MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI Motherboard Review

There are a lot of great new motherboards launching today, and you might have noticed that we have at least nine reviews going live all at the same time today. However, it's the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI I've been looking forward to the most today, as it looks like a really well-made gaming motherboard. Sure, it's not quite as extreme as some of the boards we've got today, and far from the flagship board from MSI, but at the same time, it looks like a sweet spot between cost and features that is sure to appeal to those building a high-end gaming PC. It features support for all of the AM5 CPUs, such as the AMD Ryzen 7000, 8000 and of course, 9000 series. Plus, it comes with a very potent 18+2+1 VRM configuration with 110A SPS, making it one of the best-equipped motherboards for this chipset when it comes to power delivery and overclocking. You get a plethora of MSI technologies too, such as their Lightning Gen5 technology for the PCIe and M.2 storage, Ultra Connect networking with 5G, 2.5G, WiFi7 and USB4 technologies, and their EZ release systems, and Shield Frozr II cooling technology. All tuned to deliver even better performance, and that should hopefully give it a performance edge over the competition, and of course, other MSI models further down the price range. MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI With its more feature-packed power delivery setup, this will surely be a punchy motherboard and will be able to overclocker hardware, maintain boost clocks longer, and generally stand up to being pushed to the limits for extended periods. The larger VRM cooling and armour aren't just for show, allowing the board to deal with the more intense workloads without compromising performance. Or, at least, that's how it should work, we'll be putting the VRM through their paces later in this review. Key Features 18+2+1 DRPS / 110A SPS Lightning Gen5 slots & M.2 support Ultra Connect 5G 2.5G LAN Wi-Fi 7 USB4 EZ PCIe Release EZ Magnetic M.2 Shield Frozr II For more information, please visit the official product page here. Memory Support Memory support is impressive, offering up incredible speeds for these new CPUs, however, which generation of CPU you use will have some impact on the memory capabilities as you might expect, but typically they're all over 8000 MHz. What MSI Had to Say Introducing the MSI AMD AM5 series motherboards for the X870E/X870 chipset, featuring the MEG, MPG, MAG, and PRO series. Engineered to pair seamlessly with the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 and 7000X3D series processors, these motherboards harness the power of AI-driven technology to deliver the best in performance and efficiency. Whether you’re a gamer, content creator, or power user, the MSI AM5 series offers the best in cutting-edge features and intelligent solutions to elevate your computing experience to the next level. AMD 800 Series Chipset While this review cycle we'll be focusing on the X870E series of motherboards, of course, there's going to be more to this series, with the X870E being the flagship models, the X870 below that, and then the B850 and the B840 being the more affordable models below those, but with some obvious compromises on the features, giving us a range of options for normal PC users, gamers, overclockers and enthusiasts. Ryzen 9 9950X For these reviews, we'll be using the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 series CPU, and while we haven't actually reviewed this CPU on its own, of course, we'll be exploring the Ryzen 9 9950X performance through these motherboard reviews. We did a feature testing Windows 32H2 Vs 24H2 on YouTube recently, which you can check out here. 16 cores and 32 threads Up to 5.7 GHz max boost clock 64 MB of L3 cache Supports DDR5 memory up to 2x1R DDR5-5600 or 4x1R DDR5-3600 Requires AM5 socket motherboard Includes Precision Boost Overdrive and Curve Optimizer Voltage Offsets technology Unlocked for overclocking Supports PCIe 5.0 Packaging The box looks great, with an angled close up of the motherboard, so you can see the VRM and main heatsinks, and there are a few labels detailing some key features, such as the Ultra Connect for LAN/WiFi. Around the back, there's another photo of the motherboard, where we can see the whole design, including the rear I/O. There's a full run down of every port and connection for the motherboard, as well as key features such as EZ PCIe Release, Lightning Gen 5, etc. A Closer Look MSI has gone above and beyond with the aesthetics of their latest Carbon motherboard, although in fairness, all the previous Carbon boards were pretty handsome too. There's a range of huge heatsinks all finished in jet black, on a black PCB, with all black fittings throughout. There are only a few touches of silver from the socket and PCIe slots, but largely, they'll be hidden once you've installed your hardware anyway, giving it a nearly all-black design. There's an ARGB dragon and ARGB Carbon logo on here too, which you can turn off or have any colour you like, so that's a nice little touch. However, aesthetics aside, there's a very impressive 18+2+1 Digital VRM design here, which puts it firmly into the enthusiast overclocking bracket, so maxing out any of the latest CPUs should be a breeze. There is a dedicated heatsink from the primary Gen5 M.2, and it comes with MSI's EZ M.2 CLIP II mounting system for easy installation. There are also large heatsinks over the bottom half of the board, under which you'll find even more M.2 mounts, as well as an upgraded PCH heatsink to ensure everything is running optimally. Around the back, you get plenty of ultra-fast connectivity, with the latest USB4 Type-C technology, both 2.5 GbE and 5 GbE LAN, as well as WiFi7. I love that they've included three control buttons too, for Bios Flash, CMOS, and a programmable Smart Button that can be configured in the BIOS. VRM