I really hate how they moved the main PCIe slot down - bad for those of us who have cases with no bottom fans. However, it's the motherboard I'm having to get, as I'm returning the Z790 Aorus Master for severe coil whine.
NOTE: This video was published before DDR5 memory modules larger than 48GB were available - according to the MSI specs page, this motherboard now supports up to 256GB of RAM - please check MSI's website for the latest compatibility updates. Also, this motherboard now supports Intel's 14th Gen "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors with a BIOS update available for download from MSI's website. Check out the written review for this motherboard here: www.alktech.co/articles/review-msi-mpg-z790-carbon-wifi-lga1700-motherboard
After my premuim Asus Proart Z790 mobo memory controller broke down due to running 4 sticks of 32gb dimms, I don't know if it's safe with this MSI board to run 4 sticks? I think running 4 sticks is a massive strain on the memory controller. I was able to run xmp2 at 5600mhz on this MSI board. Does anyone has experience running 4 sticks on this board?
Oh! The slot will operate at PCIe 4.0 x8 mode instead (as the RTX 4090 supports PCIe Gen 4) - you can verify this by running GPU-Z and checking the section under "Bus Interface". I'd think that there should be some performance impairment as a result - would it be possible for you to install your M.2 drive in the first M.2 slot instead?
@@ALKtech yes, thank you! I had no idea about this as I didn't see it mentioned in the manual. I will have to move my boot drive then to a different m.2 slot! Thanks a lot 😁
What is the actual RAM speed this board can handle? Just bought one paired with 13900k. LTT benchmarks weren't even able to get one 8gb ram card to run above 6400mT/s (or mhz) with 7400mhz or 6400mgz native or with Intel xmp enabled. Their own numbers list even 4 card arrays as faster than that, and ALL 2 card (even 2 x 32GB 6400mhz RAM cards) as faster than they're performing real-world. Not even poorly performing, just entirely unable to perform above 6400mhz...
Hi mate, is it worth getting the MPG Z790 carbon over MEG 690 unify? All I see are issues around PCIe 5.0. I am making my first build and placing an order for parts - any suggestions will be highly appreciated.
How's the price like for both boards where you're from? Having taken a quick glance at the Z690 UNIFY's specs, I'd say that both boards are very similar to each other, except that the Z790 CARBON "has" PCIe 5.0 support for M.2 (which isn't a true native Gen5 solution and will rob your graphics card PCIe slot of its full bandwidth). That said, I'd probably get whichever's the cheapest between them both!
hello, have you had any problems accessing the bios or the usb boot key because it is impossible for me on my z790 carbon, my pc starts up and arrives directly on the windows page, do you have a tip because I don't know what to do? it works 1 time out of 50
Haven't really had this issue before, just gotta keep mashing the DEL key immediately after powering on your PC, and once in the BIOS, set the default boot device to be your USB drive..
Great walk through. I cannot find anywhere that MSI says that the M.2 SSD PCIe 5.0 shares bandwidth with PCIe 5.0 x16 slot. It doesn''t make sense why it is dropped to x8 to support a x4 M.2. Where does the last x4 then go? Could you please link to where that is described? Do we know when a motherboard for Intel comes with dedicated PCIe 5.0 for the M.2 SSD?
Check out page 15 under "Expansion Slots" of the motherboard manual below: download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/MPGZ790CARBONWIFI.pdf It's also stated under the "Storage" section of the specs page for this board: www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-Z790-CARBON-WIFI/Specification Again, it's all because the Z790 chipset doesn't have native Gen5 support for NVMe drives, but Intel does allow board partners to divvy up the PCIe 5.0 x16 lanes to "implement" Gen5 for a M.2 slot...which explains this board and its Gen5 graphics/M.2 situation; I'm thinking the "remaining" x4 bandwidth that's missing is just lost, probably due to electrical/hardware constraints - I'm just speculating though! That said, I'd think native Gen5 support for M.2 drives will only appear with 14th Gen Meteor Lake parts once they get released!
@@ALKtech thank you so much. After my comment, I have read more about the z790 chipset in general. Intel considered it, but then chose not to add it. When the SSD's comes, AMD will have a huge benefit there and it could change who is the "fastest" 🙂
@@kenneth_jensen happy to help! Oh yes, AMD will have the upper hand in terms of platform longevity - that is, if you go for a mid-to-high-end motherboard with the X670E or B650E chipset, which come with PCIe Gen 5 for both the graphics card and M.2 slot. By the time Ryzen 8000 or even 9000 comes around, we should see widespread adoption of Gen5 methinks...
So I'll be running a 13700k with a 3090. I have a 980 pro nvme that I'm going to be running. Should I install it on the first m2 slot or the 5.0 slot? Wondering if it would kill my performance
Drop the 980 Pro into the first M.2 slot! The 980 Pro is a PCIe 4.0 x4 part - no point having it in the second M.2 slot that is PCIe 5.0 compliant, and halving the bandwidth of the graphics card slot as a result...
Are you intending to overclock your 13700K? If the answer is a no, you could potentially look at a high-end B760 motherboard instead, and save some cash! It's worth thinking about whether the added benefits of going Z790 over B760 (e.g. more USB connectivity options, more PCIe lanes and SATA ports etc) is something that you'd appreciate too.
