AMD's Ryzen CPUs are giving DIY builders some interesting new options for their builds, and MSI is pumping out new boards in response.
After looking at the budget-minded MSI B350 Tomahawk, we skipped up MSI's product line to the X470 Gaming M7 AC, packing the top-shelf-for-Ryzen X470 chipset, designed for serious tweakers and multiple-video-card action.
Loaded with extra power connectors and a large power-phase array, this board is well-appointed for overclocking and long stretches of gaming.
The X470 Gaming M7 AC carves a meaty $229 out of your PC build or upgrade budget, but many gamers will consider its bling potential and tweaking tools well worth the price.
Those aiming for a simpler build and who won't be overclocking their Ryzen can opt for a more budget-friendly B350-based board.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
,
Mild Lights and Strips of Steel
A black PCB makes the X470 Gaming M7 AC melt into the shadows of a typical PC case, saving the limelight for other components.
MSI puts mood lights in just two places on this board.
One set of RGB LEDs gives the I/O panel's enclosure a little flair, while a row of RGB LEDs near the upper-right corner of the board provides a nice glow against the motherboard tray.
MSI's Mystic Light utility lets you control the lighting in both areas.
That's not to say that the board lacks a sharp aesthetic design.
MSI makes great use of steel wrapping to both support certain connectors and spice up the board.
And the MSI dragon logo on the X470 chipset's heatsink is a great use of the space.
Still, if you're planning to have a well-lit case interior, expect to make use of the motherboard's RGB LED strip headers and to bring your own strips of lights.
The board will give you only a little glow of its own.
As you'd expect, MSI devotes the top half of the X470 Gaming M7 AC to the AM4 socket, the power phases, and the board's bank of dual-channel memory slots.
This half of the board is light on connectors and other components, making for a nicely uncluttered area around the AM4 CPU socket.
Speaking of the socket, in case you're unfamiliar with the X470 chipset: The board, out of the box, supports the latest second-generation Ryzen chips, among them the Ryzen 7 2700X and the Ryzen 5 2600X, without a BIOS update, as well as the full family of first-gen Ryzens.
Note, though, that the board does not have onboard video outputs, so using it with one of the new Ryzen "APU" chips with integrated graphics, such as the Ryzen 5 2400G, will mean you can't use the onboard graphics.
This, as the MSI Gaming branding suggests, is a board decidedly for users who will be installing a dedicated video card.
Large heatsinks cover the power phases, but they're low and sloped, well out of the way when you're installing a CPU cooler.
The memory slots are also reasonably far from the CPU socket.
MSI wraps the slots in its trademark Steel Armor, which strengthens each slot's connection to the PCB and protects against EMI.
MSI also touts its DDR4 Boost support for these slots, which is meant to stabilize memory at faster speeds.
The lower half of the X470 Gaming M7 AC sports three PCI Express slots for CrossFire and SLI configurations.
MSI wraps just the first two slots (the PCI Express 3.0 ones) in its Steel Armor bracing wraparounds, but it keeps one of the most important parts of Steel Armor—steel clips at the solder points—on the third slot (the PCI Express 2.0), as well.
MSI also tucks three PCI Express x1 slots among the longer connectors.
Notably, the PCI Express slots manage to accommodate two M.2 slots interspersed between them—along with MSI's somewhat bulky Frozr heatsinks for cooling the drives.
Putting heatsinks on both of the board's Type-22100-length M.2 slots is a nice touch, but I'm not sure that I like MSI's implementation of it here.
Both heatsinks are part of the X470 chipset's heatsink, which means that if you lift one heatsink, you're really lifting them all as a unit.
The one-for-all heatsink won't be a bother when you are building the PC, so long as you install your storage devices in the M.2 slots prior to adding other components, such as video cards.
But if you want to add some speedy storage later, you'll need to pull your video card (at the very least) to get to either slot.
That's worth keeping in mind.
Connectivity: USB Aplenty, and More
MSI packs the I/O panel with the usual ports and a few worthwhile extras.
