MSI Z77A-GD65 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Pros: None.

Cons: New build, all new components. Motherboard won't post. No video, no beeps. Error code is 35 or 36, which seems to indicate that it's CPU related. When trying to investigate this issue on MSI's website, Chrome tells me the forums are full of malware and won't let me view them. (Google says it last scanned MSI's site today and found malware today.)

So I've got a board that doesn't work from a manufacturer whose site is infected with malware. I should have bought something else.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for the issues that you are having with this product.
0x35 - CPU post-memory initialization. Boot Strap Processor (BSP) selection
0x36 - CPU post-memory initialization. System Management Mode (SMM) initialization
Please kindly inspect the pins in the processor socket on the motherboard and make sure there are no bent pins.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our tech support team directly at 626.271.1004 for assistance during regular business hours from M to F, 9am to 6pm Pacific Time.
Or you can email us at usreview@msi.com, thank you.

Best Regards,
MSI Review Team | usreview@msi.com

Pros: None

Cons: PCI-E Slot died after 2 weeks. Network adapter never worked after uninstalling and re-installing multiple times (updated drivers also).

Other Thoughts: Save your time and mind ignore this hunk of junk.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for the issues that you are having with this product.

If you had already finished troubleshooting and verified the symptom, then please kindly visit the URL below to set up a RMA.
http://service.msicomputer.com/msi_user/rma_form_new.aspx

Required Information:
1. Full name (first, and last)
2. Telephone #
3. Physical address
4. Email address
5. Serial number (located on the box, or underneath the motherboard, eg 601-xxxx-xxxBxxxxxxxxxx)
6. Please write clear details about symptoms you are having onto the Special Remark section.

Once your information and warranty coverage are verified by the system then you will get a RMA# instantly.
RMA email will indicate the turn-around time as well as ship-to address.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the product, received the unit back from RMA but are still having issues, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at usreview@msi.com and we will be more than happy to assist you, thank you.

Best Regards,
MSI Review Team | usreview@msi.com

Pros: It looked nice, It overclocked decently, and OC gene works awesomely, I never want to go back to the old school bios UEFI is very easy to use.

Cons: The PCI-E slots died, after a few months of having this board my video card was being detected, device manager or the bios. I tried many different video cards that worked in other rigs, in all lanes.

Other Thoughts: It was a good board, I put 1 egg because it was military class and expected it to last more that 1 year.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for the issues that you are having with this product.

If you had already finished troubleshooting and verified the symptom, then please kindly visit the URL below to set up a RMA.
http://service.msicomputer.com/msi_user/rma_form_new.aspx

Required Information:
1. Full name (first, and last)
2. Telephone #
3. Physical address
4. Email address
5. Serial number (located on the box, or underneath the motherboard, eg 601-xxxx-xxxBxxxxxxxxxx)
6. Please write clear details about symptoms you are having onto the Special Remark section.

Once your information and warranty coverage are verified by the system then you will get a RMA# instantly.
RMA email will indicate the turn-around time as well as ship-to address.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the product, received the unit back from RMA but are still having issues, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at usreview@msi.com and we will be more than happy to assist you, thank you.

Best Regards,
MSI Review Team | usreview@msi.com

Pros: No Pros since it never worked from the start.

Cons: It didn't work, lol.

Other Thoughts: I got it in and made sure all the connects were where they needed to be and started it up....

This is my second MSI MB. The first one I loved all the features that came with it but it died just a year and a half after having it so decided to try them again. With the first not having a very long life span and this one being DOA I'm thinking I'll be going to a different brand.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for the issues that you are having with this product.

Please kindly visit the URL below to set up a RMA with the following information.
http://service.msicomputer.com/msi_user/rma_form_new.aspx

1. Full name (first, and last)
2. Telephone #
3. Physical address
4. Email address
5. Serial number (located on the box, or underneath the motherboard, eg 601-xxxx-xxxBxxxxxxxxxx)
6. Symptoms you are having onto the Special Remark section (as detailed as possible)

Once your information and warranty coverage are verified then we can proceed with this RMA for you.
Our turn-around time is typically two weeks and our system will notify you automatically at every stage of your RMA process.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the product, received the unit back from RMA but are still having issues, please do not hesitate to contact us directly at usreview@msi.com and we will be more than happy to assist you, thank you.

