Msi z170a gaming m9 ack review

MSI one of the best manufacturers of motherboards and graphics cards in the world has sent us another exclusive and it is the MSI Z170A Gaming M9 ACK Review that has a very aggressive design and the ideal characteristics for those who are looking for an excellent overclock to play at maximum with Intel Skylake processors.

Don't miss our review ! If you keep reading we will explain everything we need to know about it.

We thank MSI Spain for trusting the product for its analysis:

Technical characteristics

Features MSI Z170A Gaming M9 ACK
CPU	6th Generation Intel® Socket 1151 Core ™ i7 / i5 i3 Core ™ / Core ™ / Pentium® / Celeron® processors Supports Intel® 14nm CPU Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0
Chipset	Intel® Z170 Express Chipset
Memory	• 4 x DDR4 memory slots, support up to 64GB • Supports DDR4 3600 (OC) / 3200 (OC) / 3000 (OC) / 2800 (OC) / 2600 (OC) / 2400/2133 MHz • Dual channel memory architecture • Supports ECC, non-buffer memory • Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
Multi-GPU Compatible	• 3 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (x16 / x4 / x0 or x8 / x4 / x8 or x8 / x1 / x8) • 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots • 3-Way AMD® CrossFire Technology Support • 2-Way NVIDIA SLI ™ Technology Integrated Support: • 2 x HDMI ™ ports, support a maximum resolution of 4096 × 2160 @ 24Hz, 2560 × 1600 @ 60Hz • 1 x DisplayPort, supports a maximum resolution of 4096 × 2304 @ 24Hz, 2560 × 1600 @ 60Hz, 3840 × 2160 @ 60Hz, 1920 × 1200 @ 60Hz
Storage	Intel Z170 Express Chipset • 6x SATA 6Gb / s ports * • 2x M.2 ports • 2 x SATAe port (PCIe 3.0 x2)
USB and ports.	ASMedia ASM1142 Chipset - 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) Z170 Express Chipset - 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 - 6x USB 3.1 Type-C - 5 x USB 2.0
LAN and Wifi	1 x Killer E2400 1 x Wifi 1535 with 2 × 2 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac support. Inciorpora Bluetooth Killer 1535.
Rear connections	- 1 x Clear CMOS button - 1 x PS / 2 keyboard / mouse port - 3 x USB 2.0 ports (1 x HOTKEY port) (1 x BIOS FLASHBACK + port) - 1 x DisplayPort - 1 x HDMI ™ port - 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 port - 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port - 1 x LAN (RJ45) port - 2 x USB 3.1 Gen1 ports - 1 x Optical S / PDIF OUT connector - 5 x OFC audio jacks
Audio	- Cmedia CM6632 - 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio - S / PDIF support
Format	ATX format; 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm
BIOS	The motherboard BIOS provides "Plug & Play" that detects peripheral devices and expansion cards on the motherboard automatically. • The motherboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function that records the specifications of the motherboard.
Price	149 euros.

MSI Z170A Gaming M9 Ack

MSI surprises us again with luxury packaging, a voluminous box that predominates the color red and that in the previous one all the characteristics. Its interior is divided into two compartments, the first houses the motherboard and the second all its accessories.

The bundle is made up of:

MSI Z170A Gaming M9 ACK motherboard.Instruction manual, quick guide and CD with drivers.Wifi antennas 2 × 2 802.11.6 sets of SATA cables.Processor extractor on motherboard.Back plate.Door stickers.

It is a classic ATX motherboard with dimensions of 30.5cm x 24.4cm, so we will have no problem installing it in any box on the market. Its design is very aggressive with the colors of the series: red and black and includes several effects near the socket in the form of stripes. Also note that the plate has a metal armor (thin) that covers part of the left circuitry and the entire rear area. This allows better firmness when installing as many graphics cards as the same board inside the box.

It incorporates four sockets of DDR4 RAM memory that allows installing up to 64GB with high frequencies of 3600 Mhz by applying overclock and is compatible with the XMP 1.3 profile. The cooling is very good, it incorporates a Z170 chipset heatsink with the logo of a dragon, and in the phase areas a hybrid system that allows you to insert two fittings to install liquid cooling. We have already seen this type of model in other manufacturers and some users call it quite a lot.

