On Sunday Intel lifted its embargo on its Haswell refresh, including the updated Z97 chipset. From a high level, Z97 looks a lot like last year's Z87. Z97 primarily adds official support for M.2 and SATA Express, as well as RST support for PCIe storage devices. This year we'll see the transition to native PCIe/NVMe SSDs, so Z97 marks the beginning of a platform transition to a world where PCIe storage is more widespread. 

We'll be publishing Z97 motherboard reviews over the coming days, but to kick off the launch MSI is giving AnandTech readers the chance to win one of four Z97 motherboards. We've got two MSI Z97 Gaming 9 AC motherboards and two Z97 Gaming 7 boards to give away.

The Z97 Gaming 9 AC is a standard ATX motherboard with integrated Intel 802.11ac WiFi as well as Killer's E2205 gigabit Ethernet. The board features a single M.2 connector and three PCIe x16 slots (physical). 

The Z97 Gaming 7 drops the 802.11ac but keeps most of the other features, including the M.2 slot. 

Both are high-end options for your next Haswell build, either with one of the existing SKUs, newly refreshed CPUs or upcoming Devil's Canyon parts.

We'll be accepting entries for the next three days. To enter you must be a US resident - simply leave a comment below (please leave only one). We will randomly choose four winners, two will receive a Z97 Gaming 9 AC and the other two will receive a Z97 Gaming 7. We'll choose the winners/prize combinations at random. Good luck!

Entries will be accepted from 12:16 PM ET on 5/13/2014 through 12:16 PM ET on 5/16/2014. We will draw 4 winner(s) who will be selected by 5/27/2014.

Official Rules and Regulations for AnandTech Sweepstakes
No Purchase Required to Enter or Win

Upon entering any contest, sweepstakes, or promotion (a “Promotion”) offered by anandtech.com (the “Site”), a website owned and operated by AnandTech, Inc. (“AnandTech”), you must agree to the following Official Rules and Regulations (the “Rules”) as well as any additional rules governing a specific Promotion that AnandTech publishes on the Site.

BEFORE ENTERING A PROMOTION, READ THESE RULES AND THE SITE’S TERMS, CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY INFORMATION.   BY ENTERING THE PROMOTION, YOU AGREE TO COMPLY WITH THE RULES AND THE SITE’S TERMS, CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY INFORMATION. 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE CHANCES OF WINNING.

  1. Eligibility.  Promotions are open to entrants who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry, and a legal resident of the United States (excluding Puerto Rico).  Entries are limited to individuals only who are not presently banned from AnandTech’s website or comments section; commercial enterprises and business entities are not eligible.  Directors, officers, employees, contractors, and agents of AnandTech (excluding volunteer AnandTech forum moderators) and members of their immediate families (spouses, parents, siblings, and children) are not eligible.  Subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.  Void where prohibited.  Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Rules and AnandTech’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters relating to a Promotion.
     
  2. Entry Period.  Each Promotion will contain a specific time period within which entries will be accepted (a “Promotion Period”).   The Promotion Period for this Promotion shall run from 12:16 PM ET on 5/13/2014 through 12:16 PM ET on 5/16/2014.  Only entries received during the Promotion Period will be accepted. 
     
  3. How to Enter.  Each Promotion will describe an entry procedure.  AnandTech is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, stolen, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, misdirected, technically corrupted or garbled entries, which will be disqualified, or for problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic.  Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by AnandTech.  All entries must be in English. Individuals are automatically entered in this Promotion by signing up for AnandTech’s Comments at http://anandtech.com/Account/Register and posting a reply to this post. If randomly selected as a winner individuals must provide full name, complete mailing address, telephone number, AnandTech user name and birth date within 3 days of being contacted.
     
  4. Limits on Entry.  An individual may enter a Promotion once only.  The use of any automated launching or entry software or any other means that permits an entrant to automatically enter repeatedly or in excess of the entry limitations is prohibited. 
     
