MSI Z97 Gaming 7 + Annoying long CPU-Fan Spin-Down since 1.4

With BIOS 1.4 at time when i4790k arrived on market with their famous boxed coolers, MSI changed their BIOS to have a spin down-time for the CPU-fans of 5400 seconds or 9 minutes.
It is totally disgusting to have such a annoying new feature without an option to shut it off with decent cooling present.
I use the Scythe Mugen MAX and have plenty of powerful fans inside the case well arranged.... since 1.4 i feel like ripping of this vacuum cleaner and burn it with gasoline.
Is there any help in sight to make this frakk stop?

Well so what was the point of 3 posts if wanted only single modded BIOS? Also should've explained what you want from modded BIOS, not the problem.
The motherboard itself does support these frequencies, but not the CPU. And it won't run properly until you either understand it can't or find it yourself during hundreds of tests. You can keep trying, I wish you good luck running these frequencies but with all honest, there is very little chance.
You did run single kit, but did you try anything BELOW 2666mhz? You won't achieve anything through these frequencies. Also if you could try to run whole set of 4x8 with at least 1866 then you should be happy. It's out of CPU specs, not Mobo's. Can't deal with it to be fair that CPU can't support these. Also make note that if CPU can't support and doesn't work with it, then no matter how good is the mobo, it won't work properly.
Quote from: Incriminated on 12-August-14, 06:39:56
Please read more carefully and pay attention what you do... it might be considered as "Not helpful".
Sorry for trying to help. And paying attention after 19 hours without sleep is a bit hard, don't you think?

Similar Messages

Can I control 3-pin fan with MSI Z97 gaming 5?

Hello, I want to know if I can control 3-pin fan plug into 4-pin header with MSI z97 gaming 5 mobo
Thanks
PS: Sorry my poor english

I own an MSI Z87-GD65, im assuming your Z97gaming5 is similar, mine can control 4pin PWM fans on the CPU_FAN1 and CPU_FAN2 headers, and can control 3pin fans on SYS_FAN 1,2,3, all of this on bios fan control (i dont like nor use the Control center). The limitations of my bios is that on 4pin fans on CPU_FAN1 i can go to 12.5% pwm (as long as the fan can reach this low), while on the 3pin con SYS_FAN i can only drop them down to 50% (thats if you fan can start at that voltage, had one that needed 60%), the fan can be ran at a steady % = rpms or can be dynamically ramp up with the CPU temp, thats also selected on the bios.
Here is a run that i did last weekend on a Silverstone AP182 connected on SYS_FAN3 on pure bios, you can see there the different % and rpms, and in the bottom you can see prime95 run where it did ramp the fans with the cpu temp.

MSI Z97 Gaming 7 PWM Fan setting question

Hello, right now I'm using Z87 motherboard from others vendor (as***k), and now I want to change my motherboard to MSI Z97 Gaming 7. But there's something that I want to ask first. When I'm using still using Z77 motherboard which is MSI Z77A-G45, I can set the PWM fan to change it speed automatically by change the CPU fan to auto in the UEFI. But in the Z87 I currently use I have to customize it in the UEFI, so that my PWM CPU fan change its speed as the CPU temperature changes, it can't be set to auto and I don't like it at all. Now that I want to change my motherboard to MSI Z97 Gaming 7, I'm searching the review first. And I'm seeing that it have similar fan setting with the Z87 motherboard that I currently use
I want to ask, is it possible that I can set the CPU fan setting to auto just like the Z77A-G45 I used to have?

