The MSI Z97 GAMING 9 is a definite step up from the other MSI GAMING branded boards I have tested, offering a full list of features and capabilities over those boards. These features, however, are a bit over the top and, at times, unnecessary. I'm left wondering why you'd consider this board over MSI's other GAMING boards that cost less but provide nearly as much and sometimes perform better so long as you only run a single video card. The MSI GAMING 5 did very well for me, but the MSI Z97 GAMING 9 did not beat out the GAMING 5, and that was what I was really expecting it to do. Then I began to push things hard when overclocking, and the MSI Z97 GAMING 9 began to show itself for what it really is.

I might be the one motherboard reviewer who favors MSI's products over some of the other brands. As such, I do tend to take things a bit more seriously with MSI's boards as compared to others when something doesn't meet my expectations. MSI definitely stands out from the rest for me, and anything that might make it appear a bit weak really makes itself felt. I was not impressed with the MSI Z97 GAMING 9's audio performance, nor did I really like the metal covers that this board has, although they really do help finish off the esthetics of MSI's GAMING line-up in a round about way. Then it hit me... MSI doesn't really expect many users to buy this board. This is the board that goes into display shelves and fancy builds to showcase what MSI can do, while most users will choose more affordable options. This is a board meant to not only be the base of a GAMING rig, but to also overclock the snot out of your parts, which, to me, is a mistake. I don't feel as though GAMING boards should be fitted with high-end-specific overclocking features. Yes, they should offer decent overclocking potential, but in my books, that's all to be done by optimizing the BIOS.

The MSI Z97 GAMING 9 could do without its onboard buttons, the POST display, and the V-Check points. All the resources spent on those could have gone into higher-quality designs for the audio and, maybe, a couple more SATA ports, or far better metal covers on the I/O tower and the audio portion, which look good from afar, but feel a bit cheap up close. Be that as it may, the board works well, took a fair bit of abuse, and ultimately delivered what it was supposed to. However, what it is supposed to do... just isn't for me. This board is good, but it is not a 10/10 product, which, to me, it really should have been. At the same time, it doesn't have any real problems to report on while in use. I can't honestly say I noticed any problems with the audio while actually using it as I only saw weirdness in the test results, and the esthetic issues are rather subjective. I also just cannot ignore that the GAMING 5 is better optimized for performance with a single card, while it really seems as though the GAMING 9 doesn't really show its true colors unless packed to near overflowing with hardware.