FRONTPAGE MSI X299 GAMING M7 ACK Review

[Overclockers.com]

Thanks to*MSI*I have the X299 Gaming M7 ACK motherboard on the test bench today. At the launch of the 2066 platform there was a bit of controversy over the ability of many of the motherboards to handle the power requirements of the 10+ core i9 series of Intel CPUs. At first glance, it appears that MSI was listening and responded with a 12 phase DrMOS *power design and*the added support of an extra four-pin ATX power connection.*Let's put it to the test and see if it can hold it's own under pressure.

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[Nebulous]

Great review Johan!

 

[Johan45]

Thanks Neb

 

[Janus67]

Nicely done

 

[Byórðæįr]

ah is a 4 pin going to be enough? My old xenon phi chips needed server board with two eight pin atx plus a twenty four pin main atx connector and the usb when it draws too much power through the board with a phi chip tends to have electrical issues. evga had issues and had to replace a lot of x79 boards due to the 3970X chips being binned phi chips and required two 8 pin atx plus the 24 pin main connector.

I am actually wondering if it might have been better to figure out how to put four (instead of two or 1.5) 8 pin atx supplemental power on the boards so that if the board does not need the power it does not draw it but not having the pins means that 75 watts plus 150 watt plus 150 watts is what you have to work with on 24 plus 8 plus 8, verse 24 plus 8 plus four is 75 plus 150 plus 24.

Four 8 pin atx would be 32 leads or 16 mains and 16 grounds. more than the 24 pin supplies and it has control logic as well.


4 pin = 2 up (yellow 12 volt power) + 2 back (black 12 volt ground return)

(10 amps x 12 volts) x 2 = 240 watts

rated to carry 24 watts


6 pin = 3 up (yellow 12 volt power) + 3 back (black 12 volt ground return)

(10 amps x 12 volts) x 3 = 360 watts

rated to carry 75 watts


8 pin = 4 up (yellow 12 volt power) + 4 back (black 12 volt ground return)*

(10 amps x 12 volts) x 4 = 480 watts

rated to carry 150 watts

Might actually be more grounds to supplement the grounds or returns on the 24 pin atx standard. You need as many grounds as mains, since power is drawn down the main and back to the power supply on the return or ground. direct current is like sata one lane each direction ac is like parallel ide connectors. ie 3 mains and 5 grounds. add up all the mains on the 24 pin and all the supplemental and all the grounds and they should be the same number.

So gigabtye and evga are using two eight pin and msi is using 1.5 might be intersting to compare what other vendors are using on their boards. espeically consider the usb c powered monitors, that would draw through the motherboard as well.

 

[Johan45]

I can tell you this much I had no issues with board power running the 10 core at 4.5 stable and 4.7 benching. Possibly it might run out of gas when going down the LN2 road and running something like CB15 at 6+ GHz but this is a gaming board

 

[Byórðæįr]

So the 140 watt processors work fine, the 165 ones are not even out, so that is good news.

EDIT: the old sandy bridge chips E chips were way too power hungry for the boards and the chip I am looking at is another 165 watt chip. I am thinking the gigabyte board aorus 9 looks good but I'd rather not go through five boards due to the usb blowing components out. EVGA said it was something they were looking into when they laid out later boards but right now I am very concerned about buying another board to have to replace with with an upgraded version that has weird electrical issues that the old x79 dark has. Note I still use the dark board because it was best option for 3970x. I figure speaking up now might be the difference between another dark board and one that has only mirror idiosyncrasies.

 

[Tír na nÓg]

Thanks Johan!