The battery replacement headache you kindly pointed out has put me off getting one of these boards. The battery will fail eventually, so a more tricky replacement isn't worth the hassle.
Yeah...having to remove the motherboard from the case and remove the VRM heatsink assembly just to get to the CMOS battery would be time consuming for sure. Perhaps the idea is that by the time the CMOS battery runs out, owners of such boards might have upgraded to something better then 😅
@@tsdobbi I've replaced a few, mainly for friends. But they've never been under 10 years old. It's not a big issue - I've decided I'm going to get a Carbon. £350 is the most I'm paying for a mainboard though.
Are you 100% certain the M2_2 has shared bandwith with the GPU slot? It is not mentioned anywhere in the manual. I Have 2 Nvme's so just trying to figure out where to install the second M2
Yup - see page 15 under "Expansion Slots" of the motherboard manual below: download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/MPGZ790CARBONWIFI.pdf If you have 2 NVMe drives, I'd recommend installing them on M2_1 and M2_3.
@@ALKtech ah yes, I do see it, I was referring to the z790 Gaming EDGE wifi user manual instead of the z790 CARBON wifi. This is quite weird as the carbon version is supposed to be a higher tier than the edge wifi yet it has shared lanes and the edge doesnt.
@@xxxfadexxx its because the Z790 chipset doesn't come with native PCIe Gen 5 lanes for M.2 drives, where to get around this and perhaps make the Z790 chipset more..."competitive" against AMD's AM5 chipsets that have native Gen 5 support for M.2 drives, Intel's given motherboard manufacturers the option of "sharing" the PCIe 5.0 lanes meant for a graphics card with a M.2 slot. It just so happens that MSI's implemented this for the CARBON as a...premium feature I guess!
Are you referring to the two onboard front panel USB 2.0 headers? Each header is wired to support two USB 2.0 ports, meaning you get 2x2=4 USB 2.0 front panel ports!
I recently bought this motherboard and I am confused with the m2 slots. Which slot should I use for windows installation? if m2 gen 5 slot shares the bandwidth, its not ideal for windows installation? Please help me.
I'd recommend installing your primary M.2 drive in slot M.2_1, and if you have a second (or third M.2 drive for that matter), install these drives from slots M.2_3 onwards. Avoid using slot M.2_2, as this slot is the one that will reduce your graphics card slot's PCIe bandwidth. Hope this helps!
What's the best mid range value for $ MSI mobo to go with the i5-13600K? I'm looking at MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WIFI DDR4 or MSI MPG Z790 Edge WIFI DDR4 but they're quite exp, almost near the price of the DDR5 version of both Mobos. Wondering if you have something else to recommend?
Actually...if you don't mind previous-gen boards, Z690/B660 boards could be pretty good picks. I quite like the MSI PRO B660M-A WIFI DDR4 and have used it before in a friend's build (but that was with a i7-12700). Are you quite set on DDR4 for your build already? Also, heads-up that Intel's mid-range 700-series boards (e.g. B760) are dropping real soon, sometime in the first week of January 2023, so if you're not in a rush, it might be a good idea to hold off till then to see how prices of these boards might be like! Unless of course, you're trying to avoid paying 8% in GST...
@@ALKtech Not in a rush to upgrade. GST 8% is bo bian lol. Pay means pay. Currently am still running an i7 4790k. Can tank me a while. Almost 8 years now. I was thinking if i can squeeze out another 3 more years on this rig, totalling 11 years of usage by 2025, holding out until Intel 14th Gen Meteor Lake drops next year Q4 2023/ 2024 or 15th Gen Arrow Lake in 2025. For the 14th or 15th gen, either one of the i5 600k series is good enough for me. Current rig: CPU: i7-4790k w/ Corsair H100i Liquid CPU Cooler MB: MSI Z97 Gaming 5 GPU: MSI RTX 3060 VENTUS 3X 12G OC RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-1866C9D-16GXM SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB x1, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB x1, HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB Monitor: Acer Predator XB271HU Speaker: Razer Leviathan 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Bar PSU: SeaSonic PRIME Ultra Gold 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply Case: Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 High Airflow ATX Cube Case OS: Windows 10 Home - 64-bit - OEM
Using the Gen 4 M.2 slots will not limit your GPU to x8 link speeds. Only if you have a M.2 SSD installed in the Gen 5 M.2 slot will the halving of bandwidth for the GPU slot then happen!
That's right, but seeing as there are no PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics cards around yet, no issues here really, seeing as PCIe 5.0 x8 has the same bandwidth as PCIe 4.0 x16!
@@Gabriel3Gamu ah, perhaps I should clarify further that in the above reply, it's in the context of PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics cards of the future operating at x8 mode, where the said card will still have access to the equivalent of PCIe 4.0 x16 worth of data bandwidth! But then again, I don't have a crystal ball to be able to say for sure if the next gen of GPUs, especially the high-end ones, will be powerful enough to saturate all 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes - only time will tell! For top-of-the-line PCIe 4.0 GPUs such as the RTX 4000 series, you'd likely see a performance hit where the said GPU will operate at PCIe 4.0 x8 instead, if a M.2 drive is installed on the 2nd slot for this board. I must caveat that I haven't personally tried this out to see how much of a performance hit one would likely experience!
