Review: MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Carbon WiFi

by Tarinder Sandhu on 1 June 2020, 14:01

Tags: MSI, Intel (NASDAQ:INTC)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qaeli2

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Test Setup

Comparison Configurations

Model
Firmware Version
E7C73IMS.123
1302
Price
£260
£430
Chipset
Intel Z490
AMD X570
CPU
Intel Core i9-10900K
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
CPU Cores / Threads
10 / 20
12 / 24
CPU Base Clock / Turbo
3.7GHz / 5.2GHz
2.9GHz / 4.3GHz
CPU TDP
125W
105W
Memory
G.Skill Trident Z DDR4-3200
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-4800 (OC)
Memory Speed
DDR4-2933
DDR4-3200
Memory Timings
14-14-14-34-2T
Graphics
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti FE (445.87)
Primary Storage Device
Corsair MP600 1TB PCIe 4.0
Secondary Storage Device
Corsair MP600 2TB PCIe 4.0
CPU cooling
Noctua NH-D15S single fan
Power Supply
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 (1,000W)
Operating System
Windows 10 v1909 (64-bit)

Benchmark Suite

CPU Benchmarks
HEXUS PiFast Our number-crunching benchmark stresses a single core by calculating Pi to 10m places
Cinebench Release 20 Using Cinebench's multi-CPU render, this cross-platform benchmark stresses all cores
Blender 2.82 Running the Classroom benchmark
Storage Benchmarks
CrystalDiskMark Free-to-use benchmark testing sequential storage performance.
Memory Benchmarks
AIDA64 Benchmark that accurately depicts memory bandwidth and latency
System Benchmarks
3DMark Time Spy DX12 graphics benchmark run using the Time Spy test
PCMark 10 System test using the standard preset
Civilization VI: Gathering Storm AI benchmark run at FHD to determine CPU involvement
Gaming Benchmarks
Civilization VI: Gathering Storm 1,920x1,080 ultra settings
Far Cry New Dawn 1,920x1,080 ultra settings
Shadow of the Tomb Raider 1,920x1,080 highest settings
Miscellaneous Benchmarks
Power Consumption To emulate real-world usage scenarios, we record system-wide mains power draw when idle, when rendering via Blender and while playing SOTTR

Notes

For our first review of an Z490 motherboard, we're comparing against an equivalent AMD platform with respect to cost. The Ryzen 9 3900X sports two more cores, four more threads, though a lower peak and sustained frequency. It's also about £100 cheaper than the street price of the Core i9-10900K.

Balancing matters somewhat, we have chosen to go with a more expensive X570 board. Point is, both board and CPU combinations are likely to cost around £800, so it's a fair premium comparison for those looking at the foundations of a throughly decent DIY build.