Last Updated: November 24, 2018 (Refresh Now)
SKYLAKE Z170A GAMING M7 LGA1151
Last Updated: November 24, 2018 (Refresh Now)
7.6
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
556
Old Reviews
202
Unverified
60
Spam Test
!
1
NUMBER OF USB PORTS
Yes
USB
LED
TYPE
Review Analysis - 294 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Overall performance
51board, msi, overclocking, i7, intel
+82%
-18%
" ... When it works, it runs great. ... "
" ... The UI is extremely easy to navigate even for someone who doesn't know a ton about over clocking or optimizing fan speeds and such. ... I'm running as i7-7700k with 16gb 3200 ddr4 ram and it handles it perfectly fine. ... "
" ... Very good motherboard ... "
" ... I love this motherboard MSI is just amazing! ... "
" ... Furiously fast and easy to set up. ... "
" ... It draws less power than Z270 and for intensive purposes and unless you are looking for some crazy backplane throughput this is just as good as Z270 in my personal opinion. ... "
" ... Beast of a rig. ... "
" ... The point is, the built in overclock works. ... I built one of the fastest computers I've ever seen with this board. ... "
Product Reliability
47board, motherboard, error, m7, boards
+55%
-45%
" ... My 1st MSI board was great and this one so far is not a disappointment. ... "
" ... MSI is one of kind campy and this is a fine work ... "
" ... Running strong in my pc for last 6 months happy with this MB always trusted MSI always top of the line ... "
" ... I've been using the M7 for 10 months now and it's awesome! ... "
" ... I know, its last years model, but I love it just the dame ... "
" ... good for over 10 months now no issues ... "
" ... It's durability remains to be seen, but so far it's been going strong for a couple months. ... "
" ... Will update more about 7 months later. ... "
Setup
28easy to install, install, installed, installation, board
+86%
-14%
" ... No issues at all with installation. ... "
" ... The board has plenty of options and was easy to install ... "
" ... Easy to install. ... "
" ... Furiously fast and easy to set up. ... "
" ... The instructions for assembly are solid, making all connections pretty dang easy to identify. ... "
" ... Yes guys, I know, it should run at least 24 hours, and longer if possible. ... "
" ... Nice high quality motherboard, simple to install and get running. ... "
" ... Works quickly, easy to install. ... "
Gaming
25motherboard, gtx, msi, board, oculus
+96%
-4%
" ... PERFECT FOR OVERCLOCKED GAMING A++++ PRODUCT ... "
" ... Honestly if you are looking for a quality board, with plenty of options then i could defiantly go with the gaming m5 ... "
" ... Outstanding motherboard for for a non gaming PC. ... "
" ... When a customer wanted a gaming rig for VR, I found this board at a great price. ... This does have the heat syncs, and is made for gaming. ... "
" ... Runs great with my i7700k and gtx 1070. ... It allows me to run leauge of legends with 144+fps on ultra graphics. ... "
" ... I'm really excited to get the rest of my parts so I can finally build a gaming PC after going my whole life without one! ... "
" ... After reviewing many Z270 motherboard specs, I could tell why PC Gamer (at the time) had the Gaming M5 as its recommended board for a high-end build. ... "
" ... Wanted this mobo for my new gaming build. ... "
Ease of Use
24easy to install, user friendly, board, uefi, oc
+100%
" ... The board has plenty of options and was easy to install ... "
" ... Easy to install. ... "
" ... Furiously fast and easy to set up. ... "
" ... The easy OC on it is super nice and i love how simple it makes it to OC everything when i need/want it. ... "
" ... It's a simple, one click, operation. ... "
" ... The manual is great too, very easy to understand. ... "
" ... Very noob friendly. ... "
" ... Works quickly, easy to install. ... "
Ports
24sata, motherboard, usb, ports, usb ports
+54%
-46%
" ... Terrific board :) although I wish it had a few more USB slots! ... "
" ... 3xM.2 drives and 6 sata drives, can't ask for more, oh wait you do get more, a U.2 drive input as well. ... Lots of usb options from 2.0 to 3.1. ... "
" ... It should be noted the board has an 8 pin and 4 pin aux EPS header and I used the 8 pin only for the reported stability I'm thinking maybe the extra eps is for some cold weather ... "
" ... Has plenty of ports. ... "
" ... I also run m.2 in RAID 0 configuration. ... "
" ... Excellent motherboard, just wish it came with more than 2 SATA cables. ... "
" ... USB: On Board Intel eXtensible ports ($0) ... Here are the combinations that DID NOT work without USB disconnects (eg. ... Was working great with one sensor/headset on USB 3.0 card one on USB 2.0. ... No USB disconnects at all. ... "
" ... LG Electronics 14x SATA Blu-ray Internal Rewriter ... "
Design
23aesthetically, white, theme, msi, motherboard
+87%
-13%
" ... Looks awesome, has all the connections i need and then some. ... "
