INTRODUCTION

   Intel motherboards based on their Z690 chipset may already count several months in the market (their Z790 chipset is also just around the corner) but thanks to having all of their bugs ironed out by now Z590 motherboards are still quite popular, especially among people who don't want to move to DDR5 just yet. Still there are numerous Z590 motherboards in the market, some aimed towards casual users, others aimed towards gamers and others towards enthusiasts, overclockers and professionals alike. What we don't really see a lot in the market however are motherboards aimed towards people looking for the best possible cooling efficiency and that's exactly what EK Water Blocks brings to the table with their high-performance and quality CPU & VRM monoblocks. The MSI MPG Z590 CARBON EK X Motherboard comes bundled with one such monoblock right from the factory and that's what I’ve been working on for almost 3 weeks now.

   MSI is a world leader in gaming, content creation, business & productivity and AIoT solutions. Bolstered by its cutting-edge R&D capabilities and customer-driven innovation, MSI has a wide-ranging global presence spanning over 120 countries. Its comprehensive lineup of laptops, graphics cards, monitors, motherboards, desktops, peripherals, servers, IPCs, robotic appliances, and vehicle infotainment and telematics systems are globally acclaimed. Committed to advancing user experiences through the finest product quality, intuitive user interface and design aesthetics, MSI is a leading brand that shapes the future of technology.

   The MPG Z590 CARBON EK X motherboard is a collaboration between MSI and EK Water Blocks so clearly its strongest selling point is their bundled EK Quantum Momentum monoblock (ARGB - flow indicator) which when paired with a water cooling kit should provide optimal cooling for not only the CPU but also the surrounding VRMs (voltage regulator modules). The motherboard itself is based on a 16 phase digital VRM (75A) design and sports a total of 4 DDR4 DIMM slots (dual-channel configuration – 128GB total supported with speeds up to 5333MHz), 3 full-length PCIe x16 slots (2xPCIe 4.0/1xPCIe 3.0 - top and middle are EMI shielded and reinforced), 2 PCIe x1 slots, 3 M.2 SSD slots (1xGen4x4/2xGen3x4) complete with FROZR heatsinks, 6 native SATA 6Gb/s ports (with RAID 0/1/5/10 support), onboard ARGB LEDs, Realtek ALC4080 audio codec (with Audio Boost 5), Intel I225-V 2.5GbE LAN, Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 and a Thunderbolt add-in connector (extra TB card required to use this). As for available connections the MPG Z590 CARBON EK X offers a single DisplayPort v1.4 video output, HDMI v2.0b video output, 8 USB 2.0 ports (4 internal header / 4 rear panel), Type-C USB 3.2 Gen2x2 port, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (3 rear panel / 1 internal header), 4 USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports (2 internal / 2 rear panel), Intel 2.5GbE Ethernet port and the Realtek ALC4080 High Definition Audio onboard audio card outputs (five 3.5mm jacks and one S/PDIF out). So, let's see what MSI and EK Water Blocks have to offer with the MPG Z590 CARBON EK X motherboard.