MSI MEG Z890 Godlike Motherboard Review

When designing an ultra high-end motherboard there is often a quest to include new and exciting features which are not normally available in the market.  Some of these features are intended to increase performance while others might only be decorative in nature.  Either way, this gives buyers the chance to check boxes when comparing products to ensure they are getting the best deal or making “informed” product decisions.

For example, back when SLI was relevant many high end motherboards included PCI Express switches so they could support multiple graphics cards and 3-way and 4-way SLI setups.  MSI even offered a proper Extended ATX motherboard that would accommodate larger GPU coolers and still allow room for proper airflow.  These days things like multi GPU support has fallen out of favor pushing motherboard makers to invent new things to integrate into their designs with LCD screens being the new ARGB.

In this review we will be looking at the MSI MEG Z890 Godlike.  As the name suggests this is an Intel Z890 enabled motherboard supporting the new LGA1851 Core Ultra line of processors.  While these new CPUs are quite different from previous editions they are still very capable and come with some rather amazing memory support.

• Support Intel^® Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) for LGA 1851 socket
• Supports DDR5 Memory, Dual Channel DDR5 9200+ MT/s (OC)
• Dynamic Dashboard III: A 3.99-inch LCD for real-time hardware monitoring, troubleshooting, BIOS updates, and personalized display options, enhancing the overall user experience.
• M.2 XPANDER-Z SLIDER GEN5: The one-slot-thick M.2 expansion card features dual high-speed Gen5 M.2 slots, and the EZ Slide design makes SSD upgrades effortless.
• THUNDERBOLTM5: The Thunderbolt 5 accessory card features dual Thunderbolt 5 ports, delivering up to 160Gbps of total bandwidth and up to 27W of rapid power delivery for charging.
• Ultra Performance: 26+2+1+1 Duet Rail Power System, 110A SPS, OC Engine, dual 8-pin CPU power connectors, Core Boost, Memory Boost, 10-layer PCB made by 2oz thickened copper and server-grade level material.
• Frozr Guard: Wavy fin design, Direct Touch Cross Heat-pipe, MOSFET Baseplate, 9W/mK thermal pads, Double-Sided M.2 Shield Frozr and Frozr AI software ensure the utmost performance with low temperature.
• EZ DIY: EZ Link, EZ PCIe Release, EZ Magnetic M.2 Shield Frozr II, EZ M.2 Clip II and EZ Antenna.
• Ultra Connect: Dual Thunderbolt™ 4 ports, 10G LAN + 5G LAN, and Full-speed Intel^® Killer™ Wi-Fi 7 Solution - The latest solution for professional and multimedia use, delivering secure, stable, and high-speed networking and data transmission.
• Lightning Fast Game Experience: PCIe 5.0 slots, Total 8x M.2 Connectors with Lightning Gen 5 Solution, Front USB 20G with 60W USB Power Delivery.
• Audio Boost 5 HD: Ultimate audio solution with latest premium ALC4082 audio processor combining ESS audio DAC and amplifier deliver the breathtaking experience.

Chipset INTEL Z890

CPU Intel Core Ultra Processors LGA 1851

Memory 4x DDR5 UDIMM, Maximum Memory Capacity 256GB Max Overclock 9200+ MT/s

Onboard Graphics

• 2x Type-C DisplayPort Thunderbolt™ 4 ports
• maximum resolution of 4K@120Hz / 8K@60Hz*

Expansion Slots

• Slot 2x PCI-E x16 slot
• 1x PCI-E x4 slot

Audio   

• Realtek® ALC4082 Codec + ESS9219Q Combo DAC/HPA
• 1-Channel USB High-Performance Audio

Storage

• 6x M.2 with 2x M.2 XPANDER-Z
• 4x SATA 6G
• RAID 0, 1, 5 10 for SATA and NVMe devices

USB

• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 4x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 8x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 5x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C (Front)

LAN

• 1x Marvell® AQC113CS 10Gbps LAN
• 1x Intel® Killer™ E5000B 5G LAN

WiFi / BT

• Intel® Killer™ BE1750x Wi-Fi 7

PCB Info E-ATX 277mmx304.8mm