Quote from: Abula on 19-May-14, 08:22:10
What you are seeing is mulitple breakpoints of temperature, as you do on your AsRock.
I own a Z87GD65, and in mine i only have 1 true breakpoints, which is the temperature in which you want the fans to speed up, according to the temperature of the cpu. I als did a build for a friend on a Z77GD43 and it was similar just didnt had the graph, as it has on the Z87GD65 nor the new one that you posted on the Z97 Gaming7, but what i see is more customization on the new motherboard, with 4 different breaking points, i see the same restrictions on the PWM %, increments of 12.5% as it is on my GD65, weather its worth it, personally i dont care, one is good enough for me, i usually just spin down my fans to the lowest i can, and set the breakpoints for the temperature i want my fans to spin up, if the temperature is reach they will increase gradually, defined by the max PWM % and max temperature, this two variables (that you can change) will make the graph with more or less inclination. In the new Z97 Gaming 7, seems the same just multiple breakpoints, meaning you can have different inclinations into how the fans react depending on the temperature, weather its worth it or not.... depends on the level of customization you want to the fan control, personally im fine with a single, but i can see people that could like having depending on their needs, personally what i would have loved though, is to give me 10% increments instead of 12.5%, or 5% would been better, but 12.5% just seems odd number imo.
Remember, MSI only has 2 true PWM fan headers, CPU_FAN1 and CPU_FAN2, even though all are 4pin physically the SYS_FAN are not true pwm fan headers, they are voltage controlled and have much higher restrictions than the real PWM fan headers. And remember that if you plug 3pin fans on PWM fan headers they will spin at 12V that its the voltage that its handled by PWM fans, so be careful what fan you plug into where to have control on them.
Hmn, so since Z87 MSI use that breakpoint system to control PWM fan, just like my asrock Z87. So there's no auto setting on your Z87GD65?

Crash by gaming with MSI z97 Gaming 9 AC/ MSI 980GTX

Dear MSI Form
The last couple of weeks I have a very bad crash,
This is my system:
Windows 8.1 64
Mother board: MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC
GPU: MSI GTX 980
CPU: Intel core i7 4790K 4 GHz
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Nepton 240M
Memory: 16GB 4x4 Corsair vengeance pro
Hard disk: 2 X 1TB 1 X 1TB SSD
Power supply: Be quiet! Power Zone 650W
Case: Cooler Master CM Storm Trooper Window
Fans: 9X Be quiet! Shadow wings + Fan controller
I use my pc mostly for gaming,
I bought en build my pc on September 2015 but now and then I get a very bad crash, the crash shuts down my pc (no blue screen / no Error) just a black screen with a pc that won’t respond on anything. The lights are on at my motherboard cpu cooler and GPU, but no respond. To turn my pc on again I have to shut down the main power switch. After 10 seconds I can start up my pc again.
I get the following windows event: id 41 kernel power
Scenario:
This began when I played Dragon age 3 in December, I got the crash twice in like 100 hours. (not a big deal) than I got the same crash once when I played GTA V with 60 hours more or less. But now when I playing the Witcher 3 wild hunt I get it every 5 minutes.
What did I try to fix it but won’t work:
- Memtest run x10 no error
- Drivers up to date
- The temps under full load are great CPU they won’t go over 51 degrease / GPU 68 degrees / the rest won’t go over 45 degrees.
- I got no virus.
- Everything is connected just fine.
I hope you guys can help me out.
Kind regards,
Tijs Dragtsma from the Netherlands

May be your PSU being too weak or going bad (I doubt though). Although you have 9 fans.. maybe try disconnecting case fans and leave only CPU cooler ones to work?

DIMM 1/2 stopped working on MSI Z97 Gaming 5, help!

Hello again!
Today I was trying out a different cooler for my i7 4790K, I mounted it and everything worked fine, but results were bad, so I decided to mount previous cooler again...
And here were the problem starts. After I mounted everything back (exactly following guide like before, thermal paste etc all done) my PC would not start the system nor BIOS.
I wondered what could cause it, so just to check a possibility, I unplugged one RAM module from DIMM 2 (they used to work in dual-channel at 2/4 DIMMs) and it suddenly started BIOS and system up normally.
Following this tip, I unmounted cooler's fan, because it covers DIMM 1 to check if it would work, and doesn't matter what memory I plug in DIMM 1 or 2, it won't work Doesn't work with any combination, so I can't actually use dual-channel right now, as only DIMM 3 and 4 work at the moment (both or alone). Any module plugged in 1/2 slots doesn't work.
All I see is that temperature monitor on my MSI Z97 Gaming 5 shows 10-55, 10-55 all the time, jumpy temps, everything works, but nothing loads. Just black screen, nothing. I work with 3/4 slots in single channel right now.
What the hell could happen? Please help me with this!
Edit: Is that possible I could move a CPU from a proper pin so it doesn't connect properly with DIMM 1 and 2? My cooler moved a bit before I mounted it properly. That's only thing that comes to my mind right now.