Analysis The MSI MPG X870E CARBON WIFI is a premium ATX motherboard designed to meet the demands of high-performance computing. It features an 8-layer PCB that enhances signal integrity and power delivery, making it well-suited for intensive workloads. With an impressive 18+2+1 phase design, this motherboard provides a robust foundation for handling high-end CPUs and extensive multitasking. At the heart of the VRM is the Renesas RAA229620 PWM controller, which efficiently manages the 18 Vcore phases and 2 SOC phases, ensuring stable power delivery even under heavy loads. This controller is renowned for its reliability and performance in demanding scenarios, making it an excellent choice for creators and gamers alike. The Vcore and SOC phases utilize Renesas RAA2209004 Smart Power Stages (SPS) rated at 110A each. These power stages are designed for high efficiency and thermal performance, allowing for clean and stable voltage regulation. This configuration offers ample headroom for overclocking and ensures that power delivery remains consistent, even during extreme workloads. For the miscellaneous phases, MSI has opted for the ALPHA & OMEGA AOZ5516QI DrMOS, rated at 55A. This choice integrates the high- and low-side MOSFETs along with the driver IC into a single package, reducing board space and enhancing thermal efficiency. The DrMOS design contributes to improved power management, ensuring that the motherboard maintains optimal performance across various tasks, from gaming to content creation. Overall, the MSI MPG X870E CARBON WIFI combines advanced technology and robust components, making it an excellent choice for users seeking a high-performance motherboard that can handle demanding applications while providing stability and longevity. BIOS Screenshots MSI has gone all out with their BIOS on these new motherboards, and while we only have one to show you right now, we have seen others on our recent trip to China (more on that later). They've completely redesigned the interface, and it's about time too, as I didn't like the way they tabbed the pages before. This is much easier to understand, much easier to find everything you need, and there seem to be a lot more options in general. Plus, they're all really detailed and colourful, with each motherboard having a colour-matched BIOS. I can't wait till we get more of their motherboards in so we can really dive into what they've done across the range with their BIOS, so stay tuned for more information on those! 3DMark Timespy 3DMark Time Spy is a popular benchmark focused on evaluating DirectX 12 performance. It simulates a demanding gaming scenario, stressing both your CPU and GPU with complex graphics and physics calculations. The benchmark renders a detailed scene featuring advanced lighting, shadows, and particle effects, providing a realistic representation of modern game visuals. 3DMark is available on Steam here. 3DMark CPU Benchmark 3DMark CPU Benchmark is a tool designed to measure CPU performance across various scenarios. Instead of providing a single score, it runs multiple tests using different numbers of threads (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and maximum available) to see how well your CPU scales with increasing workload. This helps to gauge performance not only for modern games utilizing many cores, but also older titles and tasks like 3D rendering. The results give a comprehensive overview of your CPU's capabilities under different loads, aiding in comparisons, overclocking decisions, and understanding potential bottlenecks. Available now on Steam. PCMark 10 Express PCMark 10 Express is a shorter benchmark that focuses on basic home PC use. It includes the Essentials and Productivity test groups. It is less demanding than the main PCMark 10 benchmark. The Essentials test group covers the common tasks that people do every day with their PCs, such as web browsing, video conferencing, and app start-up time. The Productivity test group measures system performance with everyday office applications, such as writing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Available now on Steam. Cinebench R23 Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 23 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user. Available now on Maxon. Cinebench 2024 Cinebench 2024 is a cross-platform benchmarking tool used to evaluate both CPU and GPU performance. Unlike previous versions which focused solely on CPU, it now leverages Maxon's Redshift rendering engine to assess a system's capability for handling demanding 3D tasks. It provides scores for both single-core and multi-core CPU performance, as well as a separate GPU score, making it a comprehensive solution for understanding your system's overall rendering capabilities. Available now on Maxon. Blender 4.2.0 Blender 4.2.0 is a powerful, open-source 3D creation suite, not a benchmarking tool itself. It excels in tasks like 3D modelling, sculpting, animation, texturing, shading, lighting, simulation, rendering, video editing, and compositing. While it doesn't provide a benchmark score, you can use Blender to indirectly benchmark your system by measuring render times for complex scenes. This can give you a sense of how well your hardware handles demanding 3D workloads. Available now from blender.org Super PI 2.1 Super PI is a single-threaded benchmark that calculates pi to a specific number of digits. It uses the Gauss-Legendre algorithm and is a Windows port of a program used by Yasumasa Kanada in 1995 to compute pi to 232 digits. Available now on Super PI. Wprime 2.11 wPrime 2.11 is a multi-threaded benchmark tool designed to stress-test your CPU by performing complex calculations. It specifically focuses on evaluating your CPU's ability to handle heavy multi-core workloads, making it useful for overclockers, system builders, and anyone looking to gauge their CPU's performance under demanding conditions. The benchmark calculates square roots using the Newton