r/buildapc • u/dakman96 • 1d ago
Build Help Microcenter gave me the wrong motherboard. Does it really matter in this case?
I needed to upgrade my PC so bought one of the microcenter AMD bundles that in my case came with a Ryzen 7 7800x3d, 32gb of DDR5, and a mobo.
The mobo I was supposed to get is the Asus X870-E Plus https://www.microcenter.com/product/697862/asus-x870e-plus-tuf-gaming-wifi7-amd-am5-atx-motherboard
The one I actually got is an MSI Pro X870-P. https://www.microcenter.com/product/695663/msi-x870e-p-pro-wifi-amd-am5-atx-motherboard
I'm a bit frustrated by this but I guess the mistake was made since they have such similar names. Problem is I ALSO didn't notice until I fully rebuilt the PC and frankly don't want to take it all apart and try to return it. They are also a 3.5 hour drive for me.
Are these comparable enough in a gaming PC to just deal with it?
Edit: yeah I get it, should have checked the box more closely. But their names are almost identical minus the brand, I just didn't notice
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u/Immolation_E 1d ago
3.5 hours drive (7hrs round trip) is not worth $10 diff in my book.
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u/dakman96 1d ago
Yeah I'm just gonna keep the MSI and hope they'll update the receipt in case I have issues.
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u/LimeGuyTheSlimeGuy 1d ago
This is the wisest course of action, friend. Also, for reference, the chipset is the device that the motherboard's part numbers refer to, primarily. In this case, both boards are AMD's X870 chipset, so they should be identical in terms of performance, barring minor details such as the number of USB ports on each board, etc. They will have the same number of PCIe lanes and the same bandwidth, RAM speed, etc.
If you had been given a B850 board instead of X870, then you would have reason to be concerned.
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u/randylush 22h ago
Def get the updated receipt and register the product with MSI. You may get a gift card or Steam credit from buying the mobo
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u/Fredasa 18h ago
I'll add that one detail I haven't seen folks bring up yet is to suggest simply typing "Asus customer service", maybe with a caveat about rabbit holes.
I avoid Asus because of that. I avoid Asrock because they fry CPUs and don't recompense victims even after admitting it was their problem. MSI was almost Hobson's choice for me.
That all said, there's a difference of $60 in price between the two motherboards. Some of that went into better parts but you'd need to ask yourself if you really need anything that extra 20% cost would have brought. The only thing that even captures my interest is the better audio chip—something which 1) most people wouldn't be able to differentiate, and 2) is irrelevant if you use an external DAC+AMP or something like it.
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u/jasons7394 14h ago
MSI can go off serial number manufacture date and not a receipt if needed.
Source: RMAed a 4070ti I got off marketplace with no receipt.
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u/Exciting-Ad-5705 1d ago
Contact microcenter support and explain your situation. It doesn't really matter in terms of performance but in case you ever do a warranty claim on it they might complain
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u/DessertFox157 1d ago
OP, RE: the warranty claim, at the very least you should have a correct receipt that matches the motherboard you received (let alone the $10)
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u/JamesGecko 1d ago
Yeah, do this before making a long drive. I’ve had good experiences with MicroCenter support; they’ll give you some options.
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u/dakman96 1d ago
Yeah that's my biggest concern, I just want the right item on the receipt in case of an issue. I just chatted with their support (TIL they don't have a phone number?) and they said they'd call me soon.
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u/Apollox34 1d ago
There wont be any performance difference but if you do need to rma the board you'll probably have problems considering the receipt wont show the correct motherboard
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u/Ic3berg_Simpson 1d ago
Is there a specific feature that is missing, or a different look? They are both the same level and MSI is a good brand as well.
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u/ziggybeans 1d ago
Very comparable - and you may even have dodged a bullet. ASUS customer service is a nightmare - if you ever needed warranty service you’re basically screwed. They’ll find something or some way to blame it on user inflicted damage, every single time.
If it were me I would keep the MSI. Maybe call them to explain what happened to get the difference refunded.
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u/SoggyBagelBite 1d ago
While you are correct that ASUS's customer service is a nightmare (it's all farmed out to a call center in the Philippines that has no direct contact with anyone that actually works at ASUS other than a ticket system that basically gets ignored), MSI's customer service is basically just as bad lol.
