MSI X99A Gaming Pro Carbon

[NumLock21]

Broadwell-E is almost here and MSI has introduce another motherboard just to go along with it. The MSI X99A Gaming Pro Carbon features a 2011-3 socket for them Haswell-E and upcoming Broadwell-E processors. The board has 8 metal plated DIMM slots, up to DDR4 3466 (o.c) with 128GB max. 4 physical metal plated PCIe x16 slots, supports 3-way SLI and 3-way CFX for both 40 lanes and 28 lanes cpus. The 3 way multi-gpu setup runs at x16/x16/x8 and 28 lanes runs it at x8/x8/x8. A total of 10x SATA 6Gb/s ports with 2 of them part of SATA Express. 1x M.2 and 1x U.2.

On the back panel, there is Intel Gigabit Lan, a total of 10 USB ports, with 4x at 2.0 another 4x at 3.1 Gen 1 and 2x and 3.1 Gen 2 type A and type C, a clear cmos button and gold plated audio ports. The board has RGB lighting that can be controlled via MSI's Mystic Lighting app and as well as a internal rgb header for those that want to add light strips into their builds. There is also a total of 5x 4-pin headers, 1x cpu, 3x chassis and 1x for water pump, but MSI didn't specify whether that one can be used as a standard fan header on its product page. What set this board apart from its other line of X99 is the internal front USB 3.1 Gen 1 type C connector. Maybe there is a use for it, but for now I personally can't think of anything that does.

 

 

 

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/X99A-GAMING-PRO-CARBON.html#hero-overview

https://www.techpowerup.com/222443/msi-announces-the-x99a-gaming-pro-carbon-motherboard

 

[Stardar1]

Will broadwell-E be X99 though? the Gaming Carbon has been out for months

[TheRandomness]

4 minutes ago, Stardar1 said:

Will broadwell-E be X99 though? the Gaming Carbon has been out for months

Yes.

[Lurick]

21 minutes ago, Stardar1 said:

Will broadwell-E be X99 though? the Gaming Carbon has been out for months

All current X99 boards can support Broadwell-E with a BIOS update. The new boards are mostly just a way to get more traction, drum up attention, and sell more stuff

[NumLock21]

31 minutes ago, Stardar1 said:

Will broadwell-E be X99 though? the Gaming Carbon has been out for months

The one that's been out for months is the GodLike Gaming Carbon. this is the Gaming Pro Carbon.

 

[TidaLWaveZ]

Cover up that gaming pro logo and it might not be too bad.

[Notional]

3 hours ago, NumLock21 said:

 

 

[That Norwegian Guy]

yay, ATX board number 2562, and number 1337 with LEDs.

 

Still only have 3 valid mATX options.

[Colonel_Gerdauf]

The rear I/O has quite a lot to be desired, but apparently I am alone in this verdict.

[potoooooooo]

19 minutes ago, Colonel_Gerdauf said:

The rear I/O has quite a lot to be desired, but apparently I am alone in this verdict.

What makes you say it's insufficient?

 

A ton of USB A/3.0, at least a single USB-C, and ethernet and PS2 ports. I don't know what more you could ask for

[Doobeedoo]

Well it looks awesome

[LAwLz]

1 hour ago, Colonel_Gerdauf said:

The rear I/O has quite a lot to be desired, but apparently I am alone in this verdict.

They blew their entire budget on pointless lighting instead.

But seriously though, there isn't that much you can add to the back of X99 motherboards. They could have added another Ethernet connector but that's about it.

[BuckGup]

6 hours ago, Stardar1 said:

Will broadwell-E be X99 though? the Gaming Carbon has been out for months

yes

[SurvivorNVL]

2 hours ago, LAwLz said:

They blew their entire budget on pointless lighting instead.

But seriously though, there isn't that much you can add to the back of X99 motherboards. They could have added another Ethernet connector but that's about it.

 

I love what Asus does with their IO.  Just more USB than you can know what to do with, and dual lan.  Granted the one above is a Deluxe, so it is an entirely differently line than the carbon, but even MSI's higher tier boards seem to lack an abundance of USB, like the Godlike did.  The Deluxe II lacks a PS/2 port, but I've reached the point, somehow, some way, where I am done with PS/2.  

[Sintezza]

Board looks cool.

 

Cant wait to take a closer look at vrm cirquitry of it.

Its a bit hard to judge on first sight picture,

but it looks like, that i see some new inductors.

So i cant wait to take a closer look at the vrm.

Intel lan? nice no killer crap!

 

Gigabyte Also comes with 3 new very interesting X99 boards.

[Colonel_Gerdauf]

8 hours ago, potoooooooo said:

What makes you say it's insufficient?

 

A ton of USB A/3.0, at least a single USB-C, and ethernet and PS2 ports. I don't know what more you could ask for

 

6 hours ago, LAwLz said:

They blew their entire budget on pointless lighting instead.

But seriously though, there isn't that much you can add to the back of X99 motherboards. They could have added another Ethernet connector but that's about it.