method, providing results for both 32 million and 1024 million iterations, testing different levels of computational intensity. It offers both single-threaded and multi-threaded modes, allowing you to see how well your CPU scales with additional cores. Available now from WPrime. Y-Cruncher Y-Cruncher is a specialized benchmarking tool designed to measure the computational power of your system by calculating the mathematical constant Pi (π) to trillions of digits. It's a multi-threaded application, leveraging the full capabilities of modern multi-core processors and large amounts of RAM. Y-Cruncher is often used by enthusiasts and overclockers to stress-test their systems, assess stability, and compare performance with other configurations. While it doesn't directly measure gaming or 3D rendering performance, its focus on heavy computational tasks makes it a good indicator of a system's raw number-crunching abilities, particularly for memory-intensive operations. Available now from numberworld.org. AIDA64 AIDA64 memory benchmark is a feature of AIDA64, a system information and diagnostics software. It measures the bandwidth and latency of the CPU caches and the system memory by performing various read, write, copy, and latency tests. It uses different instruction set extensions and optimizations depending on the processor and memory type. It also supports multi-threading, multi-processor, and multi-core systems. You can use it to compare your system performance with others, test its stability and reliability, and optimize it for better performance. Available now on AIDA64. Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG set in the megalopolis of Night City, where you play as a cyberpunk mercenary wrapped up in a do-or-die fight for survival. Improved and featuring all-new free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades. The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be? Available now on Steam. F1 23 Be the last to brake in EA SPORTS™ F1® 23, the official video game of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship™. A new chapter in the thrilling “Braking Point” story mode delivers high-speed drama and heated rivalries. Available now on Steam. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered Developed by Insomniac Games in collaboration with Marvel, and optimized for PC by Nixxes Software, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC introduces an experienced Peter Parker who’s fighting big crime and iconic villains in Marvel’s New York. At the same time, he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of Marvel’s New York rests upon his shoulders. Available now on Steam. The Riftbreaker The Riftbreaker is a base-building, survival game with Action-RPG elements. You are an elite scientist/commando inside an advanced Mecha-Suit capable of dimensional rift travel. Hack & slash countless enemies. Build up your base, collect samples and research new inventions to survive. Available now on Steam. Shadow of the Tomb Raider Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be. Available now on Steam. In the fast-paced world of today, every second counts. That's why we put each motherboard through its paces, measuring the time it takes to boot into Windows. A speedy boot time means less waiting and more doing. We've meticulously timed each motherboard's startup process, from pressing the power button to reaching the Windows desktop. Boot Time Power Consumption Power consumption on motherboards is important because it affects the stability and performance of the system, especially when overclocking or using high-end components. The power consumption of a motherboard depends on its features, the type of voltage regulator, integrated chipsets and modules, and BIOS power-saving features. VRM Performance When it comes to testing VRM performance, there are multiple ways to do it including using the likes of HWiNFO to measure what the sensor tells you, or to use K-Type probes, or to get a better, well-rounded picture, you can use both, which is exactly what we've done here today. All of these motherboards were tested in the same room with the same probe configuration with the ambient temperature controlled at 23c for consistency in the results. First, the VRM temperature was taken at idle, with one probe on the upper VRMs and one probe to the side of the CPU A third reading was taken using the built-in sensor on the motherboard via HwiNFO. We then leave the system sitting on the desktop for 10 minutes to settle before taking our idle readings on both HWiNFO and the probes. After this, we wanted to simulate a worst-case scenario using Prime95 with small FFTs to generate the most heat, as well as Cinebench 2024 to simulate more common, real-world usage. We run each test for an hour, along with letting the temperatures to settle down between each test. You will find that the software reading from the sensor will vary quite wildly in areas, and this is down to the sensor location for one, and if the sensor is reporting the internal temperature instead, which based on our testing and the sensor data generally reading higher, that is the case. When we look at our table, we can see that every board did exceptionally well with nothing hitting over 70 degrees Celsius, with our highest result coming from the X870-I Gaming WiFi Mini-ITX board at Degrees on the sensor temperature, while our highest probe temperature was 68.8 Degrees from probe 1 on the same board during our Prime95 hour long run but as it is such a small board, that's pretty much expected. Given that VRMs (Voltage Regulator Modules) behave similarly to CPUs and GPUs regarding heat generation and dissipation, it's crucial to manage their temperatures effectively. Operating temperatures above 100°C can lead to long-term damage or failure. Typically, a safe operating range for VRMs is between 70°C and 90°C, but this could result in CPU performance throttling to reduce the temperatures to