In 2014 we completed our GAMING line-up coveringnot only Intel & AMD but also ATX, mATX and ITX segments.

1. Z97 GAMING
Motherboards

2. 2
MSI GAMING success
In 2013, our GAMING series won a record breaking 200+
awards and numerous Product of the Year 2013 awards.
With this, MSI’s motherboard market share skyrocketed.
2
“MSI have upped the
ante with Z87-GD65
Gaming – other
vendors ought to be
worried”
Vortez.net – June 2013

3. 3
Inspiration
With the red color-scheme and MSI GAMING logo, we
inspired many casemodders.
3

4. 4
Complete assortment
In 2014 we completed our GAMING line-up covering
not only Intel & AMD but also ATX, mATX and ITX segments.
4

5. Momentum continues…
5
Our 3rd generation of custom built GAMING
motherboards come with a new product name.
Z97-GD65 GAMING
Z97-G45 GAMING
Z97-G43 GAMING
2nd Gen GAMING
Z87-GD65 GAMING
Z87-G45 GAMING
Z87-G43 GAMING
Z87M GAMING
Z87I GAMING AC
H87-G43 GAMING
3rd Gen GAMING
H97 GAMING 3
Z97M GAMING
Z97I GAMING AC
Z97 GAMING 7
Z97 GAMING 5
Z97 GAMING 3
Same features, heatsink,
and packing as Z87.

6. Dragon Claw heatsink
6
The heatsinks on the 3rd Gen MSI GAMING
motherboards are inspired by the Dragon Claw.

7. Available in all sizes
7
We have Z97 and H97 3rd gen
GAMING motherboards
available in ATX, micro ATX
and mini-ITX.

8. 8
Sound

9. 9
High Fidelity Sound
Gamers know that sound makes the difference between
winning or losing. Online gamers mostly use a headset to
communicate. With the help professional eSports team
Fnatic, we pushed the audio on MSI GAMING motherboards
to new limits

10. 10
USB Audio Power
Perfect solution for USB headsets & audio DACs:
• Unstable USB voltage output results in distorted audio
• MSI USB Audio Power delivers stable 5V for perfect audio
quality on USB headsets and audio DACs

11. 11
Audio Boost 2
The ultimate audio solution for
gamers, powered by Creative
Sound Blaster Cinema 2.
• Isolated Audio PCB
• Direct Audio Power
• Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2
• EMI Shielding
• Dual AMPs
• Nichicon Audio Capacitors
• Golden Audio Connectors

12. 12
Isolated Audio PCB
With traditional onboard audio
the signal is distorted by electro
magnetic signals from the rest of
the PCB.
Audio Boost 2 acts like a dedicated
soundcard by physically isolating the
audio circuitry which is separated by
a red LED path. Less interference gives
a more clear audio signal.

13. 13
A dedicated power input to
Audio Boost 2 allows for a more
powerful and stable power
delivery, resulting in a more
explosive and pure sound
experience.
Direct Audio Power

14. 14
Thanks to Creative Sound
Blaster Cinema 2, you're getting
amazing surround sound with just
stereo headphones or speakers.
Sound Blaster Cinema 2
Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2 enables you to clearly hear
specific sounds in gaming environments. Hear your enemies
perfectly, make your ears a decisive tool to finish on top.

15. 15
To shield the audio core from
EMI distortion caused by other
add-in cards the audio chip is
protected by a special designed
EMI cover for isolation.
This way gamers experience crystal
clear sound with Audio Boost 2.
EMI Shielding

16. 16
Prepare for an eargasm with
the built-in front & rear dual
OPA1652 headphone amplifiers.
Reward your high-end headphone
with the most amazing studio level
sound quality. Featuring:
Dual Amplifiers
• Completely independent circuitry for
lowest crosstalk and freedom from
interactions between channels.
• Low 4.5 nV/√Hz noise density with an
ultralow distortion of 0.00005% at 1 kHz.

17. 17
Nichicon Japanese high quality
audio capacitors are specially
designed for audio purposes;
• Providing the highest possible
audio signal filtering.
• Delivering high fidelity crystal
clear sound with exceptional
acoustics and realism.
Audio Capacitors

18. 18
With the golden audio jacks
you get the best possible signal
output with less chance of
distortion.
• Superb signal conductivity and
will not wear over time.
• Dedicated amplified output
(red) optimized for studio-grade
headgear
• Up to 600Ω crystal clear sound
with exceptional acoustics.
Golden Connectors

