MSI E350IA-E45 AMD Fusion mini ITX Motherboard w/ integrated E-350 Dual-Core $50AR w/in-store pickup @ Frys

Quote from UA_Iron : I'm using this as an HTPC and it works fine. I suspect the poster with the gripes had expectations that were too high, this is supposed to be an extremely low power board... I use it for my HDhomerun prime, dropped in a laptop blu-ray drive (thanks ebay), 120gb SSD as main drive, 2TB harddrive for recording, 8gb ram and it works well. You will have to tweak the drivers like someone else said

I'd have to agree with UA_Iron. I have used these before and for a low power/low cost solution they're unparalleled. For $50 bucks you've got MB+CPU+GPU. If you went intel the cheapest MB+CPU would come to about $80. If you add inexpensive graphics you've spent another $15, which is almost twice the cost of the e350 combo. The e350 may not be blazing fast but if you pair it with a SSD and sparky memory it will get the job done at a great budget price.

This should be strictly considered for a HTPC.

Writing this on a very similar system (MSI E350IS-E45). Using it as a family-room HTPC. Definitely not a general desktop or gaming machine, but great for music, video, web surfing, etc.

Can't beat it for $50. If I had a Fry's nearby, I'd think about getting another.

BTW guys - use the inventory checker. This item is a clearance item and many Fry's don't have this in stock anymore. Austin had none, I had to have one shipping in from Dallas (took almost a week). This is an item that should be marked YMMV.

Quote from thisonelies : hmm, I may have to reconsider my buy, even though Newegg [newegg.com] has pretty good reviews. Soar, since you build comps, I'd like your recommendation for a cheap mini ITX MB for a HTPC that would be only used for internet browsing and non-HD internet video streaming (no games). I'd like to put it in this super tiny [amazon.com] enclosure so PCI cards and big fans are a no-go. Any recs?

Thisonelies,

That is a nice computer case you have selected! For a low wattage HTPC, I believe this unit would be barely ok. Before purchasing this MSI E-350-IA-E45, I was under the impression it could also do basic computing tasks such as internet surfing, word processing, movies, etc. without lag or slow down. My experience with this set up with Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit was a major let down. Internet lagged, computer was slow on launching applications, overall, for me, it was a total dog. I also had 4 gigs of DDR3 1600 and a top of the line SSD added.

Low wattage consumption? Absolutely! Ability to deliver basic computing at acceptable speeds? Absolutely NOT! if you do not mind major lags and overall slowness then this is a great set up if you are looking to save pennies on lower power consumption.

I built this rig fully expecting it to deliver basic computing needs for my dad. What a let down. He is old and does not know any better, but after I built and tested it, I realize for the first time I will have to go back to the drawing board and rebuild a computer for a relative. I gave it to him, telling him it is only a temporary computer for him until I can build a better set up for him. Since his 7 year old computer recently died, he is happy with this MSI snail for now. Like I said, he doesn't know any better.

What now? I just purchased the AMD Semphron 145 [$28], as well as the Intel G530 for $26. Both of these processors can do circles around the MSI E-350...if you do not believe me, just go look at the benchmarks comparing these three very different set ups.

Quote from poo : If you "build computers on the side" you should know you can undervolt this APU to keep it cooler at load. $15 video card = 10-66W + more heat. No kidding it's weak in comparison.

Undervolt a system that is already performing so weak that it cannot get the job done?

Never! For the life of me, I cannot understand why people built junk like this just to save a couple of pennies due to the low wattage!

Quote from EnzoFX : Should be fine for playback and simple tasks. I think this was just a matter of expectations. This is simply a nettop after all. Slow? Maybe for a lot of tasks, but not for simple ones like browsing and video playback. Also for someone that's looking to put this in a SFF case, buying a card is not an option. GPU weak compared to what? It is weak for games, but again, for just playback, it's more than enough. With streaming, there's no need for bigger cases! It's great. However, once I realized that even this + the M350 case is still relatively big compared to something like a WDTV or roku, especially considering how efficient the apu is, it is in thin netbooks afterall, this then becomes appealing: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...6856119070 If you consider the costs of the case + psu you'll have to buy, costs are about the same. It's like the laptop version Fuzion in a smaller, more approriate IMO, form factor. It also comes with the VESA mounts for mounting it behind a tv. It's also been on sale with an SSD at around this price. The M350 is targeted at 65w cpu's, so it's overkill for me, for something that's supposed to run at ~20w. I suppose in the quest for smaller, efficient hardware, and with this apu, even standard ITX cases seem too big for it. If one wants it for a server, well that's an entirely different scenario =P. Edit: Didn't really look at pricing =P. But I want to say it's been on sale at around $150 with an intel SSD.

For $10-$30 more, the Intel 530 leaves this set up in the dust!

