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Today we are taking a look at what is arguably the most extreme Z87 motherboard money can buy. The new MSI Z87 XPower boasts a sensational design loaded with features, such as the Realtek ALC1150 codec with TI OPA1652 amplifier which supports quality headphones that have an impedance of up to 600 Ohms. There are loads of SATA 6Gb/s ports, tons of USB 3.0 ports and a Killer NIC plus 4-way support for either SLI or Crossfire, plus much much more...
Last month Intel released their most powerful desktop CPU yet, the Core i7-4960X Extreme Edition. Armed with 6 cores, 12 threads, a 15MB L3 cache and a price tag of $1000, the Core i7-4960X is a dream processor for most.
That said, when it boils down to it the Core i7-4960X is a grossly overpriced processor that is supported by an outdated platform. For a third of the price desktop users are considerably better off with the Core i7-4770K and its up-to-date platform which is backed by the Z87 chipset, amongst others. It is very likely that for these reasons MSI has chosen to release their new MPower, MPower Max and XPower series exclusively for the LGA1150 platform. All three series focus primarily on delivering the ultimate overclocking experience. However while an emphasis has been placed on overclocking, these new MSI motherboards cater to power users of all types. The most affordable of these new boards is the Z87 MPower which costs $205 and provides a number of nifty features. Spend a little more and the Z87 MPower Max can be had for $240 and for that you get a few more PWM phases (PWM strength of 800 watts), more USB 3.0 ports and an even beefier cooling design. Both are reasonably priced for high-end Z87 motherboards, but what if you want something more extreme. The LGA2011 platform is known for its extreme motherboards such as the $600 Asrock X79 Extreme11 or the $500 Asus P9X79-E WS or even the $400 EVGA X79 Dark. Still the LGA1150 platform is deserving of its own luxury high-end motherboards and MSI has created one of the most extreme with their Z87 XPower. In fact the MSI Z87 XPower is possibly the most extreme motherboard we have ever seen, certainly in terms of its overclocking support. Loaded with an incredible 32 PWM phases the Z87 XPower has a PWM strength of 1920 watts!
The Z87 XPower also boasts a dozen USB 3.0 ports, X-FI MB3 audio, 4-way Crossfire or SLI support, ten SATA 6Gb/s ports and much more. The cost of all this goodness, hold onto your hats, $440. In comparison we have the Asus Maximus IV Extreme at $400, Gigabyte G1.Sniper 5 for $400, the ECS L337 Gaming GANK Domination at $390 and the Asrock Z87 Extreme9/ac at $360. So does the MSI Z87 XPower deserve to be the most expensive Z87 motherboard money can buy? Read on as we find out... |
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Syd |
Posted on: 10/17/2013 01:49 PM
$400 motherboard OKAY  At least it doesn't have the stupid guns and ammo theme. Have to admit this does look bad arse! |
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Snipa |
Posted on: 10/18/2013 01:12 AM
This thing looks huge, is it XL-ATX or E-ATX? |
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Logic |
Posted on: 10/20/2013 08:03 PM
I read somewhere there is a new revision of this board coming with 5GHz WiFi. Since I am building a new system just before Christmas and want to use this board it would be great if you review the new version, assuming it comes out in time. |
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Patty |
Posted on: 11/04/2013 11:58 PM
Crazy looking board. Wish I could afford it  |