MSI MPG Z590 CARBON EK X Motherboard Review

How Much Does it Cost?

Coming in with an MSRP of $499.99, the MPG Z590 CARBON EK X has a lot to offer for the price. You are getting a feature-rich mid-range motherboard with a VRM/CPU monoblock, and it also comes with an EK leak tester! While this may not be a top-tier motherboard, it has plenty to offer, and the real-world performance is similar to most other Z590 boards we have seen. The fact that you get the motherboard, monoblock and leak tester makes this bundle really great value for the money.

Overview

Users looking to go with a full custom water-cooled loop in their PC will find the simplicity of the MPG Z590 CARBON EK X to be rather enjoyable. Again, it comes with a monoblock and leak tester in the box, so the need to source those elsewhere is negated. This means you can spend more time and money on the things that matter, like actually trying to find a GPU at non-scalper prices, which is near impossible these days. The MPG Z590 CARBON EK X also has loads of features to ensure you are getting the most performance from your system possible. PCIe Gen4, 2.5G LAN, WiFi 6e and more USB ports than you can shake a stick at will allow users as much performance and control over their system as possible. The MPG Z590 CARBON EK X can also keep up with the performance of more higher-tiered motherboards, so no need to worry there, either.

Build Quality & Design

The MPG Z590 CARBON EK X is designed for water cooling, and as such, it has to be comprised of quality components, and it is! While it isn’t their best board, MSI has still made sure the MPG Z590 CARBON EK X is a board that offers good quality. It has all of the features we would expect to see on a Z590 board except for maybe dual LAN ports! It also has plenty of cooling options, coming with the EK monoblock and M.2 shield FROZR on all M.2 slots. It also has a 6-layer PCB that comes with a 2oz thickened copper layer that helps with dissipating heat and making sure the board performs as best it can; especially when overclocking.

Performance

As with all our motherboards, we ran all our tests on stock settings for better comparison results. The MPG Z590 CARBON EK X faired well across the charts and wasn’t far off from the rest. The one thing to remember is this board is designed to be water-cooled and as such, will also likely be used to overclock other components. The MPG Z590 CARBON EK X has extra power inputs and extensive cooling to allow for further overclocks which will equate to even more performance when everything is said and done. In terms of performance at stocks settings, we are talking a few FPS either way when it comes to most Z590 boards we have tested which isn’t really anything to be concerned about.

Added Value

If it wasn’t blatantly obvious by this point, the MPG Z590 CARBON EK X comes with a VRM/CPU monoblock and an EK leak tester. I mean, that adds quite a bit of value, especially when you consider what a monoblock normally costs on its own. The motherboard on its own goes for about $350 at the moment. This means essentially that you are getting a monoblock and leak tester from EKWB for about $150! If that’s not added value on top of all the other features and performance, then I don’t know what is! Oh yes, I know what else is added value, it comes with a €/$50 voucher in the box as well for your next purchase from www.ekwb.com/shop

Or way of adding a bit of value for you guys is to include our coupon for you to use! First come first served!

If you are looking to make the jump to Z590 and are looking to water cool your build, the MPG Z590 CARBON EK X will be a great option for you. The money saved by getting the monoblock and leak tester with the motherboard can be better spent on other water cooling equipment or a better GPU/SSD or even just saved for another day. The MPG Z590 CARBON EK X offers great performance and comprises quality components, and will undoubtedly be a great addition to your next build!