19. 19
Speed

20. 20
M.2 is superfast storage based on a PCI-E Gen2 x2
interface and with speeds up to 10 Gb/s, much faster
than SATA 3.0 (6 Gb/s). M.2 SSDs are widely available
and all 3rd Gen MSI GAMING motherboards come with
M.2 interface.
Superfast storage: M.2

21. SATA-Express is PCI-E Gen2 x2 storage with similar speeds
(10Gb/s) like M.2. Because the SATA-Express ECO system is
not ready MSI offers flexible M.2 to SATA-Express cards.
– SATA-E SSDs sampling in Q2, for sales in Q3, affordable in Q2 2015
– No Intel support for SATA-Express
– 3rd party host solutions delayed
Superfast storage: SATA-Express
21

22. 22
Gaming Port Device
Optimized for high-rate gaming keyboards and mice, MSI
Gaming Device Port is built to last thousands of plug inserts
and ejects at gaming events while offering maximum
performance each and every time.
• Triple gold plating for extreme lifetime
• 1000 Hz USB polling Support
• PS/2 supports N-Key rollover Gaming keyboards

23. Multi GPU optimized
NVIDIA® SLI™ certified and &
AMD CrossFire compliant
and optimized PCI Express
3.0 configuration ensures
plenty of airflow to your
graphics cards to keep
your gaming rig at the
highest level of
performance.
• NVIDIA® SLI™ certified
• AMD® CrossFire™ compliant
• Fit for MSI® GAMING cards
23

24. Gaming APP
Overclocking made easy:
• Control both MSI Graphics Cards and Motherboard
• Easy Overclocking mode
• Easy “low power” mode
• Tune your GAMING experience without worrying
about overclocking knowledge
24

25. 25
Traditional LAN solutions fall short…

26. 26
Killer Game Networking
All MSI GAMING motherboards feature Killer
Game Networking for the best online
gaming experience:
• Killer automatically detects and
accelerates game traffic ahead of
other network traffic
• Experience smoother, stutter-free in-game
performance and the competitive edge
• Game with the lowest latency, most
stable connection on the most
controllable network hardware available
• You are in control, set your priority!

27. 27
Faster in gaming and streaming
Gamers play games and stream them at the same time,
this is where Killer Game Networking excels compared to
traditional network solutions.
Intel
LAN
UDP Throughput (Mbps) Performance over Packet Size
Killer
E2205
Up to 50% faster
small packet
(gaming)
performance
Up to 300% faster
large packet
(video streaming)
performance
Gaming Streaming

28. Intel
Latency
28
Killer latency testing by Qualcomm
Killer
(lowerisbetter)
Killer Game Networking has an extreme low latency
compared to traditional networking solutions.
• Up to 30% lower latency than Intel
• Dramatically reduces Jitter for a more stutter-free game experience

29. True competitive gaming
Killer Game Networking can send very small packages
of data while other solutions first need to buffer.
Game PC
t0 t1 t2 t3 t4 t5 t6 t7 t8
Killer™ E2205
= Bullet Packet Game Server
t0 t1 t2 t3 t4 t5 t6 t7 t8
Other ethernet solutions
LAG LAG
= Keyboard/mouse Input
Input processing

30. 30
Media testing confirms
Killer Game Networking has lower latency and faster
data transfers by independent media testing.
“The performance gains from Killer will come alive in the game,
through more FPS, compared to Intel & Realtek” –Hermitage Akihabara
• Up to 50% lower latency than Realtek
• Up to 35% faster data transfer than Intel
Bandwidth (higher is better)
http://www.gdm.or.jp/review/2013/0426/27747/8
Latency (lower is better)
Sandra 2013 network test JPerf 2.0.2

31. OC Genie 4
With a simple push on the OC Genie button you will
overclock your PC automatically. This extra performance
will translate into higher FPS and more eye candy.
31

32. *CPU lowest ratio vary on different CPU model
Enable Slow Mode
8x
70x
CPU
Loading
CPU
Ratio
CPU
vCore 0.8
2.0
Enable Slow Mode to pass through high
loading of Windows booting sequence.
Disable Slow Mode to restore CPU
overclocking setting after booting.
32
Slow Mode
Slow Mode decreases CPU ratio to 8x*. When using
CPU vCore Adaptive Mode, Slow Mode will also drastically
decrease vCore to 0.8~0.9v. This single option helps to skip
Windows loading bottleneck making subzero overclocking
a bit easier.