It has a total of 14 power phases of which 12 have been shared with the processor and the other two for RAM. As expected, it incorporates Military Class V technology with Titanium Choke that improves tolerance to high temperatures and is capable of operating up to 220ºC and giving 40% more support than other models. It also has Hi-C Cap capacitors that allow 93% energy efficiency and DARK CAP that has an aluminum core design that offer a low equivalent resistance (ESR) to 10 years of life.

In the PCI Express connections it has 3 PCI Express 3.0 ports compatible with 2 Way Nvidia SLI and 3 Way CrossFireX technology. In addition to 4 more expansion with PCI Express x4 format. As you can see, it also incorporates two Ultra M.2 connections with a bandwidth of up to 32Gb / s each. I am pleased to see that manufacturers are making this connection more important.

With Xtreme Audio DAC, powered by a C-Media 122dB 384kHz / 32-Bit HD Audio Processor, Dedicated ESS SABER HiFi DAC, Nahimic Sound Technology and other high quality audio components, we are offering the highest sound quality. In this way, you can enjoy stunning, crystal-clear sound through 8-channel HD Audio or high-impedance headphones to completely dominate the game. We also don't forget about the Killer E2400 LAN network card and AC1535 Wifi wireless connections and Bluetooth with ExtremeRANGE. This technology offers industry leading speed, smart management and control for PCs. Lag Latency ReductionTM Killer reduction technology combined with ExtremeRange ™ technology revolutionizes the user experience thanks to better redirection, low latencies and more WiFi range. Play, stream and enjoy your HD video - all combined at the same time and without interruption.

It has 6 SATA connections, where it shares four of the SATAS ports with two SATA Express connections. It covers the needs of 90% of users who assemble their own computer.

Finally, I detail the complete rear connections:

1 x Clear CMOS. 1 Wifi connection. 1 x PS2.3 x USB 2.0.1 x HDMI. 1 x Displayport. 1 x USB 3.1 Type A & C. 2 x USB 3.1.1 x LAN Gigabit Killer. Digital audio output. 7.1.

Test bench and tests

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel i5-6600k.
Base plate:	MSI Z170A Xpower Gaming Titanium Edition
Memory:	4 × 4 16GB DDR4 @ 3200 MHZ Corsair LPX DDR4
Heatsink	Noctua NH-D15s
HDD	Samsung 840 EVO 250GB.
Graphic card	Nvidia GTX 780.
Power supply	EVGA SuperNOVA 750 G2

To check the stability of the processor and motherboard, we've overclocked up to 4500mhz with Intel XTU and air cooling. The graphics that we have used is an Nvidia GTX780, without further distractions let's see the results obtained in our tests with a 1920 × 1080 monitor.

BIOS

MSI incorporates a UEFI BIOS which improves on its previous versions. This new format controls your system under two modes: EZ mode, with the most used functions and settings. Advanced mode with the most detailed settings and fine tuning options to increase the performance of your system.

Final words and conclusion

The MSI Z170A Gaming M9 ACK is one of the best motherboards on the market for both design and components. We have a very complete board for any professional player with a Killer network card, Military Class V components, support for 2 Way SLI and 3 Way CrossFire and dual M.2 system.

In our tests we have put our processor at 4500 mhz giving very good results in games. For example we have obtained in 101 Fps in Battlefield 4 along with a graphics card like the Nvidia GTX 780 from 3GB. What a good result!

Like the Titanium I did not like anything that only incorporates only 6 SATA III connections instead of 10 or 12 on a board with this status, since it does not cost anything to do so. I also liked that it incorporates Bluetooth, Wifi 2 × 2 with Killer controller.

If the Z170 Xpower Titanium seemed expensive to me, the AC9 ACK seems to me a very high price for an intel mainstream platform. Its price in store is 400 euros! Within reach of very few pockets.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ NICE DESIGN.	- PRICE
+ EXCELLENT COMPONENTS.	- ONLY 6 SATAS III.
+ DUAL M.2.
+ OVERCLOCK.
+ XTREME AUDIO DAC SOUND CARD.
+ 2X2 WIFI ANTENNA.