safer levels. however, it’s best to keep them below 70°C for optimal performance and longevity. All the boards tested here fall within these safe ranges, so that’s a big thumbs up for their thermal management. How Much Does It Cost? Keep in mind that the X870 chipset is the flagship chipset for the new motherboards, so all of these are regarded as high-end motherboards. However, there are of course more affordable X870 and more premium X870 motherboards in this launch, with the largest variance being increased VRM, which is paired with larger VRM cooling solutions, which increases the price. The number of M.2 mounts, USB ports, and networking, for example, will all increase the price too. Unfortunately, we don't have UK pricing for these boards at the time of writing but will update that with retail links as soon as they're available sometime after we publish these reviews. If these are too expensive for you, there will be more affordable B-series motherboards coming, but we suspect these will be revealed at CES 2025 and launch in Q1 2025, if you can wait that long, if not, then the X-series boards are clearly some of the best options right now for those building an AMD focused build. More X870 Motherboards This is a major chipset launch for AMD, so there are dozens of new X870 motherboards hitting the market today. Of course, we've been very busy testing 9 of them for you, and they're all linked below, so if the one in this review isn't quite meeting your needs, there's plenty more to choose from! Largely, all being the same chipset, with the same AMD 9950X CPU being used for our testing, we expect the majority of the benchmarks to be broadly the same, with perhaps small differences in some of them. Largely, the price and performance of each motherboard are dictated by the additional features. Such as more PCIe slots, more M.2 mounts in Gen3, Gen4, or Gen5, more high-speed USB ports, more cooling hardware, etc. Largely, we recommend buying a motherboard that meets your current component requirements, with a little overhead for future upgrades; a spare M.2 slot for example. ASUS Prime X870-P WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS ProArt X870E-Creator WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero Motherboard [Review] ASUS ROG Strix X870-A Gaming WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS ROG Strix X870-I Gaming WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS ROG STRIX X870E Gaming WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WIFI Motherboard [Review] Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WIFI7 ICE Motherboard [Review] MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI Motherboard [Review] Conclusion Now normally I would say that the MSI Carbon series is well known for being built for enthusiast gamers, creators, and streamers, and this new iteration is no exception but it is. There’s normally a strong focus on extreme performance, with massively upgraded VRM configurations and while it does have that, along with strong, solid components at the heart of it, but sadly it just falls a little flat but there is a saving grace. I’ve been doing this job for years, so I’ve seen every type of result and every type of situation arise, and this to me looks like something is holding it back and that generally isn’t a hardware issue, but instead, is something that should be able to be fixed within the BIOS, so I’ll be discussing things with MSI to see what the deal is there. Beyond performance, as you might expect from a high-end board, the MPG X870E Carbon WIFI makes no compromises on connectivity. With 2.5GbE and 5GbE LAN, it’s well-suited for high-speed home networks, NAS setups, and fibre internet connections. The inclusion of the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard ensures exceptional wireless performance and you also get the latest USB4 technologies, along with plenty of USB ports for all your peripherals and at high-speed too. Designed for Enthusiasts MSI has equipped the board with plenty of M.2 mounts ready for the latest Gen4 and Gen5 drives, complete with large heatsinks for optimal cooling. A more robust PCIe slot design and quick-release controls to further enhance the user experience and for those who like to fine-tune their system, BIOS-level technologies such as Lightning Gen 5 provide extensive options for performance optimizations and all of this is wrapped in a sleek, aesthetically pleasing design that’s become a hallmark of the Carbon series. Should I Buy One? With its blend of high-end features, user-friendly design and stunning looks, the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI is a premium motherboard choice for a wide range of users, from gamers and content creators to overclocking enthusiasts who want the best hardware, the best performance, and lots of quality of life features but the performance side of things is just letting it down, and I honestly don’t think that’s an issue with the board in general. It’s either an issue with our particular board, or something that can be resolved by updating the BIOS, and we will be investigating things a little further, because we test out of the box performance, and these are the numbers we were given by our various pieces of benchmark software and tools, and while it’s not bad, it’s just a little lower than where it should be, and I know that it can do more, and can do better, so let’s see what the future holds for that one because right now, I think I can honestly say, at least on a performance standpoint, there are better boards out there. So that’s going to do it for this one. A bit of a sombre conclusion, but I hope you can see why I came to that decision. If MSI can increase the performance, which based on the team that they have working there, and knowing them personally, I know that they can find the lost performance, and then, I’d be singing from a completely different hymn sheet, but until then, this is where we’re at.