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MSI 970 Gaming

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  1. User ratingsUser ratingsratings of product added by Productz users
  2. Expert ratingsExpert ratingsexperts ratings from editorial reviews
  3. Consumer ratingsConsumer ratingsratings from the biggest online stores worldwide
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  2. Good
  3. Poor
  4. Average
4.5
based on all reviews
User ratings:
39
4.1 out of 5
39 user ratings
5 stars
25 %
4 stars
53 %
3 stars
20 %
2 stars
0 %
1 stars
0 %
Consumer ratings:
4.4 / 5
Editorial reviews:
11
  1. See more
11 editorial reviews
The MSI 970 Gaming is a stylish black and red motherboard that boasts a Qualcomm Killer Ethernet chip, audio-grade capacitors, and a sub-$100 price, although the chipset is somewhat dated.Read more
As model names go, the MSI 970 Gaming sends a direct message in no uncertain terms. This motherboardRead more
Read editorial reviews

Pros

  • more efficient and offer a notch more performance
  • in-depth reviews and helpful tips
  • them fairly laptop-friendly as well

Cons

  • then none of the graphs appear to have that MB
  • none of the graphs appear to have that MB
  • the large increases in power consumption

Key specs

  • Realtek ALC1150
  • DDR3
  • 32 GB
  • 4
  • UEFI
  • 1
  • ATX
  • Socket AM3+

MSI 970 Gaming - Pros & Cons

MSI 970 Gaming

Pros

  • more efficient and offer a notch more performance
  • in-depth reviews and helpful tips
  • them fairly laptop-friendly as well
  • Blizzard's engines are very well optimized
  • 970 Gaming is great for pick up and play gaming
  • wins our Dam Good and Dam Good Value Awards

Cons

  • then none of the graphs appear to have that MB
  • none of the graphs appear to have that MB
  • the large increases in power consumption
  • occasional lag and awkward inputs
  • many games are poorly coded and only use two threads
  • just a weird
  • very bad for AMD case
  • A very large number of games are going to be GPU limited
  • The CPU fan header is a four-pin above the socket
  • disappointing that gamers basically HAVE to go Intel to run any current games decently
  • have heat sinks on the VRMs and it almost burned

MSI - Video Reviews (5)

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MSI 970 Gaming - Full Specifications

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General
Motherboard typeATX
Processor socketSocket AM3+
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Audio properties
Audio codecRealtek ALC1150
Audio output channels7.1
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Technical details
Data bus transfer rate4.8 GT/s
Compatible processor series
  • AMD Athlon FX
  • AMD Athlon II
  • AMD Sempron
Maximum number of processors1
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Storage
Supported storage drive interfacesSerial ATA
RAID levels
  • 0
  • 1
  • 5
  • 10
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Internal i/o ports
Serial port headers1
CPU fan connectoryes
Number of chassis fan connectors1
EPS power connector (8-pin)yes
ATX Power connector (24-pin)Y
TPM connectoryes
Number of SATA connectors6
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Network
Ethernet LAN (Network)yes
Ethernet interface typeGigabit Ethernet
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Memory
Supported memory bus clock
  • 1600 MHz
  • 1333 MHz
  • 1066 MHz
  • 1866 MHz
  • 2133 MHz
RAM technologyDDR3
Memory slots typeDIMM
Maximum RAM size32 GB
Number of memory slots4
Memory channelsDual
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Graphics
Parallel processing technology support
  • 2-Way CrossFireX
  • 2-Way SLI
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Bios
BIOS typeUEFI
BIOS features
  • DMI support
  • UEFI BIOS
  • MSI ClickBIOS 4
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Expansion slots
PCI slots2
PCI Express x16 slots2
PCI Express x1 slots2
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Rear panel i/o ports
S/PDIF out portyes
Microphone inputyes
Headphone outputs6
Ethernet LAN (RJ-45) ports1
PS/2 ports quantity1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 (3.1 Gen 1) Type-A ports quantity2
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Dimensions
Width12.01 in
Depth9.61 in

MSI 970 Gaming - Q&A

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MSI 970 Gaming MSI - Editorial Reviews (11)

5.0
Based on 11 reviews
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
MSI 970 Gaming MSI 970 Gaming Preview
PCMAG logo
PCMAG
Published: 30.12.2014
MSI 970 Gaming Preview

The MSI 970 Gaming is a stylish black and red motherboard that boasts a Qualcomm Killer Ethernet chip, audio-grade capacitors, and a sub-$100 price, although the chipset is somewhat dated.

