MSI Z97I Gaming AC Motherboard Review

The mini-ITX form factor has really exploded over the past year and both motherboard manufacturers and case makers have really caught up. Building a mini-ITX system means that it is going to be small and that you are going to be able to easily take it with you to LAN parties. Because of this we have seen many mini-ITX gaming motherboards. With Intel’s release of the 9-Series chipset of course we expected to see new mini-ITX motherboards and today we are taking a look at our first. The MSI Z97I Gaming AC gives you the full power of the Z97 chipset, a single PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot for your high-end graphics card, KillerNIC Gigabit Ethernet, Audio Boost 2 technology, 802.11ac WiFi, USB 3.0 and even four SATA 6GB/s ports. Did I mention that this board only measures 6.7-inches x 6.7-inches! Let’s take a look…

Special thanks to MSI for providing us with the Z97I Gaming AC Motherboard to review.

Packaging
The Z97I Gaming AC comes in a box that really is not much larger than the board itself. On the front it lists some of the main features which include Audio Boost 2, Killer E2200 networking and Ultra Fast WiFi.

MSI Z97I Gaming AC Motherboard

Flipping the box over it gives you a full overview of those features and a rundown of the rear I/O.

MSI Z97I Gaming AC Motherboard

Getting everything out of the box we can take a look at all of the accessories. They include the WiFi / Bluetooth module, I/O shield, two SATA cables, WiFi antennas, user guide, quick start guide, door hanger, driver and utilities CDs and a MSI Gaming case sticker.

MSI Z97I Gaming AC Motherboard

For a full unboxing and overview of the Z87I Gaming AC motherboard be sure to check out our video below.

About Author