Review: msi z97m gaming

Main improvements of the Z97 chipset to its predecessor Z87

There are hardly any differences between the Z87 and Z97 chipset on paper. We have few such as the incorporation of the SATA Express block with 10 Gb / s of bandwidth (40% faster) compared to the 6Gb / s of the classic SATA 3. How is there so much improvement? It is because they have taken one or two of the PCI Express lanes, so be careful when doing dual configurations or with multiple graphics cards. One of the most important improvements is the incorporation of the M.2 connection with NGFF support natively, thus replacing the well-received mSATA ports. This technology is the future of computing, since it will allow us to connect large, fast storage devices without occupying places in our box. During this year and 2015 we will see the increase in sales of this connection. Finally, we see the possibility of overclocking RAM memories up to 3300 mh. Well, this reaches the limit of mhz that we can reach with DDR3 memories.

Frequently asked questions to consider

- My heatsink is compatible with socket 1155 and 1556. Is it compatible with socket 1150? Yes, we have tested different motherboards and they all have the same holes as in socket 1155 and 1156. - Is my power supply compatible with Intel Haswell or Intel Devil Canyon / Haswell Refresh ? There are no Haswell certified power supplies. Most of the manufacturers have already released the list of compatible sources: Antec, Corsair, Enermax, Nox, Aerocool / Tacens and Thermaltake. Giving 98% absolute compatibility.

Technical characteristics

MSI Z97M Gaming

We had not touched an MSI plate for a long time… The box is small and its appearance is fabulous where black and red colors predominate. On its cover we have a dragon, icon of the gaming series, all the logos of the certifications and on the flap the slogan "Just Game!". 3

Once we open the box we find the plate wrapped in a plastic bag to prevent the entry of any speck of dust. The plate includes a good bundle, consisting of:

Micro ATX MSI Z97M Gaming Motherboard. Back plate. Instruction manual. SAT cables. SLI bridge. CD with drivers.

Z97M Gaming motherboard case

Protections

Plate with all its accessories.

Like the MSI Gaming family, it is dressed in a black PCB and combines brushed matte black and red in slots and heatsinks. Giving an excellent, uniform finish and with a multitude of hardware combinations.

The motherboard has a MIcro ATX size (24.4 x 24 × 4 cm) so we should not have any compatibility problem in both ATX and Micro ATX boxes. The ITX and Micro ATX formats are gaining the ATX market for their excellent performance and installation in compact equipment.

The quality of the components counts a lot and is that MSI assembles the best components on the market with its Military Class 4 technology : Hi-c Capacitors, Super Ferrite Chokes and “aluminum-core Dark Caps”. Also, it has 8 power phases, dissipated by efficient cooling and an 8-pin EPS12V plug that offers extra support to the platform.

Micro ATX format motherboard

Renovated and very striking design.

Socket 1150 quality.

Support EPS connection: 8 pins.

Rear view for the most curious?

We have two PCI Express 3.0 to x16 ports compatible with QUAD SLI / CrossfireX at 8x working in parallel or 16x individually. It also has two 1x PCI Express ports to connect controllers, SSD or network cards, sas, etc…

We have 4 DDR3 sockets compatible with up to 32GB. We can reach a maximum of 3300 mhz with OC … This is not within the reach of all boards, so it is a point in favor for the MSI team.

Dissipation is solid and does its job. In general lines I have finished very happy.

As we can see, MSI has positioned M.2 technology. between the first and third 16x PCI Express slots. As we have already explained, it is an interface that supports 6GBps, has a speed of up to 10GB / s and its length varies between 4 and 8 cm.

We have 6 SATA connections that work natively with the Intel chip. This will offer us the maximum transfer and make the most of our hard drives and SSDs. If they had chosen to include a SATA Express connection or a total of 8 connections it would be the ultimate motherboard.

MSI were among the first manufacturers to incorporate their own sound card system. We are already facing the Audio Boost 2 version with Realtek chip, accompanied by an EMI shield with LEDs, 7.1 analog output, Creative Sound Blaster Cine software, USB DAC, double amplifier with an impedance of up to 600 ohms. In short, one of the best integrated sound cards on the market.

Another point to consider is its excellent network card (Nic) Killer E2200 that allows you to stream and prioritize gaming packages in the system, reducing latency and an improvement over your rival.

Finally we have the rear connections: PS / 2 connector, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, LAN Killer, E-SATA and Audio Boost 6-channel sound card.

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UEFI BIOS

MSI offers us one of the best and simplest BIOS on the market. If we are looking to overclock with just 4 steps, MSI gives it to you. If you are looking for the control of the fans, it also offers it to you. Monitoring of all connected components, it also offers it to us. It is one of my favorite BIOS. Good job MSI!

Test bench and tests

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel i7 4770k
Base plate:	MSI Z97M Gaming
Memory:	G.Skills Trident X 2400mhz.
Heatsink	Noctua NH-U14S
HDD	Samsumg 840 250GB
Graphic card	GTX780
Power supply	Antec HCP 850

To check the stability of the processor and the motherboard, we have made an extreme OC of up to 4500 mhz with Prime 95 Custom by liquid cooling. The graphics we have used is a Gigabyte GTX780 Rev 2.0. We go to the results:

TESTS
3dMark Vantage:	P41139
3dMark11	P16731 PTS
Crysis 3	44 FPS
CineBench 11.5	12.1 fps.
Resident EVIL 6 Lost Planet Tomb Raider Metro	1430 PTS. 130 FPS. 70 FPS 68 FPS

Final words and conclusion

We already have several Z97 motherboards analyzed but this is the first Micro ATX that we touch and the sensations that the Z97M Gaming has offered us are very good. It has an incredible aesthetic and is compatible with NVIDIA (SLI) and ATI (Crossfire) Multi GPU PCI Express 3.0 systems. It also supports fourth and fifth generation processors. It has 4 DDR3 memory sockets that allow us to install up to 32GB at 3300 mhz with overclock.

The MSI Z97M Gaming comes very well equipped with an Audio Boost 2 sound card with 7.1 channels and an impedance of up to 600 ohms for studio or high-end headphones. As gamer features it has an excellent Killer E2200 network card.

In our tests we have used an Intel i7-4770k processor with an overclock at 4500 mhz and 1.23 v. Both in synthetic tests and gaming the result is very good, making a difference to

ATX motherboards. Good job MSI!

One of its few buts is just the addition of six SATA ports. We think adding two or one PCI Express connection would have embroidered to this fantastic motherboard. In its favor it has the M.2 interface. 10 Gbp / s.

Many of you may be wondering… How much does it cost? Currently it can be found in an online store with a starting price of € 150. You want a small team, gaming and with great potential… MSI Z97M Gaming.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ RENEWED AESTHETIC.	- ONLY 6 SATA PORTS.
+ 8 PHASE OF FEED	- DOES NOT INCLUDE SATA EXPRESS.
+ MILITARY CLASS COMPONENTS 4.
+ EXCELLENT UEFI BIOS
+ GOOD OVERCLOCK POTENTIAL.
+ RED KILLER CARD AND AUDIO BOOST 2.