33. OC Essentials
Fancy getting the most FPS out of your games?
OC Essentials helps the overclocker in you.
Clear CMOS
for quick resets
Multi-BIOS II
for more stability
Debug LED
for easy troubleshooting
V-Check points II
for accurate information
Easy Button 3
for easy usage
33

34. 34
Stability

35. Providing essential protection against hardware
failure.
Guard-Pro
35
CIRCUIT
PROTECTION
ECO
POWER
HYMIDITY
PROTECTION
HIGH
TEMPERATURE
PROTECTION
ESD
PROTECTION
EMI
PROTECTION
Carefully selected
materials used in our
motherboards together
with shielding prevent
short circuiting.
ECO Power lets you disable
unused chips and functions
used on your motherboard.
By cutting off the power your
motherboard will run more
efficient.
10% Reduction in moisture
absorption helps prevent
"Conductive Anodic Filament".
Untreated PCB's can have 10x
higher failure rate.
All MSI motherboards comply
with stringent American FCC
regulations and reduce the
impact of Electromagnetic
Interference.
Each and every I/O port is
protected against the hazards
of Electro Static Discharge.
All key components used in MSI
motherboards have all passed
military testing ensuring stable
operation in the harshest
environments.

36. Military Class 4
36
These high quality components ensure extreme reliability
and 100% stable performance.
Hi-c Cap
Self-healing low profile Tantalum
capacitors which offer 10x higher
lifetime.
SFC
60 Amp Supper Ferrite Chokes
which give 20-50% more current.
Dark CAP
Perfect stable under extreme (up
to 260°C) conditions.

37. 37
Focus on Quality
We put extra efforts on increasing customer satisfaction.
Our RMA rate has drastically decreased in the last few
years. The MSI GAMING motherboards are developed by
the most senior engineers on advanced production lines.

38. 38
USB Redrivers
USB 3.0 signal integrity suffers with longer cable length.
These special USB 3.0 Redrivers on your Internal USB 3.0
ports enable to use longer USB 3.0 cables, especially in
larger chassis.

39. 39
Double ESD Protection
Each I/O Port on MSI's GAMING 7 and GAMING 9
motherboards are protected by a Dual ESD protective ICs.
This prevents any possible ESD damage from
plugging/unplugging.

40. 40
Streaming

41. XSplit Gamecaster lets you easily record, stream and share
your gaming sessions with fellow gamers. It’s simple, can be
activated quickly and kickstarts your career as game
streamer.
You will get a 6 month full license!
41

42. Add a webcam
and show your
game face
Webcam & Chroma key Share your broadcast
Share your
broadcast and
conquer the world
Share anywhere and broadcast your streams to every
social media platform and share your webcam with
chroma key to insert your face into an in-game overlay.
42

43. Draw attention
whilst casting with
in-game
annotations
Real-time notes Record & Upload
Organize and
upload your
greatest gaming
moments
Educate your fans and friends with in-game annotations
and highlights and record and store your videos to create
your own on-line gaming video archive.
43

44. 44
BIOS & Software

45. New UEFI BIOS Features
45
Simple / Advanced
Hide all difficult settings
Memory Try It!
Optimized CAS and Frequency
Bread Crumble
Clear navigation Structure

46. New UEFI BIOS Features
46
XMP Button
One click enable XMP
Change Setting Info
Track your latest changes
Hardware Monitor 2
With 4 point fan control
My Favorites
Easy access to most used options

47. Remove all the hassle of keeping your system
up-to-date. Live Update 6 scans your PC and downloads
the latest Drivers, BIOS and Firmware files straight to your
system.
Software: Live Update 6
47

48. ECO Power helps users to manage their power usage.
The software disables chips completely by cutting off their
power. You can save up to 29% power consumption.
Software: ECO Power
48
USB
PCI-E x16
PCI-E x1
SATA
Device ON(W) OFF(W) Save (W)
USB HOST 28.8 27.3 1.5
USB HUB 28.8 25.5 3.3
SATA 28.8 27.7 1.1
PCIE HUB 28.8 27.3 1.5
PCIE CLK_GEN Enable 28.8 28.4 0.4
WIFI 30.5 28.8 1.7
CPUFAN* 28.8 28.1 0.7
SYSFAN1* 29.5 28.8 0.7
SYSFAN2* 29.5 28.8 0.7
SYSFAN3* 29.5 28.8 0.7
Total 28.8 20.4 8.4
*Tested on MPOWER MAX

49. Software: Command Center
MSI’s Command Center is THE tool to configure your
system on-the-fly. Whether you’re a Pro or a N00b, the
intuitive interface with simple slider control or precise
keyboard value entry makes it easy to change everything.
49

50. Software: RAMDisk
The fastest way to load games is FREE.
• 20x faster than SATA 6 Gb/s SSDs
• Image files make your RAMDisk persistent
• Start your games faster than everyone else
• Speed up browsing/everyday computer use
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51. 51
Others

