MSI X99S XPOWER AC Video Hands-On & Overview
MSI X99S XPOWER Specs
| X99S XPOWER | X99S Gaming 7 | X99S SLI Plus | |
| Socket | LGA2011 | LGA2011 | LGA2011 |
| Form Factor | E-ATX | ATX | ATX |
| BCLK | 100 / 125 / 167MHz | 100 / 125 / 167MHz | 100 / 125 / 167MHz |
| Memory | DDR4 2133/2200 OC up to 3333MHz Quad-Channel |
DDR4 2133 OC up to 3333MHz Quad-Channel |
DDR4 2133 OC up to 3333MHz Quad-Channel |
| Slots | 8 DIMM | 8 DIMM | 8 DIMM |
| PCI-e | 1xPCI-e x16 Gen3 4xPCI-e x8 Gen3 1xPCI-e x1 |
1xPCI-e x16 Gen3 3xPCI-e x8 Gen3 |
1xPCI-e x16 3xPCI-e x8 |
| Storage | 10xSATA III (2 reserved) 1xSATA-E 1xTurbo M.2 |
10xSATA III (2 reserved) 1xSATA-E 1xTurbo M.2 |
10xSATA III (2 reserved) 1xSATA-E 1xTurbo M.2 |
| Network | 2xEthernet 10/100/1000 Wireless AC |
1xEthernet 10/100/1000 |
1xEthernet 10/100/1000 |
| OC | 12-phase On-board button control |
8-phase | 8-phase |
We’ve always tried to define manufacturer naming conventions to make life easier. MSI’s new boards are all suffixed with the letter ‘S,’ which we’re told is indicative of SATA Express support. SATA Express, of course, is the new SATA interface that operates at ~10Gbps and seems to be a proper successor to SATA III.
Beyond that, the more interesting storage specifications include a Turbo M.2 slot, which operates at approximately 32Gb/s, 10xSATA III ports (two reserved), 1xSATA-E port, and – finally – 0 SATA II ports. An era finally ended. RAM is supported up to 128GB in the quad-channel, eight-slot configuration driven by X99 and the 5960X.
As with the MPOWER boards, the XPOWER motherboard is centrally focused on overclocking. MSI offers more granular BCLK tuning of supported CPUs, including on-board modifier buttons to manipulate BCLK and multipliers in real-time. BCLK can be adjusted in 0.1MHz or 1MHz increments using the physical buttons and can be changed while the system is running or benchmarking, making it a strong tool for finding the limit of the motherboard once a high OC is already achieved. A CMOS reset button is also available, though it offers added functionality on top of the regular CLR_CMOS function; MSI’s button will clear values stored in the X99 PCH (Platform Controller Hub – the chipset) in the event an overclock prevents system boot. The VRM uses a 12-phase power design.
Voltage point checking on the board ensures precision when using a high-end voltmeter or multimeter, giving users a clearer picture than software offers when overclocking. Voltage check points include:
- CPU Input Voltage
- IMC Voltage
- Core0 Voltage
- IGP Voltage
- Ring Bus Voltage
- System Agent Voltage
- And 3 Grounds
The board supports simultaneous use of up to three multimeters. For peripheral input, a USB port is offered top-side for easier access during benchmarking and burn-in.
In the event an overclocker goes too far, MSI has some very limited protections in place to hopefully prevent collateral damage to connected devices. CPU overcurrent protection will shut down the system and lock its boot state until the current is resolved – you might lose your CPU if you’ve pushed current high enough to trigger this, but the rest should be a bit safer.
MSRP will approach a $400 MSRP, once listed.
Check the video for some hands-on with the board at MSI’s booth.
- Steve "Lelldorianx" Burke.
