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MSI Z97 Gaming 7 vs. Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 7

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AngryGoldfish

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I was replacing the CPU cooler when I think I may have damaged the motherboard. It's not registering the RAM modules properly and I can only use a single stick in the third slot, which I currently only have in 4GB capacities, and there are now sound pops through my speakers. I'm on Haswell with an i5-4670K and my current board is an ASRock Z87 Extreme4. I can't wait for it to be RMA'ed-and I'm a week out of warranty-so I thought I'd upgrade to Z97 for Broadwell while I'm replacing the ASRock, if Intel has anything worth upgrading to. I would also like a more intuitive BIOS, extensive fan control and improved overclocking stability. Features that I don't necessarily need right now, but would be very welcome, are things like M.2, SATA Express, dual BIOS switch, more 4-pin fan headers, more SATA connectors, longer warranty, etc.

I've heard mixed reports on which board offers the better build quality for the money. I have no particular brand loyalty, but the Gigabyte is €15 cheaper and has 4-years of warranty, while the MSI looks cooler and will better fit the aesthetic of my build (black/white/red). Plus it has an additional two SATA ports. I need solid compatibility with RAM. I have two identical sets of matching RAM and don't want to experience any issues there. I think I'm veering more to the MSI for the BIOS interface and looks. I'm also considering the ASUS Ranger. My budget is £130/€180 and the board needs to be either black, black and white, or black with subtle red accents.

Thoughts?
 
#2 ·
the MSI has 8 audio channels vs 7.1 for the Gigabyte. both boards have 8 sata 6Gb/s ports, the Gigabyte has sata express as well. both boards have killer nic and mostly similar features. the Gigabyte has more older I/O connectors like DVI/D-Sub and PS/2 while the MSI has 2 HDMI, Displayport and more USD 3.0 ports. the main difference is one that won't make a huge impact for you, and that's the vrm design. 6+1 phase hybrid analog on the MSI Gaming 7 and 8 phase digital on the Gigabyte. the Gigabyte model is better for the money considering it costs less of it, but there is not a world of difference between them so go for the one you want.
 
#3 ·
I would go with the GIgabyte, their quality is top notch and the bios is great. MSI is stepping up their game though so it is a tough choice, but I think the Gigabyte edges out slightly in quality and bang for the buck.
 
#4 ·
I recently had the Chance to build and test two rigs one with an msi gaming 7 (current rig ) and a friends one with the Gigabyte z97x.
I have to say the msi has more 3.0 USB Slots. and Gold plated Slots for mouse and Keyboard ( dont know if that matters at all)
The gigabye instead of an 8 channel Audio offers optical Audio Input.
The UEFI BIOS on the Gigabyte is much better and user friendly.
I like the appcenter application on Gigabyte.
that OC Genie on the msi is crap, just a useless button they are Advertising, and to be honest their UEFI Bios Looks cheap.

Also the msi Comes with certain small cables to manually check the voltage on your Motherboard and a better looking Sticker !

My recommendation : Gigabyte
 
Discussion starter · #5 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadZak View Post

I recently had the Chance to build and test two rigs one with an msi gaming 7 (current rig ) and a friends one with the Gigabyte z97x.
I have to say the msi has more 3.0 USB Slots. and Gold plated Slots for mouse and Keyboard ( dont know if that matters at all)
The gigabye instead of an 8 channel Audio offers optical Audio Input.
The UEFI BIOS on the Gigabyte is much better and user friendly.
I like the appcenter application on Gigabyte.
that OC Genie on the msi is crap, just a useless button they are Advertising, and to be honest their UEFI Bios Looks cheap.

Also the msi Comes with certain small cables to manually check the voltage on your Motherboard and a better looking Sticker !

My recommendation : Gigabyte
Click to expand...
What exactly did you prefer about the Gigabyte's BIOS over the MSI one?
 
#6 ·
I personally chose the gigabyte gaming 7 board because it came with a led debug code, power button, cmos and reset switch on the board. I dont use integrated audio so i can not speak in that.
I had the z77x-ud3h. I looked at the z97x-ud3h but they removed a lot features on the z97 board. This board was basically the same as the z97x-ud5h without the intel nic. I have user this board for about a month without any issues thus far. I would recommend this board plus Gigabtye also has a far superior rma department in case something goes wrong.
 
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#8 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by AngryGoldfish View Post

I've just ordered the MSI Gaming 7. Although I won't know for sure until I receive it, I prefer the look of the BIOS over the Gigabyte. The board itself looks fantastic and has all the features I want.
Click to expand...
hope it serves you well. I think the Gigabyte BIOS is probably deeper, but the MSI has everything you need.
thumb.gif
 
#11 ·
This is not in agreement with the eula but most people on the interwebs just use the same license again for their builds.

If you bought a retail copy of windows however, you can activate it again without any issues.

But there are far more people with much more knowledge than me that can touch upon this subject.
 
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#12 ·
Well, The Gigabyte BIOS Looks decent, on the MSI it Looks cheap and the mouse kinda move strangley like in those Windows cracks ...

well Im liking the ease of overclocking on the msi the Features of voltage and frequencies all are listed under OC Settings. I read there was a Memory bug in the Gigabyte mobo..(dunno the Details about that one, read it in an overclocking guide on z97).

Enjoy your msi board, it is for sure a good one !
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Well, I'd be pissed if I have to buy Windows again, but a representative of Microsoft said that I should be able to reinstall my OEM copy of Windows onto the new motherboard when it arrives. If it doesn't work, I guess I'll have to buy Windows again, and this time I'll get a retail copy. €119 though, which is ridiculous in my opinion. Also, since the machine will be down to find out whether a fresh install will work or not, I'll have to go with 8.1 as Microsoft don't seem to be offering a downloaded Windows 7 version. I can't wait another week to receive a physical copy.
 
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AngryGoldfish
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