Even though the Z87 XPOWER was heralded at many renown websites, this particular board should never ever have been released in the condition when MadShrimps tested it. Even the numerous BIOS updates couldn't correct some of the major flaws it had from launch. MSI has worked hard together with the overclocking community and finally has listened to their inputs. The result is that their Z97 lineup, from the Z97 MPOWER to today's reviewed Z97 XPOWER are more enjoyable to work with. A higher memory compatibility was one of MSI's biggest deficiencies and with this Z97 it is almost a thing from the past. Secondly supporting legacy memory was high on the priority list. Running PSC Power Chips at high speeds and tight timings is now perfectly possible when using DIMM Slot 1 and 3. The included BIOS memory presets are also a good starting point to dial in your favorite memory.

Performance wise this XPOWER is right there where it should be: a top performer, perfectly at home amongst the best motherboards out there. MSI's efforts really have paied off as being shown in the numerous 2D and 3D tests. This board is ready to handle anything you throw at it.

For those that look for the thrills of Extreme overclocking with Liquid Nitrogen, there are better options out there. Even after receiving 3 samples we were not able to succesfully OC with the Z97 Xpower board. Two samples had cold issues below minus 50°C and the third board was resisting any high memory frequency over 2200MHz. The Mpower board is a far better option if you want to use a board of the MSI brand.

Even though the numerous specifications for this XPOWER board are a bit over the top for most daily Overclockers, MSI's XPOWER is one of the sole LGA1150 Z97 chipset based motherboards that can handle 4-Way SLI via the integration of the PLX chipset. The inclusion of the Delid Die Guard, USB driver key and the OC Fan stand are again exclusive accessories in the Z97 XPOWER AC package. Take note that the Delid guard is a cool feature for the water cooling enthusiasts only, for the extreme crowd it is not usable.

At first glance the retail price looks pretty steep, though if once wades through the specifications and included accessories this price can be perfectly justified. Retailing at around 320 Euros it might be a bit too steep for most overclockers, hence why die hard MSI OC fans are better off with the far more affordable Z97 MPOWER board. For those that want to have no limitations regarding GPU options will have a blast with the MSI Z97 XPOWER. MSI has traveled a long way and each generation their motherboards are getting better and better. The Z97 XPOWER AC is a stunning looking and high performance motherboard made to push your hardware to new limits!

PROS:

• 4-Way SLI/Crossfire capable LGA1150 board
• High performance
• Delid Die guard
• 8GB USB XPOWER Drivers Thumb drive
• Improved Ram compatibility
• Specific OC features
• Accessory bundle

CONS:

• No Torx screwdriver
• Teletubbie Fan control page
• Optional Fan?
• Mpower version is more suited for die hard OCers

We wish to thank Koen from MSI for providing us with the Z97 XPOWER AC samples

Harry from Corsair for the Vengeance Pro memory kit

Microcool for the Banchetto 101 bench setup

Tones for the provision of processor and other hardware day in day out