Glad you found the video useful - a quick glance through the ASUS's specs, I'd say both boards are quite similar, with the key difference being that the MSI serves up 6x SATA III ports and 5x M.2 slots versus the 4x SATA III and 4x M.2 slots for the ASUS. That said, is there a price difference between both boards where you're from? Pricing would probably be a key deciding factor for me, if I were to be deciding between both boards!
@@danielredman9721 I've not tried overclocking on both boards so I can't really say for sure, though given how toasty a 13900K can get, you'd probably hit a ceiling due to insufficient cooling first I'd wager...are you going for a 360mm AIO at the very least? Anyway back to the topic of pricing...it does make selecting between both boards real hard since they're the same-ish in terms of price 😂. Based on aesthetics alone, I'd be more inclined towards the ASUS, though I somehow get the feeling the MSI might serve up more OC headroom with its VRM setup!
@@ALKtech yes its a tough decision. im probably going to go with MSI. yes a corsair h150i 360mm cooler for the processor. probably dont need to overclock it for now i guess. thanks for the help i really appreciate it :D
It likely will, but perhaps not by too much - the graphics card slot will run at PCIe 4.0 x8 (seeing as the 3080 Ti supports PCIe Gen 4 and not 5), and from what I've read, this should result in a performance hit, seeing as the 3080 Ti is pretty powerful and should be able to saturate the lanes easily. I don't have such a combo of hardware lying around though, so I can't test it out for myself...
Very good and informative video and this actually helps a lot since I’m working on a build myself. Would you prefer asus in terms of motherboards or msi?
Thanks! Between the both, I'd be kinda torn as I feel that both brands put out quality products, and it boils down to features and prices when it comes down to individual product offerings - especially prices, where there may be differences across retailers around the world to influence my eventual purchase decision. Are you looking to build a high-end 13th Gen system?
@@ALKtech no problem and yeah I’m going for the 13900k cpu. For me on Amazon the msi one is cheaper than asus but both are high end enough for the desired cpu. I know asus is technically top dog but I was wondering if msi is like second best or something like that also if msi is a good company so if something were to happen to the motherboard I can take it back and I’ll know it’ll be fixed. If that makes sense because some companies tend to do people over.
@@shqd0w411 Sweet! Are you gonna get a RTX 4090 with the 13900K too? That said, I get where you're coming from - I'm from Singapore, and warranty issues are taken care of by the local distributors here that have been in the biz for many years, so RMAs tend not to be an issue at all. Whereas in other countries, I suppose the RMA process might involve sending the boards back directly to the manufacturer for claims...and that process could involve a certain measure of luck I guess!
@@ALKtech oh ok and no I have a 3090 ti FE right now but plan on upgrading that’s why I need a good cpu and motherboard ahead of time. I’m from the United States and I don’t really know all that stuff in terms of warranties, return policies, etc so I just try to go for companies with the best reputation as I don’t have a brand preference between asus and msi after researching specs on both motherboards I’ve learned that both are identical also differences is price and that the gaming Wi-Fi e supports up to 7800mhz of RAM whereas the carbon Wi-Fi supports 7600mhz and since there both high end I’ll just likely go with msi. Also it seems also everyone uses asus anyway so it’ll be nice to be different 🙂
It really depends on your budget for a motherboard and whether or not you'll appreciate high-end features such as a premium audio codec, beefier VRMs for overclocking purposes etc. On the lower end of things, you could even look at the MSI PRO Z790-P WIFI, or ASUS PRIME Z790-P WIFI as some examples of "budget" Z790 boards, or if money is no object, the CARBON in this video could do just fine!
Chipset design limitations 😅it's just cause the Z790 doesn't have dedicated PCIe 5.0 lanes for M.2 drives...a feature we'll probably see with Intel's future 14th Gen chipset offerings.
Im looking for good MB for me PRE-build Acer orion predator 5000 po5-640 PC. And on Acer forums everyone is suggesting Z690 MSI MPG. But on European Amazons this Z790 MSi MPG Carbon and Z690 MSI MPG EDGE WIFI card cost ALMOST the same with 30$ differences. Is this card somehow better? I don't understand the differences. They are both capable of 13gen Intel cores and both can OC RAM speeds. Its insane how much information a simple user has to gather to make a right choice.
The Z790 is a refresh of the Z690 - to be honest the differences tend to be minimal between boards powered by both chipsets. In fact, both the Z690 and Z790 will support Intel's upcoming 14th Gen processors too, so if I were in your situation, getting the cheaper board (which I assume is the Z690) wouldn't be a bad choice at all. Out of curiosity though, why are you upgrading the motherboard of your prebuilt? From what I see of its specs, it seems to have an i7-12700 which is on the LGA1700 socket. Are you upgrading so that you can swap out your processor for a 13th Gen or even 14th Gen?
