MSI's first AMD chipset MPOWER motherboard, the B850MPOWER, is also set to be a first in a new design for MSI boards. Instead of the usual prickly solder points on the back of a board, MSI has rolled out a new flat design. It's been dubbed the ‘PinSafe Design’ and is said to help “avoid injury caused by sharp pins during the assembly process.” In other words, MSI has got rid of a bunch of little pricks.
Tom's Hardware spotted the new castrated boards being shown off at this year's Computex alongside the other unusual delights at the MSI booth They describe the new boards as looking like an improvement on soldering techniques, creating a smoother surface instead of that prickly texture we're used to. It feels like an odd improvement to make, given I've never really heard anyone complain about spiky boards, but still an improvement none-the-less.
While MSI claims this will help PC builders avoid injury, I'm kinda curious as to who they're talking about. I don't know if I've been exceptionally lucky with my time around PCBs but I don't think I've ever come close to cutting myself on one of these things. I do remember getting one stuck to my clothes thanks to all those soldered little grabbers, but never under my skin.
Still, less risk is always good and it likely saves MSI on the soldering budget there as well. Assuming these aren't just filed down afterwards and it's actually a technique improvement, these pins likely use less solder up than the old spiky ones. It may seem like a tiny amount, but when you're manufacturing millions of boards it all adds up.
MSI also claims these new PinSafe Design boards have greater system stability and ESD protection. Notably the manufacturer doesn't give any numbers or percentages to back this up, and I'm guessing those are pretty close to cactus. Tom's notes that the new design will probably help with foreign objects becoming stuck, and thinking back to my motherboarded jumper, they're probably right. I'd say you'll see more benefits in terms of a cleanly case than anything else touted here.
The MPOWER boards are generally aimed at those who like to tinker, and I'd wager getting rid of the spikes will make getting into the case and moving things around easier than it once was. Even if only a little. The B850MPOWER looks like only the first to rock this design, so we should see plenty of other PinSafe boards come to market soon.
On the one hand, I'm keen to see what all the fuss is about with these smooth-backed boards. On the other, I think I'm going to miss that prickly texture that just feels like I'm handling PC components. If you've ever cut yourself on a PCB, I suppose this is your lucky day to a new, safer PC building existence.
