The M.2 slot is wired to support both SATA 6Gb/s and PCIe x2 based M.2 SSDs.
#MSI Z97 GAMING 7 ATX LGA1150 MOTHERBOARD SERIES#
New for the Z97 series is a M.2 slot located between the bottom two PCIe x16 slots. Unfortunately, the ports aren’t color coded by controller type to help preserve the black/red color scheme. The MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC support a maximum of 4x DIMMs of DDR3 DRAM with overclocked frequencies of up to 3,300MHz.Īt the edge of the board, we get the usual 24 pin power connector, voltage check points, and onboard power/reset/OC Genie buttons.įor storage, MSI includes a total of 8x SATA 6Gb/s ports with 6x ports running off the Intel Z97 chipset and 2x running off an ASMedia ASM1061 chipset. This is the same power delivery system we saw on the MSI Z97 Gaming 7. Power delivery on the MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC is handled by a 12+2 phase power delivery system which uses the ISL6388 digital controller, Hi-c Caps, Super Ferrite Chokes, and Dark Caps rated at up to 260✬.
#MSI Z97 GAMING 7 ATX LGA1150 MOTHERBOARD FULL#
While it’s nice to see MSI include a full array of 4-pin fan headers, I feel like they should’ve included at least one more fan header. 2x 4-pin fan headers (marked orange) are CPU fan headers while 3x 4-pin fan headers (marked green) are system fan headers. In total, MSI includes 5x 4-pin fan headers. The heatsinks are no taller than heatsinks typically found on low profile memory, so large air coolers should not be an issue. VRM cooling is handled by new dragon claw inspired heatsinks which we recently saw from the Z97 Gaming 7. It’ll also support Intel’s upcoming 5th Generation Core processors (aka Broadwell) which should arrive either at the end of this year or early next year. The MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC uses an Intel LGA 1150 socket so it’ll support Intel’s latest 4th Generation Intel Core processors (aka Haswell and Devil’s Canyon). This results in a more blacked out appearance than a brownish one seen on previous generation MSI motherboards. Like the rest of MSI’s Z97 Gaming lineup, the Z97 Gaming 9 AC uses the gaming series black/red theme as well as an upgraded PCB which helps hide the copper traces onboard. The MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC motherboard is an ATX form factor motherboard which uses the Z97 chipset so it’ll support Intel socket LGA 1150 processors. Along with the documentation, we get a door hangar, case badge, cable labels, 7x SATA cables, SLI connector, rear I/O shield, M-Connector (front panel connector), V-check connector cables, SLI bridge, direct audio power cable, rear expansion slot SATA to eSATA adapter (2x eSATA ports), WiFi/BT module, and two antennas. Here’s a look at the packaging for the MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC.Īs the Z97 Gaming 9 AC is MSI’s flagship gaming board, they haven’t skimped on the accessories at all, which required us to take four pictures just to fit everything in. A Closer Look at the MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC
![msi z97 gaming 7 atx lga1150 motherboard msi z97 gaming 7 atx lga1150 motherboard](https://www.proshop.dk/Images/915x900/2441927_899ce1129184.jpg)
for the front-panel connector, and now includes an onboard Intel Wireless-AC 7260 chip (hence the AC suffix after the 9) with support for WIDI technology. Unlike the MSI Z97 Gaming 7 however, MSI also upgraded the sound for the Z97 Gaming 9 AC even further by adding additional codecs, DACs, ADCs, etc. Similar to the Gaming 7, the Gaming 9 AC also supports up to 3x PCI-E 3.0 SLI/Crossfire, an upgraded audio subsystem, a plethora of connectivity options, and the much improved Click BIOS 4 UEFI interface.
![msi z97 gaming 7 atx lga1150 motherboard msi z97 gaming 7 atx lga1150 motherboard](https://www.anphatpc.com.vn/media/product/14759_3_z97gaming5_4.jpg)
While there haven’t been a whole lot of changes coming from the Z87 chipset, the Z97 chipset does has native support for new PCIe storage interfaces, M.2 and SATA Express, as well as support for Intel Haswell and upcoming Broadwell CPUs. As its name suggests, the board uses the Intel Z97 chipset and LGA1150 socket. MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC Specifications ManufacturerĢx TI OPA1652 Amp (Headphone support up to 600 ohm)ġx Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260 (WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, Intel WiDi)Ħ x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connectors (Intel Chipset)Ģ x SATA 3 6.0 Gb/s connectors (ASMedia ASM1061 Chipset)Ģ x USB 2.0 connectors (supports 4x USB 2.0 ports)Ģ x USB 3.0 connector (supports 4x USB 3.0 ports)Īs such, today we’ll be reviewing the MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC which as you know is MSI’s top-of-the line gaming motherboard. We were told however, that the MSI Z97 Gaming 9AC would be a wireless model and have a significantly upgraded audio system that would really differentiate it from the rest of the gaming lineup. It was rock solid, had a fantastic layout, and a premium feature-set well worth its pricetag.Īt the time of the review of the Gaming 7, MSI had already planned to release an even more premium gaming motherboard, the Z97 Gaming 9 AC, but it was still under wraps at the time. MSI’s Flagship Gaming MotherboardĪ couple months ago, we were fortunate enough to be one of the first tech review sites to get the opportunity to review the MSI Z97 Gaming 7 motherboard which we felt was one of the best all-around sub-$200 gaming motherboards.