Quote
EXTENT OF LIMITED WARRANTY
Intel does not warrant that the Product will be free from design defects or errors known as “errata.” Current characterized errata are
available upon request. Further, this Limited Warranty does NOT cover:
any costs associated with the repair or replacement of the Product including labor, installation or other costs incurred by you, and in
particular, any costs relating to the removal or replacement of any Product that is soldered or otherwise permanently affixed to any
printed circuit board;
OR
damage to the Product due to external causes, including accident, problems with electrical power, abnormal electrical, mechanical or
environmental conditions, usage not in accordance with product instructions, misuse, neglect, alteration, repair, improper installation, or
improper testing;
OR
any Product which has been modified or operated outside of Intel’s publicly available specifications or where the original identification
markings (trademark or serial number) has been removed, altered or obliterated from the Product.
http://download.intel.com/support/processors/sb/warranty_procts_english.pdf
So if you have bent the pins and didn't buy the "care package" or whatever they call for improved warranty, then I believe that it is void. But read whole PDF carefully.
I might be wrong, I'm just a human. Contact Intel about this:
http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/warranty

Msi z97 gaming motherboard displays debug led D0 (00) .

Hello all.
I urgently need some advice.
I recently bought a msi z97 gaming 5 motherboard and I had it installed into my rig. Everything was working fine. I decided to do some cable management in my case today and afterwards wanted to switch my pc on to find it dead. I switched off the power and made sure that I discharged all electrostatic power.
The psu delivers power to the board as all the case fans spin, the light trail lights up an my fan controller works.
My peripherals (key board, mouse) don't light, as well as my monitor. There is ia also no boot beeps.
The debug led displays a code 00 which is not in the manual. I already tried removing the cmos batery and also cleared the cmos with the cmos jumper en still nothing.
I even removed both my ram modules and still no boot beeps.
If there is someone out there please help...

i got the same issue by chance few days ago 00 error but with dual bios chip board.
and able to fix it,
i narrow it down that somehow the bios chip selection wasn't switched ..
even after power off, and flip the switch i meet 00 error and no LED on bios chip has light
switching to the secondary bios chip worked fine,
then when i flip the bios chip while the system was booted, switching was successfully,
and at next power off and power up was booting with the other bios chip fine and no longer 00 error
however for your board, i see board has 1 bios chip only
im not sure if would have bios chip led indicator or not..
checking high res image of your board at: https://media.msi.com/main.php?g2_itemId=110010&g2_imageViewsIndex=1
think i can see the led indicator side by side to JBAT1
so your board probably also should have bios chip led indicator
and based on your second photo that you provided: https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=253991.0;attach=22345;image
i don't see this LED to light... it should be near to 00 debug code
so probably bios chip doesn't kick in for some reason...
and i don't know how this can be fixed since your board don't have dual bios chips..
looks like something become damaged when you tried to re-arrange your cables..
else don't have idea what else you can try, except to rma the board

Msi z97 gaming 5 bios update help

Hello I recently purchased the msi z97 gaming 5 motherboard. It was working fine it came with bios version 1.0 and I wanted to update it. I downloaded the latest 1.5 bios from msi website copied to usb flash drive and flashed it using mflash. Computer powers on but black screen wont do nothing. I cleared cmos and battery and still nothing so I am pretty sure its bricked. I am going to store to exchange it for another one but I want to be able to safely update the bios without bricking again. I usually dont update bios unless needed but i need at least 1.2 bios to fully support the devils canyon cpu. Can someone please point me in the right direction? I read about the usb flashing tool in forum but also read that bios+me need to be flashed and I don't know if that program is up to date and will flash both files? I really appreciate it if someone helped thanks in advance.

