Compared to the other boards that were available when the K7T Pro was released, MSI's board offered a more complete feature set that appealed to the enthusiast, whereas OEM's opted for FIC's AZ-11.

The K7T Pro is one of the slimmest KT133 boards we've dealt with - a trait that may be attributed to a very clean layout and the lack of an integrated ATA/100 controller (and the extra IDE connectors that accompany it). Instead of using a multitude of 2200uF electrolytic capacitors, MSI opted for seven of the massive 3900uF cylinders. Whether or not this decision affects stability is up for discussion, but we do know that it saved on PCB real estate.

Unfortunately, those large capacitors are located uncomfortably close to the Socket A interface, leaving us with a less-than-fuzzy feeling about any oversized cooling solutions. The story gets a bit better with a well-placed ATX power connector and IDE connectors placed on the ever-traditional right side of the board. The North Bridge is turned at a 45-degree angle, in much the same way as ABIT's KT7 board. MSI claims this allows for enhanced signal integrity, for which we'll have to take their word.

A 1xAGP/6xPCI/1xCNR slot configuration appeals to the computer aficionado with more than a few PCI expansion cards (we could forgo the CNR slot altogether). The K7T Pro is also available with an ISA slot at the expense of a single PCI connection.