The standard set of audio ports (including SPDIF-out) stands at one end, while the other end features CMOS-reset and BIOS Flashback buttons.
BIOS Flashback lets you update the board's BIOS, even if you haven't installed any other components (aside from the power supply) yet.
Eight USB ports line the I/O panel, including a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port and a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port.
Those true USB 3.1 ports are among the first components to go when motherboard manufacturers design inexpensive boards.
Four USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports and two USB 2.0 ports make up the remaining USB connectors.
The I/O panel also has a PS/2 port, which is handy for certain gaming keyboards, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port.
The LAN port is backed up by a Killer E2500 controller, which is designed to smooth data traffic during gameplay.
And although wired networking is the first choice for most gamers, MSI also puts Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth, for your gadgets) on the X470 Gaming M7 AC via an Intel Wireless-AC 8265 card.
The Wi-Fi antenna connectors stand in the middle of the I/O panel.
Power connectors don't usually generate much interest, but in this case, it's worth pointing out that the X470 Gaming M7 AC has two eight-pin connectors hiding out near the top-left corner.
Single eight-pin connectors are the norm, but the extra connector ensures you have all the power you need, regardless of the crazy component concoction you dream up.
MSI usually does a nice job of scattering fan headers around its motherboards, and that's the case with the X470 Gaming M7 AC.
Wherever your fans are located, you'll probably have headers fairly close by.The board has six total fan headers, which is reasonable: four system-fan headers, and two for your CPU and liquid-cooling pump.
High-end boards like the X470 Gaming M7 AC often have extra onboard gaming and overclocking features.
In this case, the board has an overclock dial, known as the Game Boost Knob, which punches up the CPU frequency.
(Hint: You may need to enable the Game Boost Knob in the BIOS to get things rolling.) The dial stands next to two handy power and reset buttons and is just below a digital debug LED.
I've seen some boards that lack a debug LED recently, which strikes me as a bad call.
The board also includes MSI's OC Engine 2 for making BCLK changes.
As for RGB LED lighting support, the X470 Gaming M7 AC is well connected, so to speak.It has three light-strip headers, one of which is designed for individually addressable LED strips.
The other two are for standard 5050 12V RGB LED strips.
Be careful when connecting your strips, as the headers don't play nice with mismatched strips.
The board also has a dedicated Corsair lighting-device connector, should you decide to go with one of the company's RGB solutions.
Six SATA connectors face off the right side of the X470 Gaming M7 AC, along with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 header.
The USB 3.1 Gen 2 header sits near the bottom edge of the board, near a second Gen 1 connector and two USB 2.0 headers.
This board has all the modern USB territory covered.
Oddly, though, the front-panel connectors sit near the center of the bottom edge of the motherboard, far from the traditional right-corner location.
I doubt the headers will be out of reach for your PC case's front-panel connector cords, but stringing them under the other headers probably won't be much fun.
Ample Accessories, and the Test Build
MSI typically puts together solid accessories packages for its luxury gaming motherboards.
I like the collection that ships with the X470 Gaming M7 AC, though I think it should include an Asus-Q-Connector-style adapter for the front-panel connectors.
On the cabling side of things, the board includes four SATA cables, two of which have L-shaped connectors.
You also get RGB and Rainbow RGB LED extenders, which help you place your lighting strips away from the motherboard.
A third LED extender plugs into the Corsair connector in the upper-right of the board, should you want to add Corsair lighting products.
MSI puts an SLI HB Bridge M into the box, one of the "high-bandwidth" bridges needed to run a pair of high-end Nvidia Pascal cards.
To be clear, though: This isn't the slick, LED-lit 2Way SLI HB Bridge M you might have seen.
Even so, the bridge is a necessary inclusion for anyone using two cards, and it has an MSI-appropriate dragon logo (unlit, alas), which gives it some thematic coordination and attitude.
I built a system around the MSI X470 M7 AC and an AMD Ryzen 3 2200G.
