Msi 970 gaming RAM

We recently noticed that in our test laboratory throughout its entire existence there have never been motherboards for processors in the design AM3+. And, of course, this situation needs to be corrected. The first motherboard to have a socket on board AM3+, who took our test, became MSI 970 Gaming. This is what we will be talking about in today’s review.

Technical specifications.

Packaging and equipment.

Motherboard MSI 970 Gaming supplied in a cardboard box. It is decorated quite brightly, in the branded colors of the line Gaming. On the front side, the dragon has taken its rightful place, accompanying every motherboard and video card of the Gaming series.

The reverse side of the package contains a detailed description of the technologies used: AudioBoost 2, KillerE2200 GameNetworking, OCGene 4, MilitaryClass4, GamingDevicePort. You can also see the layout of the connectors on the rear panel.

The delivery kit contains everything necessary for assembling the computer and further work:
– Two SATA cables,
– Operating instructions,
– Disk with software,
– Plug for the rear panel,
– A sign on the door that says “Sorry, I’m busy playing.”
– SLI bridges,
– MSI Gaming Series sticker,
– Stickers for signing SATA cables.

Appearance.

Motherboard MSI 970 Gaming made in the standard ATX form factor, the exact dimensions of the PCB are 305 x 244 mm, which means that the board can fit into any case, even not the newest one. The arrangement of the elements is quite standard, but it is already quite unusual to see an “extra” radiator on the board cooling the north bridge. Let us remind you that the company Intel has already completely abandoned northern bridges. The motherboard fully matches the design style of the series Gaming, black textolite, black radiators with non-intrusive red stripes, focusing attention on them.

There is nothing interesting on the back of the board, except that you can admire the logos of the supported technologies.

There are four slots for DDR3 RAM. The maximum supported memory frequency is 1866 MHz; a frequency of 2133 MHz is also supported, but only when overclocking the CPU. The amount of memory that the board can recognize is 32 GB, which is standard for most boards.

Due to the fact that the board has a north bridge, the number of expansion slots has decreased from 7 to 6.
– 2 x PCI-Ex16 (lower x4),
– 2 x PCI-Ex1,
– 2 x PCI.

The following pads and connectors are located at the bottom of the board:
– JCI1,
– SysFan4,
– JCOM1,
– JTPM1,
– 3 xUSB2.0,
– 1 xUSB3.0,
– Connectors for connecting the front panel of the case.

There are six SATA6 Gbps ports for storage devices.

Next to the SATA ports there is a SysFan4 header and a Slow_Mode switch. This thing is necessary mainly only for extreme overclocking; it allows you to reset the frequency of the processor cores to the minimum possible, with just one movement, so that the system does not freeze at the most inopportune moment.

Sound subsystem MSI 970 Gaming has a name familiar to everyone Audio Boost 2. It is based on 7.1 channel HDA codec Realtek ALC1150, with support for 2/4/5.1/7.1 audio formats. Next to the sound chip there are two amplifiers capable of operating headphones with an impedance of up to 600 Ohms. Also here you can see high-quality Nichicon capacitors, gold-plated audio connectors and a shield to protect against electromagnetic interference.

Rear Panel Connectors:
– 1 xLAN (RJ45),
– 2 xUSB 3.0,
– 8 xUSB 2.0,
– 1 x OpticalS/PDIFout,
– 6 x audio ports,
– 1 x PS/2

Now let's look at the cooling system. There are three heatsinks in total on the board. The processor power system is cooled by a massive radiator made of aluminum. On the side of the radiator there is a plastic plug with an image of a dragon.

The Northbridge is cooled by the same radiator, only shorter. An image of a dragon is also present.

The lowest radiator turned out to be more interesting, there is the famous “Gaming” shield and the company logo MSI.

Dismantled radiators of the cooling system.

The prints are very clear, which indicates good contact.

Additional power for the central processor is supplied using an 8-pin connector.

The power converter is built on a 4-phase circuit, and not 8-phase, as it might seem at first. For each phase there is a double set of chokes and mosfets. As a result, this VRM layout copes with its tasks perfectly.

The processor operating voltage is controlled by the controller uP1601ЗP.

