The only things I noticed were that the ECS has only 2 slots for ram....the MSI RS480 has 4 slots. Also, the MSI has a better audio solution IIRC, coaxial outs, etc...I'd still go for the MSI over the ECS, or wait and see if any other manufactures decide to go with ATI for their chipsets. I'd be interested in building an AMD rig for my next gaming system if we start to see more of these boards by the time I'm ready. Nvidia has been the main reason I've stayed with Intel all this time...don't like VIA much either...