Sort by:
Title (
)
Date (
)
Rating (
)
Popularity (
)
Sites currently sorted by: Title (Z to A)
)
Date (
)
Rating (
)
Popularity (
) Sites currently sorted by: Title (Z to A)
The Z87 XPOWER is the flagship mainboard from MSI’s Intel 8-series motherboard line. The Z87 XPOWER sports the MSI Lightning color scheme and is designed primarily for overclocking purposes although it also boasts a staggering list of non-OC related features as expected from a mainboard of its price and caliber. Sporting an XL-ATX form factor at 34.5cm x 26.4cm, the MSI Z87 XPOWER is packed with onboard OC functions and an impressive 4-way 8x/8x/8x/8x SLI/CFX support via a PLX PEX8747 chip. The Z87 XPOWER uses Military Class IV components and 32-phase IR3550 ICs on an 8-layer PCB for a highly efficient and stable overclocking performance. Just like the MSI MPOWER MAX, the Z87 XPOWER uses Qualcomm Killer E2200 for low-ping managed network traffic and a Realtek ALC1150 codec with TI OPA1652 amp for high-quality audio which is isolated for minimized interference.
It's getting even closer to the launch of the newest Intel based motherboards revolving around a brand new chipset and supporting the newest 4th generation Intel processors. With that creeping in closer day by day, we are getting ourselves prepared for the launch, especially with us also preparing to get the latest content from the upcoming show; Computex.
To help keep our readers in the loop, as much as we can without breaking NDA, we have a whole host of previews coming up, which is where we find ourselves today, looking at the upcoming boards one by one, starting with the Z87 MPOWER from MSI.
Now you may remember the MPOWER branding from their Z77 offering that we looked at back in March, and sticking with the styling and branding used there, they have merged it over to the new chipset with this latest addition.
It would have been difficult to miss Intel’s launch of Haswell last weekend. On launch day we looked at the Gigabyte GA-Z87X-OC and the ASUS Z87 Sabertooth motherboards and today we analyse the latest high end board from MSI – The Z87 MPower MAX. This is priced a little higher than the other boards we have looked at so far – around £219.95 inc vat.
The MSI MPOWER MAX Z87 is a high-end mainboard that is primarily designed for overclocking but also includes plenty of features fit for gamers and enthusiasts. The MPOWER MAX Z87 mainboard draws inspiration from MSI’s Lightning series of video cards and is equipped with Military Class IV technology, DigitALL Power PWM and all OC essential features. Utilizing super-pipe technology, the MSI MPOWER MAX Z87 has a unique VRM heatsink design optimized for low-airflow environments which is ideal for LN2 setups. With three PCI-E x16 slots spaced optimally for multi-GPU setups, the MSI MPOWER MAX Z87 motherboard can run up to two NVIDIA video cards in SLI and up to three AMD video cards in CrossFireX. Similar to MSI’s Gaming line, the MSI MPOWER MAX is outfitted with high-quality audio powered by an EMI shielded Realtek ALC1150 codec with built-in headphone amps, gold plated connectors in an isolated PCB area to minimize interference.
Intel's new Haswell CPUs bring with them a new socket, LGA1150, and a new supporting chipset, the Z87. MSI's new Z87 MPower MAX motherboard is the first of third-party Intel Z87-Express desktop motherboard we've had the opportunity to test. As a member of MSI's "MPOWER" motherboards, the full-sized ATX motherboard is a high-end product stuffed with features aimed at enthusiasts and gamers. Let's take a look at it!
This weekend the first motherboard we took a look at was the MSI Z87-G45 Gaming, MSI’s lower priced gaming model. Along with the gaming product line they also have a line they are calling MPower that is focused more on the overclocking community and general enthusiasts. There are two models the Z87 M Power and the Z87 MPower Max, today I am going to dive in and take a look at the Z87 M Power. I’m excited to see what sets it apart from MSI’s gaming boards.
It wasn't that long ago that MSI released a new range of products to the market, branded under MPOWER and with the release of the Z87 chipset from Intel and 4th generation CPUs, it's only right that the MPOWER range gets a new addition, and of course it is simply called the Z87 MPOWER and features the same bright yellow colour scheme that reminds me of Bumblebee from the Transformers.
The theme is also being used on the Lightning range of VGA cards from MSI and memory manufacturer Avexir have worked hard with them to produce matching memory, so that you can have a nice system that matches with all other components, much like they've done with the gaming series of boards that we also looked at quite recently.
The MPOWER series isn't quite the top-end as that is where XPOWER comes in, but with the Z87 XPOWER delayed until after launch, the MPOWER range is taking the launch as its flagship and today we are ready to see what it can do and what it has to offer, especially as I'm a BMW owner and the word MPOWER purely sings to my emotions.
The MPOWER series of boards cater for many different customers with an onus on stability and overclockability, and we're sure that this won't disappoint, especially from what we've seen MSI do with the MPOWER series so far. So lets find out if it can give us the performance that we crave, as well as give a full feature set that will keep gamers, general consumers and overclockers all happy.
First things first, we need to take a look at the box and what comes included in terms of added extras and accessories. After, we can take a detailed look at the board itself and what feature set it has including the BIOS and how things have improved with the new Z87 chipset from Intel. Once all of that is out of the way, we can focus on the stock performance, seeing how far we can overclock the CPU and how the performance looks once we've pushed it to the limits, so what are we waiting for?
Last time we had a look at MSI's flagship of the Z87series, the Z87 XPOWER. Targeted at the overclocking and the enthusiast audience, the XPOWER also carries a hefty price tag. Gamers however are usually more budget minded and might prefer to invest a bit more in the Graphics Card or the Processor. MSI has got two Gaming boards on offer, the G45 and GD65, both carry tailor made specifications for gamers. Multi GPU support, improved Audio and LAN function, all integrated in a professional and stunning looking Dragon-themed PCB. That high end and performance does not always have to carry a hefty price tag might become more clear during the review of this Z87-G45 Gaming motherboard.
Today we are going to look at MSI‘s latest mini-ITX offering, the Z77IA-E53 motherboard. It’s designed for users who are looking to build a powerful compact system based around the Intel Z77 platform. This makes it ideal for building a compact LAN gaming system in a case such as the Bitfenix Prodigy.
execution time : 0.262 sec