Motherboard MSI 970 Gaming with dismantled radiators. VRM and system logic based on two chips are clearly visible AMD 970 + AMD SB950.

UEFI BIOS.

Motherboard MSI 970 Gaming equipped with a BIOS with a UEFI graphical shell. The shell is designed in the style of a ruler Gaming. The main blocks with information about the components used and their operating parameters are displayed on the start page. Here you can set the device boot priority.

The most extensive item in the BIOS menu is the OC tab. It contains all the functions necessary for overclocking. The board allows you to fine-tune the system, thanks to this the overclocking potential of processors AMD opens completely. You can manually change all operating voltages of the processor, memory and system logic. There is also a submenu for RAM timings.

The OCProfile tab allows you to save board settings in profiles so that you don’t have to set all the values ​​again every time you boot.

Hardware Monitor provides information about component temperatures, fan speeds and operating voltages. You can manually configure fan operating modes by changing their rotation speed and temperature thresholds at which the rotation speed will increase.

Testing.
Test bench:
Motherboard MSI 970 Gaming
Video card AMD Radeon R9 285
RAM G.SKILL RipjawsX DDR3-2133 MHz CL7-10-7-27
power unit Corsair AX1200i
Cooling system Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWR.

Motherboard testing MSI 970 Gaming was carried out in two stages. The processor was tested first at the nominal frequency, and then in overclocking mode. In overclocking mode, the processor operated at a frequency of 4836 MHz. The maximum frequency that we were able to validate using the CPU-Z utility, with air cooling, was 5300 MHz.

SuperPi 1M – 21.528 sec.

SuperPi 1M – 18.783 sec.

SuperPi 32M – 22 min 13.959 sec.

SuperPi 32M – 19 min 29.035 sec.

Pifast – 33.15 sec.

PiFast – 28.52 sec.

wPrime 32M – 10.093 sec.
wPrime 1024M – 310.487 sec.

wPrime 32M – 7.066 sec.
wPrime 1024M – 216.42 sec.

Frybench – 6 min 10 sec.

Frybench – 4 min 43 sec.

Cinebench – 5.68 pts.

Cinebench – 8.30 pts.

In addition to the usual set of tests for the processor, showing its performance, we decided to check the overclocking potential of the processor with extreme cooling. By installing a nitrogen beaker and freezing the processor to a temperature of -193 degrees Celsius, it was possible to overclock it to a frequency of 7882 MHz.

Conclusion.
Testing the motherboard MSI 970 Gaming, we can say that the board turned out to be very interesting. It combines excellent functionality and high-quality assembly. Its main task, namely, to become the basis of a gaming computer, MSI 970 Gaming fulfills 100%. The presence of a sound system is important here. Audio Boost 2, which will allow you to enjoy high-quality sound in your favorite games. The board's overclocking is also fine; frequencies of 4700-4900 will accommodate almost all processors.

Similar news from the section.

It so happened that initially the MSI product range of Gaming motherboards was represented only by Intel and AMD platforms with LGA1150 and FM2+ connectors, respectively. But in the summer of 2014, having been left without due attention until then, AMD processors with the AM3+ socket finally received their due. New motherboard MSI 970 Gaming was presented at the end of June 2014, and already closer to the New Year it managed to reach Russian retail shelves. As you can easily guess from the name, the MSI 970 Gaming is based on the AMD 970/SB950 system logic. Key Features MSI 970 Gaming is the presence of a high-quality audio subsystem MSI Audio Boost 2, a gigabit network controller Killer E2200 and compliance with Military Class 4 technical equipment standards. Let's take a closer look at this interesting product.

Packaging and accessories

As befits the entire Gaming line, the packaging of the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard is made using black, red and white colors. On the front of the package there is a stylized image of a dragon, as well as the most significant icons of the technologies present in this motherboard.

