In many ways, the computer motherboard is the most important component for your PC’s construction, this is because it has the task of connecting all the components together, and helping them communicate with each other. Due to this, picking the correct motherboard can be a difficult task, this is because there are differences between motherboards such as fewer or more PCI-E slots.
In this post, we’re going to go over whether you should go with an MSI mainboard, and what are the benefits of doing so, this should help you in the future when you need a motherboard. Also, we’re going to discuss tips when purchasing a motherboard, as we understand it can be quite confusing with all the different form factors and brands.
Answer: MSI makes solid motherboards that you can rely on, they use high-quality components with their boards, and they have features that many users would like. MSI is known for its long-lasting motherboards, this is great if you’re a big fan of longevity. Their motherboards are also simple and sleek in design, this makes it easy to fit many different aesthetics.
How To Pick The Correct Motherboard
Before you select a motherboard, you need to understand that there are different form factors that have an influence on the motherboard’s size and connectors onboard. Most users will go for the typical ATX motherboard, and this is usually the best choice, but there are form factors such as Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX. The smaller the motherboard is, the fewer PCI-E slots you will have, this can limit upgradability, but smaller motherboards usually come with inbuilt WiFi, so this can be an advantage.
Before you pick a motherboard, you will need to know what type of CPU socket you need to house your processor, CPUs nowadays are made to go into one specific socket. You can never fit an AMD CPU in a motherboard made for Intel processors and vice-versa. Also, you need to get the specific socket type right, for example, LGA1151 sockets can only fit LGA1151 CPUs.
Knowing what chipset you need is another integral part of purchasing a motherboard as the chipset is responsible for allowing the hardware to communicate with each other. Getting the wrong chipset means the BIOS will never detect a CPU even if the CPU socket allows for the CPU. Ensuring you have the right chipset can save a lot of time, and it’s quite easy to find out what chipset you need for your CPU.
MSI Motherboard Features
There are many features that come with MSI motherboards, and they can be beneficial for many users such as gamers. Many PC builders would like for their motherboards to have built-in WiFi, well many MSI motherboards have built-in WiFi, even the ATX motherboards. This saves you money having to purchase a dedicated WiFi card, and also you will have a free PCI-E slot.
MSI motherboards also have a feature called Audio boost, and the goal is to improve the signal sent over from the motherboard to whatever audio device you’re using. The improved signal is meant to improve the quality of sound, and this is achieved by increasing the conductivity of the audio jacks. With this feature, you’re also able to personalize the sound with presets such as gaming mode or movie mode, this is with the help of the Nahimic audio software
Some MSI motherboards will feature reinforced PCI-E slots, this is great as certain PCI-E components such as graphics cards can be quite heavy on the PCI-E slots. This extra protection is called PCI-E steel armor and it’s meant to protect graphics cards from bending. If you’ve ever witnessed GPU sag, it can be quite worrying. With MSI motherboards with the PCI-E steel armor feature, you can fit heavy GPUs without having to worry.
Is The MSI BIOS Good?
The MSI BIOS has been made with usability in mind, this is because the BIOS can be quite confusing to many people that don’t understand how to use it. MSI BIOS has been made to simplify many of the processes many users go through, this includes overclocking and tweaking certain variables. MSI’s modern UEFI/BIOS was designed with ease of use in mind by reducing the chance of hassle, this is evident through features such as MSI Game boost. MSI game boost was meant to simplify the overclocking process.
The MSI BIOS has made it so that tweaking your memory’s performance is far easier, and overclocking your memory should be as easy as pressing one button. Overclocking your memory on an MSI motherboard will automatically assign the profile associated with your memory modules, so with one press of a button your RAM has been overclocked. Also, changing the memory timings is pretty easy on an MSI motherboard, this is because MSI has included presets that you can use. On normal motherboards, you will have to manually set the RAM timings which can be annoying.
The overall theme on the MSI BIOS isn’t as boring as a traditional motherboard BIOS, this is because it has a clean red theme which can be appealing to many users, especially gamers. The settings on the MSI motherboard are quite big, this is to reduce confusion and make it easier to navigate the BIOS. The interface has been modernized making tweaking and overclocking a streamlined process that doesn’t take hours on end doing, this will boost the incentive of overclocking for users that were never inclined to.
Are MSI Motherboards Good For Gaming?
Many gamers will go with MSI motherboards due to the ease of use within the BIOS. Gamers are more prone to overclocking, so if the process can be streamlined, then this will boost their likelihood of purchasing that motherboard. Gamers overclock to increase the FPS in games, this can improve upon playability which is what most gamers are looking for. Much of the overclocking process on an MSI motherboard has been simplified making it very accessible to users that would never overclock.
Gamers and especially hardcore gamers benefit from components that are able to stay cool, this is because it reduces the likelihood of failure and other side effects, Many MSI motherboards have addressed cooling by implementing thermal pads and heatsinks on many of the crucial components to dissipate heat effectively. Such components are the SSD, and it is understood that they slow down as they get hotter, so MSI has implemented an M.2 shield to dissipate heat.
Although this is subjective, many MSI motherboards look great due to their overall minimalistic design, and many gamers take pride in how their overall system looks. Having a good-looking motherboard can complement your build especially if your case has a side panel.
Conclusion
MSI is one of the top motherboard manufacturers for a reason, they produce high-quality and reliable motherboards that last a long time. Feature-wise, they’re one of the most supportive motherboards by making it easy for users to overclock. Design-wise, their top motherboards will feature strong VRM designs which allow for stable voltage delivery to the CPU, especially when overclocking.