  5. Prizes.  Winning a gift, prize, or other promotional item (a “Prize”) in a Promotion is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements in these Rules.  Winners will be selected in a random drawing of eligible entries received during the Promotion Period.  AnandTech will notify Prize winners using the contact information provided in the winning entry.  Failure to claim a Prize by the time or in the manner specified in the particular Promotion will invalidate any claim to the Prize.  Prizes are not transferable.  The odds of winning a Prize or the Grand Prize depend on the number of entries received by AnandTech.  TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ALL PRIZES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND ARE NOT EXCHANGEABLE FOR FAIR MARKET VALUE.  TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANANDTECH DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE PRIZES, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. For this Promotion, 4 winner(s) will be selected by 5/27/2014 and will each receive a MSI Z97 Motherboard described above (“Grand Prize”).  The Total U.S. Retail Value of the Grand Prize is $300.  The Grand Prize may not be substituted for cash.  The Grand Prize winner will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes, fees, and surcharges associated with receipt and/or use of the Grand Prize.  After the Grand Prize winner has been notified and has complied with all applicable Rules, AnandTech will post the Grand Prize winner’s name on this website.
     
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  7. Governing Law.  These Rules and all Promotions are governed by and controlled by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without reference to the applicable choice of law provisions. All actions, proceedings or litigation relating hereto will be instituted and prosecuted solely within Wake County, North Carolina. By entering a Promotion, entrants consent to the jurisdiction of the state courts of North Carolina and the federal courts located within North Carolina with respect to any action, dispute or other matter pertaining to or arising out of that Promotion.
     
  8. General Terms.  Any failure by an entrant, including any prize winner, to comply with any of the Rules or the Site’s Terms, Conditions and Privacy Information may result in disqualification from the Promotion.  All entries, whether they are eligible entries or ineligible entries, are the exclusive property of AnandTech.  AnandTech is not responsible for any typographical errors in the Rules or in any other communication surrounding a Promotion or for any technical malfunction or error relating to the Promotion.  AnandTech reserves the right to amend or interpret the Rules at any time, upon published notice to participants on its website.  Promotion participants agree to release, indemnify, and hold harmless AnandTech and its directors, officers, employees and agents from any and all liability regarding the Promotion, including any injuries, losses, or damages (compensatory, direct, incidental, consequential, or otherwise) regarding the use or misuse of any Prize, any event beyond AnandTech’s control resulting in the disruption, cancellation, or postponement of the receipt of the Prize, or any typographical errors or technical malfunctions associated with the Promotion.  AnandTech reserves the right to disqualify any entry that it, in its sole discretion, determines (i) to be in violation of the Rules, (ii) submitted by fraud or by tampering with the entry process, or (iii) contains inaccurate or fraudulent information.  ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE PROMOTION IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS.  IN THE EVENT SUCH AN ATTEMPT OCCURS, ANANDTECH RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

 

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  • k60185758 - Friday, May 23, 2014 - link

        ©
  • MrFreeman4000 - Friday, May 23, 2014 - link

    Due for an upgrade! Hopefully I win!
  • Chrozome - Friday, May 23, 2014 - link

    I'll try to win. I love anandtech
  • flux0r1 - Sunday, May 25, 2014 - link

    Love me some msi!
  • Jason1892 - Sunday, May 25, 2014 - link

    id love this
  • NoctisReitop - Tuesday, May 27, 2014 - link

    Woo! Don't mind if I do. Keep it up!
  • thejshep - Sunday, June 1, 2014 - link

    I'll take a stab at this giveaway myself. This would look good in my new rig!
  • thejshep - Sunday, June 1, 2014 - link

    aaannnddd i'm too late
  • cattmouch33 - Monday, June 2, 2014 - link

    need new system please
  • Vigilence - Friday, June 6, 2014 - link

    Building a new computer and would love to have this added to the setup.

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