MSI Z97 MPower Overclocking Motherboard Review

Overclocking motherboards comes in many different formats and while many boards will come with some ability to overclock.  What really distinguishes "a board that can overclock" from an "actual overclocking motherboard" is the extended support and specialized features.  MSI is a name synonymous with overclocking and is famous for their Afterburner software and extremely popular Lightning edition video cards.  These cards are highly sought after by overclockers and high-end gamers for the superior construction and faster default clock.  While video cards might be what MSI is known for in the enthusiast community they do offer some solid motherboard solutions that span from your basic OEM style to high end overclockers supporting LN2 and multiple graphics cards.

In this review we will be looking at the Z97 MPower motherboard from MSI.  This is an entry level motherboard in their overclocking line and is designed for LGA 1150 processors from Intel.  As the name suggests this board is based on the Z97 chipset and features a specialized layout for overclocking.

While the Z97 MPower may be marketed for overclocking there is nothing in the design that says you are limited to that singular purpose, in fact that is just the opposite.  At its heart the MPower is a mid-range motherboard with some enhanced features designed to bridge the gap between the mainstream and benchtop overclocker.  MSI has also made good use of what comes with the chipset while adding a few features of their own.