Also does anyone know if it is dangerous to update the bios with a 4690k devils canyon cpu since it is not officially supported until 1.2? Is that why my first bios flash was bricked? I would hate to go and borrow another cpu just to update the bios but if I have to I will. Sorry for all the questions but I need to get my bios updated and I will not update it until I am sure of all these things. Thanks to anyone who answers these questions.

MSI GTX980 Gaming sometimes not recognized by MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC

I have been experiencing a very odd problem with my new hardware.
Hardware
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790
CPU-cooler: Scythe Mugen 4
RAM: G.Skill RipjawsZ F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH
Videocard: MSI GeForce GTX 980 4GB GAMING 4G
PSU: Seasonic X-660 80+ Gold
SSD: Crucial M550 2,5" 1TB
Monitor#1: LG 34UM95-P
Monitor #2: Eizo Foris FG2421
OS: Windows 7 Professional
Issue description
The thing is that with 2 monitors connected the videocard is not recognized on a cold boot, but boots perfectly most of the time after a restart. In some cases a restart doesn't do the trick. I have even seen a couple of times that the monitor shows that windows starts and then the monitor loses the signal from the videocard before I can see the desktop (rare). With just 1 monitor attached the videocard is recognized. Als the IGP works fine, it's just the videocard that doesn't seem to be recognized when 2 monitors are connected (all combinations of DP, HDMI and DVI). When the computer has booted after one or more restarts and the videocard is recognized the computer works flawlessly, no problems whatever I do with it (desktop work, stressing hardware, playing games, etc.). Not a single sign of instability.
It's just the cold boot and sometimes the soft boot or restart that causes the videocard to not being recognized with 2 monitors connected.
What makes it really weird to me is that when the computer goes into sleep mode I can wake it up normally within say 10 minutes. But if I wait for let's say an hour the videocard is not transmitting a signal through the videocard.
When IGP is enabled the computer boots and windows loads normally (I hear the sound of the Windows login), although the monitors stay black when connected to the videocard. Then switching the connectors from the videocard to the motherboard shows me a normal Windows login screen, but the videocard is not visible in the device list. When the IGP is disabled to bootup sequence just hangs until a restart works and the computer boots normally with the videocard getting recognized and working properly.
Click sounds
I noticed the motherboard makes 4 click sounds when booting, like relays flipping. I think it has to to with distributing power to al the components, since it looks like components respond to the click by turning led lights on. But I have to say I've never come across a motherboard before that makes click sounds. Is this normal?
Tried fixes
- Replaced the RAM with 100% working RAM from my other computer (Corsair Vengeance LP CML8GX3M2A1600C9) -> problem persists
- Disabed XMP -> problem persists
- Replaced the PSU with another one (Cooler Master V550 Semi-Modular) -> problem persists
- Reinstalled the videocard physically -> problem persists
- Tried several combinations of connecting the 2 monitors to the videocard (all DP ports, HDMI and DVI) -> problem persists
- Replaced the videocard with a MSI GTX970 Gaming (connected with 1xDP and 1xHDMI) -> problem persists
Conclusions so far
The cause can be found in the videocard or motherboard (probably BIOS issue).
Who can shed some light on this issue?

