PROS:
This motherboard had everything I was looking for my client build:
* Was able to get a 6th and 7th generation CPU to work with it out of the box (Note on that later). No BIOS update needed.
* Most LGA 1151 boards in this price range only provide 1-2 fan headers and 1 USB 2.0 header. This one has 3 fan headers (CPU + 2 system fans). Plus, it had 2 USB 2.0 headers along with the usual USB 3.0 header.
* In addition, this board (MSI H110M Gaming) has extra spacing between the PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and the next one down. This makes it possible to have 3 add-on cards instead of 2 on most boards around this price.
* The sound quality seems great so far!
* The Intel network also seems great so far.
* Finally, the H110M Gaming motherboards comes with all 3 major display ports: HDMI, DVI and VGA. There are very little that do that. They either have HDMI only or DVI and VGA with no HDMI or HDMI and VGA. I like having the option of all 3. Hardly anyone I know uses DisplayPort. I don't know why they thought that was a great idea to implement. HDMI, especially HDMI 2.0 gives you everything you need and universal adoption. However, I couldn't remember what my client's monitor had so I wanted all 3, just in case.
CONS:
* Some people might have trouble getting the board to work initially. The reason is the BIOS. It seems MSI upgrades the BIOS at the factory but my boards (ordered 2) needed their CMOS' cleared or defaults loaded to work.
Board 1:
CLEARING CMOS:
- Just take the CMOS battery out.
- Put a jumper on the appropriate 2-pin header with the power unplugged for at least 10 seconds. I always leave it on for 30+ seconds, just in case.
- Next, remove the jumper
- Insert the CMOS battery,
- Plug the power back in and turn it on.
- Enter the BIOS and set it to Optimal Defaults.
- Save and Exit.
Board 2:
LOADING CMOS DEFAULTS for boot:
* The second board would POST but needed the Optimal Defaults loaded to get past the BIOS.
- Enter the BIOS and set it to Optimal Defaults (menu option on far right)
- Save and Exit.
* Neither board was a big deal to fix but either scenario might scare off people with no CMOS/BIOS experience.
* MSI should do a better job of making sure CMOS is cleared and the Optimal Defaults are loaded at the factory before shipment unless it was a return but it doesn't seem like they were.
WISHLIST:
I wish the board supported higher speeds than DDR4-2133. DDR-3200 would've been nice, but not a surprise at this price point. I've noticed the boards that do cost twice as much. Not worth it for a client build who won't be gaming but would be nice for a budget gaming build.
SUMMARY:
+ Great features and had everything I needed that other boards at this price haven't matched so far.
+ Seems stable and made with quality parts.
- Had to do extra steps to get both boards to boot properly, but nothing too difficult.
| Processor | core_i7 |
|---|---|
| RAM | DDR4 |
| Memory Speed | 2133 MHz |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
