I tried to install Windows 7 with this but my mouse and keyboard would not work. So I found an old PS/2 keyboard that would work. I was able to tab through all of the setup however. The next issue was entering the Windows key. To install the key you have to have internet access. This issue is that the ethernet port would not work with Windows 7 either. We couldn't install the drivers via USB either.
It says on the box supports Windows 10 and it means it. We ended up just installing Windows 10. It was super simple and took no time at all. All of the ports worked fine the entire way. I recommend this to anyone that runs Windows 10.
WINDOWS 7 WILL NOT WORK WITH THIS MOTHERBOARD
MSI Hits it out of the park again! Keep in mind that the "PRO" part of this model, not everything is beginner friendly, although MSI's technical support will happily help you with your build. I would say this motherboard has so many OC features that it would be a waste to use this without an unlocked (K model) CPU. All the 1-3 star reviews are people who either won't read instructions or don't want to call MSI support when they don't know what they did wrong.
I paired this with i7 9700K, G.Skill 3600MHz RAM, GTX 1080 Ti, Samsung M.2 SSD and an acer 144Hz monitor.
Everything worked great with minimal setup! First boot I opened BIOS and clicked XMP and this MB auto detected a good 3600MHz profile for my RAM. I have adjusted some settings in "expert mode" to make the CPU turbo boost all cores and disabled clocking down for AVX instructions (heat warning!). In benchmarks it maintains 4.85GHz across all cores at once on air cooling (stock limits to 4.6GHz all cores and AVX safety can drag it down more). FireStrike 3D scores improved 15% with max temps reaching 70C so there is even more room to OC.
Notes that may help others avoid issues:
The M.2 Screw is incredibly tiny and is in a very tiny bag that is easy to miss, but it is there. I even called tech support before I looked more carefully and found it in the box.
The M.2 slot when in SATA Mode will take over SATA Slot 1. It will literally replace the slot in the BIOS. If you can't find a drive, that is probably it.
The extra 6 pin on the motherboard near the PCI Express lanes are for if you are using two high power draw GPUs (e.g dual 1080 ti or 2080). With one GPU it is not necessary and will not affect performance.
If you don't install from an up to date version of Windows 10, the ethernet port likely won't be detected or usable until you install the network drivers from disk or USB. This does not affect wireless.
Windows 7 of course is not supported but that has nothing to do with the motherboard, it's the fact that no 8th gen intel CPUs will run windows 7. Any complaints about this are completely misdirected and should be going at Intel.
PROS:
Designed for OC and high performance gaming
Tons of features for beginners and experts
Lightning fast
USB C 3.1 port in the back plus headers
Builtin POST Speaker
Mystic RGB headers
Lots of headers!
Easy OC ranging from no skill to expert level. Has OC settings specific to Intel's 9th gen chips
XMP just works
M.2 storage and M.2 bluetooth slots
RAID Controller
It's a motherboard from MSI
Con:
The only thing remotely negative about this is the noticeable (or almost loud) pop/click when the motherboard powers on. This is not worth a lower rating and it's not much of a con unless you are overly sensitive to computer noises. It's the sound of a solid relay activating to power on your devices and is reminiscent of many years ago when electrical components were overbuilt and could last for decades.
I'm still putting my new PC together, but had to post a picture of where I found the M.2 screw because it took me quite a while to find it and I want to save you some time.
It's in a really small bag that looks kinda useless with a sticker of a barcode and number. The little guy is hiding in there.
In case I forget to revisit this later, docking a star for the annoying hard to find screw.
Great Motherboard for the price. It has a solid build and good features / functionality. It is by no means cheap, but it is affordable.
Let's get the obvious out of the road...
I had the same issue with the M2 screw missing as everyone else. I ordered an M2 screw kit off of Amazon for $8.52 which I should not have had to do but it can't hurt to have a few extra M2 screws.
The mb came with the usual mounting screws, standoffs, mb backplate / IO shield and I believe it may have had 2 sata cables. As far as the motherboard goes, it was a very smooth install.
During the install, I added an NVMe drive (Crucial P1 500GB 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD - CT500P1SSD8) with no issues (besides the missing M2 screw). I flashed the MB to the current firmware. I used a Corsair Power Supply (Corsair CX Series 650 Watt 80 Plus Bronze Certified Modular Power Supply (CP-9020103-NA)). Adding the CPU and memory were "put it in and go" processes (with the exception of spending time to find stable overclocks after the build was complete). Installed an AIO Liquid CPU Cooler (CORSAIR HYDRO Series H100i PRO) due to overclocking. Backplate and Cooler Fit the mb with no issues.
