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Once upon a fourth dimension (read: 20 years ago, when yours truly had more hair), Intel and AMD microprocessors used the same CPU socket standard and motherboard vendors supported multiple chip families with the same platform. If you endemic a high-cease Socket seven motherboard, you could use an Intel Pentium, AMD K6, K6-2, K6-three (as well as the K6-two+/K6-iii+), Cyrix 6×86, 6x86MX, IDT Winchip, and the Rise Technology mP6. It was a golden, halcyon time — and MSI's engineers have found a way to resurrect the concept with a lot of hard work and a little bit of Taiwanese magic.

Introducing The Ane: The first motherboard platform in xix years to give cease-users the liberty they want to upgrade components as they please.

MSI-Zones

The MSI One, with separate module "zones" shown in cherry.

No invention springs into existence from nothing and sharp-eyed readers will realize we've seen companies iterating on plans like this for several years. AMD'due south upcoming Zen CPU shares many design elements with the ARM-based K12 (we covered AMD'due south work to alloy the two architectures well earlier the visitor went public, though the implementation details are still unknown.) AMD's at present-canceled Project Skybridge was originally intended to create a mutual platform for ARM and x86 CPUs, while the Boltzmann initiative allows CUDA lawmaking to run on GCN graphics cards. Simply this calendar week, Microsoft appear that Windows 10 would transport with Linux command line support thanks to a prominent partnership with Ubuntu.

The endeavour to create a universal computing platform goes beyond the component level. Several years ago the boutique OEM Razer debuted a customized PC organisation that would permit for individual component swapouts and custom liquid cooling combinations not dreamed of by gods or men. While Projection Christine never formally launched, the recent Razer Cadre is the product of a similar effort — this fourth dimension to combine the capabilities of desktop graphics cards with the svelte form cistron of a modern ultrabook. Even Google'southward Projection Ara is an example of this profound new design concept, which gives users what they desire, when they want it.

And so, what does The 1 offer? I'yard glad you asked.

BoardModules-Flatback

Artist'south delineation of the board with diverse module options.

The I is designed to exist backwards compatible with a broad range of AMD and Intel CPUs. MSI is still working out the details, just trusted sources accept told ExtremeTech that the company intends to offer board modules to support offset-generation Core i7 CPUs (Nehalem) and AMD fries as far back as the Phenom Two. Past subdividing the motherboard into specific zones (shown above), MSI can offer upgrade modules to customize your motherboard rather than requiring y'all to select between whatever features other companies run into fit to offer.

boardIO

The board's I/O zones. MSI will packet chipset and CPU components together; misconfiguring these options will outcome in a warning error rather than system conflagration.

DDR2 slots for an old CPU? No trouble. Upgrading to a Core i7-5820K and wanting some hot DDR4 action? MSI has you lot covered. Planning to break overclocking records with AMD's FX-9590, just needing a depression-profile cooler around the CPU to ensure your LN2 rig can mount properly? Baby, it's all here.

There are a few platform consistencies. MSI plans to standardize on Intel'southward gigabit ethernet controllers, all versions of The I will support SLI and Crossfire (up to and including four-fashion SLI and CrossfireX), and every version of the board will use MSI's Nahimic Sound solution. Extensive overclocking options and titanium chokes are besides standard across the board.

Finally, while MSI isn't making any public promises, we take it on good authorisation that the company is investigating whether or not it can make the board design forward compatible as well. Forward compatibility is extremely catchy — each module slots into a specific connection port on the board, and those connection points have to be capable of handling the exact ability requirements of the CPU. Those of you who were calculator enthusiasts 20 years ago volition likely recall that while Socket 7 was technically uniform with a broad range of CPUs across multiple product generations and dissimilar manufacturers, practical compatibility was often limited by the motherboard's voltage range and multiplier maps. AMD actually released a K6-2 400 with a subconscious 2x/6x multiplier remap so that Socket vii owners with systems limited to a 66MHz bus could still upgrade to a 400MHz CPU.

MSI isn't saying anything formally yet, but hither'due south hoping they can pull information technology off. If they do, The I could truly be THE ONE — the last and only motherboard y'all'll ever need to own.