EVGA Z97 Stinger Core3D vs MSI Z97 GUARD-PRO Motherboard Comparison

EVGA Z97 Stinger Core3D and MSI Z97 GUARD-PRO are both motherboards with the same Socket (LGA1150), Chipset (Intel Z97) and Onboard USB 3.2 Gen 1 (1). The main differences are in Form factor, Supported Memory, CrossFire Support and PCI-Express x16 Slots.

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EVGA Z97 Stinger Core3D	MSI Z97 GUARD-PRO
Prices (Change region) - Buy now	Prices (Change region) Out of Stock Free shipping $94.61 - Buy now
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Pangoly Score (How do we rate?) 86	Pangoly Score (How do we rate?) 83
Brand EVGA	Brand MSI
Model 111-HR-E972-KR	Model Z97 GUARD-PRO
Release Date 📅 May 2014	Release Date 📅 May 2014
* First availability for purchase, it may not correspond to the actual market launch date.
User reviews ★★★★☆ (75 reviews) Add a product review	User reviews ★★★★★ (9 reviews) Add a product review
Price history View Details ►	Price history View Details ►
Compatible PC parts Processors ► Memory ► Cases ► CPU Coolers ►	Compatible PC parts Processors ► Memory ► Cases ► CPU Coolers ►
Pros Full ATX-level performance Great build quality Very good onboard audio	Pros Good overclocking for a low cost motherboard M.2 Support
Cons No Wi-Fi support No M.2 support	Cons No HDMI output Mediocre onboard audio Realtek NIC
Socket LGA1150	Socket LGA1150
Form factor Mini ITX	Form factor ATX
Chipset Intel Z97	Chipset Intel Z97
Supported Memory DDR3 800Mhz 1066Mhz 1333Mhz 1600Mhz 2133Mhz 2400Mhz 2666Mhz	Supported Memory DDR3 1066Mhz 1333Mhz 1600Mhz 1866Mhz 2000Mhz 2133Mhz 2200Mhz 2400Mhz 2600Mhz 2800Mhz 3000Mhz 3100Mhz 3200Mhz 3300Mhz
* High clock speeds may require enabling the XMP profile in the motherboard BIOS ** RAM support may also depend on the CPU memory controller
ECC RAM Support No	ECC RAM Support No
Audio Chipset -	Audio Chipset Realtek ALC892
Audio Channels -	Audio Channels 8 Channels
LAN Chipset -	LAN Chipset Realtek 8111E
Max LAN Speed -	Max LAN Speed 10/100/1000Mbps
SLI Support No	SLI Support No
CrossFire Support No	CrossFire Support Yes
RAID Support Yes	RAID Support Yes
Back Connect No	Back Connect No
Wireless LAN No	Wireless LAN No
PCI-Express x16 Slots 1	PCI-Express x16 Slots 2
PCI-Express x4 Slots 0	PCI-Express x4 Slots 0
PCI-Express x1 Slots 0	PCI-Express x1 Slots 4
SATA 6 Gbps Ports 4	SATA 6 Gbps Ports 6
SATA Express Ports 0	SATA Express Ports 0
M.2 Ports 0	M.2 Ports 1
M.2 Devices support -	M.2 Devices support 2242 / 2260 / 2280 - M Key
RAM Slots 2	RAM Slots 4
Maximum Supported RAM 16 GB	Maximum Supported RAM 32 GB
Onboard USB 2.0 0	Onboard USB 2.0 2
Onboard USB 3.2 Gen 1 1	Onboard USB 3.2 Gen 1 1
Onboard USB 3.2 Gen 2 0	Onboard USB 3.2 Gen 2 0
Onboard USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 0	Onboard USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 0

Comparison and key differences summary

Reasons to buy the EVGA Z97 Stinger Core3D:

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Reasons to buy the MSI Z97 GUARD-PRO:

Supports AMD CrossFire
Supports the following RAM types: DDR3 2800MHz, 3000MHz, 3100MHz, 3200MHz, 3300MHz
+1 Slots PCI-E x16
+4 Slots PCI-E x1
+2 Ports SATA 6Gb/s
+1 Ports M.2
+2 RAM slots
+16 GB maximum RAM supported
+2 Onboard USB 2.0