The installation went without a hitch, and the board looked great in the SilverStone Primera PM-01 RGB case.
Our MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming X video card snapped easily into place (and blocked the heatsink for both M.2 slots, as I thought it would).
I didn't have any difficulty with my 32GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3200 memory kit, either.
All four DIMMs fired up without any reseating.
As mentioned earlier, the board requires two eight-pin power connectors, rather than the typical single connector, but the nearby heatsinks and I/O cover didn't crowd me as I connected those cables.
The BIOS: A Brief Look
The X470 Gaming M7 AC uses MSI's Click BIOS 5, which is its latest UEFI BIOS.
The BIOS starts in EZ mode, which does a better job of showing top-level information than providing granular control over settings.
The EZ mode menu lets you check overviews of the CPU, memory, your storage devices, and any fans, but you'll need to click the Advanced settings tab if you want to start making changes beyond adjusting the boot priority.
I like the EZ mode layout overall, so I'm glad that MSI carries one of its best features—the status bar at the top—into Advanced mode.
Being able to keep an eye on key temperatures, speeds, and voltages is handy while making adjustments.
Advanced mode displays most information in a center window, with category tiles on either side.
The layout streamlines what would otherwise be a complex menu system.
Want standard settings? You can dive right in.
Planning to overclock? You can skip the standard settings and get down to business with the OC tile.
You can also access the hardware monitor without having to stare at a drill-down menu.
The feature tracks temps, voltages and fan speeds, and it lets you adjust fan settings.
One of the more interesting features, though, is the Board Explorer.
If you're troubleshooting, you can click a motherboard component (or even just a connector) to see status info, albeit of a fairly limited sort.
It's a solid tool for any user, but I suspect that new DIY builders will love the Board Explorer.
Solid for Ryzen, If You Need Power (and Light)
MSI has a solid base hit in the X470 Gaming M7 AC, especially for the builder who wants deep-seated control over lighting inside the PC.
MSI sticks to an onboard-lighting design that will complement (rather than overwhelm) the third-party lights you choose.
Of course, that means that, if bling is your thing, you have to buy your own lighting—the Gaming M7 AC may not provide enough for your tastes on its own.
But I think that won't be a problem for most buyers.
More "practically" speaking, the board has a solid feature set for gaming, and MSI does a nice job of adding buttons to make overclocking and troubleshooting easier.
It also loads the board with worthwhile, forward-leaning hardware, such as a USB 3.1 Gen 2 header and heatsink-covered M.2 slots.
As I mentioned earlier, MSI uses steel generously to strengthen several of the board's most important slots.
Any gamer will appreciate the upgrade, especially anyone who attends "BYOC" LAN events.
Lugging your system from your car to the table (and back) can make for a bumpy ride for your PC, and any slots housing heavy video cards tend to be the point of failure.
In the end, a motherboard's price is often a major decision factor, balanced against the cost of other components you need to buy, and at $229, the X470 Gaming M7 AC is a pricey component.
That said, it's one that delivers on features and quality.
Just make sure that you really need the lion's share of what it offers—the easy overclocking features, the extra connectivity for lighting strips, and the multi-card support and SLI hardware.
Otherwise, if you're looking to build (or upgrade to) just a basic AMD Ryzen-based system with a single video card, and have no designs on overclocking, you can save a bundle with a basic B350-chipset-based board like the MSI B350 Tomahawk or Biostar Racing B350GT3 ($84.99 at Newegg) .
Pros
Comfortable layout makes for a hassle-free PC build.
Plenty of access for RGB LED strips.
Onboard tools for troubleshooting and overclocking.
Strong accessories package.
View More
Cons
One-piece heatsink for both M.2 slots.
Price may bust tighter budgets.
Minimal onboard lighting might throw some buyers.
The Bottom Line
MSI's X470 Gaming M7 AC is a satisfying gaming motherboard for AMD's Ryzen platform.
It delivers a strong feature set and plenty of connectivity for third-party RGB LED bling (with a little of its own thrown in).