The back of the box is replete with a detailed description of the key features that the MSI 970 Gaming is endowed with:

• Audio Boost 2 - The built-in audio subsystem, which is based on the flagship Realtek ALC1150 codec, includes audio capacitors manufactured by Nichicon, a pair of amplifiers that support studio headphones with an impedance of up to 600 Ohms, as well as gold-plated audio outputs on the interface panel and an audio path with LED backlighting for protection against electromagnetic interference.
• Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2205- a gigabit network controller that allows you to automatically detect game traffic and increase its priority over other system traffic, guaranteeing minimal delays in the transmission of game data.
• OC Genie 4- automatic overclocking function, which is activated by pressing one button in the bundled software or via the BIOS.
• Multi-GPU - support for AMD CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI technologies to combine the computing capabilities of two video cards.
• Sound Blaster Cinema 2 - this technology significantly improves the sound quality in games and when playing multimedia files.
• Military Class 4- MSI 970 Gaming uses only high-quality components, such as Dark CAP solid-state capacitors with an extended service life of up to 10 years and SFC chokes with ferrite cores.
• Gaming Device Port- USB 2.0 and PS/2 ports, highlighted in red, have three times the volume of gold plating, therefore they are more reliable and wear-resistant. They are also optimized for keypads with high polling rates (500 to 1000 Hz), which reduces response time from 8 to 1 millisecond.

In addition, on the back of the package there are brief technical specifications of the motherboard and a map of the interface panel connectors.

The MSI 970 Gaming package includes:

• MSI 970 Gaming motherboard;
• documentation, including user manual and system assembly instructions;
• plug for the rear panel;
• disk with drivers and proprietary utilities;
• SLI bridge;
• SATA 6Gb/s cables 2 pcs.;
• metal MSI badge;
• a sign on the door with the words “I"m sorry busy gaming" and "I"m not here."

Appearance and technological features

The MSI 970 Gaming motherboard is made on black PCB. The form factor of the motherboard is ATX, dimensions are 305x244 mm. The first thing that catches your eye when you take a quick look at the MSI 970 Gaming is the black radiators with small stripes of red. This play of colors undoubtedly gives the motherboard a spectacular appearance and design features recognizable for the Gaming series.

The arrangement of elements on the MSI 970 Gaming follows a classic design. The only exception is the 19-pin USB 3.0 connector located on the bottom edge. In addition to the power circuit for powering the processor, the AMD 970 northbridge and AMD SB950 southbridge are also equipped with radiators.

The MSI 970 Gaming motherboard comes standard with a standard metal plate for Socket AM3+. But if the user wishes to use cooling systems with a different type of fastening, then there is the opportunity to dismantle the complete plate.

The board's interface panel has eight USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 connectors. In addition, there is a PC/2 connector, S/PDIF, Gigabit LAN and a block of six audio ports.

The processor power subsystem is implemented on the MSI 970 Gaming according to an 8+1 scheme. Eight SFC ferrite chokes are located directly under the cooling radiator, and one behind it. This power arrangement is made to supply the main voltages of the CPU Core and CPU NB Core.

As for processor support, the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard is capable of “taking on board” any of the AM3 and AM3+ processors with a heat dissipation of up to 140 W.

Four RAM slots support memory sticks with clock frequencies of 1066/1333/1600/1866 and 2133 MHz. The maximum total amount of installed memory is 32 GB.

The motherboard is powered via a main 24-pin connector and an 8-pin additional power connector.

MSI 970 Gaming has a very interesting set of slots for expansion cards, including:

• PCI Express 2.0 x1;
• PCI Express 2.0 x16 (works like x16);
• PCI Express 2.0 x1;
• PCI Express 2.0 x16 (works like x8);

Thus, unlike other motherboards based on the AMD 970/SB950 system logic set, where combining two video cards into multiGPU bundles is only possible using the x16+x4 scheme, MSI 970 Gaming offers us the ability to organize AMD CrossfireX and NVIDIA SLI according to the scheme x8+x8.

To connect storage devices and optical drives, the MSI 970 Gaming has six SATA 6 Gb/s connectors, which are implemented using the AMD SB950 south bridge. This chipset also makes it possible to combine drives into RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 arrays.

The audio path of the motherboard is separated by a special channel with LED backlighting, designed to shield the audio component from electromagnetic interference. The Realtek ALC1150 HDA audio codec, which forms the basis of the Audio Boost 2 sound system, also supports progressive 7.1 format systems. The audio codec is surrounded by high-quality audio capacitors manufactured by Nichicon, and software-based sound processing is handled by Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2 software. This entire set of technologies allows the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard to guarantee high-quality sound both in games and when playing multimedia files.

