Gaming Device Port: Optimized with Triple Gold-plating for High Polling Rate Gaming Devices
Product Overview
LET THE GAMES BEGIN MSI® GAMING motherboards are designed to provide gamers with best-in-class features and technology. Backed by the imposing looks of MSI's Dragon, each motherboard is an engineering masterpiece tailored to gaming perfection.
THE BEST GAMING WEAPONS AT HAND
Amazing sound with Audio Boost 2, powered by Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2
The highest frag and the lowest lag with Killer™ E2200 Game Networking
Military Class 4 components
Specialized production lines just for GAMING motherboards
OC Genie 4
Gaming Device Port
Click BIOS 4 (click here to visit our dedicated BIOS page)
Optimized for multiple graphics cards (CrossFire certified)
Take control with Command Center & Live Update 6
Specifications
CPU Supports AMD®FXTM/ Phenom II/ Athlon II and Sempron processors for the AM3/ AM3+ socket Please refer to CPU Support for compatible CPU; the above description is for reference only Hyper Transport Bus HyperTransport 3.0 supporting speed up to 4.8GT/s
Chipset
AMD 970 and SB950 Chipset Main Memory 4 x DDR3 memory slots supporting up to 32GB Supports DDR3 2133(OC)/ 1866/ 1600/ 1333/ 1066 MHz Dual channel memory architecture
Slots
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots PCI_E2 supports up to PCIe 2.0 x16 speed PCI_E4 supports up to PCIe 2.0 x8 speed 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots 2 x PCI slots
Multi-GPU
Supports 2-Way AMD CrossFire Technology* Supports 2-Way NVIDIA SLI Technology* Supports Windows 7 and Windows 8/ 8.1
On-Board SATA
AMD SB950 Chipset 6 x SATA 6Gb/s ports Supports RAID 0, RAID1, RAID5 and RAID 10
USB
AMD SB950 Chipset 14x USB 2.0 ports (8 ports on the back panel, 6 ports available through the internal USB 2.0 connectors) VIA VL806 Chipset 4 x USB 3.0 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB 3.0 connector)* These USB 3.0 ports do not support M-Flash recovery function
Audio
Realtek ALC1150 Codec 7.1-Channel High Definition Audio Supports S/PDIF output
LAN
Killer E2205 Gigabit LAN controller* 1 x LAN port on the backpanel The Killer Network Manager is only available for Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 currently. The supported drivers for other operating systems would be available on the website if provided by vendor.
Internal I/O Connectors
1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors 3 x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 6 USB 2.0 ports) 1 x USB 3.0 connector 1 x 4-pin CPU fan connector 2 x 4-pin system fan connectors 2 x 3-pin system fan connectors 1 x Front panel audio connector 2 x System panel connectors 1 x Chassis Intrusion connector 1 x TPM module connector 1 x Serial port connector 1 x S/PDIF-Out connector 1 x Clear CMOS jumper 1 x Slow mode booting switch
Back Panel I/O Ports
1 x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port 8 x USB 2.0 ports 2 x USB 3.0 ports 1 x Optical S/PDIF-Out connector 1 x LAN (RJ45) port 6 x OFC audio jacks
BIOS
The motherboard BIOS provides "Plug & Play" BIOS which detects the peripheral devices and expansion cards of the board automatically. The motherboard provides a Desktop Management Interface(DMI) function which records your motherboard specifications.
Dimension
12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm) ATX Form Factor
Should also take Bulldozer or Piledriver processor. Decent board if you've got an AM3 CPU lying round that will fit, or as a cheap upgrade from a budget board of the same socket.
970 is the top-of-the-range AM3+ chipset from what I remember.
EDIT - 990FX is top, but 970 is still decent. Heat added.
Gentle_Giant
23 Jun 171#5
990FX is the top chipset for AM3+; I had an MSI 990FXA until a few weeks ago, when the ZIF cpu socket broke while trying to remove a cpu. Board and cpu now both dead; yeah it was an old chip, but the board was barely a year old.
If you can afford it, get the Asus M5S99FX Pro R2.0; better for overclocking than the MSI, and more SATA ports. The board layout is also slightly better, so easier to route all the power/fan cables.
kester76
23 Jun 17#6
I've still got a 1090t in the garage after I ripped it from the cpu socket during an upgrade :smiley: unfortunately it's cheaper to swap out my old G2020 for an i5 than buy another motherboard for it.
