MSI Z87 XPower Motherboard Review

MSI ships the Z87 XPower in a large box which shares the motherboard's yellow and black colour scheme. Key features and some of the related images are featured on the packing's rear side.

Opening the X-shaped flap gives a sneak peek at the motherboard itself, through a transparent plastic window. Further information regarding the Z87 XPower's power delivery components, multi-GPU capability and overclocking features is outlined on the cardboard flap.

The Z87 XPower is supplied with a host of documentation which includes usage of the board, software and applications, a certificate of stability, and a quick installation guide. A pair of discs provides drivers and utilities. Also included is a light-humoured door hanger which reads “Busy Breaking World Records” on one side and “Out Buying LN2” on the other.

As part of MSI's Gaming Series of components, the Z87 XPower is supplied with a Gaming Series badge.

MSI provides a large poster which features an annotated image of the Z87 XPower motherboard. The poster is very convenient when trying to find a specific connector on the board.

A guide and individual overclocking record certificate also form part of the supplied documentation. Our specific sample motherboard has been cleared for a 4,200MHz CPU frequency using an Intel Core i7 4770K processor. The record also outlines the test platform used and some benchmark scores when overclocked.

The bundle consists of:

• 6x SATA 6Gb/s cables
• 3x 2-way SLI bridges (1 extended)
• 1x USB 3.0 PCI breakout
• 1x dual eSATA and 4-pin molex PCI breakout
• 1x eSATA to SATA cable
• 1x 4-pin molex to dual SATA power cable
• 2x MSI M-connectors (front panel cables and speaker)
• 4x V-check cables
• 1x WiFi/WiDi/BT module (with screw)
• 2x WiFi antennae
• 1x IO shield

As it is part of MSI's gaming range of components, the Z87 XPower is accompanied by a 25×21 centimetre SteelSeries-designed mousemat.

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