Quote from: JLio01 on 14-November-14, 17:02:39
Try all PCIE slots no luck? Does the black screen always happen on one certain monitor or both?
I tried both the first and the second PCIe slot. No difference except for the fact that in the second slot the card only works at x8 bandwidth.
Quote from: jotan.va on 24-November-14, 18:05:51
BTW - Did anybody try to remove the wifi module from the board and then test?
I didn't install the wifi module in the first place.
UPDATE
I returned the motherboard to the webshop I bought it from and sent my cpu, ram, psu and videocard (GTX980) with it so they could test it. They found out that the videocard is the problem. So now I have to send the videocard to the webshop it bought that from. However, I am suspecting that it's just a VBIOS problem and not some fault in the hardware itself. On the other hand, it would be very strange that MSI would release a videocard that cannot work with one of their own top motherboards, wouldn't it?

MOVED: MSI Z97 Gaming 5 and Intel Core i7 4790K

This topic has been moved to GAMING Motherboards.
https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?topic=181378.0

Quote from: AranelSurion on 03-July-14, 22:02:56
Speancer, what was the BIOS version yours shipped with?
I got a GAMING 5, according to MSI Support it's V1.0, since I don't have a spare LGA1150 chip I'm really curious if 4790K is going to work as it is. My build is from entirely new parts, so if somehow it fails to POST, I can't know for sure if it's because of the outdated BIOS or something else, It would be great to know if it's actually going to work or not on 1.0 .
Anybody tried 4790K with 1.0 BIOS? Does it work?
It was 1.0 Like I said, it works perfectly ouf of the box on MSI Z97 Gaming 5 with i7 4790K CPU. After installing system and most of my softwares like it was before format, I noticed that I could not enter BIOS, but system was working normally. Then I flashed BIOS from 1.0 to 1.3 in Windows and it worked again and has been working ever since.
Good luck with your new rig

