MSI MEG Z890 Godlike Motherboard Review

Early in this review I talked about motherboard trends and how they tend to change based on current market trends and ideas taken from others.  The last MSI MEG Godlike motherboard I reviewed was back with the original X99 Godlike that introduced RGB lights along with the workstation power of the LGA2011.  Since then, the MSI Godlike has remained a halo product in the MSI motherboard lineup pushing the boundaries when it comes to included features.

In this review we took an indepth look at the MSI MEG Z890 Godlike motherboard.  This board is built on the Intel Z890 chipset supporting Intel Core Ultra processors and DDR5 memory.  In terms of motherboard features it is very similar to the Z890 MEG ACE with a few additions to help set it apart. 

For me I was most impressed with the EZ Bridge as it was a self contained module supporting a software controlled LCD screen and a number of sensor connections for monitoring different parts of your build.  The EZ Bridge is tool-less using magnets to hold it in place.  One of my biggest complaints about the Z890 MEG Godlike was the EZ Bridge and how it may have added a bunch of new connections it also limited the number of PWM Fan headers and required that you use the Fan Control Hub to run more than three fans.  Using fan hubs is quite common with modern builds but having just enough headers for a basic AIO build is rather short-sighted given that you need at least one more header to control your case fans.

In addition to the EZ Bridge you also get expansion cards for Thunderbolt and two more M.2 NVME drives.  I find these to be great accessories as they complement the motherboard while providing a reason for the available expansion slots

The system BIOS was a bit boring when it comes to overall design, the screens were rather dark and the navigation could have been improved.  Despite this, the available features were in very logical locations allowing me to quickly learn where certain features were located.  I’ve never been a fan of the “Favorites” menu but, I can easily see how promoting certain common features to “Favorites” can be a benefit with the MSI UEFI.

Onboard features such as the FROZR VRM cooling system and EZ latch system are great additions and go a long way to ensure system stability and ease of use.  ARGB lighting is very subtle and quite tasteful.  Of course, for ARGB zealots you can find plenty of 3-pin headers scattered around the motherboard to expand your lighting options.

Overall, I really enjoyed using the Z980 MEG Godlike, it preformed extremely well and offered some “help” when it came to the various BIOS settings required to overclock the system.  The motherboard and processor fully supported the Patriot Xtreme 5 8200MT/s memory and ran flawless, even when an overclock settings failed.  I also found the MSI MEG Z890 Godlike software much easier to use when compared to the ASUS ROG Maximus Extreme.  The Extreme is another high-end motherboard with an LCD screen and similar features.  Though from a software standpoint, it is extremely bad whereas the MSI Mystic software seems to be fully baked with some extremely good options available.

Unlocked CPU Support
DDR5 Loves to Overclock
Support for eight M.2 Slots
PCI Express 5.0
Excellent Industrial Design
Unified Design
Onboard LCD with Custom Software

UEFI is dark
Super subtle LED lighting
Questionable default performance
Limited PWM fan options
EZ-Bridge features seem to be unfinished