Top 5 MSI Motherboards

A simple yet solid motherboard from MSI, designed to work in an office or home computer with the ability to build a budget gaming PC. Made in the microATX form factor, received an LGA1151-v2 socket and an Intel B365 chipset. It can be equipped with four sticks of DDR4 RAM with a total capacity of up to 64 GB and an operating frequency in the range of 2133-2666 MHz. For expansion, a PCI-Ex16 slot and a pair of PCI-Ex1 are provided. In addition, there was room for six SATA and one M.2 on the board.

Complementing the picture are eight internal USB connectors and six on the rear panel, of which one is USB 3.2 Gen1 Type C. There are also three video outputs for using the integrated graphics capabilities of processors, plus outdated LPT and PS / 2 for mouse / keyboard, which is very useful for office. In the reviews, users point to the reliability of this model, a large selection of connectors and an affordable price. Among the shortcomings, the limited possibilities for overclocking most often pop up.

MSI MPG Z390 GAMING PRO CARBON is the best mid-range gaming motherboard with LGA 1151-v2 socket and ATX form factor. It is based on the Intel Z390 chipset, and its main advantage is SLI / CrossFire X support with the ability to install up to three video cards via PCI-Ex16 ports. In addition, this model received four slots for 2-channel RAM up to 64 GB with support for 4400 MHz. MPG Z390 appeared on the market in 2018 and has established itself as a very reliable board of the Gaming line.

Of the mass of other connectors and ports, we note the presence of three PCI-Ex1, a pair of M.2 and one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C directly on the board itself. Reviews for this model speak of the good potential and convenience of overclocking hardware, the elaboration of the BIOS menu, and reliable cooling of the VRM zone. Among the minuses, there is the possibility of problems with audio drivers and the buggy of proprietary software for adjusting the backlight.

The highest quality motherboard in the Gaming series, built on the AMD X570 chipset. This model is made in the ATX form factor, has an AM4 socket and a modest gaming backlight with a separate connector for connecting an additional LED strip. CrossFire X technology is supported, under which there are two PCI-Ex16 slots for mounting a discrete video card. Also available are 4 DDR4 memory slots with support for speeds up to 4400 MHz and a capacity of up to 128 GB.

The set of other expansion slots is also impressive: three PCI-Ex1, the same number of M.2, plus six SATA and eight USB on the board itself. On the rear panel there are five audio outputs, two connectors for additional Wi-Fi antennas, optical S / PDIF, HDMI for graphics built into the CPU, eight USB of three types and other small things. The reviews for the MSI MPG X570 GAMING EDGE WIFI are mostly positive, while the negative ones mention the possibility of sound problems and excessive heating of the VRM heatsink.

The MSI B450M PRO-VDH motherboard is the most popular motherboard in the B450 lineup and at the same time inexpensive, which makes it an excellent choice for a computer for any purpose, from office to simple gaming system. The board is based on the AMD B450 chipset, has an AM4 socket and 4 slots of 2-channel DDR4 RAM with support for frequencies up to 3466 MHz. The upper limit of the amount of RAM is 64 GB, plus support for ECC mode is declared for error correction.

There are plenty of expansion slots: one reinforced with Steel Armor PCI-Ex16 technology, a pair of PCI-Ex1, four SATA, plus one SATA Express and M.2 each. There are a total of 14 USB ports (six on the board itself). Another interesting feature is the presence of an archaic LPT port for connecting old office printers. In the reviews, this model is praised for its reliability and convenient layout, but scolded for the exactingness of the BIOS to update, without which unstable operation is possible during overclocking.

The MSI B450 GAMING PLUS MAX is an entry-level socket AM4 gaming board that will fit perfectly into a simple home-office PC layout, giving it a decent upgrade potential. Based on the AMD B450 chipset, this motherboard received 4 DDR4 RAM slots with 2-channel support for frequencies of 1866-4133 MHz and a maximum capacity of up to 64 GB. Not without CrossFire X technology with the ability to use two video cards, for which two PCI-Ex16 slots are provided.

In addition, a whole quartet of PCI-Ex1, six SATA ports, one M.2 and six USB ports are soldered on the board, plus the same number on the rear panel.As for customer reviews, they praise the MSI B450 GAMING PLUS MAX for the ability to flash from a flash drive, good overclocking potential for processors, an informative BIOS menu, and the convenient location of SATA ports. Of the minuses, the need to download some utilities through the Microsoft Store is most often mentioned.