MSI Z97 GAMING 3 Review--Performance Testing

After the previous hardware and software introduction, I believe Z97 GAMING 3 will meet gamers’ expectation.
Z97 GAMING 3 integrated with Killer E2200 LAN, Audio Boost 2, M.2 interface and the normal array of connections,
It is truly a good gaming motherboard. Could all these features offer great performance and a good experience?
Today I will test the performance of Z97 GAMING 3 and how good it is.
MSI Z97 GAMING 3 Testing
My test platform is MSI Z97 GAMING 3, Intel ® Core i7-4770K and MSI GeForce GTX 750 graphics card. The test
consists of two parts:
CPU Performance: Super PI, PC Mark Vantage and Cinebench R11.5.
GAMING Performance: 3DMARK 11, Evil 6 Benchmark and FFXI Benchmark.
Test Part 1
CPU : Intel Core i7-4770K @ 3.5 GHz
CPU Cooler : Thermaltake TT-8085A
Motherboard : MSI Z97 GAMING 3
RAM : Corsair DDR 3-1600 4GB X 2
PSU : Cooler Master 350W
OS : Windows 7 64 bit
Basic performance testing (CPU setting by default)
CPU Mark Score : 679.
Super PI 32M Result – 8m53.897s.
Graphics Performance Testing：3DMark 11
3DMark 11 is designed to measure PC’s performance. It makes extensive use of all the new features in DirectX 11
including Tessellation, Compute Shader and Multi-threading.
Intel ® HD4600 iGPU in 3DMark 11 Basic mode testing, the results is X385 Score.
Performance mode test score is P1511 .
System Performance：PCMark Vantage
PCMark Vantage is a PC analysis and benchmarking tool consisting of a mix of applications such as based and
synthetic tests that measure system performance.
From the test results, the score of Z97 GAMING 3 with Intel ® HD4600 iGPU is 11,946.
MSI GeForce GTX 750 Testing
Test Part 2
CPU : Intel Core i7-4770K @ 3.5 GHz
CPU Cooler : Thermaltake TT-8085A
Motherboard : MSI Z97 GAMING 3
Graphics Card：MSI GeForce GTX 750
RAM : Corsair DDR 3-1600 4GB X 2
PSU : Cooler Master 350W
OS : Windows 7 64 bit
Graphics Performance Testing：3DMark 11
Z97 GAMING 3 with GeForce GTX 750 the test scores is X1653 in 3DMark 11 basic test mode, The performance
mode test score is P5078.
System Performance：PC Mark Vantage
From the test results, Z97 GAMING 3 with GeForce GTX 750 scores 11,518.
System Performance：Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench is the software developed by MAXON Cinema 4D. Cinebench could test CPU and GPU performance with
different processes at the same time. For the CPU part, Cinebench test the CPU performance by displaying a HD 3D
scene. For the GPU part, Cinebench test GPU performance based on OpenGL capacity.
Main Processor Performance (CPU) - The test scenario uses all of your system's processing power to render a photorealistic
3D scene. Graphics Card Performance (OpenGL) - This procedure uses a complex 3D scene depicting a car chase which
measures the performance of your graphics card in OpenGL mode.
In Cinebench R11.5 test, MSI Z97 GAMING 3 with GeForce GTX 750 multi-core test is 6.87pts; OpenGL score is 73.48 fps.
Z97 GAMING 3 with HD 4600 and GeForce GTX 750 in the GAME Benchmark Test
For game performance testing, I will use Resident Evil 6 and FFXI Benchmark with the same platform.
Evil 6 Benchmark
CPU: Core i7-4770K
Game resolution setting: 1920X1080
Other setting: Default
In the Z97 GAMING 3 with Intel® HD4600 iGPU platform, score:1175 (Rank D)
In the Z97 GAMING 3 with GeForce GTX 750 platform, score: 5874 (Rank A)
I use Fraps tool to record FPS status during benchmark testing.The Z97 GAMING 3 with GeForce GTX 750 average
FPS is 202. The Z97 GAMING 3 with Intel® HD4600 iGPU average FPS is 32.
FFXIV Benchmark
CPU: Core i7-4770K
Game resolution setting: 1920X1080
Other setting: Default
The 1920X1080 resolution, Intel® HD4600 iGPU score is only 910.
However, the GeForce GTX 750 testing score is 4167. According to the official classification system, the score
between 3000 to 4499 means high performance.
I use Fraps tool to recorded FPS status during benchmark testing.
the GeForce GTX 750 average FPS is 111. Intel® HD4600 iGPU average FPS is 19.
Test Summary
MSI Z97 GAMING 3 is not very expensive. It has many features which are specially designed for gaming experience
and good performance of benchmarks. Even in 1920x1200 resolution and high quality display setting, Z97 GAMING 3
with Intel Core i7-4770K and MSI GeForce GTX 750 can easily handle any kind of games. The FPS of this system is
higher than 60 and users will enjoy no lag as gaming. It is really a good and afforadable chioce for gamers.

Thx for the sharing, since there are not much reviews about Z97 GAMING 3.

MSI Z97 Gaming 7 not booting up

Hi guys,
I have just purchased new motherboard & new intel core i7 4790K. I've installed everything & when I tried to boot up the system it stuck to 72 error code during post checks in manual which states as "Late South Bridge Initalization" Please help guys as I m not able to boot up the system.. My configuration is as follows:
Intel core i7 4790k
MSI Z97 Gaming 7 MoBo
Corsair XMS 3 4Gb RAM
Corsair H100i CPU cooler
Corsair CS750M PSU
NZXT Source 530 cabinet
Please help guys ....

Hi
What you can do is either:
-Return the board (RMA)
-Try to straighten it yourself using needle, magnifying glass and bright light
-Ask local jeweler if they can straighten it up for you.

MSI Z97 gaming 7 + intel i7 4790k

Hello. I bought the M/B MSI Z97 gaming 7. While I don't know what version of BIOS firmware installed. And I couldn't check it, because I only bought the motherboard. I want to buy a CPU for this motherboard - intel i7 4790k. Latest firmware version for this motherboard specified on the official website is 1.8
- Updated the VBIOS and GOP driver.
- Updated CPU Micro code to support new Intel CPU.
- Improved Asmedia SATA device compatibility.
When updating the BIOS via M-Flash, please make sure that your USB storage device is recognized as a "Removable Device",
If your USB storage device is not recognized as a "Removable Device", please update the BIOS via MSI Live update under windows.
Maybe this will turn out, that this processor (intel i7 4790k) will not work for this motherboard because of outdated firmware, and flash card is not recognized so I can't flash the BIOS or through a flash card or through Windows ?

