MSI Motherboard Unboxing (B350M, H270; Z270)

MSI sent us some of their latest motherboards and today we present a group unboxing to highlight their appearance and some key features. We were also very excited to see some of the new MSI Tomahawk Arctic boards – ideal for the enthusiast user wanting to create something very eye catching.

Firstly we start with the only AM4 Board out of the four.

The MSI B350M Mortar Arctic.

Product Description: MSI B350M MORTAR ARCTIC – motherboard – micro ATX – Socket AM4 – AMD B350 FCH
Product Type: Motherboard – micro ATX
Chipset Type: AMD B350 FCH
Processor Socket: 1 x Socket AM4
Compatible Processors: Athlon, A series, Ryzen (supports 7th Generation A-series / Athlon)
Max RAM Size: 64 GB
RAM Supported: 4 DIMM slots – DDR4 unbuffered
Storage Ports: 4 x SATA-600 (RAID), 1 x M.2
USB / FireWire Ports: 1 x USB-C Gen1 + 3 x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 2 x USB 2.0 + (4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 4 x USB 2.0 via headers)
Max Allocated RAM Size: 2048 MB
Audio: HD Audio (8-channel)
LAN: Gigabit Ethernet

Cost: £92.52 inc vat

White PCB to make it easy to slot into a white colour schemed system. This will appeal to a wide audience of enthusiast user, looking for something radically different.

The MSI H270 Tomahawk Arctic

Product Description: MSI H270 TOMAHAWK ARCTIC – motherboard – ATX – LGA1151 Socket – Z270
Product Type: Motherboard – ATX
Chipset Type: Intel H270 Express
Processor Socket: 1 x LGA1151 Socket
Compatible Processors: Pentium, Celeron, Core i5, Core i3, Core i7 (supports 6th and 7th Generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 / Pentium / Celeron)
Max RAM Size: 64 GB
RAM Supported: 4 DIMM slots – DDR4
Storage Ports: 6 x SATA-600 (RAID), 2 x M.2
USB / FireWire Ports: 1 x USB-C Gen2 + 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 + 4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 2 x USB 2.0 + (4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 4 x USB 2.0 via headers)
Audio: HD Audio (8-channel)
LAN: Gigabit Ethernet

2-Way Crossfire

Cost: £117.98 Inc vat

The MSI Z270 Tomahawk

Product Description: MSI Z270 TOMAHAWK  – motherboard – ATX – LGA1151 Socket – Z270
Product Type: Motherboard – ATX
Chipset Type: Intel Z270 Express
Processor Socket: 1 x LGA1151 Socket
Compatible Processors: Pentium, Celeron, Core i5, Core i3, Core i7 (supports 6th and 7th Generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 / Pentium / Celeron)
Max RAM Size: 64 GB
RAM Supported: 4 DIMM slots – DDR4
Storage Ports: 6 x SATA-600 (RAID), 2 x M.2
USB / FireWire Ports: 1 x USB-C Gen2 + 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 + 4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 2 x USB 2.0 + (4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 4 x USB 2.0 via headers)
Audio: HD Audio (8-channel)
LAN: Gigabit Ethernet

2-Way Crossfire

Cost: £137.69 Inc vat

MSI Z270 Tomahawk Arctic

Product Description: MSI Z270 TOMAHAWK ARCTIC – motherboard – ATX – LGA1151 Socket – Z270
Product Type: Motherboard – ATX
Chipset Type: Intel Z270 Express
Processor Socket: 1 x LGA1151 Socket
Compatible Processors: Pentium, Celeron, Core i5, Core i3, Core i7 (supports 6th and 7th Generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 / Pentium / Celeron)
Max RAM Size: 64 GB
RAM Supported: 4 DIMM slots – DDR4
Storage Ports: 6 x SATA-600 (RAID), 2 x M.2
USB / FireWire Ports: 1 x USB-C Gen2 + 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 + 4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 2 x USB 2.0 + (4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 + 4 x USB 2.0 via headers)
Audio: HD Audio (8-channel)
LAN: Gigabit Ethernet

2-Way Crossfire

Cost: £137.69 Inc vat

Closing Thoughts

I really like the idea that MSI are offering ‘Arctic' boards to widen their appeal to more enthusiast users wishing to colour coordinate. Starting with the B350M we can see it's a Micro-ATX and lacks the shroud over the I/O ports which MSI have opted for on the larger ATX (Z270 & H270) motherboards. For tidiness this is a really good feature, but not completely necessary. The Arctic range itself offers you the chance of having an eye catching white colour scheme inside the PC. Previously if you wanted a white board you would have to mod it yourself, and there are always risks of killing sensitive components while voiding the warranty.

The main PCI-E port is strengthened with a metal style shielding around it which offers you the reassurance that even the beefiest of graphics cards will be secure. I can see this being a positive option for system builders such as Overclockers UK and Scan Computers, who have to trust their systems to survive through transit to the customers door.

The Arctic ATX motherboards have a metal reinforcement shield around the DRAM slots, Personally this is a new feature to me and i quite like the idea of it although i can't see it having as big an impact as those on the PCI e slots – but its a clever addition.

Finally the M.2 Turbo x2 feature offers even faster speeds which can help enhance overall system responsiveness. MSI have embraced the 90 degree USB 3.0 onboard header – a winner for me as i have had many experiences with them coming loose or even ripping off the board under stress.

KitGuru : Special thanks to MSI for sending us a selection of their new boards for this group unboxing today.

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