Z87-G45 Gaming Software
MSI still uses a customized version of Intel XTU for tuning, and its Live Update 5 hasn’t needed an overhaul in a couple motherboard generations. The Killer NIC optimization software and Creative Sound Blaster Cinema are also consistent from our previous review. With no major changes to discuss, we began looking for things that weren’t covered in previous round-ups.
MSI loads its installation disk up with freeware, shareware, and trial software in addition to its own applications and motherboard-specific software. Unfortunately, some of that nag-ware is automatically selected when you go to install the platform's drivers.
Remember Gigabyte’s EZ Setup? MSI has been doing the same thing for a while, but calls its application “Super RAID”.
Reboots are super fast, even without added optimizations. After missing a couple of attempts to enter the UEFI, we were happy to find a “Go To BIOS” button in MSI’s Fast Boot applet.