Quote from: 964758 on 23-January-15, 22:33:17
Dear friend. Another question. How you understand about version of BIOS firmware by serial number of motherboard ? B - (means BIOS), 14 (means version 1.4) ? Do I understand correctly ? I will be waiting for your reply
NO you have that wrong and I will explain it to you:
its based off DATE! you can work out roughly what it will have shipped with by just cross-referencing the manufacture date and the BIOS release dates and which one was available at the time!
here is how you tell when it was made from MSI: S/N: 601-7916-010B1406030678 that is the date code in RED (Format YY/MM/DD) so that puts your board as made at 14/06/03 so it will have the BIOS version that was available at that time!
Nichrome has made a slight Mistake here your board actually has BIOS version 1.3 installed (>> 7916v13.zip << 2014-05-23 BIOS version) out the factory from the date code as its a early 2014 - June board towards the begging of the month (1.4 was not out till the end of the month)!
your board Will still support the chip (i7-4790k) as its got the minimum BIOS version (1.3) for that CPU for it to work out the box with it!

New MSI Z97 Gaming 3 - very strange audio issues

(sorry for the long post)
Hi, I recently bought some computer parts from Newegg and built my first gaming pc yesterday, but when everything was finished setting up I noticed a major issue with the audio. Both the headphone jack on the motherboard and the headphone jack from the front panel connector aren't working correctly.
If I plug in my headphones into the motherboard jack, the audio level is REALLY low. Like, even if I turn up the volume to 100% it sounds like it's only at 10%. I looked through the volume settings for the headphones and didn't notice anything wrong. Then I tried updating my drivers with the cd and ran the live update utility, but nothing changed. Also, the audio will sometimes make distorted/static sounds when the music itself is loud, yet I can still barely hear the music.
The front panel jack is even worse! The sound is much more distorted/static-y when I plug in my headphones there.
I know it's not my headphones fault because they work fine on my laptop. Even if I plug in a different pair, I still get the same low volume and static.
I know the front panel issue is not because of the case. If I put the motherboard in an old HP case and plug in my headphones into the front panel on this case, same issue. (I know the old case normally works fine).
I even tried running a linux live usb in case it was something wrong with Windows. It still had the same issues.
My specs:
MSI Z97 Gaming 3 ATX LGA1150
Intel Core i5-4590
MSI GeForce GTX 970
Corsair Vengeance Pro 8GB
WD Blue 1TB
XFX XTR Series 550W
Windows 8.1 Pro
I would really appreciate some help. It seems like I've tried everything.

Hi
What is the BIOS version your board currently has?
Try without graphics card and with single RAM stick.
You could also try out of the case on non conductive surface like wooden table or motherboard box, and see if it works then. Might be something in either cases shortening the board.

MSI Z97 MPOWER MAX AC vs MSI Z97 GAMING 9 AC

I can't decide which motherboard to purchase.
MSI Z97 MPOWER MAX AC = 20 Phase, 1x Intel I218-V Gigabit LAN controller
MSI Z97 GAMING 9 AC = 16 Phase, 1x Killer E2205 Gigabit LAN controller
I'll be gaming, and having a play with overclocking, which is the best do you reckon, they seem practically the same otherwise?
Which one would you choose?

