MSI Z270 Gaming M3 Motherboard Review

Rating: 7.0.

New AMD motherboards and Ryzen processors have been gathering the limelight for the past few weeks but there is still a fiercely-contested battle under way between Intel and AMD. Adding fuel to the fire are motherboard vendors who are jostling for a position in which they can enjoy the spoils of an in-demand platform. We examine MSI’s competitively-priced, mid-range Z270 Gaming M3 motherboard to see what it brings to the table.

Priced around £150, the MSI Z270 Gaming M3 tunes its focus on features that gamers in this price segment will value. You get support for high-speed DDR4 memory, two M.2 slots, and USB 3.1 Gen 2 in Type-A and Type-C form.

The colour scheme is red and black to fit into MSI’s Gaming range and onboard LED lighting is kept minimal, with MSI instead providing customisation using an RGB header and software-based control.

The mid-range Z270 motherboard market is rife with tough competitors. How will MSI’s Z270 Gaming M3 fare against competition from multiple angles?

Features (taken from the MSI product page):

• Mystic Light Sync: Synchronize other RGB solutions with your gaming rig and control all LEDs in one click.
• Twin Turbo M.2 with Steel Armor. Intel Optane Memory Ready, Lightning USB 3.1 Gen2.
• Audio Boost 4 with Nahimic 2: Reward your ears with studio grade sound quality for the most immersive gaming experience.
• GAMING LAN with LAN Protect, powered by Killer™: The best online gaming experience with lowest latency and bandwidth management.
• Military Class 5, Guard-Pro: Latest evolution in high quality components for best protection and efficiency.
• Click BIOS 5: Award-winning BIOS with high resolution scalable font, favourites and search function.
• GAMING CERTIFIED: 24-hour on- and offline game and motherboard testing by eSports players.

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