MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WIFI (Intel 1200)

Beim Test zum MSI MPG Z490 GAMING EDGE WIFI habe ich bereits den etwas zu hohen Preis bemängelt und beim MSI MPG Z490 GAMING CARBON WIFI ist das nicht anders. 20 bis 30 Euro weniger hätten dem Modell gut gestand, sodass in diesem Fall das Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis deutlich besser ausgefallen wäre. Doch davon ab gibt es an der Mainboard-Qualität nichts auszusetzen. Ich bin mir sicher, dass das MSI MPG Z490 GAMING CARBON WIFI sicherlich seine Käufer/innen finden wird.

The Intel Core i9-10900K is a very attractive platform. If you're like me and you've come up through the ranks from the days when CPU speeds were measured in single digits, and the thought of hitting 1 GHz on a core was the stuff of science fiction, getting more than 5 GHz across ten cores, and those ten cores have hyperthreading so are actually twenty, then it's difficult not to get a slight twitch at the prospect.

The MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi is a good case in point. We like the understated look, lots of space between the cooler and primary x16 slot, decent layout throughout, and the fact that the latest BIOSes offer flawless stability and correct interpretation of Intel's CPU speeds, which is more than can be said for some of the competition.

I have to admit that the carbon lineup has come a long way over the years. Early on I felt like the fake carbon fiber look was tacky and they do still include a few touches of it. But the MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi ends up being more of a simple blacked out board which offers a simpler look that some of the more expensive boards. MSI kept costs down by not adding fancy 10G network cards and stuck with a lot of what is offered from the Z490 chipset but that does still get you a 2.5G NIC, WiFi 6, and a surprisingly large number of USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports.

MSI is one of the leading brands in the enthusiast gaming market. They’ve delivered many of the best graphics cards, motherboards and much more over the years. Sure, we’re reviewing their GODLIKE motherboard today too. However, that’s BIG money and pretty extreme for most gamers. The Carbon series has long been a sweet spot between a mid-range motherboard and the flagships, and it looks like it is set to repeat that trend.