AMD's Ryzen CPUs are giving DIY builders some interesting new options for their builds, and MSI is pumping out new boards in response.
After looking at the budget-minded MSI B350 Tomahawk, we skipped up MSI's product line to the X470 Gaming M7 AC, packing the top-shelf-for-Ryzen X470 chipset, designed for serious tweakers and multiple-video-card action.
Loaded with extra power connectors and a large power-phase array, this board is well-appointed for overclocking and long stretches of gaming.
The X470 Gaming M7 AC carves a meaty $229 out of your PC build or upgrade budget, but many gamers will consider its bling potential and tweaking tools well worth the price.
Those aiming for a simpler build and who won't be overclocking their Ryzen can opt for a more budget-friendly B350-based board.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
,
Mild Lights and Strips of Steel
A black PCB makes the X470 Gaming M7 AC melt into the shadows of a typical PC case, saving the limelight for other components.
MSI puts mood lights in just two places on this board.
One set of RGB LEDs gives the I/O panel's enclosure a little flair, while a row of RGB LEDs near the upper-right corner of the board provides a nice glow against the motherboard tray.
MSI's Mystic Light utility lets you control the lighting in both areas.
That's not to say that the board lacks a sharp aesthetic design.
MSI makes great use of steel wrapping to both support certain connectors and spice up the board.
And the MSI dragon logo on the X470 chipset's heatsink is a great use of the space.
Still, if you're planning to have a well-lit case interior, expect to make use of the motherboard's RGB LED strip headers and to bring your own strips of lights.
The board will give you only a little glow of its own.
As you'd expect, MSI devotes the top half of the X470 Gaming M7 AC to the AM4 socket, the power phases, and the board's bank of dual-channel memory slots.
This half of the board is light on connectors and other components, making for a nicely uncluttered area around the AM4 CPU socket.
Speaking of the socket, in case you're unfamiliar with the X470 chipset: The board, out of the box, supports the latest second-generation Ryzen chips, among them the Ryzen 7 2700X and the Ryzen 5 2600X, without a BIOS update, as well as the full family of first-gen Ryzens.
Note, though, that the board does not have onboard video outputs, so using it with one of the new Ryzen "APU" chips with integrated graphics, such as the Ryzen 5 2400G, will mean you can't use the onboard graphics.
This, as the MSI Gaming branding suggests, is a board decidedly for users who will be installing a dedicated video card.
Large heatsinks cover the power phases, but they're low and sloped, well out of the way when you're installing a CPU cooler.
The memory slots are also reasonably far from the CPU socket.
MSI wraps the slots in its trademark Steel Armor, which strengthens each slot's connection to the PCB and protects against EMI.
MSI also touts its DDR4 Boost support for these slots, which is meant to stabilize memory at faster speeds.
The lower half of the X470 Gaming M7 AC sports three PCI Express slots for CrossFire and SLI configurations.
MSI wraps just the first two slots (the PCI Express 3.0 ones) in its Steel Armor bracing wraparounds, but it keeps one of the most important parts of Steel Armor—steel clips at the solder points—on the third slot (the PCI Express 2.0), as well.
MSI also tucks three PCI Express x1 slots among the longer connectors.
Notably, the PCI Express slots manage to accommodate two M.2 slots interspersed between them—along with MSI's somewhat bulky Frozr heatsinks for cooling the drives.
Putting heatsinks on both of the board's Type-22100-length M.2 slots is a nice touch, but I'm not sure that I like MSI's implementation of it here.
Both heatsinks are part of the X470 chipset's heatsink, which means that if you lift one heatsink, you're really lifting them all as a unit.
The one-for-all heatsink won't be a bother when you are building the PC, so long as you install your storage devices in the M.2 slots prior to adding other components, such as video cards.
But if you want to add some speedy storage later, you'll need to pull your video card (at the very least) to get to either slot.
That's worth keeping in mind.
Connectivity: USB Aplenty, and More
MSI packs the I/O panel with the usual ports and a few worthwhile extras.
