Finished Looks

Installing the block is a straightforward affair. Simply cut the thermal pads to size with a pair of scissors, apply the provided thermal paste to your installed CPU and then mount the block with the provided hardware. Be sure to use the provided plastic washers for all screws to prevent damage to the board.


The MSI MPG Z490 Carbon EK X really starts to shine once the RGB LEDs come into play. The large monoblock is the perfect platform for a robust RGB LED implementation.

Test System

G.SKILL generously provided their excellent Trident Z Neo kit. Along with the new hardware, I will be implementing a new testing standard. Moving forward, I will be testing new platforms with XMP enabled.