@@ALKtech The motherboard on Acer Predator PO5-640 is H670 . Its i7-12700 LGA1700 correct. But I really want to make it future proof for 13 & 14gen processors + everyone on Acer community suggest to change motherboard because it lacks some on board USB connectors for Water cooling. And I really want to get a Corsair Liquid AIO that actually requires that on board USB connectors. MSI MPG 690 or Z790 has everything thats required. Also this motherboard allows OC. And stock Acer Predator motherboard doesn't. So this motherboard is suggested on Acer forums. Z690 MSI MPG EDGE WIFI is the most suggested MB there.
@@TesGon I see. Personally, I think upgrading from a 12th Gen to 13th Gen may not represent the best value in terms of how much additional performance you're gonna get. Depending on how the latest 14th Gen processors are going to be like in terms of pricing and performance, going straight to 14th Gen might be your best bet, if you're intending to press on and get a MSI Z690/Z790 board. My two cents!
It should come with drivers and MSI utilities on it - at least that's what the motherboard manual says - I didn't get to plug the drive in to verify for myself 😂
It will support dual graphics cards, though my take is that the PCIe lane configuration wouldn't be the best, seeing as the other full-length PCIe 4.0 slot operates at x4 speed. You might want to look at boards that come with dual PCIe x16 slots that operate at x8 speeds each (e.g. high-end AM5 motherboards) instead!
The Z790 chipset doesn't have native Gen5 support, so Intel's given board manufacturers the option of "including" NVMe Gen 5 support by sharing bandwidth with the 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes meant for the graphics card. In this case, MSI's opted to exercise this option to sorta give end-users more flexibility in choosing what they want I guess!
@@ALKtech Thank you for your quick and concise reply! Just to confirm my suspicions, if a gen 4 is used in that slot it would not effect bandwidth? The amount of options for z790 motherboards is giving me headaches!
@@youmayknowmeas2an it would actually, as long as there's a NVMe drive installed in the Gen 5 M.2 slot, regardless of whether it's a Gen 4 or 5 SSD, the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a graphics card would have it's bandwidth cut to PCIe 5.0 x8 instead... If you're gonna be getting this board, I'd recommend installing your drives in the non Gen 5 M.2 slots!
In a nutshell, DDR5 is becoming more mainstream as DDR4 works its way out, we've got the AMD Ryzen 7000 series on the AM5 socket, and Intel's 13th Generation Raptor Lake as the processor offerings today, and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4000 series squaring it off with AMD's Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs. How's that for a 10s summary on the state of the PC hardware world today 😂 Apart from the above, it's pretty much still the same old plonk-everything-onto-the-mobo, and fire it right up kinda thing!
This seems like Unify + Carbon united, but where it fails is the ram support, should be DDR5 7600, but on the QVL there is nothing above 7200. I feel this board being $500 is priced too high, its not truly a unify, imo this is a $399 mobo, for a very close price I would go with Aorus Tachyon or shelling $200 more for the Asus APEX.
Are you referring to front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A connectivity? If so, the board has 1x front panel header that supports up to two front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports.
outstanding video - and FWIW - the first one clearly outlining the "cons" of the board - thanks!
Please make a complete step by step video making a PC build using this motherboard.
Agreed 😎
Agreed
simply put all information in one video. thank you for all the information
I really hate how they moved the main PCIe slot down - bad for those of us who have cases with no bottom fans. However, it's the motherboard I'm having to get, as I'm returning the Z790 Aorus Master for severe coil whine.
NOTE: This video was published before DDR5 memory modules larger than 48GB were available - according to the MSI specs page, this motherboard now supports up to 256GB of RAM - please check MSI's website for the latest compatibility updates.
Also, this motherboard now supports Intel's 14th Gen "Raptor Lake Refresh" processors with a BIOS update available for download from MSI's website.
Check out the written review for this motherboard here: www.alktech.co/articles/review-msi-mpg-z790-carbon-wifi-lga1700-motherboard
After my premuim Asus Proart Z790 mobo memory controller broke down due to running 4 sticks of 32gb dimms, I don't know if it's safe with this MSI board to run 4 sticks? I think running 4 sticks is a massive strain on the memory controller. I was able to run xmp2 at 5600mhz on this MSI board. Does anyone has experience running 4 sticks on this board?
Great review!
Having a gen m.2 in the gen 5 slot wont slow down the GPU PCie slit right?
I have my system m 2 installed there paired with a 4090
Oh! The slot will operate at PCIe 4.0 x8 mode instead (as the RTX 4090 supports PCIe Gen 4) - you can verify this by running GPU-Z and checking the section under "Bus Interface". I'd think that there should be some performance impairment as a result - would it be possible for you to install your M.2 drive in the first M.2 slot instead?
@@ALKtech yes, thank you! I had no idea about this as I didn't see it mentioned in the manual.
I will have to move my boot drive then to a different m.2 slot! Thanks a lot 😁
What is the actual RAM speed this board can handle? Just bought one paired with 13900k. LTT benchmarks weren't even able to get one 8gb ram card to run above 6400mT/s (or mhz) with 7400mhz or 6400mgz native or with Intel xmp enabled. Their own numbers list even 4 card arrays as faster than that, and ALL 2 card (even 2 x 32GB 6400mhz RAM cards) as faster than they're performing real-world. Not even poorly performing, just entirely unable to perform above 6400mhz...