52. Total control over all fans with 4-pin PWM connectors.
• Layout optimized and approved by enthusiasts
• Set your own fan profiles
• Use the automatic fan wizard
• Real-time Fan control (no reboots!)
• Fan speed logging
• Voltage logging
• Temperature logging
• Control via Command Center
• Control via Click BIOS 4
Total Fan control
52

53. The best USB Charger is inside your PC, it even works
when your computer is switched off. MSI Super Charger
charges ANY USB powered device from the latest tablets to
portable gaming consoles.
Super Charger
53

54. 54
SteamOS gaming
MSI is committed to PC Gaming and that is why
MSI GAMING motherboards support SteamOS by default.
We also co-work closely with numerous tier #1 system
integrators to put SteamBOX PCs on the market.

55. M-Shield
55
Our new I/O
shield not only
comes with many
improvements
but also in black
to match your
gaming chassis.
Back side of I/O panel
Force Absorbing Layer
EMI Shielding
Steel Shielding

56. Box content
56
What's in the box? Besides a plethora of necessary
cables and connectors you also get:
• A slick gaming case badge
• Do-not-disturb door-hanger
• Easy labels to sort your storage cable

57. 57
But there’s more…

58. 58
New look & feel
Protected by its unique
Dragon Armor, making
sure it doesn’t only
sound good, but also
looks awesome!

59. 59
High Fidelity Gaming Audio
Xtreme Audio DAC
Experience sensational sound quality with
Xtreme Audio DAC.
This high-end dedicated onboard sound card
powered by the C-Media CM6631 High-definition Audio Processor. It
delivers 32bit, 125dB Signal-to-Noise-Ratio of purest audio quality for
studio-grade Hi-Fi solutions.
A dedicated high end headphone amplifier
delivers a stunning sound experience, that
results in more immersive gameplay,
for professional headphones up to 600Ω.

60. 60
• C-Media CM6631 High-Definition
Audio Processor
• Up to 192KHz 32bit signal processsing
• Studio-grade acoustic components
• 125dB SNR studio level output
• 600Ω dedicated headphone
amplifier up to 120dB SNR
• Nichicon Japanese high quality
audio capacitors
• WIMA capacitors deliver true
balanced realistic sound
• 1Mbit dedicated audio memory

61. 61
High Fidelity
USB Audio
High Fidelity
D/A Converter
High Fidelity
A/D Converter
High Fidelity
Audio Amplifiers
High Quality
Audio CAPs
Anti-Popcorn-
Noise Relay
The MSI Z97 GAMING 9
with Xtreme Audio DAC
brings the sound quality of
audio on motherboards to a
complete new level.
Prepare to be impressed…

62. 62
Z97 GAMING 9 AC comes with Intel
802.11AC wireless and Bluetooth 4.0
with support for Intel WiDi.
Intel WIFI AC & Bluetooth

63. Z97 GAMING 9 AC will come in a luxurious color box
with all its GAMING accessories.
Packing

64. 64
Z97
GAMING 9 AC
Z97
GAMING 7
Z97
GAMING 5
Z97/H97
GAMING 3
Z97M
GAMING
Z97I
GAMING AC
Form Factor ATX ATX ATX ATX microATX Mini-ITX
Xtreme Audio DAC Y
Dragon Armor & I/O cover Y
Intel AC Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Y Y
Cooling SuperPipe & LED Superpipe & LED Heatsink Heatsink Heatpipe Heatpipe
Audio Boost 2 Y Y Y Y Y Y
USB Audio Power Y Y Y Y Y Y
Killer LAN Y Y Y Y Y Y
XSplit Gamecaster Y Y Y Y Y Y
Military Class 4 & Guard Pro Y Y Y Y Y Y
OC Genie 4 Y Y Y Y Y Y
PCI Express x16 Gen3 slots 2 2 2 1 2 1
SLI / CrossFire support Y / 3-way Y / 3-way Y / 3-way - / Y Y / Y
Debug LED Y Y Y
Gaming Device Port Y Y Y Y Y Y
Output DP/HDMI DP/HDMI/HDMI VGA/HDMI/DVI VGA/HDMI/DVI/DP DP/HDMI DP/HDMI/HDMI
Easy Button 3 Y Y Y
M.2 Y Y Y Y Y
SATA 6 slots 8 8 6 6 6 4
USB 3.0 10 8 6 6 6 6
OC Essentials Y Y Y Y Y Y
Gaming APP Y Y Y Y Y Y
M-Shield Y Y Y Y Y Y
MSI GAMING SKU overview

65. Get Ready For
MSI GAMING