Quote from djklmnop : i bought one of these E-350 combos a while back too.. Not worth it. Just get any cheap MB to go with a G520 celeron and you're WAY better off. I'm waiting to see if a family member really needs a PC for school and I'll give them this. Otherwise it's just sitting here collecting dust.

Exactly! I am in the same exact boat. Once I build my dad the new rig with the Intel 530, I will be left with a MSI E-350-IA-E45 that I have no use for whatsoever. If I had an enemy, I would give it to him/her to add to their frustration. Since I do not have an enemy, I have no use for this POS whatsoever!

Quote from Idaho : I'd have to agree with UA_Iron. I have used these before and for a low power/low cost solution they're unparalleled. For $50 bucks you've got MB+CPU+GPU. If you went intel the cheapest MB+CPU would come to about $80. If you add inexpensive graphics you've spent another $15, which is almost twice the cost of the e350 combo. The e350 may not be blazing fast but if you pair it with a SSD and sparky memory it will get the job done at a great budget price.

So for $30-$50 more, we can avoid the continual frustration of having a very slow rig that struggles to offer even basic computing tasks?

I will gladly pay the extra pennies without apology to escape the eternal frustration the slowwwwwwww MSI E-350-IA-E45 offers!

Quote from Boggie1688 : This should be strictly considered for a HTPC.

Yes, barely!

Finally, I would like to say I am glad I built a system using the MSI E-350-IA-E45. It was a very painful learning experience for me. It is the first build that I have ever built that was so slow I wish I had never built it!

I have promised myself never, ever, again!

Want some good advice? Go purchase the Intel G520 or G530, find a reliable MB, and you will have escaped the pain and frustration I discovered with this lousy set up!

With no apologies at all,

Soar

PS I am not the only one that has been left with a bad taste in my mouth after using the MSI E-350-IA-E45. Check out what others are saying too:


"This is a great board if you want it for a home file server. If you are looking for an HTPC board, look else where. The graphics just can't keep up. I have tried in Ubuntu 11.04, 11.10, Windows 7 and 8. No dice, on any of them. I have tried every driver I can get my hands on, it just doesn't stack up!

Now it is a DLNA file server to my PS3, which works great! I capture with my Hauppauge 1229 WinTV-HVR-2250, and play the videos through the PS3, or phone. "


"After doing some research on the AMD E-350 platform I ordered this board from MSI. It looks like the board has everything I need for my low-powered HTPC setup. I was disappointed. The performance was not even close to my 4-year-old PC with Athlon 64 X2 - this is more or less expected, and I don't need to much performance for a PC that will only be used to watch TV/videos and doing simple online surfing. The real problem is whenever I watch TV or video the screen is flickering! I tried my TV tuner with two other PCs, non of them has the same problem. You'd better off going for H67/H61 + core i3 2100T setup, which offers much better performance with the similar amount of power usage. Stay away from this board! "

"I bought this from Tiger Direct, but they wouldn't let me put a proper review on their site. So I'm putting it here. This board does not play HD video. Whenever the motion increases above a certain point, the video smears, and the framerate drops to unwatchable levels. Spend your money on something with a bit more power. "


PSS See my pics. This unit looks great from the outside, but its performance from the inside sucks!

Quote from soarwitheagles : ........ What now? I just purchased the AMD Semphron 145 [$28], as well as the Intel G530 for $26. Both of these processors can do circles around the MSI E-350...if you do not believe me, just go look at the benchmarks comparing these three very different set ups......

Sure, it's all relative, so your point is valid. However I still think you're exaggerating a bit much, expecting it to compete with something not even in the same market. This setup should be fine for any parent, really for basic needs. I've seen people use a lot, lot worst, and be content with it. Which only leads back to the unrealistic expectations argument. Secondly, sure this can be beat for not a whole lot more, but again, this depends entirely on what someone wants out of it. There is no reason for someone to spend more for something that will only be used to check facebook, or watch an occasional video. That is always the budget-centric argument, and one many people here would consider.

That said, I think a setup like this needs an SSD, it will feel much snappier.

any recs for wifi cards to get this thing online?

Quote from superccs : any recs for wifi cards to get this thing online?

I used a simple USB Wifi adaptor and it works great!

Soar

Quote from fastness : have this MB in my server. The total power comsumption of my tower is around 21-24 watt

Cheap price, good deal and all, but this is not really a low wattage for the performance you get. Core i3-2120 gets you similar power usage with much much higher performance.

But I would still get this AMD combo for a home file server and HTPC because it's so cheap.


Edit:
I had a Thinkpad x120e which has a E-350, and I know it plays 1080p videos well. It does take some time to load it though, even with a SSD in it. Heck, even a AMD C-50 can play 1080p mkv files fine, again, after the initial waiting.

Quote from EnzoFX : That said, I think a setup like this needs an SSD, it will feel much snappier.

