A68HM-E33. The new MSI A68H motherboards support the latest AMD Kaveri APU (7000 series) and are backwards compatible with FM2 processors (Richland and Trinity, 6000 and 5000 series). Featuring onboard LAN, PCI Express 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.0 and multiple display support, the MSI AMD A68H series motherboards present a rich blend of features and technologies, offering the most stable and best cost/performance solution available.
MSI A68H series motherboards are available in microATX form factor and offer a great choice in connectivity with a Dothill RAID controller, onboard LAN, PCI Express 3.0, SATA and up to 10 USB ports. When combined with today's processors featuring advanced integrated graphics, such as the AMD 7000 series APUs, MSI A68H motherboards support AMD Eyefinity. All these features come at a very attractive price point, making MSI A68H series motherboards the most comprehensive and best cost/performance solution available.
MSI uses award-winning Military Class 4 components, composed of high quality components such as Solid CAPs and Dark Chokes, which ensure your PC runs stable under extreme conditions. These key components have all passed testing to MIL-STD-810G standards, ensuring stable operation in the harshest environments.
The core of Military Class 4 is based on the essential elements which increase your stability in the worst conditions. Humidity protection and high temperature protection ensure system stability in each environment, no matter what. The new structure of the PCB limits EMI emission. On top of that, all connectors have ESD protection in order to prevent short-circuiting.
The MSI A68H series motherboards are equipped with many exclusive technologies, including the one-second overclocking OC Genie 4, the easy to use Click BIOS 4 and the Command Center software that combines features such as monitoring, tuning and controlling of your hardware. The unprecedented level of flexibility and control offered in MSI's unique hard- and software design puts you in the driver's seat of your motherboards configuration.

MSI A68HM-P33 / A68HM-E33
Image credits to MSI

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