Hi mate, is it worth getting the MPG Z790 carbon over MEG 690 unify? All I see are issues around PCIe 5.0. I am making my first build and placing an order for parts - any suggestions will be highly appreciated.
How's the price like for both boards where you're from? Having taken a quick glance at the Z690 UNIFY's specs, I'd say that both boards are very similar to each other, except that the Z790 CARBON "has" PCIe 5.0 support for M.2 (which isn't a true native Gen5 solution and will rob your graphics card PCIe slot of its full bandwidth). That said, I'd probably get whichever's the cheapest between them both!
hello, have you had any problems accessing the bios or the usb boot key because it is impossible for me on my z790 carbon, my pc starts up and arrives directly on the windows page, do you have a tip because I don't know what to do? it works 1 time out of 50
Haven't really had this issue before, just gotta keep mashing the DEL key immediately after powering on your PC, and once in the BIOS, set the default boot device to be your USB drive..
Great walk through. I cannot find anywhere that MSI says that the M.2 SSD PCIe 5.0 shares bandwidth with PCIe 5.0 x16 slot. It doesn''t make sense why it is dropped to x8 to support a x4 M.2. Where does the last x4 then go? Could you please link to where that is described?
Do we know when a motherboard for Intel comes with dedicated PCIe 5.0 for the M.2 SSD?
Check out page 15 under "Expansion Slots" of the motherboard manual below:
download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/MPGZ790CARBONWIFI.pdf
It's also stated under the "Storage" section of the specs page for this board:
www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-Z790-CARBON-WIFI/Specification
Again, it's all because the Z790 chipset doesn't have native Gen5 support for NVMe drives, but Intel does allow board partners to divvy up the PCIe 5.0 x16 lanes to "implement" Gen5 for a M.2 slot...which explains this board and its Gen5 graphics/M.2 situation; I'm thinking the "remaining" x4 bandwidth that's missing is just lost, probably due to electrical/hardware constraints - I'm just speculating though!
That said, I'd think native Gen5 support for M.2 drives will only appear with 14th Gen Meteor Lake parts once they get released!
@@ALKtech thank you so much. After my comment, I have read more about the z790 chipset in general. Intel considered it, but then chose not to add it.
When the SSD's comes, AMD will have a huge benefit there and it could change who is the "fastest" 🙂
@@kenneth_jensen happy to help! Oh yes, AMD will have the upper hand in terms of platform longevity - that is, if you go for a mid-to-high-end motherboard with the X670E or B650E chipset, which come with PCIe Gen 5 for both the graphics card and M.2 slot. By the time Ryzen 8000 or even 9000 comes around, we should see widespread adoption of Gen5 methinks...
Есть ли писк дроселей у этой карты?
So I'll be running a 13700k with a 3090. I have a 980 pro nvme that I'm going to be running. Should I install it on the first m2 slot or the 5.0 slot? Wondering if it would kill my performance
Drop the 980 Pro into the first M.2 slot! The 980 Pro is a PCIe 4.0 x4 part - no point having it in the second M.2 slot that is PCIe 5.0 compliant, and halving the bandwidth of the graphics card slot as a result...
@@ALKtech thank you! I figured that was the case. I’ll do that!
I’ve heard that z790 carbon is awfully bad at overclocking ddr5 ram. Is that true, some people can’t even reach 7400mhz
In the storage section, the caption should correspond to the rectangle marking. Don't show all the slots at the same time. It is confusing.
Is there a motherboard you would suggest over this MSI for a system with 13700k, 4080, ddr5-6400 64gb, sn850x 2tb?
Are you intending to overclock your 13700K? If the answer is a no, you could potentially look at a high-end B760 motherboard instead, and save some cash! It's worth thinking about whether the added benefits of going Z790 over B760 (e.g. more USB connectivity options, more PCIe lanes and SATA ports etc) is something that you'd appreciate too.
The battery replacement headache you kindly pointed out has put me off getting one of these boards. The battery will fail eventually, so a more tricky replacement isn't worth the hassle.
Yeah...having to remove the motherboard from the case and remove the VRM heatsink assembly just to get to the CMOS battery would be time consuming for sure. Perhaps the idea is that by the time the CMOS battery runs out, owners of such boards might have upgraded to something better then 😅
I've literally never had to replace a CMOS battery and the PC I am currently using as a media PC I built in 2008, never replaced the battery.
@@tsdobbi I've replaced a few, mainly for friends. But they've never been under 10 years old. It's not a big issue - I've decided I'm going to get a Carbon. £350 is the most I'm paying for a mainboard though.
Do I understand correctly that if you populate the top gen5 m.2 slot then your graphics card will only run at half speed?
Yup that's right, doing so will halve the number of PCIe lanes available for the graphics card slot.
Are you 100% certain the M2_2 has shared bandwith with the GPU slot? It is not mentioned anywhere in the manual. I Have 2 Nvme's so just trying to figure out where to install the second M2
Yup - see page 15 under "Expansion Slots" of the motherboard manual below:
download.msi.com/archive/mnu_exe/mb/MPGZ790CARBONWIFI.pdf
If you have 2 NVMe drives, I'd recommend installing them on M2_1 and M2_3.
