MSI Z270i Gaming Pro Carbon AC Motherboard Review

1. Introduction2. MSI Carbon AC: Packaging and Bundle3. MSI Carbon AC: Board Layout and Features4. MSI Carbon AC: UEFI5. MSI Carbon AC: Software6. Testing Methodology7. Tests: CPU Related8. Tests: Memory Related9. Tests: Gaming Related10. Overclocking & Power Consumption11. Tests: Motherboard Features Performance12. Closing Thoughts13. View All Pages

The packaging for the MSI Z270i Gaming Pro Carbon AC is RGB-themed with a focus on the Carbon element of the design. Focal features include the Mystic Light RGB LED system, the NVMe-capable PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot and MSI's gaming LAN solution which is effectively a marriage of Intel's I219-V Network Interface Controller and their Gaming LAN manager software.

The bundle includes an informative and concise user's manual, a couple of DVDs with drivers, utilities and companion software and some cable labels – not that a mini-ITX system is likely to entail significant cable management.

In the way of cables and accessories MSI's provides a couple of SATA cables, RGB extension cable which is useful given the somewhat awkward location of the RGB header, a rear I/O shroud and two WiFi antennae. There is no MSI M-Connector to help with the connecting of front panel cables and after consulting with the user's guide it seems this item isn't included by default, which is a shame.

Become a Patron!