If for some reason users do not have enough ten USB connectors on the rear panel of the motherboard, then MSI 970 Gaming is able to add a couple more USB 3.0 connectors to the front panel of the PC case, and six USB 2.0 connectors to the rear panel of the computer.

The heatsink of the AMD SB950 south bridge, in addition to its cooling function, also bears the symbolism of the Gaming series in the form of a corporate logo.

Of the most significant chips present on the MSI 970 Gaming, it is worth highlighting the Fintek F71878AD, which is responsible for monitoring, the operation of system fans and the functioning of the COM and PC/2 ports.

The bandwidth of the PCI-E buses is distributed by four ASM1480 multiplexers from ASMedia.

The CPU power converter is based on the uP1601P PWM controller.

Since the AMD 970 chipset itself does not support USB 3.0, a pair of VIA VL806 controllers can implement four of the latter.

The gigabit network controller is implemented using the Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2205 chip.

BIOS Features

The UEFI BIOS of the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard has a proprietary ClickBIOS 4 shell with a colorful design. The menu is divided into six main sections: Settings, OC, M-Flash, OC Profile, Hardware Monitor and Board Explorer.

The “Settings” section contains the main parameters responsible for managing devices, choosing boot priority and saving settings.

The “OS” tab contains many settings for overclocking the system, including changing the parameters of the processor and RAM.

If you do not want to overclock the processor, but just want to manually set the RAM frequency and its timings, then this option is also present in the BIOS of the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard.

The "OC Profile" tab allows you to not only save or load the desired settings profiles that you configure, but also import/export them to USB devices.

Using the “Hardware Monitor” section, you can track the main parameters of the motherboard and processor voltages, as well as set the fan operation algorithm using a graph.

Another interesting tab, “Board Explorer,” makes it possible to find out which components are installed in a particular slot or connector. As an example, let's look at the processor; when you point at the motherboard socket, the BIOS shell reports that an eight-core AMD FX-8320E is installed there.

Branded utilities

The list of software on the official website for the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard, in addition to drivers and BIOS firmware, is small and consists of only 5 utilities:

• MSI Command Center- a functional utility for monitoring and configuring basic system parameters;
• Live Update 6- a utility for updating installed drivers, programs and BIOS;
• Super Charger- hardware and software technology that allows you to speed up charging of Apple iPad tablets, Apple iPhone smartphones and other mobile devices;
• Sound Blaster Cinema 2- a utility for the built-in Realtek ALC1150 codec, which allows you to improve the quality of sound reproduction using software;
• Fast Boot- a utility to speed up the loading of the operating system.

The most interesting of the listed utilities is the MSI Command Center program. The program interface is simple and intuitive. The MSI Command Center utility allows you to overclock the processor directly from the Windows OS environment, as well as control the speed of the fans.

Moreover, the configuration and operation algorithm of the processor cooler is possible both in automatic and manual mode. Changing the supply voltage using MSI Command Center is also available.

Working with memory settings, including module voltage, is available from the “DRAM” tab.

Another useful feature of the MSI Command Center utility is the ability to create a RAMDisk partition inside the free amount of RAM, which can significantly speed up work with files loaded inside this virtual drive.

The proprietary "OC Genie" technology for automatic system overclocking is also included in the functionality of the MSI Command Center program.

Specifications

Testbench configuration and testing

Overclocking the processor and RAM

To study the overclocking capabilities of the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard, we used the BIOS settings. During testing, AMD Cool"n"Quiet and AMD Turbo Core technologies were disabled. After numerous experimental attempts with control testing for stability, it was revealed that the maximum frequency of the AMD FX-8320E Vishera AM3+ processor was 4600 MHz at a voltage of 1.504 V. Corsair VengeancePro RAM reached a frequency of 2133 MHz with timings 11-11-11-30-2T at a voltage of 1.704 V. With these parameters, the system was absolutely stable and easily passed tests in LinX and Aida64 Cache&Memory Benchmark.