Best Regards,
MSI Review Team | usreview@msi.com

Pros: I've built three units using this board. One unit using aZ68-GD65 and one using a P55-GD65 all using Intel Ivey Bridge, Sandy bridge I7s, I5s and I 3s. I have really abused one of the Z77s and the Z68. The P55 hums along without missing a beat and is my "everyday puter". Never had any problems with any of the boards.

Cons: I haven't found any yet. I had literally thrown one Z77 in the trash but a few days later realized it was the power supply which would come on and then go off. After I got it out of the dumpster and washed the food and trash off the board it went on working to my amazement. Wow...tough; I still think it has a dried green bean on it just below the CPU socket.

Other Thoughts: I wish MSI would make a water cooler like that of the Corsair 100i so I wouldn't have to buy anything from Corsair.

Pros: Installation was a breeze. It posted without any flaws. Very nice board. Not to mention its beauty, along with Click BIOS II.

Cons: There is only one con, the debug led... The led reads out the temperature of the cpu after a certain bios update, that doesn't bug me at all. What does bug me is the fact that it is GREEN... Why put a GREEN debug led on a blue/black motherboard??? Honestly MSI what sense does that make? As far as I can tell there is no way to change the color or just turn it off. I've tried by searching the bios for little over an hour, but nothing, not even in forums....

Other Thoughts: Other than that LED I love this board. Its packed full of features that even some high dollar boards don't come with. If you are looking to get it, you wont be disappointed.

Pros: Runs good and has plenty of room.

Cons: None

Pros: Has a dual BIOS, Able to over clock memory and CPU with OC Genie.

Cons: This comes with a dual bios and one of them gets corrupt within a month.
Theres a connection problem with the on-board LAN and the drivers available on the MSI site do not fix the problem.
I tried to RMA the motherboard but I was told I'd have to pay for the shipping. I WILL NOT PAY FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT.
Lastly, you get a refurbished board in return. Sorry, but I would like a new replacement.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for the issues that you are having with this product.
Please kindly review our RMA terms and conditions below as we've been doing this forever.
http://us.msi.com/service/warranty/
Your defective board will either be repaired (which will become refurbished), or replaced with another recertified board. You are responsible for one-way shipping, as iv you were driving your car to a store to get a defective product exchanged.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our tech support team directly at 626.271.1004 for assistance during regular business hours from M to F, 9am to 6pm Pacific Time.
Or you can email us at usreview@msi.com, thank you.

Best Regards,
MSI Review Team | usreview@msi.com

Pros: VERY stable Motherboard
OC has been amazing, I can get 4.7GHz out of my i5-3570K @ 1.248v
BIOS has a good deal of tweaking settings, make sure to update once you install the board.
Plenty of PCI Express slots and are properly spaced
Decent distance from the RAM to the CPU for installation of RAM with lower profile heat spreaders and large CPU heatsinks
Price is best bang for the buck you can get!

Cons: Can be pretty picky when trying to max your OC, Took me 2 weeks to dial in the right settings to get my i5-3570K to 4.7GHz, stick with it and you will get a high overclock. For some reason it likes PLL Voltage to be lower than 1.7v for a high OC, currently have mine at 1.65v

Other Thoughts: The gamer version of this board isn't much different, it has a better NIC and can accept slightly higher OC'ed RAM

Pros: None

Cons: Both bios were corrupted in less than 6 months. From what? Who knows.

Other Thoughts: MSI's technical support is utterly useless. No trouble shooting attempted, just "RMA out of your own pocket because we know we've made a shotty product!" I've never bought a quality MSI product, and shunned this garbage company for years. Read a couple of good reviews, decide to give them a shot and look, they're up to their same old dirty tricks of manufacturing garbage.

If you have ANY technical know-how, avoid this board at all costs. There is a nifty "clear cmos" button at the back that's purely aesthetic and does absolutely nothing. I invite you to google "Error 55 z77a gd65" or "gd65 boot looping" and you'll see.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

I want a refund, plain and simple. I want my $200 back.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

Please note that error code 55 indicates the connection between processor's IMC and memory are corrupted, which is caused by bent pins.
To verify, please kindly remove the CPU slowly and carefuly and inspect the socket pins to make sure there are no bent pins, if there are bent pins then you will be charged a $45 fee to replace it and Newegg will not refund you because of physical damage caused to the motherboard.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with our tech support team directly at 626.271.1004 for assistance during regular business hours from M to F, 9am to 6pm Pacific Time.
Or you can email us at usreview@msi.com, thank you.

Best Regards,
MSI Review Team | usreview@msi.com