THE COVETED AWARD for dorkiest heatsink of CeBit has to go to MSI for their avant-garde creation called the P45D3. We normally reserve this award for Computex, a target-rich environment, but after seeing this board, a new version was called for.
P45D3 from MSI
The board itself is P45 based which means it is a good performer, overclocks well, and pretty stable. We have never used one, but there is no real reason to doubt that this is just a high-end P45 motherboard. The problem is the heatsinks.
Five copper scythes for the northbridge
Now, P45s are not the coolest chips in the world, but they are not Nvidia-class blast furnaces. MSI wisely(?) decided to put not one, but five heatpipes and fin-backed coolers on the northbridge. Just to make sure that any buyer knows this board means business, or in this case wouldn't be caught dead in one, they shaped them like little scythes.
With that, MSI wins the first annual(ish) dorkiest heatsink of CeBit. In just over a month, we will see if they can repeat at Computex, but as always, the competition is fierce at that show.
Should you have the need to cool a 200W northbridge, this is your board.