CONCLUSION

   When the MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard arrived here roughly 3 weeks ago and after reading its datasheet I thought that it was one of MSI’s high-end models (especially after watching it trade blows with the Z390 Dark, at least at those specific settings) so you can imagine my surprise when I learned that it was one of their mid-end ones. Still I don’t back down from what I thought back then, this may be a gamer oriented model but it offers a lot more that one would expect. Yes, it may not be able to compete with the Z390 Dark when it comes to cooling efficiency (heat-pipe linked heatsinks) and overclocking potential (11-phase design for the former and 17-phase design for the latter) but thanks to its 4 DIMM slots, RGB features and much lower price tag (as you will see on the next paragraph) the MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon should indeed appeal to most gamers out there. Unfortunately, just like with previous models the onboard ALC1220P audio card by Realtek fails to impress and falls short by quite a bit compared to the Sound Blaster Recon3D (CA0132) by Creative used with the Z390 Dark (although judging by sales numbers of standalone audio cards it’s a safe bet that most gamers and enthusiasts would probably opt for one of those either way). It goes without saying but having used and reviewed very old motherboard models with onboard switches (for power/restart/OC) and displays means that I expect something along those lines from all the latest models (regardless of price range) so lacking all of the above is a hit and miss for me and pretty much one of the only serious drawbacks of this model.

   One of the pros of the MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard (1151) by MSI is without doubt its extremely balanced price tag which is currently set at just USD183.95 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 185Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). With that in mind there’s simply no going around the fact that the MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon offers a great price/performance ratio and unless you’re willing to spend extra to get one of the more powerful models (like the Z390 Dark or the Z390 Aorus Master – review soon) this should be more than adequate to cover your needs and that’s also why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- Good OC Potential (11 Phase Design)
- RGB Features (Mystic Light)
- 2 Reinforced PCIe 3.0 x16 Slots
- 4 Reinforced DIMM Slots
- M.2 FROZR Heatsink
- Available BIOS Settings
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- VRM & Z390 Chipset Heatsinks Not Linked (Cooling Efficiency)
- No Mainboard Switches & Displays
- Realtek ALC1220P Performance