If I was a motherboard manufacturer, here is how I would design an X99 board I/O:

 

- PS/2 + (2) USB 2.0

- (4) USB 2.0

- (2) USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet

- (2) USB 3.0 + Gigabit Ethernet

- USB 3.1 Type C + USB 3.1 + MiniDisplayPort (ThunderBolt 2.0)

- wireless module

- surround sound 3.5mm audio (without TosLink)

 

I fail to see how the above configuration would be difficult to implement, especially since Asus almost had it. The only potentially difficult part would be the ThunderBolt, which can easily be replaced with a TosLink if need be.

 

[LAwLz]

7 hours ago, SurvivorNVL said:

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I love what Asus does with their IO.  Just more USB than you can know what to do with, and dual lan.  Granted the one above is a Deluxe, so it is an entirely differently line than the carbon, but even MSI's higher tier boards seem to lack an abundance of USB, like the Godlike did.  The Deluxe II lacks a PS/2 port, but I've reached the point, somehow, some way, where I am done with PS/2.  

I think you are getting fooled by the aesthetics. That Asus motherboard got 3 things the MSI doesn't:

Wireless (the next step up from MSI has that)

1 more Gigabit Ethernet port (the next step up from MSI has that)

2 more USB ports

 

and in return the MSI got PS2.

 

When you think about this board being a tier lower than the Delux Asus you posted I think the back is perfectly acceptable.

I don't think it's worth making a fuss about "only" having 10 USB ports instead of 12.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Colonel_Gerdauf said:

I fail to see how the above configuration would be difficult to implement, especially since Asus almost had it. The only potentially difficult part would be the ThunderBolt, which can easily be replaced with a TosLink if need be.

Asus almost had it because that's their highest end board, while this MSI board is their mid-range board. And if you look at what I wrote above, the difference is essentially 2 more USB ports.

The Godline Gaming Carbon on the other hand... Now that's a motherboard back that leaves a lot to be desired (in terms of USB ports).

[GarnetDevil]

What I like about this board

1. All black with carbon coated in covers design looks sick af

2. Steel coated every-fucking-where, from RAM slots to PCIE slots and M.2 slots

 

What I dislike about this board

1. RGB, we don't need our rig puking rainbow for more $

2. That chipset cover tho

[Sintezza]

Allready something known about its price?

According to the feutures, i suppose that this is an upper entry level board arround the $250,- mark.

But yeah Msi knowing, they might ask a rediculous premium for that RGB light nonsense.

 

[Colonel_Gerdauf]

8 hours ago, LAwLz said:

I think you are getting fooled by the aesthetics. That Asus motherboard got 3 things the MSI doesn't:

Wireless (the next step up from MSI has that)

1 more Gigabit Ethernet port (the next step up from MSI has that)

2 more USB ports

 

and in return the MSI got PS2.

 

When you think about this board being a tier lower than the Delux Asus you posted I think the back is perfectly acceptable.

I don't think it's worth making a fuss about "only" having 10 USB ports instead of 12.

 

 

 

Asus almost had it because that's their highest end board, while this MSI board is their mid-range board. And if you look at what I wrote above, the difference is essentially 2 more USB ports.

The Godline Gaming Carbon on the other hand... Now that's a motherboard back that leaves a lot to be desired (in terms of USB ports).

Any motherboard with arbitrary blank space where a port or socket would fit on the rear I/O panel, is an incomplete motherboard in my eyes. While it is somewhat acceptable in mainstream chipset motherboards, to still have this flaw in prosumer and server boards baffles me.

[thekeemo]

16 hours ago, SurvivorNVL said:

 

I love what Asus does with their IO.  Just more USB than you can know what to do with, and dual lan.  Granted the one above is a Deluxe, so it is an entirely differently line than the carbon, but even MSI's higher tier boards seem to lack an abundance of USB, like the Godlike did.  The Deluxe II lacks a PS/2 port, but I've reached the point, somehow, some way, where I am done with PS/2.  

now if Asus can just fix their &%&*^% customer service

[SurvivorNVL]

1 minute ago, thekeemo said:

now if Asus can just fix their &%&*^% customer service

And their QA.  I've had a crap ton of friends buy Asus and have failures within six months.  Though ASRock and MSI have been flawless.  My X99-A has been flawless so far, as has a friends, but anything higher seems to just crap out quick.  

[thekeemo]

1 minute ago, SurvivorNVL said:

And their QA.  I've had a crap ton of friends buy Asus and have failures within six months.  Though ASRock and MSI have been flawless.  My X99-A has been flawless so far, as has a friends, but anything higher seems to just crap out quick.  

Asrock is even worse (somehow) when it comes to service  but their QA seems good (excluding software)

[SurvivorNVL]

Just now, thekeemo said:

Asrock is even worse (somehow) when ti comes to service

Though it seems their QA is in check lately.  After Ivy, that is, their QC is just going higher and higher.  EVGA is wonderful, if only they made good motherboards :c

[thekeemo]

Just now, SurvivorNVL said:

Though it seems their QA is in check lately.  After Ivy, that is, their QC is just going higher and higher.  EVGA is wonderful, if only they made good motherboards :c

EVGA does make good motherboards.

The pricing is a "bit" high though