@@ALKtech ah yes, I do see it, I was referring to the z790 Gaming EDGE wifi user manual instead of the z790 CARBON wifi. This is quite weird as the carbon version is supposed to be a higher tier than the edge wifi yet it has shared lanes and the edge doesnt.
@@xxxfadexxx its because the Z790 chipset doesn't come with native PCIe Gen 5 lanes for M.2 drives, where to get around this and perhaps make the Z790 chipset more..."competitive" against AMD's AM5 chipsets that have native Gen 5 support for M.2 drives, Intel's given motherboard manufacturers the option of "sharing" the PCIe 5.0 lanes meant for a graphics card with a M.2 slot. It just so happens that MSI's implemented this for the CARBON as a...premium feature I guess!
So if I installed a M2 in the second slot with a 4090 GPU (not booted yet).. I should probably move it to the 3rd slot? New to the M2 storage.
Yup you should - avoid using the second M.2 slot as it'll rob your 4090 of bandwidth!
@@ALKtech thanks
in msi page specification it says 4 USB 2.0 , why is there only 2 USB 2.0 if I may ask ? :O
Are you referring to the two onboard front panel USB 2.0 headers? Each header is wired to support two USB 2.0 ports, meaning you get 2x2=4 USB 2.0 front panel ports!
None of that m.2 stuff makes sense to me. If I have a single m.2 slot 2 TB gen4 which slot should I put it in? great video breakdown btw.
Plonk that into M2_1, which is the first slot beneath the CPU socket!
@@ALKtech AWESOME THANKS
I recently bought this motherboard and I am confused with the m2 slots. Which slot should I use for windows installation? if m2 gen 5 slot shares the bandwidth, its not ideal for windows installation?
Please help me.
I'd recommend installing your primary M.2 drive in slot M.2_1, and if you have a second (or third M.2 drive for that matter), install these drives from slots M.2_3 onwards. Avoid using slot M.2_2, as this slot is the one that will reduce your graphics card slot's PCIe bandwidth. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much for your reply. I have installed it in M.2_1. It works great.@@ALKtech
So don't use the m.2 5.0 slot, if I don't want it gimping my gpu?
That's right!
What's the best mid range value for $ MSI mobo to go with the i5-13600K? I'm looking at MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WIFI DDR4 or MSI MPG Z790 Edge WIFI DDR4 but they're quite exp, almost near the price of the DDR5 version of both Mobos. Wondering if you have something else to recommend?
Actually...if you don't mind previous-gen boards, Z690/B660 boards could be pretty good picks. I quite like the MSI PRO B660M-A WIFI DDR4 and have used it before in a friend's build (but that was with a i7-12700). Are you quite set on DDR4 for your build already?
Also, heads-up that Intel's mid-range 700-series boards (e.g. B760) are dropping real soon, sometime in the first week of January 2023, so if you're not in a rush, it might be a good idea to hold off till then to see how prices of these boards might be like! Unless of course, you're trying to avoid paying 8% in GST...
If this helps, there’s this gigabyte z790 ddr5 motherboard for like $260 as well but it’s currently sold out.
@@shqd0w411 might you be referring to the Z790 AORUS ELITE AX? Just saw it on Newegg for US$259.99 (US$249.99 after a $10 rebate)!
@@shqd0w411 Thank you, shame it sold out. Is the mobo a local set based in singapore?
@@ALKtech Not in a rush to upgrade. GST 8% is bo bian lol. Pay means pay. Currently am still running an i7 4790k. Can tank me a while. Almost 8 years now. I was thinking if i can squeeze out another 3 more years on this rig, totalling 11 years of usage by 2025, holding out until Intel 14th Gen Meteor Lake drops next year Q4 2023/ 2024 or 15th Gen Arrow Lake in 2025. For the 14th or 15th gen, either one of the i5 600k series is good enough for me.
Current rig:
CPU: i7-4790k w/ Corsair H100i Liquid CPU Cooler
MB: MSI Z97 Gaming 5
GPU: MSI RTX 3060 VENTUS 3X 12G OC
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-1866C9D-16GXM
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB x1, Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB x1,
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB
Monitor: Acer Predator XB271HU
Speaker: Razer Leviathan 5.1 Channel Surround Sound Bar
PSU: SeaSonic PRIME Ultra Gold 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
Case: Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 High Airflow ATX Cube Case
OS: Windows 10 Home - 64-bit - OEM
if you only use one of the gen 4 m.2 slots will it still limit your GPU to x8?
Using the Gen 4 M.2 slots will not limit your GPU to x8 link speeds. Only if you have a M.2 SSD installed in the Gen 5 M.2 slot will the halving of bandwidth for the GPU slot then happen!
Am I understanding right you shouldnt put an M2 NVME in the PCI 5.0 M2 slot to avoid splitting the lanes from the GPU?
That's right, but seeing as there are no PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics cards around yet, no issues here really, seeing as PCIe 5.0 x8 has the same bandwidth as PCIe 4.0 x16!