" ... Looks great, I love the dragon logo on the actual motherboard itself. ... "
" ... Its also extremely attractive :) ... "
" ... I have a Thermaltake case with a tempered glass panel and i just love looking at this beauty. ... "
" ... The motherboard also looks really great and feels sturdy and well built. ... "
" ... I would say if you dont want any hassle and love the look then its great. ... "
" ... Other than that the board does look great aesthetically and comprises of nice features. ... "
" ... The build quality and heft are plain for all to see, and the high-quality steel reinforced slots on board are as good looking as they are snug and snappy. ... The matte-black finish is exactly what I wanted, and I was surprised by the LED customization (though honestly, I could take it or leave it). ... "
Software Platform
22msi, software, os, error, boot
+55%
-45%
" ... Bios is simple but effective. ... "
" ... Comes with some great software. ... I have 3 Samsung 960 evo m.2 in 1tb setup in raid 0, with the software I was able to set them up as bootable drives with OS on it. ... "
" ... Installed my OS then my gpu. ... "
" ... I also run m.2 in RAID 0 configuration. ... "
" ... Best bios I've used yet ... "
" ... It looks great, was easy to work on, and has a nice software interface. ... "
" ... Updated to BIOS 1.4 no issues. ... "
" ... The MSI BIOS software is very user-friendly ... "
Memory
21tb 5400 rpm, ram ocz 8, ocz 8 gb, mhz hd hitachi, hitachi 1 tb
+86%
-14%
" ... I'm running as i7-7700k with 16gb 3200 ddr4 ram and it handles it perfectly fine. ... The reinforced ram slots and graphic card slots is also a nice plus. ... "
" ... Asus GeForce gtx ti 11 gb turbo ... 16 gb corsair dominator ram ... "
" ... The flexibility of drives is awesome. ... "
" ... My daily OC is 5.0 @ 1.25v and it is 100% stable with 4 8GB dimms running 3200MHz XMP1 which required no more than two bios changes. ... "
" ... Booted and ran fine with memory in DIMMB2 To be clear I have 2 16gb modules . ... "
" ... Using Intel Core i7 6700K 4.00 GHz Unlocked Quad Core, 32 gig of DDR4 ram, MSI GAMING GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5 Direct X 12 VR Ready graphics card. ... "
" ... It runs an Intel i7-7700k CPU, Radeon RX 480 GPU with a Samsung EVO 2TB SSD hard drive. ... "
" ... This motherboard is going with a new i7-7700k, 32gb of 2400 corsair dominator platinum ram, msi gtx 1080 gaming x, corsair h115i for cpu cooling, 2 1TB 960 evos, and it is all going in a caselabs mercury s8. ... "
Build Quality
20bent pins, motherboard, mobo, sysfan, slots
+55%
-45%
" ... In the past, I found them to be virtually indestructible. ... "
" ... The motherboard also looks really great and feels sturdy and well built. ... "
" ... Used this for my first build, absolutely no issues. ... "
" ... Solid construction, everything works out of the box. ... "
" ... MSI, as always, with another rock-solid peripheral. ... The build quality and heft are plain for all to see, and the high-quality steel reinforced slots on board are as good looking as they are snug and snappy. ... "
" ... The build quality is excellent, and the amount of customization you can do is more than I could ask for. ... "
" ... particular version is literally rock solid in its construction - if you're looking for ... "
" ... Packaging of the motherboard was superb and included everything needed for the build. ... made the build that much easier and pleasant. ... All in all, I highly recommend going with this board if you're in the market for a new Kaby Lake build. ... "
Marketplace
18thank, msi, sent, god, dear
+67%
-33%
" ... Thank god for Amazons 30 day guarantee- I’ve now had to use it twice for this one item alone. ... "
" ... Well done amazon. ... "
" ... If you want great prices, quick shipping and an awesome product look no further. ... "
" ... If your the company supplying the support it works just about right for them. ... "
" ... Thank you for a great product and fair price ... "
" ... Came on time and undamaged, what more can I ask for ... "
" ... (Thanks a lot on that one USPS, I'm lucky that I'm in a decent neighborhood) I wasn't planning on buying this, but I saw that the $30 rebate via MSI was going to end on the 30th of June so I just put it on my card. ... "
" ... Will buy from MSI again! ... "
Returns
17sent, refund, board, returning, msi
+12%
-88%
" ... Unfortunately I opened it later to build my computer and missed the return window ... "
" ... Sent in for RMA and waiting . ... "
" ... Didn't get to rule it out as the problem component until after the return date. ... "
" ... Had to send it back to MSI for a replacement that I will then try to sell on Craigslist or eBay in order to help offset the Asus mobo I purchased as a replacement ... "
" ... Had to return it, and went with a different board the second time. ... "
