- Intel Z87
- 4th-Gen Intel Core i7 / i5/ i3 (LGA1150)
- DDR3 3000(OC)/2800(OC)
Not User Friendly
03/19/2014
This review is from: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Pro Gaming with Killer Networking & Sound Blaster Intel Motherboard
Pros:
Great for overclocking
It works after hours of attempting to figure out what the hundreds of BIOS configuration settings do
Cons:
When using Windows 8, it decides that it would like to override all Windows startup screens and just show the MSI logo. This is using DEFAULT BIOS settings. This may not seem like an issue, until your Windows decides that it wants to do an update and restart without prompting you, then you walk into the room only to see a MSI logo on the screen for 10 minutes and hit the power button thinking Windows crashed. Then when you boot it back up, VOLA! Windows is corrupted. I've had to reinstall windows FOUR times because of this issue.
I purchased my RAM at a frequency of 1866mhz. Upon using the default settings, it downgrades the RAM to only 1333mhz. In order to get the correct RAM, you have to go into the overclocking settings and select 1866mhz instead of AUTO. Who would have figured.
The location that they put the USB 3.0 connector is just plain outright awful. I have an 11" graphics card, and it covers up the USB 3.0 connector. In order to plug in a USB 3.0 plug, you have to literally spend 5 minutes wedging it in place; and if you have the NZXT Phantom 530 series case as I do, the only way to plug it in is to remove some of the 3.5" hard drive bays. Mind you, the NZXT Phantom 530 case is a FULL SIZE case. To make matters worse, the SATA ports are directly under the USB 3.0 connector, which means even more wedging wires in the place. So to say, two of the pins on my USB 3.0 connector are now bent in a "U"-shape, rendering the connector completely unusable now.
What really drew my attention to this over some of the other motherboards with the same specs for the same price (especailly the ASUS, which I regret not getting over this heap of junk), is the amazing dragon decal. Well, good luck seeing it if you are getting a graphics card longer than 9". Because of the location they placed everything, the only way to actually see the dragon is to place the graphics card in the bottom PCIe slot, which restricts airflow because of the power supply being located directly below it.
The technical support is that of every other major technology company. You call them in desparation needing help to get something fixed, and NOBODY speaks clear English.
Overall Review:
If you want my recommendation, I would say look for something else. This motherboard is a pain and isn't worth dealing with.
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- Jesse B.
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Verified Owner
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Owned For:
1 week to 1 month
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