As Intel's brand new 8th Generation platform, featuring 8000-series 'Coffee Lake' CPUs and a broad launch range of Z370 motherboards, continues to shake up the status quo motherboard manufacturers are doing their utmost to ensure that they, not their competitors, have your attention. In that vein MSI UK have just launched a limited time promotion to make their own Z370 selection just a little bit more tempting, especially if you're a driving sim enthusiast.
Beginning today, and running until January 31st, customers who purchase any one of select MSI Z370 motherboards from participating retailers will be eligible for a free copy of Project Cars 2. The eligible Z370 models include both mainstream and gaming designs, and offer a wide range of features for both the overclocking enthusiast and power gamer.
Project Cars 2 is a motorsport racing simulator described as 'ambitious in its scope and depth'. Developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, the partially crowd-funded effort particularly rewards those who invested time and effort into picking just the right peripherals and components for the best driving experience. It's currently available on Steam priced at £44.99.
In terms of the eligible motherboards, the most affordable option is the MSI Z370 SLI Plus. In addition to supporting Intel's overclocking with K-SKU CPUs, the SLI Plus also includes dual 16x PCI-Express slots for (you guessed it) NVIDIA SLI or AMD Crossfire in 8x/8x mode, and two high performance M.2 SSD slots. Not only that, the board also incorporates MSI's Mystic Light RGB LED system which complements the model's somewhat restrained colour-scheme. The Z370 SLI Plus is priced around the £139.99 (inc. V.A.T.) mark, depending on retailer.
Speaking of restrained aesthetics, the Vortez Approved MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC is also part of the promotion. As you might have gathered from the name the Gaming Pro Carbon AC takes the gaming and overclocking-oriented Gaming Pro Carbon and adds 802.11ac and Bluetooth wireless I/O to the mix. Once again MSI's Mystic Light RGB system is incorporated for a touch of personal flair, as well as headers for Corsair's LINK technology. It's typically priced at around the £180 (inc. V.A.T.) mark.
Read our review of the MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC here
Sitting astride the motherboards included in the offer is the MSI Z370 Gaming M5. Although not quite the flagship of the MSI Z370 Gaming range - that honour is reserved for the frankly potty £500 Z370 Godlike Gaming - the Z370 Gaming M5 is still an extremely accomplished overclocking design with fully kitted out UEFI and 11-phase power. This model also boasts Killer E2500 Gigabit LAN and Realtek's ALC1220 Codec for 7.1-Channel HD Audio (the latter augmented by Audio Boost 4), two features not always part of SKUs further down the range.
The full range of eligible motherboards is as follows:
The Project Cars 2 promotion is exclusive to the UK and only at these participating retailers: OcUK, SCAN, eBuyer, CCL, Novatech & Box. A redeemable Steam Code for the game will be provided alongside your shipped order.
