MSI Debuts AMD 990FXA GAMING Motherboard With USB 3.1 and NVMe Support

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After launching a set of eight new FM2+ motherboards earlier this week, MSI once again provided a new hope for AMD enthusiasts with the debut of the MSI AMD 990FXA GAMING motherboard, featuring USB 3.1. It's also the "world's first" AMD motherboard with NVMe support.

The new MSI AMD 990FXA GAMING motherboard has the usual assortment of enthusiast-level features you would expect from MSI's GAMING series, such as Crossfire and SLI support, plentiful I/O and expansion options, Audio Boost 2, and Killer LAN. In addition, the new AM3+ socket board sports two USB 3.1 Type-A ports in the rear, and it is the first AMD chipset motherboard to support NVMe, finally introducing next gen features to AMD's fan base.

The MSI 990FXA GAMING AMD motherboard is not the first MSI product to offer USB 3.1 and NVMe support. Several of the company's Intel motherboards were recently refreshed to include the coveted USB 3.1 ports, and a simple BIOS update has brought NVMe compatibility to all of MSI's Intel 9 Series motherboard offerings. USB 3.1 debuted on MSI AMD FX processor platforms back in March, and until now, NVMe compatibility was never a part of AMD's feature set.

Disappointingly missing from the new 990FXA GAMING motherboard is an M.2 slot of any kind, making AMD's plunge into new technologies seem more like a dipping of the toe in some areas. While the company's recently leaked R9 380 has the enthusiast gaming community salivating at AMD's potentially throne-claiming new flagship graphics card, the 990FXA leaves us wanting more from the value-oriented offerings and feature sets of AMD motherboards.

Perhaps a new generation of FX processors is on the horizon? Rumors have been stirring for months that AMD would be releasing a new x86 micro-architecture in late 2015, but until then, the MSI 990FXA GAMING motherboard finally brings Team Red to the table when value-oriented gamers are looking for some "future-proof" features in their next system purchase with USB 3.1 and the addition of NVMe compatibility.

We await information on pricing and availability.

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Derek Forrest
Derek Forrest
Derek Forrest is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He writes hardware news and reviews gaming desktops and laptops.
17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Calvin Bowens
    No USB Typc-C ports. :-(
    Reply
  • TNT27
    Be nice if the new FX processors released to this socket chipset, and also to a new chipset with new tech and ddr4 support.
    Reply
  • SkyBill40
    This is a move in the right direction, for sure... but I don't necessarily think it's worth to me personally in swapping out my perfectly functioning 990FX GD-65v2 for this. Besides, I prefer the blue/black color scheme.
    Reply
  • Alec Mowat
    Be nice if the new FX processors released to this socket chipset, and also to a new chipset with new tech and ddr4 support.

    Exactly this. It's a great board, but if I'm going to toss out my 990FX Sabertooth, I may as well get an Intel board at this point and get all the later features.
    Reply
  • BulkZerker
    @alec/TNT

    I hope they don't. AMD did that when they refreshed architectures often. As it sets now 9** chipsets are 4 years old. AMD shouldn't waste resources on engineering backwards compatibility when they really need something to knock Intel down a few pegs.
    Reply
  • InvalidError
    15811968 said:
    Be nice if the new FX processors released to this socket chipset, and also to a new chipset with new tech and ddr4 support.
    The last time I saw an AMD roadmap, all of their future desktop CPUs/APUs for 2016 were headed to socket-FM3+. AM3(+), its chipsets and CPUs are end-of-line.
    Reply
  • A new AM3+ socket motherboard? They haven't made a new AM3+ cpu in years, unless you count better binning as innovation. Unless your current motherboard dies, and you're on a tight budget, can't afford new motherboard + new cpu, it's ridiculous to buy this right now.
    Reply
  • MyDocuments
    Somebody make a uATX version of a 990 chipset MoBo (with enough VRM phases and heatsinks for reliable overclocking) please! An ITX setup would also be fine.
    I don't want to build any more hulking-great tower systems (the apartment'll no take it!).
    Reply
  • Saberus
    Does anyone else think it's odd that a new board supporting the latest standards has a outdated and far surpassed PCI slot?
    Reply
  • CraigN
    15812607 said:
    15811968 said:
    Be nice if the new FX processors released to this socket chipset, and also to a new chipset with new tech and ddr4 support.
    The last time I saw an AMD roadmap, all of their future desktop CPUs/APUs for 2016 were headed to socket-FM3+. AM3(+), its chipsets and CPUs are end-of-line.

    The Fiji chips they were announcing earlier this week for 2016 mentioned FX processors with an AM4 socket and DDR4.
    Reply