- Intel Z170
- Celeron / Core i3 / Core i5 / Core i7 / Intel Core 6th Gen (LGA 1151) / Pentium
- DDR4 3600*(*OC)/ 3200*/ 3000*/ 2800*/ 2600*/ 2400*/ 2133
So far works as advertised for a budget gaming PC but hopeful of no CPU issues
07/14/2016
This review is from: MSI Z170A GAMING M3 LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 ATX Intel Motherboard
Pros:
Board is packed with some good features and fills my needs as a non over-clocker. Windows 7 install went smoothly and did NOT require the MSI Windows 7 tool as long as you set up the bios correctly. I did install Windows 7 via a DVD drive so you may need the tool if your installing via USB as those ports will need drivers for the install.
Cons:
The last two reviews under mine. I was unaware of the CPU throttling issue and did not see this discussed much on the MSI forums so I can only hope I won't see this issue down the road in six months. I did however pay attention to the last review about disabling it and downloaded that tool for future use if need be.
I also deducted 1 egg for bent CPU fan pins and time wasted going over motherboard with a magnifying glass to look for other problems with parts and solder points.
Overall Review:
CPU fan pins were bent back about 25-30 degrees. It looks like someone on the manufacturing line put a test meter or something on it to check if it was working but yanked it off at an angle. I CAREFULLY bent the pins back and checked the traces on the underside of the board to make sure no solder points broke contact. Everything works great at the moment but I have not installed any games yet to check them out but it passed several benchmark tests and a burn in test with no issues.
I also tried the on-board sound option and while it's ok, if your a true gamer you want an independent sound card to get the best sound. I reverted back and installed my X-Fi Fatal1ty Pro and it really blows the on-board sound away in clarity, highs, low and mid-range as it's DAC is independent of the boards.
MSI Gaming Z170A GAMING M3, 16GB G-Skill memory, MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 100ME 2GB , Intel I3 6100, Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty Pro, SAMSUNG 850 EVO, Rosewill 850watt PSU (8 years old but fine specs from Johnny Guru at the time and was cleaned out and voltages checked and it's still rock solid)
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- Paulette N.
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Verified Owner
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Owned For:
1 week to 1 month
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