Final Thoughts
Pricing
This motherboard is one of the more premium gaming motherboard options on the market in the Z370 range. MSI has put a lot of effort into the design, as well as a lot of features, and that is reflected by a slightly higher than average price tag. At around £190 here in the UK, I still think it is very competitive, as you do pay a little more, but you do get more regarding features that help justify the price tag.
Overview
There have been a lot of impressive motherboards with this launch, several of which have come from MSI. The new Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon AC hasn’t been the fastest motherboard we’ve tested to date, but it sure as heck hasn’t been the slowest. Concerning price to performance ratios for this platform, we think that it’s priced very competitively for what it delivers. It should be a big hit with those building high-performance gaming systems and workstations.
Performance
The performance is indeed impressive on this motherboard, and there are no concerns in that department. However, where this motherboard excels is regarding its connectivity. With dual M.2, armored PCIe, armoured dvr4, plenty of USB and other connections to suit your needs. You should have no issues with putting together a comprehensive system.
Great Design
How these features have been integrated also stands out from the crowd, with one of the best motherboard designs we’ve seen so far. This especially applies to the rear I/O guard and the shroud that forms part of the heat sinks around the motherboard VRM and power delivery hardware. It’s a unique design and one that is subtle yet still catches the eye. Combine that with mostly black hardware on the motherboard, throw in a little bit of RGB lighting, and you’ve got all the starting of a great looking system build.
There are cheaper motherboards on the market for Intel’s 8th generation processors, and there are certainly more expensive. However, if you’re looking for a motherboard that still delivers many of the features of the higher end models, and incredible performance, then MSI new Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard can give you what you need for a comparatively competitive price.
Pros
- Great performance
- Stylish design
- Armored PCIe Slots
- Armored DDR4 Slots
- M.2 with heatsink
- Optane Ready
- RGB Lighting
- Carbon decals
- Great audio
- Built-in I/O shroud
- Competitive price vs performance
Cons
- No onboard power controls