The standard set of audio ports (including SPDIF-out) stands at one end, while the other end features CMOS-reset and BIOS Flashback buttons.
BIOS Flashback lets you update the board's BIOS, even if you haven't installed any other components (aside from the power supply) yet.
Eight USB ports line the I/O panel, including a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port and a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port.
Those true USB 3.1 ports are among the first components to go when motherboard manufacturers design inexpensive boards.
Four USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports and two USB 2.0 ports make up the remaining USB connectors.
The I/O panel also has a PS/2 port, which is handy for certain gaming keyboards, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet port.
The LAN port is backed up by a Killer E2500 controller, which is designed to smooth data traffic during gameplay.
And although wired networking is the first choice for most gamers, MSI also puts Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth, for your gadgets) on the X470 Gaming M7 AC via an Intel Wireless-AC 8265 card.
The Wi-Fi antenna connectors stand in the middle of the I/O panel.
Power connectors don't usually generate much interest, but in this case, it's worth pointing out that the X470 Gaming M7 AC has two eight-pin connectors hiding out near the top-left corner.
Single eight-pin connectors are the norm, but the extra connector ensures you have all the power you need, regardless of the crazy component concoction you dream up.
MSI usually does a nice job of scattering fan headers around its motherboards, and that's the case with the X470 Gaming M7 AC.
Wherever your fans are located, you'll probably have headers fairly close by.The board has six total fan headers, which is reasonable: four system-fan headers, and two for your CPU and liquid-cooling pump.
High-end boards like the X470 Gaming M7 AC often have extra onboard gaming and overclocking features.
In this case, the board has an overclock dial, known as the Game Boost Knob, which punches up the CPU frequency.
(Hint: You may need to enable the Game Boost Knob in the BIOS to get things rolling.) The dial stands next to two handy power and reset buttons and is just below a digital debug LED.
I've seen some boards that lack a debug LED recently, which strikes me as a bad call.
The board also includes MSI's OC Engine 2 for making BCLK changes.
As for RGB LED lighting support, the X470 Gaming M7 AC is well connected, so to speak.It has three light-strip headers, one of which is designed for individually addressable LED strips.
The other two are for standard 5050 12V RGB LED strips.
Be careful when connecting your strips, as the headers don't play nice with mismatched strips.
The board also has a dedicated Corsair lighting-device connector, should you decide to go with one of the company's RGB solutions.
Six SATA connectors face off the right side of the X470 Gaming M7 AC, along with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 header.
The USB 3.1 Gen 2 header sits near the bottom edge of the board, near a second Gen 1 connector and two USB 2.0 headers.
This board has all the modern USB territory covered.
Oddly, though, the front-panel connectors sit near the center of the bottom edge of the motherboard, far from the traditional right-corner location.
I doubt the headers will be out of reach for your PC case's front-panel connector cords, but stringing them under the other headers probably won't be much fun.
Ample Accessories, and the Test Build
MSI typically puts together solid accessories packages for its luxury gaming motherboards.
I like the collection that ships with the X470 Gaming M7 AC, though I think it should include an Asus-Q-Connector-style adapter for the front-panel connectors.
On the cabling side of things, the board includes four SATA cables, two of which have L-shaped connectors.
You also get RGB and Rainbow RGB LED extenders, which help you place your lighting strips away from the motherboard.
A third LED extender plugs into the Corsair connector in the upper-right of the board, should you want to add Corsair lighting products.
MSI puts an SLI HB Bridge M into the box, one of the "high-bandwidth" bridges needed to run a pair of high-end Nvidia Pascal cards.
To be clear, though: This isn't the slick, LED-lit 2Way SLI HB Bridge M you might have seen.
Even so, the bridge is a necessary inclusion for anyone using two cards, and it has an MSI-appropriate dragon logo (unlit, alas), which gives it some thematic coordination and attitude.
I built a system around the MSI X470 M7 AC and an AMD Ryzen 3 2200G.
The installation went without a hitch, and the board looked great in the SilverStone Primera PM-01 RGB case.
Our MSI GeForce GTX 1060 Gaming X video card snapped easily into place (and blocked the heatsink for both M.2 slots, as I thought it would).
I didn't have any difficulty with my 32GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3200 memory kit, either.
All four DIMMs fired up without any reseating.
As mentioned earlier, the board requires two eight-pin power connectors, rather than the typical single connector, but the nearby heatsinks and I/O cover didn't crowd me as I connected those cables.
The BIOS: A Brief Look
The X470 Gaming M7 AC uses MSI's Click BIOS 5, which is its latest UEFI BIOS.
The BIOS starts in EZ mode, which does a better job of showing top-level information than providing granular control over settings.
The EZ mode menu lets you check overviews of the CPU, memory, your storage devices, and any fans, but you'll need to click the Advanced settings tab if you want to start making changes beyond adjusting the boot priority.
I like the EZ mode layout overall, so I'm glad that MSI carries one of its best features—the status bar at the top—into Advanced mode.
Being able to keep an eye on key temperatures, speeds, and voltages is handy while making adjustments.
Advanced mode displays most information in a center window, with category tiles on either side.
The layout streamlines what would otherwise be a complex menu system.
Want standard settings? You can dive right in.
Planning to overclock? You can skip the standard settings and get down to business with the OC tile.
You can also access the hardware monitor without having to stare at a drill-down menu.
The feature tracks temps, voltages and fan speeds, and it lets you adjust fan settings.
One of the more interesting features, though, is the Board Explorer.
If you're troubleshooting, you can click a motherboard component (or even just a connector) to see status info, albeit of a fairly limited sort.
It's a solid tool for any user, but I suspect that new DIY builders will love the Board Explorer.
Solid for Ryzen, If You Need Power (and Light)
MSI has a solid base hit in the X470 Gaming M7 AC, especially for the builder who wants deep-seated control over lighting inside the PC.
MSI sticks to an onboard-lighting design that will complement (rather than overwhelm) the third-party lights you choose.
Of course, that means that, if bling is your thing, you have to buy your own lighting—the Gaming M7 AC may not provide enough for your tastes on its own.
But I think that won't be a problem for most buyers.
More "practically" speaking, the board has a solid feature set for gaming, and MSI does a nice job of adding buttons to make overclocking and troubleshooting easier.
It also loads the board with worthwhile, forward-leaning hardware, such as a USB 3.1 Gen 2 header and heatsink-covered M.2 slots.
As I mentioned earlier, MSI uses steel generously to strengthen several of the board's most important slots.
Any gamer will appreciate the upgrade, especially anyone who attends "BYOC" LAN events.
Lugging your system from your car to the table (and back) can make for a bumpy ride for your PC, and any slots housing heavy video cards tend to be the point of failure.
In the end, a motherboard's price is often a major decision factor, balanced against the cost of other components you need to buy, and at $229, the X470 Gaming M7 AC is a pricey component.
That said, it's one that delivers on features and quality.
Just make sure that you really need the lion's share of what it offers—the easy overclocking features, the extra connectivity for lighting strips, and the multi-card support and SLI hardware.
Otherwise, if you're looking to build (or upgrade to) just a basic AMD Ryzen-based system with a single video card, and have no designs on overclocking, you can save a bundle with a basic B350-chipset-based board like the MSI B350 Tomahawk or Biostar Racing B350GT3 ($84.99 at Newegg) .
Pros
Comfortable layout makes for a hassle-free PC build.
Plenty of access for RGB LED strips.
Onboard tools for troubleshooting and overclocking.
Strong accessories package.
View More
Cons
One-piece heatsink for both M.2 slots.
Price may bust tighter budgets.
Minimal onboard lighting might throw some buyers.
The Bottom Line
MSI's X470 Gaming M7 AC is a satisfying gaming motherboard for AMD's Ryzen platform.
It delivers a strong feature set and plenty of connectivity for third-party RGB LED bling (with a little of its own thrown in).
