Packaging and Accessories

With the Z170I Gaming Pro AC being one of MSI’s Gaming Series boards they went with the standard red and black theme both on the board and on the packaging. The box has a black background with a slightly stylized sports car screaking across the front. Beyond that the top is simple, with the model name, MSI logo, and Gaming Series logos on it. They also slipped the required Intel chipset logos up in the top right corner. Around on the back, the box has a LOT more going on. Here MSI has broken down the key features like the gaming LAN, LAN protect, Audio Boost 3, USB Audio Power, and Turbo M.2. Each has a photo and a graph or diagram to show what it does. There isn’t really any fluff text and everything is right to the point. They also included a specification listing and a line drawing of the rear I/O panel to show all of the connections available.

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Inside of the box the tiny Mini-ITX motherboard sits on a cardboard tray and is wrapped up in a static protective bag. Up under the tray that the motherboard sits on the rest of the box is packed full of accessories.

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For starters you get two different driver disks. One has the software and motherboard drivers and the second comes with the LAN/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thunderbolt drivers and utilities.  Then of course there is a stack of documentation as well. There is a quick installation guide, a thick user guide, and a paper that shows how to install the CPU. MSI also slipped in a nice thank you card that explains how to register the motherboard as well.

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There is a page of stickers that you can use to label both ends of your SATA cables if you like. Then of course they include SATA cables also. You only get two and one of those comes with a right angled connection on the end, being an ITX board that number isn’t a big surprise though. There is also a small bag that has the two screw on antennas for the wireless AC / Bluetooth adapter. Lastly you get the rear I/O panel. MSI blacked it out and then used red for all of the legends and to highlight the amplified audio port and the USB Powered Audio port.

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garfi3ld's Avatar
garfi3ld replied the topic: #37566 16 Jan 2016 02:20
Today I check out the Z170I Gaming Pro AC from MSI, their gaming focused Mini-ITX board
VaporX's Avatar
VaporX replied the topic: #37567 16 Jan 2016 02:38
I have reached the point I do not like the "gaming" motherboards. You can often get the same performance, minus a little overclocking potential for as much as 30% less, especially in ITX format.

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