MSI launched its premium socket LGA1151 motherboard for the mini-ITX form-factor, the Z170I Gaming Pro AC.
The board offers a premium feature-set, including support for dual-channel DDR4 memory, with MSI’s DDR4 Boost technology.
It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it using a 5-phase VRM.
Expansion slots include a PCI-Express 3.0 x16, an mPCIe (for the WLAN card), and an M.2 (reverse side of the board), with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring.
Storage connectivity includes an M.2 slot (reverse side of the PCB), with 32 Gb/s PCIe bandwidth, and four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, two of which convert to a SATA-Express 16 Gb/s connector.
Display outputs include one each of DisplayPort and HDMI.
Networking features include a gigabit Ethernet interface (Intel controller), 802.11 ac, and Bluetooth 4.0.
The onboard audio solution packs an 8-channel 115 dBA SNR CODEC.
There’s also a USB 2.0 port specialized for USB headsets. S
ix USB 3.0 ports make for the rest of it.