Cheers for the replies guys, I appreciate everyones opinions.
Been digging for some more info...
Quote from: Techpowerup | Posted: 6th May 2014
MSI Also Launches its Z97 Gaming Series / Z97 OC Series Motherboards
The Z97 MPower MAX AC is a notch below the Z97 XPower AC. It offers a milder 12-phase VRM to power the CPU, but one that draws power from a combination of 8-pin EPS and 4-pin CPU power connectors, and featuring a coolant channel through the VRM heatsinks. There's no PCIe bridge chip, but the board still offers three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x4/x4 when all three are populated). Storage connectivity on this board includes eight SATA 6 Gb/s, and one M.2 slot. The rest of its connectivity includes ten USB 3.0 ports, 802.11 ac WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0, gigabit Ethernet, and AudioBoost audio with headphones amp and ground-layer isolation. The Z97 MPower MAX is the most "affordable" of the lot, at under $200. Its feature-set is more or less identical to that of the Z97 MPower MAX AC, except it lacks 802.11 ac WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0, liquid-cooled VRM heatsinks, and onboard OC fine-tuning buttons.
The Z97 Gaming 9 draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS connectors, and uses a 16-phase VRM to condition power for the CPU, which is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x4/x4 when all three are populated, x8/x8/x0 when two are, and x16/x0/x0 when one is. 3-way SLI and CrossFire are supported. An EMI shield covers the rear-panel I/O, while another shields the entire onboard audio circuitry, and the NICs. Audio is care of a 100+ dBA SNR DAC, which an external headphone amp circuit, ground-layer isolation, audio-grade capacitors, and EMI shielding. Wired connectivity is handled by Broadcom's newer Killer E2205 gigabit NIC. Wireless connectivity is handled by an Intel-made chipset that offers 802.11 ac WLAN, and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity. Storage connectivity is devoid of SATA-Express, but features eight SATA 6 Gb/s, and an M.2 slot. Overclocking features include voltage measurement points, and POST LED display. Expect this one to go for over US $200.
The Z97 Gaming 7 and Z97 Gaming GD65 are two different beasts, although they're in the same price bracket (around $180). The Gaming 7 features an all-PCIe expansion area with modern M.2 slot, while the GD65 features dated mSATA 6 Gb/s. The rest of their feature-sets are identical, even if their PCBs are not. You get a 12-phase CPU VRM, three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x4/x4 when all are populated), eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, AudioBoost audio, and Killer E2200 NIC. The story repeats itself with the Z97 Gaming 5 and Z97-G45 Gaming.
Barring the milder 8-phase CPU VRM, both are similar in features to the more expensive Gaming 7 and GD65, with the exception of two fewer SATA 6 Gb/s ports. At the entry level are the Z97 Gaming 3 and Z97-G43 Gaming. The two are designed for gaming builds with no more than two graphics cards, and offer some legacy PCI slots. The two offer AudioBoost and Killer E2200, but skimp out on the CPU VRM, featuring just a 6-phase one. Storage connectivity is consistent with those of the Gaming 5 and G45.
Source / Source
£199.99 - MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC (Amazon UK)
£168.20 - MSI Z97 MPOWER MAX AC (Amazon UK)
£129.53 - MSI Z97 Gaming 7 (Amazon UK)
£124.99 - MSI Z97 MPOWER - (Amazon UK)
£123.86 - MSI Z97-GD65 (Amazon UK)

MSI z97 gaming 7 , the computer hangs tightly

Hello ! MSI z97 gaming 7 , the computer hangs tightly. all USB are switched off, and on the motherboard the mistake 25 is highlighted. The image on the monitor too hangs. In what reason? What the mistake 25 means ? When scanning on errors of RAM by means of memtest86+ the computer also hangs, only reset helps

Quote from: 964758 on 10-April-15, 17:28:43
Evo Labs 750W Quiet Silent PC Power Supply PSU Black with Red Fan (China cheap PSU). All ports were tested by RAM, the problem remains. (I bought a used RAM). M/B a brand new
I doubt this PSU even supports Haswell? Try something from quality range (Corsair, Seasonic, Antec etc.) and see if it works then.
Also... for Xth time, I will also mention this:
>>Posting Guide<<

MSI Z97 Gaming 7 + Annoying long CPU-Fan Spin-Down since 1.4

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