Board Layout

So we finally get to the really exciting bit, the MEG Z390 GODLIKE itself. The board is large, being an E-ATX form factor, and even with the extra real estate, there is still absolutely no unused space. The PCB is a matte black, while the heatsinks and accents are a brushed gunmetal or black. "MSI" is printed on the northern most heatsink, with "Godlike" printed on the shroud over the rear I/O. An RGB LED "MEG" sits just below the socket.

The back of the MEG Z390 GODLIKE is also black, broken only by the socket backplate and the many screws for the board's heatsinks and shrouds. There are some warnings against misplaced case standoffs and a few certifications, but the real magic is all in the front. I can unequivocally say this is the coolest board I've ever had my hands on.


The CPU socket has enough room to accommodate most coolers, but really large air coolers could be an issue. The heatsinks look great, and there are no less than five fan headers adjacent to the socket. The four DIMM slots which sit in their typical spot to the right of the socket are reinforced with metal in a dark chrome finish, another feature I have not seen before that I really like.


There are three M.2 slots on the MEG Z390 GODLIKE (not including the MSI Xpander-Z), and all three feature double-sided, heavy duty heatsinks which are branded as "M.2 shield frozr". So not only is there a heatsink over the slot, there is one under each slot as well, with three thermal pads for each to ensure proper spacing for contact on both sides. The MEG Z390 GODLIKE M.2 solution is above and beyond anything I have seen up to now, and that doesn't even account for the PCI expansion card.


Speaking of PCI express, the MEG Z390 GODLIKE includes four metal-reinforced PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots and one PCI Express 3.0 x1 slot. The board features six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, all angled 90 degrees from the board, as well as a steel-armored U.2 port which supports PCI Express 3.0 x4 NVME storage. The second M.2 slot, U.2 port, and SATA ports do all share the bandwidth.


Coming back to those little extras that set this board apart, the shroud over the VRM heatsink has a large Infinity Mirror RGB LED zone, and not only is there a postcode display, but also a small OLED screen that can display pre-programmed stats and messages, or be custom-coded.


The onboard buttons go above and beyond as well. Not only are power and reset buttons present, but a Gaming Boost overclocking dial which can actually be turned to eleven has also been included.


The MEG Z390 GODLIKE features an attractive, pre-installed rear I/O cover, a feature I would love to see more often. Other notable inclusions are a 6.3 mm headphone jack, dual LAN ports, and "clear CMOS" and "Bios flashback" buttons. Notably absent are any video outputs, which is quite a bold move from MSI. The full list includes:

• 1x "clear CMOS" button
• 1x "BIOS Flashback" button
• 2x Antenna ports
• 1x PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo connector
• 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports
• 3x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports
• 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
• 2x RJ-45 LAN ports
• 1x Optical SPDIF out port
• 5x 3.5 mm audio jacks
• 1x 6.3 mm stereo headphone jack

LAN on the MEG Z390 GODLIKE is handled by a pair of Killer E2500 Gigabit controllers, while the Wi-Fi is powered by a Killer 1550 chipset.