Conclusion

Motherboard MSI 970 Gaming fully lives up to its name, since it is able to successfully correspond to a full-fledged gaming solution. The ability to install powerful eight-core AMD FX series processes and combine two CrossFire/SLI video cards using the x8+x8 scheme will allow you to build a serious platform for modern games based on the MSI 970 Gaming. And the presence on the board of such options as the MSI Audio Boost 2 audio subsystem and the Killer E2200 gigabit network controller will make gaming on the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard only more enjoyable.

Everything is in order, as practical testing has shown, with the MSI 970 Gaming even with overclocking potential. The board does an excellent job of overclocking not only the processor, but also the RAM. At the time of writing this review, you can find the MSI 970 Gaming motherboard in Russian retail at an impressive price of 6,500-7,000 rubles. And this is perhaps the only thing that can stop a thrifty buyer.

Pros:

• 3 year warranty;
• support for AM3/AM3+ processors with heat dissipation up to 140 W;
• the ability to create CrossFire/SLI using the x8+x8 scheme;
• gigabit network controller Killer E2200;
• high-quality audio subsystem MSI Audio Boost 2;
• proper board layout;
• good overclocking capabilities.

Cons:

• high price for a board based on the AMD 970 chipset;
• a small number of USB 3.0 ports;
• lack of modern connectors such as M.2 and Sata Express;
• lack of support for AMD FX-9370 and AMD FX-9590 processors with a heat dissipation of 220 W.

It's no secret that Intel occupies a dominant position in the x86 processor segment. She feels especially confident in the category of high-performance solutions, which are often used by computer game enthusiasts to build their desktop systems. Therefore, it is not surprising that the first motherboards of the MSI GAMING series were developed based on Intel chipsets. In the spring of 2014, the first models of the MSI GAMING series appeared for the Socket FM2+ platform. And only in the early summer of 2014, the first solution of this line was presented for the Socket AM3+ platform.

As you can easily guess from its name, it is based on the AMD 970 north bridge chip, which is complemented by the traditional AMD SB950 south bridge and is designed to work in tandem with processors from the AMD Phenom II, AMD Athlon II, AMD Sempron and AMD FX families. At the time of writing this review, the new product is already available for purchase, but so far only abroad, where its cost is about 100 US dollars. Of course, in our market it will be sold a little more expensive, but for such good equipment the price of a little over 100 US dollars looks simply excellent. Since MSI 970 GAMING belongs to the gaming line, it is equipped with a high-quality network controller and a flagship sound subsystem. However, we will not rush to conclusions, but will traditionally move on to studying the specification of the model being tested.

MSI 970 GAMING motherboard specification:

The MSI 970 GAMING motherboard traditionally comes in a box made of thick cardboard, which is decorated with high-quality and stylish printing in the same style as other solutions in the MSI GAMING series. Most of the front side is devoted to the series logo, which is a stylized image of a dragon.

From the useful information on the front side of the box, you can pay attention to the name of the board and the manufacturing company, as well as the presence of a Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2205 network controller and an audio subsystem with an Audio Boost 2 design.

On the back of the box, in addition to a schematic representation of the interface panel and brief technical specifications, there is a description of the key features and supported technologies:

• Audio Boost 2 - The audio subsystem of the new product, in addition to the flagship Realtek ALC1150 codec, includes special audio capacitors from Nichicon, two amplifiers that support studio headphones with an impedance of up to 600 Ohms, as well as gold-plated audio outputs on the interface panel and a casing to protect against electromagnetic interference. We also note a pleasant bonus in the form of a shielding strip with LED backlighting, separating the part of the printed circuit board with the sound subsystem from the remaining components.
• Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2205- a network controller that has the ability to automatically detect game traffic and increase its priority over low-level system traffic, guaranteeing low latency when transmitting game data.
• OC Genie 4- automatic acceleration function, which is activated by pressing one button in the bundled software.
• Multi-GPU - The motherboard supports AMD CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI technologies to combine the computing capabilities of two video cards.
• Sound Blaster Cinema 2 - thanks to this technology, the sound quality in gaming applications and when playing multimedia content is significantly improved.
• Military Class 4- the design of the new product uses only high-quality components, such as Dark CAP solid-state capacitors with a service life increased to 10 years and SFC chokes with ferrite cores.
• Gaming Device Port- USB 2.0 and PS/2 ports have tripled the volume of gold plating, so they are more reliable and wear-resistant. They are also optimized for keypads with high polling rates (500 to 1000 Hz), which reduces response time from 8 to 1 millisecond.