@@ALKtech even if one uses a 40's series cards??
@@Gabriel3Gamu ah, perhaps I should clarify further that in the above reply, it's in the context of PCIe 5.0 x16 graphics cards of the future operating at x8 mode, where the said card will still have access to the equivalent of PCIe 4.0 x16 worth of data bandwidth! But then again, I don't have a crystal ball to be able to say for sure if the next gen of GPUs, especially the high-end ones, will be powerful enough to saturate all 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes - only time will tell!
For top-of-the-line PCIe 4.0 GPUs such as the RTX 4000 series, you'd likely see a performance hit where the said GPU will operate at PCIe 4.0 x8 instead, if a M.2 drive is installed on the 2nd slot for this board. I must caveat that I haven't personally tried this out to see how much of a performance hit one would likely experience!
thank you for the great video. im getting rtx 4090 and i9 13900k. would your recommend this motherboard or the asus strix z790f??
Glad you found the video useful - a quick glance through the ASUS's specs, I'd say both boards are quite similar, with the key difference being that the MSI serves up 6x SATA III ports and 5x M.2 slots versus the 4x SATA III and 4x M.2 slots for the ASUS. That said, is there a price difference between both boards where you're from? Pricing would probably be a key deciding factor for me, if I were to be deciding between both boards!
@@ALKtech the price on both is about £460 same price!!
@@ALKtech also is it easy to overclock on either board??
@@danielredman9721 I've not tried overclocking on both boards so I can't really say for sure, though given how toasty a 13900K can get, you'd probably hit a ceiling due to insufficient cooling first I'd wager...are you going for a 360mm AIO at the very least?
Anyway back to the topic of pricing...it does make selecting between both boards real hard since they're the same-ish in terms of price 😂. Based on aesthetics alone, I'd be more inclined towards the ASUS, though I somehow get the feeling the MSI might serve up more OC headroom with its VRM setup!
@@ALKtech yes its a tough decision. im probably going to go with MSI. yes a corsair h150i 360mm cooler for the processor. probably dont need to overclock it for now i guess. thanks for the help i really appreciate it :D
Would installing a ssd on the second m.2 slot hurt gaming performance in a 3080ti?
It likely will, but perhaps not by too much - the graphics card slot will run at PCIe 4.0 x8 (seeing as the 3080 Ti supports PCIe Gen 4 and not 5), and from what I've read, this should result in a performance hit, seeing as the 3080 Ti is pretty powerful and should be able to saturate the lanes easily. I don't have such a combo of hardware lying around though, so I can't test it out for myself...
@@ALKtech thank you for your promptly reply. Yeah I would probably not use that m.2 slot to keep it save. Saldy I'll only have 4 m.2 instead of 5 😆
Very good and informative video and this actually helps a lot since I’m working on a build myself. Would you prefer asus in terms of motherboards or msi?
Thanks! Between the both, I'd be kinda torn as I feel that both brands put out quality products, and it boils down to features and prices when it comes down to individual product offerings - especially prices, where there may be differences across retailers around the world to influence my eventual purchase decision. Are you looking to build a high-end 13th Gen system?
@@ALKtech no problem and yeah I’m going for the 13900k cpu. For me on Amazon the msi one is cheaper than asus but both are high end enough for the desired cpu. I know asus is technically top dog but I was wondering if msi is like second best or something like that also if msi is a good company so if something were to happen to the motherboard I can take it back and I’ll know it’ll be fixed. If that makes sense because some companies tend to do people over.
@@ALKtech also in terms of Asus, the motherboard I was considering was the z790 gaming wifi e
@@shqd0w411 Sweet! Are you gonna get a RTX 4090 with the 13900K too?
That said, I get where you're coming from - I'm from Singapore, and warranty issues are taken care of by the local distributors here that have been in the biz for many years, so RMAs tend not to be an issue at all. Whereas in other countries, I suppose the RMA process might involve sending the boards back directly to the manufacturer for claims...and that process could involve a certain measure of luck I guess!
@@ALKtech oh ok and no I have a 3090 ti FE right now but plan on upgrading that’s why I need a good cpu and motherboard ahead of time. I’m from the United States and I don’t really know all that stuff in terms of warranties, return policies, etc so I just try to go for companies with the best reputation as I don’t have a brand preference between asus and msi after researching specs on both motherboards I’ve learned that both are identical also differences is price and that the gaming Wi-Fi e supports up to 7800mhz of RAM whereas the carbon Wi-Fi supports 7600mhz and since there both high end I’ll just likely go with msi. Also it seems also everyone uses asus anyway so it’ll be nice to be different 🙂
Is there a motherboard you suggest for i9 13th 4090 and ram of 16x4 6000mhz
It really depends on your budget for a motherboard and whether or not you'll appreciate high-end features such as a premium audio codec, beefier VRMs for overclocking purposes etc. On the lower end of things, you could even look at the MSI PRO Z790-P WIFI, or ASUS PRIME Z790-P WIFI as some examples of "budget" Z790 boards, or if money is no object, the CARBON in this video could do just fine!
