MEG Z590 GODLIKE

I build a PC about once every 5 years. I figure that makes the investment of cash worth the technology upgrade. The PC / media server I built in 2015 is still a monster gaming machine, it can run most games on maximum, but with the new rtx video cards coming out and the new VR HMDs bound to follow, I figured it was time for a new machine. I got this motherboard along with an intel i9-10900k and 64 gb of gskill ripjaw V 3600mhz RAM. It cost a fortune, Ill be eating cereal next week (or month) but IT BLOWS AWAY my other gaming computer (that one that runs game graphics on max). I benchmarked the new board and cpu and it ranked on the top of the cpuid list. It is as of this review, in a class of its own. This motherboard is on a whole different level than my evga z97 classified board. Five years ago that board cost me nearly as much, that board still goes for $200 used on ebay. That board is childs play compared to this one. I assembled my new PC, booted it up, and immediately went into bios. 60 seconds later I set my PC to boot from the Samsung 970 evo plus nvme ssd (that i installed in 1 of the 3 native nvme slots on the board) AND I overclocked my RAM to 3600mhz (mind you I've never overclocked anything before)(I clicked on a RAM icon, clicked on an XMP icon and it was done). The BIOs on this board had so much info available, yet it is displayed in such a way so that even though I never really messed with BIOs before, I knew what to do and I did what needed to be done quickly. I set all 10 fan headers (yes the board has 10 different headers) to PWM , rebooted the machine and installed windows. 30 minutes later windows 10 pro was installed. 35 minutes after booting the PC for the 1st time, the board was configured and a fresh fully updated install of windows was running. This is an expensive board. Im a programmer and I play the occasional video game, but its probably more board than I need. Having said that, it is quality and it is future proof. I have no doubt that 5 years from now Ill be struggling with the decision once again as to whether or not I even need to build a new PC. Once again I expect the answer to be no, and once again I expect Ill build a new one anyways.

This is a great MB with some future proofing. It is a bit pricey. But, I had the money and thought about going cheaper for the socket 1200 z490. But the features makes it worth it I think. Comes with a m2 nvme riser card so you can add terabytes of data without taking the heat sinks off the board. Only complaint - is (was) supposed to come with spacers for m2 memory. Mine did not. I had to get them elsewhere. Not sure why I was missing the spacers, but not worth contacting MSI about it. I'd have to pull the thing apart at this point to solve an issue that I've already solved. As for other things, I never contacted MSI support, so I don't know if they are good at customer support. The Bios upgrade worked perfect - it comes with a bootable USB 8GB memory. You can store data on it or whatever. Oh, also comes with a key chain. Ah. Yeah. To be honest, Id have rathered a sticker or something. But that is probably just me.

This is the board to get of all I have. This is an E-ATX so watch out for case size. The board is running cool at about 30 degrees C with the water cooled corsair H150i; without the water cooler the CPU gets hot about 90 degrees C. I like having the 128 MB of RAM. Be aware that the center standoff is under the M2-1 cover, so install the cover after the MB is installed. When connecting in the M2 expansion card note that one of the wires goes to the JFP1 socket and the 2 wire plug that normally goes in part of the JFP1 goes to the JCASE socket on the M2 expansion card. That wire has a tiny white dot on it for plug orientation, read that page of the manually very carefully - small print. White dot is positive. The book that comes with the MB is good, but could use more discussion about plug capabilities. This MB is a great product. I am using the WiFi antenna for my internet connection and am getting 866/866 MBS in lieu of my hard wired 100 MBS connection in the house. Of course my broadband connection to the internet chokes my throughput way down. Strongly recommend this MB.

I purchased one of these boards and was so blown away that I upgraded my wife's computer with the same board the next week. Yes, they are a little pricey but to me worth every penny. It is not only beautiful, but has every option you can think of. They have both been working flawlessly for over 8 months now and I have never been able to throttle anything on this board no matter what game I play on it. Do yourself a favor and spend a little extra and you won't be sorry.

This motherboard has all the bells and whistles! Monitoring or adjusting CPU clock speeds, Ram, system fans, or RGB lighting is made easy through the Dragon Center software. You can either overclock in the bios or automatically/manually adjust system settings through the Dragon Center software in Windows. Its everything you need in one easy to navigate place, controlling CPU, Ram, RGB lighting, fan speeds, network, gaming modes, and more! As you can see by my video/photo, I've incorporated tons of RGB lighting in my case. The options for RGB are insane! MSI thought of every possible configuration and added support for them ALL. Speaking of support, MSI customer support is fantastic! I was quickly connected to the staff when I called with a minor question and was treated like a valued customer which was greatly appreciated! Bottom line, For those who want the best performance, latest gen tech, sturdy construction, great support, and an attractive MB to boot, then the MSI Z490 Godlike MB is definitely for you!

I was reluctant to go back to MSI. I have been using mostly ASUS and Intel boards for gaming and number crunching. I could care less for pretty lights, so whatever Mystic wants to do, im fine with. I need it to preform. Plain and simple, if you want the top dog, this is it. Intel Core i9-10900K Desktop Processor 10 Cores up to 5.3 GHz Unlocked LGA1200 (Intel 400 Series Chipset) 125W MSI MAG CORELIQUID 360R EVGA Supernova 1000 P2 80+ Platinum Samsung EVO plus, 500 and 2 T Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 Gaming OC Pro 6G Graphics Card ( waiting for 3090's to come back to reality ) Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO 128GB (4x32GB) DDR4 3600 Thermaltake View 71 4-Sided Tempered Glass Vertical GPU Modular SPCC E-ATX Gaming Full Tower Computer Case External DVD Drive, USB 3.0 Portable CD/DVD+/-RW Drive also added 2 more 120 fans

I replaced my Z390 Godlike with this Z490 version. On the whole there is not much different. It is practically the same size and layout as the Z390 version. The 6pin PCIe power connector is now at the bottom of the board, as opposed to the center, and this make routing the power cable much easier. I really like that the LED's on the board now light up white and not red so it wont clash with any colors you may choose for your system if you use RGB. The post code readout also displays white with a bit larger numbers than before and this is a nice look also. The Dynamic Dashboard II is nice in that it now has a color display however the display itself is quite dim. This can be good or bad depending on your view of things but MSI should allow for a brightness control. The RGB IO cover with the dragon is a huge step forward from the infinity mirror of the previous version, which I always had turned off anyway. Three PCIe slots are enough but at this price point a PLX chip should have been implemented for enthusiasts that still use SLI and for those with a lot of disk storage. It has plenty of fan headers and enough RGB headers. If you do any overclocking this is a great board from the VRM to the physical buttons for power, reset and retry for cold booting. On the software side, MSI really should spend more time working on Mystic Light, its okay but some of the profiles are really bad when they could have been the best. MSI's BIOS, in my opinion, is by far one of the best to use. Overall I am very happy with this board. It is a much needed makeover aesthetically and looks more grown up than some recent designs from MSI. I left one star off because I believe that MSI has a real chance to polish this gem of a motherboard. This review is for the MSI Review Rebate Program.

i have no issues with this board. you might need to go on a pc and download the updated drive n plug it in your pc or its not ganna light up and you will not get anything on your monitor and youll think you got a falty one like me. :) fits an enermax atx case no problem and also fit a lian li xl case. don't think i needed this for gaming but Owell too late. the only thing to keep in mind is that the 24pin n other stuff are faceing up and not to the side so if you enjoy seeing your wires than go for it. hope this was helpful. :)