The MSI 970 GAMING motherboard package, in addition to standard documentation and a disk with drivers and utilities, includes two SATA cables, an NVIDIA SLI bridge, an interface panel cover, a sticker on the system unit with the MSI GAMING series logo, as well as a cardboard hanger with the series logo and the inscriptions: “Sorry, busy playing” and “I’m not here.”

Board design and features

Traditionally for motherboards of the MSI GAMING series, the new product is made on a black printed circuit board with a matte finish, which goes well with small red splashes on the radiators of the cooling system. Separately, we note the metal logos of the series on the ends of the radiators themselves. Overall the design is sober and stylish, indicating a high-end product.

As for the layout of the on-board elements, the only thing we can note is the non-standard location of the connector for connecting an external panel with USB 3.0 ports at the bottom of the board. Otherwise, the assembly of the system based on the MSI 970 GAMING did not bring any surprises: the arrangement of all elements is thoughtful and very successful.

On the reverse side of the PCB there is only the support plate for the processor socket. Also note that all three radiators are securely fastened with screws.

The following connectors are located at the bottom of the board: front panel audio connectors, S/PDIF Out, TPM and COM ports, one of four connectors for connecting system fans, as well as two front panel connectors.

Separately, we note four connectors for implementing USB interfaces: three USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0. In total, the new product uses the AMD SB950 south bridge to support fourteen USB 2.0 ports: six internal and eight on the interface panel. As for USB 3.0, all four interfaces (two internal and two external) operate thanks to two VIA VL806 controllers.

The possibilities for organizing the disk subsystem are represented by six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, for which there is support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 arrays. All interfaces are implemented using the AMD SB950 south bridge. Since they are all located parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board, even the longest expansion cards will not make it difficult to connect drives.

The MSI 970 GAMING motherboard is equipped with four DIMM slots for installing DDR3 RAM modules, which are equipped with latches on only one side. RAM can operate in dual-channel mode, for the implementation of which modules must be installed either in the first and third, or in the second and fourth slots. Memory strips operating at frequencies up to 1866 MHz in nominal mode and up to 2133 MHz in overclocking mode are supported. The maximum memory capacity can be 32 GB, which should be more than enough in most cases.

The cooling system of the board in question consists of three aluminum radiators: the first covers the elements of the processor power subsystem, the second helps cool the AMD 970 north bridge, while the third cools the AMD SB950 south bridge. As we already mentioned, all radiators are secured with screws. During testing, the following temperature indicators were recorded:

• AMD SB950 south bridge cooling radiator - 36.5°C;
• Northbridge cooling radiator AMD 970 - 40.1°C;
• radiator for cooling elements of the processor power subsystem - 34.9°C.

The results obtained confirm the effectiveness of the cooling system and allow us to hope for good overclocking potential of this model.

The processor is powered using an enhanced 8-phase circuit for computing cores and additional nodes. The converter itself is based on the uP1601P PWM controller. The element base of the new product is assembled using high-quality components that are certified according to the military standard MIL-STD-810G in accordance with the proprietary Military Class 4 design. It includes solid-state capacitors Dark CAP and ferrite chokes SFC. To supply the required supply voltage, the main 24-pin and additional 8-pin connectors are provided.

The MSI 970 GAMING model offers six slots to expand its functionality:

1. PCI Express 2.0 x1;
2. PCI Express 2.0 x16 (in x16 mode);
3. PCI Express 2.0 x1;
4. PCI Express 2.0 x16 (in x8 mode);

Here MSI has prepared a very pleasant surprise for all fans of combinations of two graphics adapters. The fact is that AMD has endowed the northbridge with support for a maximum of sixteen PCI Express 2.0 lanes, which it traditionally cannot use in x8+x8 mode. Typically, in motherboards based on it, only four lanes are available to the second connector, so the final configuration is x16+x4, which does not allow the potential of the AMD CrossFireX combination to be revealed.