@@ALKtech money is not the issue I just want my 4 rams too work at 6000mhz speed
So if you use the PCE 5.0 m2 slot your GPU will be affected? That sounds super dumb.
Chipset design limitations 😅it's just cause the Z790 doesn't have dedicated PCIe 5.0 lanes for M.2 drives...a feature we'll probably see with Intel's future 14th Gen chipset offerings.
Im looking for good MB for me PRE-build Acer orion predator 5000 po5-640 PC. And on Acer forums everyone is suggesting Z690 MSI MPG. But on European Amazons this Z790 MSi MPG Carbon and Z690 MSI MPG EDGE WIFI card cost ALMOST the same with 30$ differences. Is this card somehow better? I don't understand the differences. They are both capable of 13gen Intel cores and both can OC RAM speeds. Its insane how much information a simple user has to gather to make a right choice.
The Z790 is a refresh of the Z690 - to be honest the differences tend to be minimal between boards powered by both chipsets. In fact, both the Z690 and Z790 will support Intel's upcoming 14th Gen processors too, so if I were in your situation, getting the cheaper board (which I assume is the Z690) wouldn't be a bad choice at all.
Out of curiosity though, why are you upgrading the motherboard of your prebuilt? From what I see of its specs, it seems to have an i7-12700 which is on the LGA1700 socket. Are you upgrading so that you can swap out your processor for a 13th Gen or even 14th Gen?
@@ALKtech The motherboard on Acer Predator PO5-640 is H670 . Its i7-12700 LGA1700 correct. But I really want to make it future proof for 13 & 14gen processors + everyone on Acer community suggest to change motherboard because it lacks some on board USB connectors for Water cooling. And I really want to get a Corsair Liquid AIO that actually requires that on board USB connectors. MSI MPG 690 or Z790 has everything thats required. Also this motherboard allows OC. And stock Acer Predator motherboard doesn't. So this motherboard is suggested on Acer forums. Z690 MSI MPG EDGE WIFI is the most suggested MB there.
@@TesGon I see. Personally, I think upgrading from a 12th Gen to 13th Gen may not represent the best value in terms of how much additional performance you're gonna get. Depending on how the latest 14th Gen processors are going to be like in terms of pricing and performance, going straight to 14th Gen might be your best bet, if you're intending to press on and get a MSI Z690/Z790 board. My two cents!
Super😀
Does the thumb drive have the drivers on it or did they just give it to you do it yourself😂 ive had both happen
It should come with drivers and MSI utilities on it - at least that's what the motherboard manual says - I didn't get to plug the drive in to verify for myself 😂
Does It Support 2 graphic card (msi rtx 4090)
It will support dual graphics cards, though my take is that the PCIe lane configuration wouldn't be the best, seeing as the other full-length PCIe 4.0 slot operates at x4 speed. You might want to look at boards that come with dual PCIe x16 slots that operate at x8 speeds each (e.g. high-end AM5 motherboards) instead!
@@ALKtech Thanks Radhe 🌸
why is this a bt 5.2 board while the specs online say 5.3
The WIFI module that comes with this board supports Bluetooth 5.3 according to MSI's website - not sure what do you mean by this being a BT 5.2 board?
I Like
at 7:00 so if i have a gen 5 NVME in that slot my GPU would have half the lanes available to it? Why would you do this?
The Z790 chipset doesn't have native Gen5 support, so Intel's given board manufacturers the option of "including" NVMe Gen 5 support by sharing bandwidth with the 16 PCIe 5.0 lanes meant for the graphics card. In this case, MSI's opted to exercise this option to sorta give end-users more flexibility in choosing what they want I guess!
@@ALKtech Thank you for your quick and concise reply! Just to confirm my suspicions, if a gen 4 is used in that slot it would not effect bandwidth? The amount of options for z790 motherboards is giving me headaches!
@@youmayknowmeas2an it would actually, as long as there's a NVMe drive installed in the Gen 5 M.2 slot, regardless of whether it's a Gen 4 or 5 SSD, the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a graphics card would have it's bandwidth cut to PCIe 5.0 x8 instead...
If you're gonna be getting this board, I'd recommend installing your drives in the non Gen 5 M.2 slots!
I've not built a pc for over 10 years and I'm so out of touch lol
In a nutshell, DDR5 is becoming more mainstream as DDR4 works its way out, we've got the AMD Ryzen 7000 series on the AM5 socket, and Intel's 13th Generation Raptor Lake as the processor offerings today, and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4000 series squaring it off with AMD's Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs. How's that for a 10s summary on the state of the PC hardware world today 😂
Apart from the above, it's pretty much still the same old plonk-everything-onto-the-mobo, and fire it right up kinda thing!
This seems like Unify + Carbon united, but where it fails is the ram support, should be DDR5 7600, but on the QVL there is nothing above 7200. I feel this board being $500 is priced too high, its not truly a unify, imo this is a $399 mobo, for a very close price I would go with Aorus Tachyon or shelling $200 more for the Asus APEX.
MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI does support DDR5 7600 RAM though. Look it up on PC Part Picker :)
website shows it have 2 usb 3.2 type A connector?
Are you referring to front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A connectivity? If so, the board has 1x front panel header that supports up to two front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports.