MSI Z97I Gaming AC Mini-ITX Motherboard Review

Final Thoughts and Conclusions

For a mITX motherboard to measure 6.7 x 6.7 inches, MSI has done a great job at making the Z97I Gaming AC a high performing motherboard. All the features that gamers and enthusiast look for is included on a tiny motherboard. The Killer E2200 NIC allows for optimal network connections by prioritizing the traffic. For wireless connection, the Intel 7260 provides a fast AC WiFi signal, Bluetooth 4.0 and WiDi connections.

MSI’s UEFI BIOS is easy to get around in, allowing beginners to fine tune their system. Overclocking is easy, but is of course limited to the other hardware installed on the system. We were able to get to 4.4Ghz pretty easily with adjustments made in the BIOS.

About the only thing missing from the MSI Z97I Gaming AC motherboard is a PCIe M.2 slot to make it the ultimate gaming mITX motherboard. Thankfully, MSI has done this with the Z97I Gaming ACK, on this motherboard, MSI placed the PCIe M.2 slot on the bottom of the motherboard, and made a few other changes. The Z97I Gaming ACK can be found online for $206 plus shipping, making it a fairly expensive motherboard. The MSI Z97I Gaming AC is getting tough to find, but Newegg often has it for $189.99 shipped.

As it turns out, the MSI Z97I Gaming AC is an incredible mITX motherboard that would be a great choice if you’re looking to build a tiny gaming machine, perhaps for a portable LAN machine, or if you are wanting to build your own SteamOS system. For around $190, plus a 3 year warranty from MSI you can’t go wrong with this motherboard.

Legit Bottom Line: The MSI Z97I Gaming AC is a great example of what a gaming mITX motherboard should be like. It’s performance is similar to larger motherboards, just smaller. It is a great choice for your next mITX based gaming system.