This mb runs very well!
In the past I have stayed away from the more advanced motherboards on my PC build due to skepticism about actual performance but boy was I wrong. The user experience for this mobo is world's apart from standard non-gaming units and I don't think I will ever be going back. The reinforced PCI slots make a huge difference when you are cramming in your GPU and I have noticed MUCH better heat dissipation performance than with stock models using similar specs. The design is rather handsome on the whole and looks great in my glass case. The additional plugs for cooling systems, LED arrays, and other peripherals is a huge plus as well. My biggest favorite is the BIOS. My Alienware laptop came with a bog standard arrow key directed bios that could have - and probably did - come off of some cheap Dell motherboard but the interface on this BIOS is awesome. It has several utilities that make it great including a flashing program built into the BIOS and system monitoring software. Would buy again and will recommend to all of my friends. I may even buy some units for my eSports team setups.
Feature Product
- Supports 9th i9-9900K, i7-9700K, i5-9600K and 8th Generation Intel Core / Pentium Gold / Celeron processors for LGA 1151 socket
- Supports dual channel DDR4 Memory, up to 4400(OC) MHz
- Turbo M.2: PCI-E Gen3 x4 interface maximizes performance for NVMe SSDs
- Core Boost, 8+4 pin CPU power connector, DDR4 Boost
- Built for reliable operation
Description
Combining quality you can rely on with top performance and clever business solutions are key aspects of the MSI PRO SERIES motherboards. Engineered to gratify even the most demanding professional, these motherboards will fit in any PC. Making your life easier and supporting your business with super stable, reliable and long-lasting top performance. This MSI product supports all the latest storage standards. This allows you to connect any ultra-fast storage device, giving you noticeable benefits. Start programs faster, load data faster and increase productivity.
The overall motherboard is really good and has an easy to follow bios. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a budget motherboard that can overclock. The only flaws may be the m.2 ssd standoff screw that didn't come with the motherboard, the lack of led, and possible heatsink blockage on the motherboard. However this shouldn't be a problem as performance is more important than aesthetics in my opinion. Other than that it's great and I used it to overclock my i5-9600k a bit as the overclocking bios is pretty simple to follow. You can even set the voltage to auto for overclocking. I also put it at 5 stars because I believe the price and the performance outweigh the flaws I took a big risk on buying this with no reviews.
The board works well and I was able to install my i5 9600K cpu without having to flash the bios. The board will take a 8th or 9th gen Intel. My only issues were that I only got the quick install guide but no users manual which meant I had to download the pdf on my laptop just so I could install it properly. Not a major issue but could cause problems for someone who is building a pc with no other access online. My only other problem was with the drivers DVD it was DOA no matter what drive I put it in it would not read. So once again had to go back to the MSI website to download them on a separate Pc put them on a flash drive and install it on the new pc. Lucky for me windows recognized the USB ports or I would not be able to install the drivers at all because the LAN card would not work without the drivers. What should have been a straight forward install turned into a lot of hoops to jump through.
First MB replacement/installation was made by Amazon Services Tech who was unable to get the PC to boot with all 4 memory sticks. After 1 hour of troubleshooting, he could only get it to work with 2 sticks of RAM and recommended that I purchase a larger power supply. I did so but MB still would work with all RAM slots occupied. I requested a replacement MB from Amazon and installed myself and MB works as advertised with all 4 slots of RAM.
have upgraded for a few bucks every couple years for a few hundred and always ahead of time for a lot less money. Some knowledge needed for proper install of Processor and don't forget shields ... make sure cooling is maxed. Currently running Top line dual fan Nvidia graphics card... i9 9900k processor with hydro cooled fans 725 watt power supply 128gb RAM that was simple install on this board with 4 DDR4 32gb slots enough to run a server but more than enough for best top shelf VR available for another 5 years easy... Excellent value for price highly recommended buy...
First pc built. I messed up putting it in and got a fan cable jammed up between the rear I.o. Port and the case. Had to really use some force to get the motherboard out to unjam it and the board still works flawlessly. I also didn’t buy any silly antistatic mats or wristbands, but I was mindful of static electricity. Everything works great. My only gripe is that there is only one m.2 and I may go for more if I did it all over again just for having less wires.
0 comments:
Post a Comment