What are we seeing in the MSI 970 GAMING? For the second PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot, support for a maximum of eight lanes is declared, thereby ensuring the functionality of the x8+x8 mode for AMD CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI technologies. That is, the new product implements the functionality of traditionally more expensive solutions based on AMD 990X and AMD 990FX chipsets.

We also note the ability to connect expansion cards with PCI Express 2.0 x1 and PCI interfaces.

Multi I/O capabilities are provided by the Fintek F71878AD chip, which controls the operation of system fans, COM and PS/2 ports, and also monitors.

The operation of four USB 3.0 ports is implemented using two VIA VL806 controllers.

To support network connections, a Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2205 gigabit LAN controller is used, which has a number of hardware and software advantages for prioritizing gaming and multimedia traffic.

The sound subsystem of the MSI 970 GAMING is a rather interesting design called Audio Boost 2. It is based on the flagship 7.1-channel HDA codec Realtek ALC1150, which supports audio systems in 2/4/5.1/7.1 formats. It is paired with two amplifiers that can support headphones with impedances up to 600 Ohms. It also uses Nichicon's high-quality audio capacitors, gold-plated audio connectors, and EMI shielding technology. Software adjustment of sound quality to the required level is carried out by Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2 software.

The following ports are located on the interface panel of the MSI 970 GAMING model:

• 1 x PS/2 port for keyboard or mouse;
• 1 x LAN (RJ45);
• 2 x USB 3.0;
• 8 x USB 2.0;
• 1 x Optical S/PDIF out;
• 6 x audio ports.

The interface panel of the new product provides the user with good opportunities to connect a wide variety of peripherals. Judge for yourself: there is not only a large number of USB ports, but also the ability to place a COM port on the rear panel of the case, convenient connection of multi-channel acoustics, as well as support for Gaming Device Port technology, which we mentioned at the beginning of the review.

The MSI 970 GAMING motherboard is equipped with five fan connectors: one is used to power the processor cooling system (4-pin), and the other four are designed to connect system fans (2 x 4-pin and 2 x 3-pin).

The MSI 970 GAMING model uses the proprietary ClickBIOS 4 preloader, based on the UEFI interface. It features an attractive graphical interface and an easy process for making changes to settings.

The options required for fine-tuning the system are grouped in the “OC” section.

If necessary, this section provides access to adjusting the voltages on various components.

As you can see, saving custom BIOS settings in six different profiles is supported, and there is also the ability to load the required profile from a USB drive.

The RAM frequency can be changed from 800 to 1600 MHz.

And if necessary, you can access memory delay adjustments.

The settings required to optimize the system are summarized in the table:

Some components that come to our test bench make us study them very thoroughly, since each component in their composition is implemented in a new way or has undergone significant changes since our last acquaintance. However, there are other situations when a new component is so familiar that you have to try hard to find these same changes that manufacturers talk about in their presentation slides.

We will not be mistaken if we say that all users interested in hardware should be familiar with the AM3+ platform from AMD, and if not personally, then certainly in absentia. This platform is a real long-liver of our time. Everything would be fine if only the platform did not change, one might say this is an ideal option, but there is also significant stagnation in the line of processors for AM3+.

So series processors FX are still based on the architecture announced back in 2012... Interestingly, AMD is moving very successfully in two other directions, these include entry-level solutions for the FS1b socket and, of course, mid-level A-Series computing accelerators for the FM2+ platform, but in In the enthusiast segment, everything is quiet. Of course, there is some movement, but it is happening along a well-trodden path, around the already mentioned Vishera architecture, based on 32 nm technology, which is a little alarming today.

An example of such movements is the recently presented three new variations on the Vishera theme, we meet the FX-8370, FX-8320E and FX-8370E. And if the first of the three operates with almost completely similar characteristics, then the second two attract attention with the letter “e” in their name, which, by the way, is responsible for the TDP indicator, which is optimized for the new products and amounts to a more interesting 95 W.

