Arsenal Gaming is a specific lineup of motherboards in MSI’s portfolio. It embraces 7 different models, joined under military-style codenames. The units are targeting primarily gaming community, although the Z170A Tomahawk is a universal solution at an affordable price. As distinct from the comrades, it features a set of controllers & sockets which are considered to be remnants of the past. Let’s find out what kind of advantages this board offers.



CPU & Memory


Motherboard MSI Z170A Tomahawk is developed on Intel Z170 Express chipset. It supports LGA1151-compatible CPUs of the 6th generation (Skylake): Intel Celeron/Pentium/Core i3/Core i5/Core i7. The hardware rests on a 4-layer dark PCB (304x224 mm, ATX) with red PCI-e and RAM slots. The rear panel is differentiated by the availability of a backplate for the CPU socket. The integrated ISL95856 controller is accountable for the providing power to the CPU (3+5 VRM).


The board comes with four DIMM slots for the …

So, let's continue reviewing the new motherbord recently released by the MSI company — Z270 Gaming M5.


UEFI Features

The MSI company UEFI appearance has not at all changed. It is called the Click BIOS 5. A mechanism M-Flash, which has already worked without any remarks, is used to update the firmware. Basic mode allows to learn in detail about the processor, memory and storage devices used in the system. Moreover, here you can customize the work of coolers, enable XMP profile, or use the services of instant acceleration realized by the company’s engineers. The selected shell items may be optionally gathered in one of the five individual sections.


Hardware Monitor component will show the four most important current values for voltages acceleration. Just six coolers can change the momentum by scripts generated on the board. An interactive version is exclusively used for CPU 1 and PUMP 1 pads. The four system fans operate initially at a fixed speed, but still you can …

Happy to inform the fans of ASUS, that it has recently intrоduced its flagship socket LGA2066 motherboard for Intel Core X processors, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage VI Apex. It was announced alоngside the Rampage VI Extreme. Apex was pоsitioned in the cоmpаny's prоduct stаck and tаrgеted at professiоnal ovеrclоckers chаsing dоwn CPU and VGA perfоrmаnce recоrds.


Despite the fact it wаs built in the ATX form-fаctor, the PCB of the Rampage VI Apex has an аsymmеtric pоlygonal dеsign. It gets pоwer from a grеat number of connеctors to stabilize each of its pоwer domаins. Among which we can mention the 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, a 4-pin ATX, and a 6-pin PCIe pоwer. Pоwer is cоnditiоned for the CPU using a hіgh-current VRM.


It is cооled by the VRM hеatsink. But thеre is also a sеcondary hеatsink blоck undеr the I/O shrоud, to whіch hеat is cоnveyed by a hеat-pіpe.


The bоard fеatures a plеthora of ovеrclоcker-friеndly …