MSI A88X-G45 Gaming Motherboard Review

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Conclusion

So, another day another review right? Well, sort of! These AMD APU’s are something a bit special when it comes to the Mid-Range gaming scene and I must say, they would surely make some great little console killer PC’s if nothing else. They offer decent performance at a friendly price so without further ado, let’s recap on how the A88X-G45 Gaming motherboard from MSI added to the overall APU experience.

Performance

The MSI A88X-G45 Gaming motherboard is meant to accompany top of the range APU’s while remaining budget friendly and still offering good performance. It does just that, The A88X-G45 will allow you to fully unlock all the potential from your APU and make the most of any other components you decide to include in your build. Want Crossfire graphics? Well, the A88X-G45 has you covered whether you want to Crossfire with the APU or throw in a pair of dedicated GPU’s to up the ante a bit! As far as the RAM goes, the A88X-G45 is fully prepared and ready to make use of 2400MHz(OC) DDR3 in dual channel mode. When you also factor in the Killer E2200 LAN and Audio Boost technology you have one hell of a gaming motherboard. Oh, and let’s not forget about the amazing OC features this board has to offer as well!

Design

Aesthetically speaking, the A88X-G45 is fairly decent looking when you consider the price and the overall audience it is targeted at. While it does remain kind of plain, in an I don’t want to pay for overpriced gimmicky features and looks, its red and black gaming theme will allow users to easily match up other hardware with it. I do just have to say this, whoever decided black and red would be the default theme for gaming motherboards is not high on my list of people I like, though it definitely does fit in with the AMD APU, the colours just are not for me.

When you look at the design from a bit more of a technical aspect, everything is right where it should be and whether you’ve built 100’s of PC’s, or, this is being used in your first build, you should have no problems at all figuring everything out and getting it all setup correctly. The A88X-G45 Gaming is laid out magnificently and is there to help the end-user make the most of their build from the CLR_CMOS button to the OC Genie features. MSI have also gone with high-class components so there is no need to worry about it breaking from being cheaped out on and using low-grade components.

Value

Coming in at £82-£85 depending on where you shop here in the UK, the MSI A88X-G45 Gaming offers amazing value for the price. The extra features on this board alone are worth the price tag, E2200 LAN, Audio Boost and OC Genie, check, check and check! For the price, the MSI A88X-G45 is looking to offers users everything they will need to make the most out of their next FM2+ build and it does, it just simply offers amazing performance and features aat a great price point.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a good board to power your FM2+ APU build then the MSI A88X-G45 has got your back and it does so in a fairly aesthetically pleasing package. If you are in the market for a new motherboard to power an existing FM2+ build, or, are getting a new build the MSI A88X-G45 will be a great choice and will not let you down, it offers great features and performance at a price that can’t be beat!

Gold Award – The MSI A88X-G45 Gaming is walking away with our gold award today as it perfectly accompanies top of the range APU’s from AMD and has a host of features that will allow users to make the most out of their hardware.

As always, big thanks to MSI for sending in this review sample.