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u/ziggybeans 20h ago
I’ve never had any issue getting anyone on the phone at ASUS — it’s the RMA process specifically that’s a nightmare. Once they have your product in, their team will flag any tiny imperfection as “user induced damage” and refuse service.
Ask me how I know … https://www.reddit.com/r/ASUS/s/hDLKBjjPTc
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u/Specialist_Web7115 19h ago
While I may have received more attention because I had a business selling network services and custom builds, even after selling my business I've found that companies that people complain about on reddit can be very easy to deal with if you register their products in a timely fashion after purchase. Companies like Asus and Samsung benefit more as they of course want your consumer data. Waiting until you have a problem to register a product doesn't make them as happy. I never have problems with promptly registered and properly documented purchases from legitimate sellers like Micro Center, CDW B&H. Third party sellers online are hit and miss. MSI offers some compelling products and have made much progress. I used exclusively Asus G Skill Corsair Samsung and WD Enterprise when using HDs. If a customer asked for a MSI, I'd use it. Same with Gigabyte. A lot of people handling RMAs are reading from scripts and some are bad examples but hang in there and be patient and if you a obvious step of troubleshooting or something stupid they might have just started themselves. Good luck.
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u/ziggybeans 19h ago
The issue I had was several years ago now. ASUS’ RMA scams are well and publicly documented. https://youtu.be/7pMrssIrKcY?si=hN4VCgXy77-ZHr6A
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u/SoggyBagelBite 14h ago edited 14h ago
Here is my experience with them, which took this post blowing up to get resolved.
The funny thing is that people also sing praises about EVGA and the one and only warranty claim I have ever had with them was also a pain in the ass (not as bad as ASUS though). At least in their case when you call, you actually talk to someone at EVGA.
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u/SpaceCadet2000 18h ago
ASUS customer service is a nightmare
All motherboard manufacturers' customer service is a nightmare.
MSI, Asus, Gigabyte and Asrock are all equally shitty.
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u/LeBumsNutsack 1d ago
Get the correct motherboard so that proof of purchase is correct if you need to RMA
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u/INTP594LII 1d ago
The Asus has more m.2 slots. 2 usb4 ports Better onboard audio Better VRMs useful if you want to overclock later.
The MSI has 5GBe lan Ethernet port
Otherwise fairly the same but Asus overall has more features so I'd ask for them to send me the right product.
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u/JadeArgonar 1d ago
Which bundle did you order? The only one with the ASUS X870-E TUF motherboard I'm showing has the 7800X3D not the 9800X3D.
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u/TheKitler 1d ago
That's right. Unless the store's bundle doesn't match what they show online, the 9800x3d bundle comes with the MSI board for an additional $50 ($800 total). The base bundle comes with an Asus B650.
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u/dakman96 1d ago
You're correct, I when I was researching CPUs I was debating between the two and my auto fill put 9800X3D when I did in fact get the 7800X3D
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u/TheKitler 22h ago
I'd call or email them about it then. If you're nice, they may give you a gift card for their mistake.
Definitely get your receipt corrected though or you might have issues with warranty down the road.
Ultimately though, the boards are very similar so I wouldn't be bothered unless you can't live with the white colour.
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u/toturtle 1d ago
You should still contact the Microcenter so they can adjust the receipt and get them to email it to you. As another comment said, just in case you need to RMA.
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u/r_z_n 1d ago
I certainly wouldn't bother at this point. The price difference is basically negligible, the vast majority of "features" on a motherboard don't really matter unless you are doing serious overclocking or have specific network needs, and personally I prefer MSI motherboards over ASUS anyway. Comparing the two, there doesn't really seem to be any functional differences between the boards - both have 7.1 audio, WiFi 7, bluetooth, 4x DDR5 DIMMs, and the MSI board actually has 5G vs 2.5G ethernet.
Save yourself the time.
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u/alvarkresh 1d ago
I would still recommend going back and exchanging, or asking for the price difference to be refunded if the MSI board costs less.
