Test – MSI X299 Gaming M7 ACK |Specs | Price

Hi all!

Back at MSI today with a motherboard equipped with the latest high-end X299 chipset from Intel, the X299 Gaming M7 ACK! Under this name once again typed “gaming” which means nothing for a motherboard is a high-end model compatible with all processors on socket 2066, ranging from the small 4-core Core i5 7640X to the enormous 18-core Core i9 7980XE.
The X299 platform is not cheap, high-end from Intel requires and the X299 Gaming M7 ACK is no exception to the rule with a price of around 450 €, which puts it in the high-end and a few euros below the Asus X299 Deluxe tested here previously. Let’s see what it gives!

The MSI X299 Gaming M7 ACK is therefore a motherboard in standard ATX format, all ATX boxes must therefore be able to accommodate it without the slightest problem. It is equipped with socket 2066 compatible with Skylake X and Kabylake X processors, at the time of writing only 5 processors are available, ranging from Core i5 7640X to Core i9 7900X (from 4 to 10 cores), d Other processors with more cores (up to 18) will be available later.
The accepted memory is of course DDR4, up to 2666 MHz by default for the processor memory controller. It is of course possible to put faster memory through overclocking up to more than 4266 MHz, however, it will be necessary to pay attention to the compatibility list to have a functional machine. A total of 128 GB is possible, enough to see coming unless you have very specific needs 😉
The card has 4 PCIe 3.0 16x ports, 2 are cabled in 16x, 1 in 8x and the last in 4x. Be careful though because depending on your processor this will change a lot, this configuration is only available with a model equipped with 44 PCIe lanes (the Core i9 7900X), for those equipped with 28 lanes (Core i7 7800X and i7 7820X) we fall to 16x / 4x / 8x and for the 16 lines (Core i5 7640X and i7 7740X) 8x / 4x / 4x. To see a little more clearly here is what we find on the manual:

As you can see it is not really easy to navigate, one thing is certain in any case the processors with 16 lines are clearly not very interesting, greatly limiting the possibilities of the card.
As far as storage is concerned, as usual everything is very well supplied, with 8 Sata 6Gb / s connectors, 2 M.2 ports (PCIe and Sata compatible) as well as a U.2 port. Once again and as for PCIe ports you have to pay attention to what is connected, M.2 ports disable Sata ports if a Sata SSD is connected, as well as U.2 port disabled 4 of the ports Sata available! Let’s see a bit of all this:

To take the worst example, if you have 2 M.2 SSDs in Sata as well as an SSD connected to the U.2 port then there will only be 2 Sata ports available (3 and 4). So you have to be careful what you intend to install, despite everything it should not have the slightest problem for almost all users 😉
In terms of on-board devices, there is a Gigabit ethernet controller as well as WiFi compatible 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, all of which is entrusted to the Killer brand. There even if there should not be the slightest problem with the use it is clear that the brand plays on the “Gaming” brand image of the thing, for me completely unnecessary. When using this type of high-end platform it would have been welcome to have controllers compatible with ESXI (Intel controllers) for example in the event that someone wanted to make it a server, there as it is. not possible. The sound part is entrusted to the ALC1220 chip from Realtek and equipped with high-end capacitors, so there should not be the slightest problem at this level.
Of course, RGB LEDs are abundant on the board and connectors are present to add Christmas garlands 😉
Offered at a price of around 450 € the MSI X299 Gaming M7 ACK is expensive, although it has everything that everyone will need we find many more features on the Prime X299 Deluxe card for around 20 € more, the “gamer” side less. Let’s take a closer look at all of this.

The box is the image of what we usually find at MSI, a red background (very “gaming”, we do not know why) and a photo of the beast on the front, of course the logo of the brand as well as the model are present. Also note this little marketing pointlessness with the little “Enthousiast Gaming” equipped with no less than 6 stars, gentlemen and ladies, why? We don’t know it and we don’t want to know it 😉
At the back a listing of the strengths of the beast as well as a table of technical characteristics.

When you open the box you find the motherboard packed in its anti-static bag, a very classic vision!

Under the motherboard compartment is the bundle, once again a classic.

The bundle consists of:

• 4 x Sata cables
• 1 x câble d’extension LED
• 2 x Wifi antennas
• 1 x pont HB SLI 2-Way
• 1 x metallic logo sticker
• 1 x bag of screws for 3D printed elements
• 1 x I / O plate
• 1 x sticker plate to mark Sata cables
• 1 x DVD de drivers
• The different manuals

The bundle is quite provided as we can see but clearly for a card of this price it is not madness, additional Sata cables would not have been a bad thing, a 3-Way SLI bridge either, as well as ‘other small functionalities like a HUB for the fans (although maybe not necessarily useful for everyone) etc. In any case there will be everything you need to mount and connect the motherboard.