[section_title title=”Introduction”]Introduction
- Brand: MSI
- Model: Z97 Gaming 7
- Price: £139.99 (at time of review)
MSI is a worldwide innovator and manufacturer of computer hardware. Not only do MSI create some of the best graphics cards and motherboards; they are also well known for their laptops, all-In-One PCs, desktops and barebones systems. Founded in 1986 (The year I was born) MSI have continued their growth and expansion with the above mentioned products. With product lines such as their GAMING series graphics cards and motherboards as well as their Lightning series graphics cards and MPOWER motherboards MSI are always trying to push the boundaries of performance and innovation.
Today we will be taking a look at one of their latest Z97 boards, namely the MSI Z97 Gaming 7. This, as you would expect, is a feature packed board and should hold up to be a very well made mid-high range offering. Packed with Killer E2200 LAN, Audio Boost, M.2 port and the normal array of connections and components; this is sure to be a good board at the very least. Couple all of that with their GAMING series design which is normally an aesthetically pleasing design and we should be on to a winner.
Being the top board in their GAMING series (at the time of review) how will it hold up? Will all of its features add up to offer great performance and a good experience? Will it be able to compete with other Z97 boards from the likes of ASUS, Gigabyte, ASRock and other competitors? Well, there is only one way to find out, so let’s get the show on the road.
Before we get into our review, let’s see what MSI has to say about their Z97 GAMING 7 Motherboard.
MSI® GAMING motherboards are designed to provide gamers with best-in-class features and technology. Backed by the imposing looks of MSI’s Dragon, each motherboard is an engineering masterpiece tailored to gaming perfection.
THE BEST GAMING WEAPONS AT HAND
Amazing sound with Audio Boost 2, powered by Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2
USB Audio Power
The highest frag and the lowest lag with Killer™ E2200 Game Networking
Push your SSD to the limit with M.2 & SATA Express
Show off your gaming skills to the world with XSplit Gamecaster
SteamOS ready out of the box
Military Class 4 components
Super stable with Guard-Pro
Specialized production lines just for GAMING motherboards
OC Genie 4
Gaming Device Port
Boost your FPS with the MSI GAMING APP
Click BIOS 4 (click here to visit our dedicated BIOS page)
Optimized for multiple graphics cards (SLI & CrossFire certified)
Take control with Command Center & Live Update 6
OC Essentials
