MSI is rolling out a full lineup of new motherboards to support Intel’s 10th Gen
Core desktop processors. The Z490 generation brings upgrades and new
features to all of MSI’s board models. In this video we’ll take a closer
look at three options that are going to be particularly appealing to
overclockers and PC gamers: The MEG ACE, the MPG Gaming Carbon, and the MPG Gaming Edge.
Before we get into specific models, let’s start with a look at what you get from all
MSI Z490 motherboards. First, these boards are built specifically to work
with Intel’s new 10th gen processors, and to take advantage of everything the new
CPUs have to offer - so they aren’t backwards compatible with older CPUs.
Intel’s new lineup of CPUs brings more cores, threads, and speed to the game. The
new processors all offer Intel’s Turbo Boost Max technology, which takes
advantage of the power of the best-performing cores in your CPU to boost
your performance. And with 10th gen, also comes support for 2.5G wired LAN
connections, a significant speed improvement over Gigabit LAN. Of course,
you’ll only get access to that 2.5G speed if your motherboard model actually
includes it, but fortunately all of MSI’s Z490 boards support that new feature.
All of MSI’s boards are built with large aluminum heatsinks to provide
the cooling required by these new, more powerful processors, many of which are
overclockable. These heatsinks draw heat away from the VRM, making sure that the
critical power delivery hardware in this area of the board can continue to
operate properly even during heavy use. MSI’s boards are also built to last, with
steel reinforcements and graphics card slots, to help support graphics cards
which just seem to be getting bigger and heavier every year. And all of the MSI Z490
motherboards are PCIE Gen 4 ready, so you’ll be equipped for future upgrades.
This new generation of CPUs and motherboards
also brings with it support for higher memory speeds, and with MSI DDR4 Boost
you can see potential speeds up to 4800MHz across the Z490
lineup - though of course reaching those speeds may
involve some overclocking. Most of MSI’s Z490 boards also include RGB lighting
controlled by MSI's Mystic Light software. The M-E-G ACE is one of MSI’s highest tier motherboard
options, and it comes complete with gold accents so you know you’re getting
something special. This is a board designed for builders who want to
overclock their CPU, experiment with advanced cooling options, and really look
to push their system to the limits.The big selling point of the M-E-G family of
boards is the active-cooling built into the VRM heatsink. Designed using MSI’s Zero
Frozr technology, there’s a small fan built in to the heatsink that will spin
up to disperse heat when the VRM is loaded with power. While most
motherboards employ only passive cooling elements, this active cooling tech means
the ACE is better equipped to handle the kind of excess heat you’d get when
overclocking the newest and most power-hungry CPUs. Speaking of overclocking, the
M-E-G ACE also features a mirrored power arrangement specifically designed to
help extreme overclockers looking to hit high benchmarks - and maybe even break
records. The board has “I-S-L Phase Controllers”
built in that deliver cleaner and more stable voltage signals to your CPU. Power
supplies naturally deliver electricity to your processor in a “dynamic ripple”
pattern, with peaks and valleys. When you overclock, you’ll run into problems and
instability issues if one of the “valleys” of the power signal comes along at the
same time as the peak of your CPU clock cycle - and that’s what MSI’s mirrored
power arrangement is designed to mitigate. This particular feature might
not be something you think twice about unless you’re really exploring the
limits of overclocking - but it could mean we see some overclocking records broken
on MSI boards with 10th gen CPUs into the hands of enthusiasts. The M-E-G ACE also
features a sturdy metal backplate that strengthens the board’s edges and key
connection areas. We know nobody watching this video would ever be rough on a
motherboard when installing it in a new PC, but if something like that does
happen, this backplate will help protect against damage that could be caused by
forceful handling or accidental bending. The M-E-G Z490 ACE is an elite and
specialized board from MSI, and at launch you can pick it up for $399.99 on
Newegg. Check the link in the description below for current pricing and
availability. Now let’s take a look at two boards from MSI’s MPG family,
engineered for gaming power and each coming with their own distinctive style.
MSI’s Gaming Carbon Wifi board has a design dominated by black, textured
pieces inspired by the look and feel of the carbon fiber on supercars. As the
name implies, this board has built-in Wifi, employing the latest Wifi 6
technology. Combined with the new 2.5G LAN connection - which is up to 2 and a
half times faster than the previous standard - you have a board that’s ready
to provide you with internet speeds as fast as your network can support, whether
you’re hardwired or fully wireless. The Gaming Carbon is a board that knows how
hungry gamers are for connectivity, and it comes with 6 USB ports in the
traditional Type-A form factor - four supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2 and 2 USB 2.0
ports. There’s also one Type-C port supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 - and that
lightning fast connection can reach speeds up to 20Gbps, four
times faster than USB 3.2 Gen 1. This board does not have the active VRM
cooling you’ll find in the ACE, but unless you’re doing extreme overclocking,
you’re not going to miss it. The board’s enlarged heatsinks over the
VRM and chipset areas should do the job just fine for high-performance PC gaming
especially if you combine it with a watercooling system, which the Gaming
Carbon supports via a built-in pump connector. The MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon Wifi is for
sale right now on Newegg for $269.99. The MPG Z490 Gaming Edge Wifi is another example of a board
suited for high performance gaming led by a strong visual design. True to its
“Edge” name, this board features hard lines and accents that come together to give
the impression of a sleek weapon of war. Though this board has fewer RGB accents
than some of the other MSI offerings, it makes up for it with its uniquely styled
heatsinks, featuring an all-aluminum extended design that increases the heat
dissipation surface. Like the Carbon, the Gaming Edge features a wide variety of
connection options, including the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, as well as built-in Wifi
and 2.5G Lan support. Both the Carbon and the Edge come with two M.2
slots for compatible SSDs and other devices, and both come with Shield Frozr
covers for these slots that act as heatsinks and can help prevent SSD
throttling. The Carbon has two Frozr covers while the Edge only has one,
though in practical day-to-day use most gamers aren’t going to need to worry too
much about M.2 drive heat, so your choice might be an aesthetic
rather than practical one. If you do plan to run two M.2 drives and
you’ll be putting them under heavy workload, though, that difference could be a
reason to lean more towards the Carbon, rather than the Edge. Overall the
differences between the Carbon and Edge are minor, with the Edge coming in at a
slightly lower price point of $199.99 at launch. Remember to check the links in
the description below this video for full specs, updated pricing, and current
availability. If you’re looking to take advantage of what Intel’s new 10th Gen
processors have to offer, you need to have the right motherboard. And MSI has
even more options than what we’ve detailed in this video. For example if
you're truly an elite builder and overclocker
you might want to take a look at the ultra-premium Godlike. And MSI also
and MSI also offers Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX boards, in addition to a “Pro” model engineered with
content creation in mind. You can check out the MEG ACE, MPG Gaming Carbon
Wifi, and the MPG Gaming Edge Wifi all on Newegg, right now. Sound off in the
comments below and let us know which of these three boards you would choose for your next PC build.