MSI launches Threadripper X399 motherboard alongside updated X370/B350 models

Fresh off of AMD announcing a third Threadripper processor, MSI are preparing its X399 Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard with an abundance of modern features. Alongside the X399, MSI are also releasing updated versions of its X370 and B350 boards.

Built on the SocketTR4 platform and a massive 13 phase (10+) DrMOS power design, the X399 Gaming Pro Carbon ATX motherboard is noticeably high-end, featuring RGB backlighting underneath each heat sink, with shields and armour on almost every port. Steel reinforcements are placed on its four PCI-E slots as well as its Triple Turbo M.2 slots, delivering PCI-E Gen3 x4 performance with transfer speeds up to 96 Gb/s for the latest SSDs. MSI has also implemented what it calls DDR4 Steel Armour alongside its DDR4 Boost technology to ensure maximum performance and stability at higher memory speeds.

MSI and ASMedia are continuing to have a close relationship with one another, resulting in the latest ASM3142 USB 3.1 Controller. The ASM3142 is the world’s fastest USB solution, surpassing Gen3 x1 controllers by offering double transfer speed at 16 Gb/s, as well as being faster than Intel’s Thunderbolt.

MSI’s X399 comes equipped with a front USB 3.1 GFen2 Type-C, promising up to 10 Gb/s and its exclusive GAMEBOOST with eight gears, specifically designed for overclocking. Interestingly, it also places more emphasis on the 3D printing and modding community being the world’s first motherboard with fully exchangeable heatsink covers and X-Mounting accessories. No release window has been given as of yet, but it is rumoured to be available alongside AMD's market-launch of the Ryzen Threadripper CPUs on August 9th.

 

Expanding on the variety of Ryzen motherboards out there, MSI is also offering the X370 GAMING M7 ACK which offers significant new features such as the latest M.2 Shield FROZR, KILLER DoubleShot Pro and Audio Boost 4 Pro.

Alongside adapting two Turbo M.2 slots for the sake of speed, MSI has incorporated its M.2 Shield FROZR with the heatsink to make sure that SSDs never throttle. M.2 Shield FROZR also protects M.2 SSDs from damage alongside allowing them to continuously operate at maximum performance during longer game sessions.

Killer DoubleShot Pro allows the Killer™ Ethernet connectors and the Killer™ Wi-Fi adapter to work together to form the best online gaming networking solution. Users can decide which app runs on which connection by directing traffic with The Killer Network Manager. Combining Killer™ Wireless-AC 1535 with ExtremeRange™ Technology, this will give you the max throughput as high as 1.867 Gbps to deliver the best online gaming experience without lag.

Audio Boost 4 Pro provides the X370 GAMING M7 ACK with what MSI describes as the “purest” of sound quality for both stereo and surround sound. The front and rear connectors are both powered by a dedicated HD audio processor to give the user a studio quality experience.

Lastly, the B350 Tomahawk Plus is an upgrade to the prestigious, award winning B350 Tomahawk, adding MSI Mystic Light RGB LED functionality and OC Engine 2. Mystic Light benefits those with an open or windowed chassis, allowing users to customise the colour in sync with other Mystic Light powered components. OC Engine 2 improves the ability to overclock by adding another clock generator to give the user more freedom in BCLK adjustments. If also lowers jitter and power consumption which especially benefits more extreme overclocking. USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, Turbo M.2, Steel Armor and more MSI exclusive gaming features can also be found on the new B350 Tomahawk Plus.

KitGuru Says: I am not entirely certain how much the armour actually helps with cooling solutions from past experience, but the added protection and support it offers to the board is definitely nice, especially at the high-end price points. Are you picking up a Ryzen supported motherboard? Which one interests you the most?

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