MSI MEG Z390 Godlike Motherboard Review

How Much Does it Cost?

Sitting comfortably, in a chair that won’t tip backwards? If yes, then keep reading. It’s got an MSRP of £599.99, ouch! A silver lining is that it’s been on the market a few months now, so you can get it for just £514.93 in the UK, but it’s still showing as $599 in the US. You pay a LOT more, but you get a lot more features and bits and bobs in the box, so you’re getting what you pay for. I would stress though, this board isn’t for typical users, it’s only worth it if you plan to use all those features.

Overview

If you haven’t been completely blown off your chair with the price, this really is a fantastic motherboard in every regard. Sure, it delivered some literally record breaking performance in our benchmarks, but then, that was to be expected given its features. If you want a fast motherboard above all else, it certainly fits the bill.

Gaming

This is a bit extreme for a gaming motherboard, when a Gamin Pro Carbon at 1/3rd the price will do the job. However, if you are rocking multiple graphics cards, and want to make use of the brilliant network and the streaming card, it’s certainly an option for those with premium needs and a fat wallet.

Added Value

The performance we tested is really only a small part of this motherboard. It has even more to offer when it comes to connectivity. With triple M.2 NVMe mounts, 6 x SATA ports, U.2, dual USB 3.0, Dual USB 3.1 Type-C, and even more on the rear I/O you’re hardly coming up short. Plus, the M.2 PCIe card adds two more bays should you need even more RAID performance.

If that wasn’t enough, you have class-leading audio performance and connectivity built-in too. If you care about hi-res audio and the built-in high-end headphone amp, this motherboard will put a huge smile on your face.

Then if THAT isn’t enough, you’ve got dual-LAN, and ultra-fast WiFi built in, with the ability to bridge them for added stability. Mystic Light RGB, class-leading VRM configurations, a built-in I/O shield, that awesome OLED display and BIOS LED, armoured DIMM and PCIe lanes… the list just goes on and on.

Should I Buy One

This is easily one of the finest Z390 motherboards on the market today. Unfortunately, MSI know this, and the price reflects it. It’s not cheap, but if you want premium features and performance, they come at a price. I highly recommend the motherboard, albeit only to those who have lofty extreme-PC intentions and no one else.