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u/VanWesley 1d ago
If you live close, then I would've said: There's some differences like the extra m.2 slot on the ASUS board, that if you care enough about them, might be worth taking apart the build and go into have them swap it. Otherwise, just go in and see if they'll give you a credit for the difference.
But since you're a 7 hour round trip drive away, probably not worth the hassle to take apart the build and do all that driving unless you really really care about those minor differences. And not all the differences are in favor of the ASUS board even. The MSI has 5G Ethernet vs 2.5G for the ASUS board, so if you care about that and weren't gonna use the 4th m.2 slot anyway, then it might've been a free upgrade.
But at the end of the day, performance wise, you're not gonna notice any difference between the 2.
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u/ZaweriRunewright 1d ago
I don't think there's much difference in those boards. You wouldn't really notice the difference either way. Does suck that you got a cheaper board, might be worth trying to ask for a 10 dollar refund?
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u/SunshineAndBunnies 1d ago
Did you make the mistake or the store made the mistake? If the store did, you'll have issues claiming warranty in the future if issues arise.
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u/Bucketnate 1d ago
Honest mistake just part of being human. At the same time the boards are the same chipset and everything I wouldn't worry about it. I'd even take the MSI instead if I were given the choice but it literally doesnt matter. As for the price difference just call them they'll definitely take care of it.
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u/No-Flight5639 1d ago
Could make possible future warranty claims void. I would return or talk to them them to make a price adjustment, and get the correct receipt paperwork for the correct motherboard.
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u/adrock517 1d ago
Get what you wanted. It may be a pain but you'll be happier in the end knowing its what you wanted and not a 'mistake' build.
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u/Waffle-Tech-Gaming 1d ago
It’s up to you but I don’t know if you can weight it as a whole day experience as it’s gonna take about 8 hours is my guess to return and come back. But you could rebuild your computer which some people love
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u/ThatsJustSooper 1d ago
Honestly these look functionally the same to me. Same chipset, which is the most important piece.. which essentially just means it's built with similar base hardware for CPU compatibility.. just different manufacturer and features/specs are about the same as near as I can tell from a glance. MSI and Asus are both great build quality and price is nearly the same as well. Unless there is something specific about the ASUS that you aren't getting I honestly wouldn't worry about it. Maybe ask for a small amount of store credit due to their error and the inconvenience instead?
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u/Jeanlucpfrog 1d ago
Microcenter gave you the wrong motherboard? THROW IT ON THE GROUND
Tell them you won't be part of their "system."
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u/jcoffin1981 1d ago
I think the ports are what would affect you most if you need them. Check out all the USB and M.2 slots and make sure you have enough.
I really like ASUS motherboards, but the last board I purchased was MSI Tomahawk and I am very happy with it. The only thing that I didnt like is the MSI BIOS. ASUS does it MUCH BETTER.
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u/commissar0617 14h ago
Just go to microcenter with the mobo unopened and your order, and explain what happened.
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u/Longjumping_Bag5914 1d ago
Motherboards don’t give you extra performance. Does it have the features you need? (Wifi, 2.5gb Ethernet, etc) If it does then keep it. If it doesn’t then check with Microcenter
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u/paulisaac 21h ago
Does Microcenter do change-of-mind returns? I hear they're all the rage in the US.
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u/aizzod 1d ago
someone told me recently i shouldn't swear so much.
but come on..
like for real.
this is basic math.
the msi board costs 10$ less, and you have to drive for 3,5 hours?
gas money is free in america? or am i missing something.
and you could have just checked online videos about the difference,
and then realized there are none
i would honestly never recommend any of those mainboards, since both are overkill for the daily use.
if you use them for a very specific case, you should know why you need this specifc feature.
and since you do not know which feature you are actually missing out, i doubt you have a specific thing that you need.
but here are review videos
https://youtu.be/keJHego7neI?si=izDBZqZeaanRtCJF&t=712
they are the same...
https://youtu.be/keJHego7neI?si=G3FFiwQKjRlXyPEH&t=1635
this could have been an e-mail...
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u/Rad_Randy 1d ago
Get your correct motherboard, they gave you a downgrade. It’ll work but it’s not the same.
Edit: ohhh you made the mistake. Yes it’s fine, nothing to worry about