The MSI X79A-GD45 is an Intel X79 (LGA2011) ATX motherboard designed for Sandy Bridge-E/EP processors. It features an 8-phase power design with Military Class III components for stable overclocking, supporting Quad Channel DDR3 memory with speeds up to 1600MHz (OC) across 8 DIMM slots with a maximum capacity of 64GB. The board provides 4 PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (x16/x16/x8/x8 configuration) for multi-GPU setups with NVIDIA SLI/AMD CrossFireX support. Storage options include 2 SATA 6Gbps and 4 SATA 3Gbps ports with RAID 0/1/5/10 support, plus 2 eSATA ports. Networking is handled by a Realtek 8111E Gigabit LAN controller. The motherboard features MSI's ClickBIOS II dual UEFI interface with mouse support, onboard power/reset buttons, and voltage measurement points for enthusiasts. Expansion includes 7.1 channel HD audio with optical S/PDIF out, 10 USB 2.0 ports (6 rear + 4 via headers), and legacy PS/2 conNECtors. The black PCB with blue heatsinks and military-themed design elements provides both performance and visual appeal for high-end desktop builds.