MSI Z87 MPower Max Overclocking Impressions
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Monday, August 05, 2013
Board Layout and Features
The MSI MPower uses a matte black PCB accented by yellow on the two heatsinks. The matte finish tends to show condensation better than the glossy cousin and the yellow color is part of the OC branding.
Expansion slots are completely black and use the paddle style PCI Express card locks.
Expansion slots are completely black and use the paddle style PCI Express card locks.
Moving to the CPU we can see the dark chrome CPU socket hardware positioned next to the array of PWM components. The power design uses the latest military class 4 grade components for longer life, power efficiency and stability. You will find a total of 20 DigitALL power phases on the Z87 MPower Max covered by an extremely large heatsink that wraps around three sides of the processor. The yellow graphic resembles a stylized "M" or Recognizer from Tron.
Behind the PWM cooler you will find two 8-pin 12v CPU power connectors that will feed power directly into the processor. Most overclocking motherboards are somewhat light when it comes to supplying power to the CPU and while a single 8-pin is recommended by Intel having a secondary plug is added insurance under extreme overclocking conditions.
Dual channel memory comes standard on the Haswell processor and the Z87 MPower Max supports standard speed DDR3 modules up to 1600Mhz with overclocking support up to 3000Mhz. A maximum of 32GB is addressable however a 64-bit OS is required to access it all. 24pin ATX power is located in the traditional location near the upper edge of the motherboard and out of the primary airflow.
Next to the 24pin power connector you will find the voltage check points, a fan header and some USB 3.0 plugs. It should be noted that there is a secondary set of voltage test points located near the CPU socket and will test secondary voltages such as individual core voltage, Ring and IMC. Sadly due to the location testing these will be almost impossible after the system has been insulated but it's the thought that counts.
The DEBUG LED is located in the lower corner near the front panel connections and indicates the POST condition. A Multi BIOS switch and Boot to BIOS button are nearby for easy access.
Next to the 24pin power connector you will find the voltage check points, a fan header and some USB 3.0 plugs. It should be noted that there is a secondary set of voltage test points located near the CPU socket and will test secondary voltages such as individual core voltage, Ring and IMC. Sadly due to the location testing these will be almost impossible after the system has been insulated but it's the thought that counts.
The DEBUG LED is located in the lower corner near the front panel connections and indicates the POST condition. A Multi BIOS switch and Boot to BIOS button are nearby for easy access.
A great feature found on the Z87 MPower Max is the inclusion of some benchtop controls including power, reset, BCLK +/- and OC Genie. These come in handy when the motherboard is used outside of a chassis or when you are troubleshooting an issue. Nearby you will find a small toggle switch that will change between the two OC Genie modes.
