#Install cpu msi z97 gaming 7 install#
#Install cpu msi z97 gaming 7 full#

But while I would have liked to have seen 6, the 5 here are at least arranged well, with dual CPU headers at the top, two more at the bottom, and one to the left of the CPU socket. Whether or not that’s an issue is dependent on your installation – I’d just like to see as many as possible since some people do like to load their rigs up with fans. If you’re more interested in NVIDIA SLI, you’ll unfortunately be limited to 2 GPUs, but given the throttled-back PCI bandwidth versus a more robust chipset like X99, 2 GPUs should be plenty enough for anyone with this board.įor a board of this price range, I like to see at least 6 fan headers, but this one includes just 5.

#Install cpu msi z97 gaming 7 install#

MSI’s Z97 Gaming 9 AC is a standard-sized ATX motherboard, and if you’re so inclined, you’ll be able to easily install 3 graphics cards for CrossFire use, thanks to the slack left underneath the bottom slot. With all of that covered, I think it’s time for our hardware tour.

#Install cpu msi z97 gaming 7 full#

With MSI Audio Boost 2, the company promises top-rate sound quality, and for headphones users, you can be rest-assured that even with headphones rated at up to 600ohms, you’ll have no problem taking full advantage of them thanks to the board’s dual amplifiers. This includes the audio portion of the board being isolated, along with the ability to tap into a dedicated power input via Direct Audio Power. If SteamOS is your plan, then you should have no issues at all.įor audio, the board includes a typical Realtek chipset, but has other features piled on to improve the offering overall. Do note that if you plan to use Linux with this board, you might have to get a little hands-on with getting this networking to work.

Personally, I am not a fan of Killer Ethernet, and hate to see it included on boards as the only LAN offering, but my ire boils down to past experiences, and I’d hope that nowadays, it’d behave itself over the long-run. It doesn’t take too much digging to see what sets this board apart from most others, though.Īt the forefront, the board includes Qualcomm’s Killer Ethernet E2205 networking. Most of the Gaming 9 AC’s specs are standard fare, such as its support for up to 32GB of memory, as well as its multi-GPU support. Internal: 4x USB 3.0 (Intel), 4x USB 2.0 (Intel)ġx 1Gbps LAN, 8x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 1x Optical S/PDIF, 6x Audio Jacks, 1x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, Wi-Fi connector, PS/2Īudio Boost 2, USB Audio Power, Xtreme Audio DAC, XSplit Gamecaster, SteamOS-ready, Killer E2200 Gamer Networking, Guard-Pro, OC Genie 4, Click BIOS Does this shielding matter for the performance or quality of the board? Nope – not at all. Not only does the audio portion at the bottom left-hand side of the board have shielding, but so does the I/O panel. Even on the gaming front, though, it’s not often that we see so much shielding as we do here. With its black and red color scheme, MSI’s Gaming 9 AC definitely fits the bill as a gaming motherboard (as if its name didn’t solidify that fact enough already).

I’ll talk more about these features later, but for now, let’s get into the hardware. The board even includes a six-month subscription to XSplit Gamecaster, a game recording suite. Included here is advanced networking via Killer Ethernet as well as a full assortment of audio toys. This board’s aesthetics helps distinguish itself as a gaming board right out-of-the-gate, but it’s of course the feature set that matters, not its pretty face. Given its price-point, you can likely expect what kind of feature set the board brings to the table, and you’d be spot-on if you guessed that this was one very robust offering. The Gaming 9 AC’s price hovers around the $300 mark, but I’ve seen it dip as low as $270 when mail-in rebates are brought into the equation. As far as MSI’s Z97 gaming offerings go, that model finds itself at the bottom of the ladder, whereas the board that I’m looking at here, Z97 Gaming 9 AC, enjoys a sweet view from the top. In August, I took a look at MSI’s Z97I Gaming AC, a mini-ITX motherboard that while small, proved to be very mighty.