Rhythmeister
23 Jun 17#7
Oh for a micro ATX version at this price!
damasterpiece
24 Jun 17#8
can i bother you by asking that you give it to me? i'm trying to put together a cheap pc since i'm working in the middle of nowhere and live in tied accomodation so i can't spend a lot if i ever want to get out of here. sorry if im being an ****. cheers
Gentle_Giant
26 Jun 17#9
I'd like to ask for the 1090 as well, I was using mine to play LOTRO, a 10 year old online game that seems to work better with older cpus.
New i5 and i7 cpus have all sorts of issues with this old game, although ancient 771/775 Xeons and socket 775 based Intel iron works quite well.
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
![[Xbox One] Q. u. b. e: Director's Cut on Deals with Gold](/images/topics/208716_1.jpg)
Opening post
Features
Product Overview
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
MSI® GAMING motherboards are designed to provide gamers with best-in-class features and technology. Backed by the imposing looks of MSI's Dragon, each motherboard is an engineering masterpiece tailored to gaming perfection.
THE BEST GAMING WEAPONS AT HAND
Specifications
CPU
Supports AMD®FXTM/ Phenom II/ Athlon II and Sempron processors for the AM3/ AM3+ socket
Please refer to CPU Support for compatible CPU; the above description is for reference only
Hyper Transport Bus
HyperTransport 3.0 supporting speed up to 4.8GT/s
Chipset
AMD 970 and SB950 Chipset
Main Memory
4 x DDR3 memory slots supporting up to 32GB
Supports DDR3 2133(OC)/ 1866/ 1600/ 1333/ 1066 MHz
Dual channel memory architecture
Slots
2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots
PCI_E2 supports up to PCIe 2.0 x16 speed
PCI_E4 supports up to PCIe 2.0 x8 speed
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 slots
2 x PCI slots
Multi-GPU
Supports 2-Way AMD CrossFire
Technology*
Supports 2-Way NVIDIA SLI Technology*
Supports Windows 7 and Windows 8/ 8.1
On-Board SATA
AMD SB950 Chipset
6 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
Supports RAID 0, RAID1, RAID5 and RAID 10
USB
AMD SB950 Chipset
14x USB 2.0 ports (8 ports on the back panel, 6 ports available through the internal USB 2.0 connectors)
VIA VL806 Chipset
4 x USB 3.0 ports (2 ports on the back panel, 2 ports available through the internal USB 3.0 connector)*
These USB 3.0 ports do not support M-Flash recovery function
Audio
Realtek ALC1150 Codec
7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
Supports S/PDIF output
LAN
Killer E2205 Gigabit LAN controller*
1 x LAN port on the backpanel
The Killer Network Manager is only available for Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 currently. The supported drivers for other operating systems would be available on the website if provided by vendor.
Internal I/O Connectors
1 x 24-pin ATX main power connector
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors
3 x USB 2.0 connectors (supports additional 6 USB 2.0 ports)
1 x USB 3.0 connector
1 x 4-pin CPU fan connector
2 x 4-pin system fan connectors
2 x 3-pin system fan connectors
1 x Front panel audio connector
2 x System panel connectors
1 x Chassis Intrusion connector
1 x TPM module connector
1 x Serial port connector
1 x S/PDIF-Out connector
1 x Clear CMOS jumper
1 x Slow mode booting switch
Back Panel I/O Ports
1 x PS/2 keyboard/ mouse combo port
8 x USB 2.0 ports
2 x USB 3.0 ports
1 x Optical S/PDIF-Out connector
1 x LAN (RJ45) port
6 x OFC audio jacks
BIOS
The motherboard BIOS provides "Plug & Play" BIOS which detects the peripheral devices and expansion cards of the board automatically.
The motherboard provides a Desktop Management Interface(DMI) function which records your motherboard specifications.
Dimension
12 in. x 9.6 in. (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm) ATX Form Factor
Mounting
9 mounting holes
9 comments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_900_chipset_series
Amazon have reduced theirs to the same price here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Motherboards/MSI-970-Gaming-AMD-AM3-GBE-LAN/B00LUY72F6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498229846&sr=8-1&keywords=msi+970+gaming
970 is the top-of-the-range AM3+ chipset from what I remember.
EDIT - 990FX is top, but 970 is still decent. Heat added.
If you can afford it, get the Asus M5S99FX Pro R2.0; better for overclocking than the MSI, and more SATA ports. The board layout is also slightly better, so easier to route all the power/fan cables.
New i5 and i7 cpus have all sorts of issues with this old game, although ancient 771/775 Xeons and socket 775 based Intel iron works quite well.