MSI 970 Gaming AMD FX-8320E CPU & MSI 970 Mobo Review
Overclockers Club logo
Overclockers Club
Published: 03.09.2015
AMD FX-8320E CPU & MSI 970 Mobo Review
MSI 970 Gaming MSI 970 Gaming Motherboard Review
KitGuru logo
KitGuru
Published: 29.09.2014
MSI 970 Gaming Motherboard Review

As model names go, the MSI 970 Gaming sends a direct message in no uncertain terms. This motherboard

MSI 970 Gaming MSI 970 Gaming motherboard review
Guru3D.com logo
Guru3D.com
Published: -
MSI 970 Gaming motherboard review

There have been a lot of Intel reviews lately, but if you are on a budget and want an 8-core processor for under 200 USD and combine it with a smexy motherboard, then we think we may have found it. J... Introduction

MSI 970 Gaming MSI 970 Gaming Motherboard Review: Undercutting AM3+ at $100
anandtech.com logo
anandtech.com
Published: 22.01.2015
MSI 970 Gaming Motherboard Review: Undercutting AM3+ at $100
MSI 970 Gaming MSI 970 GAMING Motherboard Review
Modders-Inc logo
Modders-Inc
Published: 21.03.2015
MSI 970 GAMING Motherboard Review

Trying to play catch up with the latest and greatest will cost you a pretty penny. The average enthusiast tries to acquire the best technologies for cheap; the

MSI 970 Gaming MSI 970 Gaming
HEXUS logo
HEXUS
Published: 30.01.2015
MSI 970 Gaming

An up-to-date £80 gaming motherboard for the AM3+ platform.

MSI 970 Gaming MSI 970 GAMING AMD AM3+ Motherboard Review
Hardware Canucks logo
Hardware Canucks
Published: 31.03.2015
MSI 970 GAMING AMD AM3+ Motherboard Review

Feature Testing: Onboard Audio Feature Testing: Onboard Audio Since fewer and fewer consumers seem to be buying discrete sound cards, the quality of a motherboard's onboard audio is now more important than ever. We figured that it was worthwhile to take a closer look at just how good the analog...

MSI 970 Gaming MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4 GB Review
TechPowerUp logo
TechPowerUp
Published: 17.12.2014
MSI GeForce GTX 970 Gaming 4 GB Review
5.0

MSI's GTX 970 Gaming is probably the best GTX 970 on the market. It comes overclocked out of the box, with an amazing noise-less cooler for light gaming, one that is also extremely quiet with even the most demanding titles. Temperatures are great, too, so you should definitely consider this card if you are in the market for a GTX 970.

MSI 970 Gaming Gigabyte 970 Gaming SLI Motherboard Review
tomshardware.co.uk logo
tomshardware.co.uk
Published: 14.07.2016
Gigabyte 970 Gaming SLI Motherboard Review

Gigabyte's GA-970-Gaming SLI adds contemporary features such as USB 3.1 to AMD's classic AM3+ platform. We examine how well it stacks up against the competition in overclocking and value.

MSI 970 Gaming MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4GB Review - Play3r
Play3r logo
Play3r
Published: 29.09.2014
MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4GB Review - Play3r

The new MSI GTX 970 Gaming is based off the new "Maxwell" architecture and comes with 4GB of VRAM. It also features the new MSI Twin Frozr V cooler. The question is, how does it perform and how does it compare to previous NVIDIA "Kepler" cards?