As they say, there is no smoke without fire, so a little before the announcement of new processors, MSI presented the motherboard to the public 970 GAMING. The board is the first representative of the AM3+ platform in the GAMING series, is based on the AMD 970 system logic set and uses the SB950 south bridge. It looks like this is a pre-targeted option for future owners of the FX-8320E and FX-8370E. Let's check what the above-mentioned new products are capable of. I suggest starting with the motherboard.

The board arrived to us in a standard-sized package, but compared to the boxes from top solutions, it was a little slender :). The design, like other solutions from the GAMING series, uses dark colors with the image of a dragon throughout. A prominent inscription clearly identifies the 970 GAMING model, and a pair of printed camp bricks indicate the technologies used and the type of processors supported. The reverse side contains a more detailed description, it is a slightly shortened version of the official page dedicated to this board.

On the one hand, the delivery package is not very abundant; there are a couple of SATA cables and a plug for the rear wall of the case. Everything else is the paper side of the issue and the manufacturer has gone a bit wild on it, here: a user manual, a disk with drivers and software, stickers on the SATA cable, and a nameplate on the case and a plate on the door make the board a little closer to elite products.

The board is made in a full ATX form factor. Belonging to the GAMING series does not let you forget about yourself, the black color and a couple of red stripes on the radiators are all the same as on the previously reviewed one. It is quite interesting that within its line the manufacturer does not visually break down solutions related to completely different platforms.

The interface panel has a large number of USB connectors, ten of them, but only two of them are in USB 3.0 format. Next is a PS/2 port for a mouse or keyboard, one LAN connector, six miniJack audio connectors, an S/PDIF optical output, a BIOS reset button, that’s probably all. It may seem like something is missing, but this feeling is due to the lack of video outputs, which are not needed for these processors.

The AM3+ socket space is surrounded by a pair of radiators, but they are located at a considerable distance and are not so massive, so there should be no problems with installing even large cooling systems. During testing, we installed the sturdy Noctua HD-15 with a bang.

The board has four connectors for DDR3 RAM. The manufacturer claims support for memory operating at frequencies up to 1866 MHz, and using overclocking functions this threshold can be increased up to 2133 MHz. The maximum supported memory capacity is 32 GB, which is completely similar to the motherboards of the competitive platform from Intel.

The configuration of the expansion slots is very, very interesting, there are only a couple of them: Two PCI E 2.0 x1, two PCI, and two full-size PCI Express 2.0 capable of operating in 8x+8x mode when using multi-tandem graphics systems. The presence of PCI connectors can be useful for users to install specific expansion cards; we admit that now this connector is becoming less and less common...

The audio path is implemented using a 7.1-channel Realtek ALC1150 codec. Here, as on other boards in the series, the principle of isolation from the main part of the printed circuit board is used, a pair of amplifiers are installed, in the presence of which there is support for headphones with a resistance of up to 600 Ohms, and the component base also uses Nichicon audio capacitors. Additionally, Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2 software is responsible for the software part of the issue.

On the right side of the board there are six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, each of them originates from the AMD SB950 south bridge and supports RAID arrays of standards 0, 1, 5 and 10. Note that thanks to the south bridge, the board has fourteen USB 2.0 ports , six of them are internal. All ports of the USB 3.0 standard are based on the VIA VL806 controller, and while we’re talking about controllers, let’s mention that the LAN interface is implemented on the already familiar Qualcomm Atheros Killer E2205 with the functionality of prioritizing gaming traffic.

Three completely separate radiators are responsible for cooling the board. Each of them is made of aluminum alloy and coated with matte black paint. There are no heat pipes even in the one designed before the power supply system, but the radiators have significant fins and are not monolithic bars. Let's see how they perform during testing.

The processor power system is based on the uP1601P PWM controller. Let us recall that for processors on the AM3+ platform, two main voltages are supplied: CPU Core and CPU NB Core, so the power system works on the 4+1 principle, but since a double element base is used to obtain CPU Core, in the end we get a more interesting combination 8 +1. Additionally, we note that the board’s elemental base uses components that have passed military certification and, according to MSI markings, have been awarded the Military Class 4 standard.

Entering the UEFI menu of the board, even after testing the array of boards on the Intel Z97 system logic set, you feel at home. A completely identical arrangement of menu sections is used here; their names are also similar to those that we saw on the previously reviewed