MSi 970A SLI Krait Edition Motherboard Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

The MSi 970A Krait motherboard is currently available from SCAN UK for £69.56. In the US, it is available from Newegg.com for $84. Both of these are subject to shipping depending on your geographical area.

Summary

I’m in two minds about this motherboard, in general, it is great and the performance is on or above average in most tests. The overall build quality is second to none and the attention to detail with the little things like the CPU power connector being positioned neatly in the MOSFET heat sink.

Aesthetically speaking, the white and black detailing is very refreshing, it is such a crisp refresh to the red and blacks that has really taken the motherboard market by storm in recent years. The heat sinks are clean-cut and positioned to perfection, but I think that the larger heat sink could have done with a small splash of white, or maybe a white SATA port or two to break up the black down in that corner.

When it comes to software and utilities, MSi is really on point when it comes to what they can offer. With this particular motherboard, the options are limited, but in a good way. You don’t have the option to install all of the gaming options, which can be really daunting. Instead MSi offers the bare essentials, with the extremely well executed LIVE UPDATE 6.

Performance wise, it performed as expected with some better and some poorer scores in a whole range of tests. CPU performance was slightly better than expected and the addition of the USB 3.1 really gave our Patriot Magnum USB drive a good stretch. Audio performance was also a good performer, it dominates other motherboards at the same price point.

Now one thing that gets me with most motherboards under £100, is the lack of onboard power buttons; more and more computer users are starting to build their own units, so the addition of these buttons would prove invaluable in my opinion.

Pros

• Great price
• High quality audio
• Stylishly subtle
• Attention to detail is second to none

Cons

• Missing on-board power and reset buttons

“AMD CPU’s have taken the bench due to the dominance by Intel, but the motherboard market is extremely competitive thanks to AMD using the same AM3/ AM3+ socket. If you are on the lookout for an upgrade and require Sli or Crossfire Support, this is a great option.”

Thank you to MSi for providing this sample.