Any setup will benefit almost the same amount by adding a SSD because access to disk doesn't take much cpu power. Even Core i7 would see the same benefit.

I still strongly believe the E-350 is an amazing HTPC processor. By HTPC, I mean standalone. I have the Foxconn NTA 350 which uses the E-350. Playback is flawless, but that is all I use it for.

If you're looking for something that can be an All In One HTPC, look elsewhere. You'll need something more powerful than a E-350 for that type of application.

Quote from EnzoFX : Sure, it's all relative, so your point is valid. However I still think you're exaggerating a bit much, expecting it to compete with something not even in the same market. This setup should be fine for any parent, really for basic needs. I've seen people use a lot, lot worst, and be content with it. Which only leads back to the unrealistic expectations argument. Secondly, sure this can be beat for not a whole lot more, but again, this depends entirely on what someone wants out of it. There is no reason for someone to spend more for something that will only be used to check facebook, or watch an occasional video. That is always the budget-centric argument, and one many people here would consider. That said, I think a setup like this needs an SSD, it will feel much snappier.

Depends on what someone wants out of it?

Ok, here is what I want out of any new build:

Taking a step forward even if it is a tiny step, when it comes efficiency, speed, and stability.

Here's why I really struggle with this unit:

I have been building and servicing computers since the late 1990's [although I no longer do this full time]. When I build a new computer, I always do my best to future proof the best I can [as in asking myself this question: will this unit still get the job done in an acceptable manner after 2-3 years].

For the first time ever, in this specific MSI E350 rig, I have to genuinely say absolutely not!

Wanna know how I feel after building this rig? I felt as if I took a huge step BACKWARDS, instead of forward! Dude, that is sick!

Soar

Quote from Boggie1688 : I still strongly believe the E-350 is an amazing HTPC processor. By HTPC, I mean standalone. I have the Foxconn NTA 350 which uses the E-350. Playback is flawless, but that is all I use it for. If you're looking for something that can be an All In One HTPC, look elsewhere. You'll need something more powerful than a E-350 for that type of application.

Well said Boggie, and you are obviously an honest and knowledgeable person!

Soar

PS I wish I had met and heard you before I purchased and built this rig using the MSI E45!

Sorry to hear the experience went so badly!

If anyone is trying to build an All In One HTPC I really like the A6 or A8 APUs. HUGE FAN.

P.s. I've got three Raspberry Pis on order. I hope to write about my experiences soon!

Quote from soarwitheagles : Depends on what someone wants out of it? Ok, here is what I want out of any new build: Taking a step forward even if it is a tiny step, when it comes efficiency, speed, and stability. Here's why I really struggles with this unit: I have been building and servicing computers since the late 1990's [although I no longer do this full time]. When I build a new computer, I always do my best to future proof the best I can [as in asking myself this question: will this unit still get the job done in an acceptable manner after 2-3 years]. For the first time ever, in this specific MSI E350 rig, I have to genuinely say absolutely not! Wanna know how I feel after building this rig? I felt as if I took a huge step BACKWARDS, instead of forwards! Dude, that is sick! Soar

Well that's the point, and the setup for disappointment. A nettop/netbook, since their inception, were never really a desktop replacement. They were a light version of it, for those that did very little. This isn't a negative thing, I'd say most beginning users would be completely happy with a lot of products in this market segment. However, they've still largely remained in this niche. AMD's fuzion only really supersedes Intel's Atom offerings, which were much slower, with terrible graphics. Needless to say even those had their use. While fuzion is a lot better, it still is no full desktop replacement. This market segment furthermore is not about future proofing whatsoever. If it were, you'd have removable cpu, and maybe even no graphics. Much like actual cpu/mb combos that are indeed full desktop solutions.

With that said, it's a disappearing niche with the rise of smartphones and tablets, since many people can do the very little they did on the hardware of yesteryear on these devices, and better. So in the end, this thing is rather great as an HTPC (playback/recording only), and simple usage only.

Quote from Boggie1688 : Sorry to hear the experience went so badly! If anyone is trying to build an All In One HTPC I really like the A6 or A8 APUs. HUGE FAN. P.s. I've got three Raspberry Pis on order. I hope to write about my experiences soon!

Boggie,

Well, perhaps it was my own fault too. I usually do lots of reading and study benchmarks before I build a new system. In this MS E350 rig, I went on the reviews and remarks of others, and then, on a whim, purchase the deal at Fry's. My bad. I hope to avoid making the same mistake again. And it is not right to tell other people that this MSI E350IA-E45 AMD Fusion mini ITX Motherboard w/ integrated E-350 Dual-Core makes a great all in one HTPC. That is what I heard before I purchased it, and now I have come to realize that is absolute hogwash!

BTW, what is a Raspberry Pi?

Soar