MSI Z87 XPower Motherboard Review

There is no doubt that MSI has created an excellent motherboard in the Z87 XPower. Designed for hardcore enthusiasts and extreme overclockers, the MSI Z87 XPower provides both of its primary audiences with plenty of features to keep them more than pleased with their purchase.

Overclocking potential of the MSI Z87 XPower motherboard seemed to be strong, thanks in large to the board's extreme 32 phase VRM. MSI provides users with a plethora of parameters and settings that can be tweaked to squeeze every ounce of performance from an overclocked system. The BIOS does seem reluctant to push frequencies to known-stable levels after a failed overclock, but first reducing the settings to near-stock numbers does provide a workaround.

Until we test our retail Core i7 4770K processor on other motherboards, we can't accurately state just how strong the Z87 XPower's overclocking performance is. We can say that 4.5GHz is a respectable overclock for a 4770K chip operating at sensible voltages for day-to-day use and utilising high-end, consumer-level cooling.

Memory overclocking wasn't as strong as the boosts available to a CPU. The MSI Z87 XPower failed to post with G.Skill's 2933MHz Trident X memory kit installed. We couldn't push our 2666MHz-capable Team Xtreem memory kit as far as we could on a 3570K-based Z77 system either. This could be related to our 4770K chip's memory controller, but we would still expect the Z87 XPower motherboard to post with G.Skill's XMP-enabled memory kit installed.

As far as features go, MSI has crammed just about everything an enthusiast could wish for onto its Z87 XPower. Twelve USB 3.0 ports, ten SATA 6Gb/s connections, a Killer NIC, built-in wireless connectivity, and a high-end audio system help to show that the Z87 XPower is an all-round, high-end motherboard, not just a ramped-up, overclocking-only PCB.

Expansion options on the XL-ATX motherboard are about as good as it gets. Support for 4-way SLI/CrossFire, thanks to the PLX PEX8747 switch chip, along with effective cooling spacing for lesser multi-GPU configurations allows extreme gamers and record breakers to use the Z87 XPower without having to worry about clearance or running out of PCI-E lanes and connections. The dedicated PCI-E X16 slot is a thoughtful addition.

While we liked the quantity of adjustable parameters the Z87 XPower's Click BIOS 4 UEFI interface offers, the layout of the system would benefit from some improvements. Situating non-adjustable voltage or frequency information in the same list as user-definable options gives the interface a slightly cluttered feel. We would prefer readouts to be separated from adjustable parameters.

One of the strongest features of MSI's Z87 XPower motherboard is its appearance. The eye-catching yellow and black colour scheme is easy to match with other components such as black graphics cards and memory. MSI also takes the time and effort of ensuring its heavy-duty heatsinks complement the rest of the board's aesthetic appeal by placing ‘X', ‘XPower' and ‘MSI' logos on them. Illuminated MSI and Audio Boost logos act to further enhance the style.

Priced at £349.99 from Overclockers UK (at the time of writing), the MSI Z87 XPower motherboard's price tag and target audiences force it to compete directly with Asus' Maximum VI Extreme and Gigabyte's G1 Sniper 5. Deciding between these boards is going to be very difficult, but MSI's option certainly won't leave you disappointed.

With strong overclocking performance thanks to its extreme power delivery components, enthusiast-friendly expansion options, plenty of worthwhile onboard features, and an attractive design, the MSI Z87 XPower is an excellent motherboard which is well worth its asking price to enthusiasts and hardcore overclockers.

Pros:

• Plenty of worthwhile features (ten SATA ports, twelve USB 3.0, Killer LAN, WiFi, bluetooth).
• 4-way SLI/CrossFire support.
• Lots of overclocking options.
• Strong CPU overclocking potential.
• High performance power delivery components.
• Hugely impressive bundle.
• Very attractive design.

Cons:

• Some parts of the UEFI BIOS are cluttered.
• Memory overclocking not great – couldn't post at 2933MHz.
• Board is initially reluctant to provide stability after a failed overclock attempt.

KitGuru says: An excellent motherboard from MSI, the Z87 XPower is definitely worth buying if you're a hardcore enthusiast or extreme overclocker.

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