" ... I accepted and then never got the refund! ... Two weeks of waiting and further inquiry informed me there were "delays" and that they would not be able to even process the refund for a third week. ... "
" ... You were supposed to send me a new motherboard not a used one! ... "
" ... Going to attempt a return. ... "
Features
17board, red led, overclocking features, options, mobo
+100%
" ... Lights on mobo for identifying certain features' activity, and a temp readout for your CPU, this pairs well with a tower that has a windowed side. ... "
" ... It's a beautiful and well-built board that has more features than I can use currently, but gives me options for future adaptations if desired. ... "
" ... Good price for the budget I was going for without sacrificing any features. ... "
" ... Otherwise go for something less expensive with more lighting options. ... "
" ... Many many features with more than enough peripheral access. ... "
" ... Great board with excellent overclocking features. ... "
" ... It has all of the top features you want, none of the fluff you don't want, a great easy-mode OC Bios, and it's south of the $200 price point. ... "
" ... Other than that the board does look great aesthetically and comprises of nice features. ... "
Price
16money, waste, board, motherboard, mobo
+81%
-19%
" ... Got this at a great price so can't complain about anything. ... "
" ... Great mobo at a decent price. ... "
" ... I bought the used like new version and it was an excellent product and it actually was brand new for a fraction of the price. ... "
" ... Thank you for a great product and fair price ... "
" ... Without spending a fortune this was a great buy for my build. ... "
" ... You will not regret purchasing this item at all it is worth every penny ... "
" ... More options then I know what do do with, and reasonably priced ... "
" ... Not much lighting on this motherboard but if you are looking for better lighting then you are probably going to need to spend more money on a different motherboard. ... "
Device Compatibility
13usb, pc, first pc, windows 7, windows 10
+69%
-31%
" ... This is my first PC build so I have nothing to compare it to but this motherboard is great. ... "
" ... Asus did replace with new motherboard but didn't want to wait a week without a PC. ... "
" ... Many many features with more than enough peripheral access. ... "
" ... Samsung 850 EVO 250GB (Boot Drive) ... "
" ... Great motherboard, paired nicely with a 7700k. ... "
" ... It was perfect and looks fantastic in my computer ... "
" ... Just my work computer :D ... "
" ... This was my first PC build and it works perfectly. ... "
Cooling
12liquid, h100i v2, cpu, corsair hydro series, cooler
+92%
-8%
" ... I am using the Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2 for cooling. ... "
" ... if you use more than one GPU and if you don't have a decent air flow under the GPU the M.2 can get a little toasty, but other than that its great! ... "
" ... The rig is liquid cooled, so I had no problems adjusting the voltages. ... "
" ... Get a larger case though if you are using liquid cooling. ... "
" ... check, nice AIo? ... "
" ... For custom multi liquid Cooling loops with muilti radiator setups, Use what you need. ... "
" ... Cooler Master Elite 431 Plus ... Corsair Hydro Series High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler H60 ... "
" ... Was able to fit a Noctua L-type cooler no problem. ... "
Delivery
11arrived, doa, broken, received, one
+64%
-36%
" ... It worked right out of the box. ... "
" ... Came on time and undamaged, what more can I ask for ... "
" ... Work right out of the box. ... "
" ... Good quality, product is as described and quick shipment. ... "
" ... excelent product, work excelent and arrived at time ... "
USB
11usb disconnects, usb ports, sata, motherboard, drives
+55%
-45%
" ... Terrific board :) although I wish it had a few more USB slots! ... "
" ... 3xM.2 drives and 6 sata drives, can't ask for more, oh wait you do get more, a U.2 drive input as well. ... Lots of usb options from 2.0 to 3.1. ... "
" ... If you need a optical drive now and then either rig up an old drive or purchase a USB external drive of eBay or somewhere cheap and until board manufactures start sending USB3 keys like what you can get with purchasing from Newegg or Amazon or wherever you want, make sure you get the OS Windows 10 with the USB key and not the optical disc or use another computer and download the OS on your own usb. ... "
" ... Here are the combinations that DID NOT work without USB disconnects (eg. ... No USB disconnects at all. ... "
" ... Seagate 4TB BarraCuda ( for video and picture editing and all the other stuff) ... "
" ... The usb 3.1 gen 2 was amazing with my kingston usb flash ... "
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Specifications
Connectivity
Number of USB ports: 1
USB: Yes
Display
Type: LED
Recommendations
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