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The MSI X99A Workstation is a board of extreme quality. We have been reviewing workstations for many years, and the majority of single-socket models using Intel Core i7 processors have relied on motherboards from ASUS. The MSI X99A Workstation should be considered a very valid alternative.
It has support for the latest Broadwell-E and EP processors alongside the previous-generation Haswell-E and EP, and the extensive overclocking abilities (although we couldn't test them) will mean this board can be used as the basis for the now-popular “frequency enhanced” workstations based around Intel Core i7 processors, or systems with up to 22 physical cores.
The storage options are comprehensive, with PCI Express 3.0 x4 M.2 and U.2 connections available, plus up to ten SATA ports. The USB options are cutting edge, too, with a plethora of USB 3.1 ports including Type C. The one omission is Thunderbolt, and we doubt you will miss this with the USB alternatives available.
Overall, whilst this is a very expensive board at over £300 inc VAT, the price is comparable to an equivalent model from ASUS, making the MSI X99A Workstation a very tempting alternative.
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Pros:
- Supports latest Intel Broadwell-E and EP processors.
- Packed with storage connectivity, including PCI Express M.2 and U.2 options.
- Plenty of USB 3.1 5Gbps and 10Gbps connections.
- Workstation-class build quality.
- Comprehensive, easy-to-use UEFI BIOS.
- Supports 3x AMD CrossFire and NVIDIA SLI.
- ECC Memory support.
- Capable of competitive performance (depending on processor).
Cons:
- Expensive.
- M.2 only PCI Express 2.0 x2 with a 28-lane CPU.
KitGuru says: The MSI X99A Workstation is a high-quality professional board, competing well with the ASUS alternatives on features.
No information on the VRM setup? Decent review otherwise thanks.