Board Layout

The MSI MEG Z490I Unify features a black and silver PCB with black heatsinks. The whole aesthetic can be summed up as "aggressively neutral," and I like it quite a bit. The Unify will go well with just about any dark build theme out there.


The CPU socket is open enough for most air coolers. The heatsink is large and extends over the rear I/O.


There is a small fan that pulls air in through holes in the rear I/O shield in order to add extra cooling to the Unify's VRM thermal solution.


Despite its small size, there are two M.2 slots on the MSI MEG Z490I Unify; one above the PCIe x16 slot which features a heatsink and another low-profile slot on the back of the board.


The MSI MEG Z490I Unify offers one PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot encased in Steel Armor. This slot does support PCIe 4.0. While this feature is not supported by 10th Gen Intel Core processors, it is expected to be supported in future launches. The board has a total of four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, two on the right edge and two next to the front M.2 slot.


The MSI MEG Z490I Unify has a decent I/O offering considering its ITX form factor that includes an optical S/PDIF out port as well as a Clear CMOS button and a Thunderbolt Type-C port.

• 2x Antenna ports
• 2x USB 2.0 ports
• 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports
• HDMI
• DisplayPort
• 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port
• USB 3.2 Gen2/Intel Thunderbolt Type-C port
• 1x RJ-45 LAN port
• Optical SPDIF out port
• 5x 3.5 mm audio jacks
• Clear CMOS button

Networking on the MSI MEG Z490I Unify is handled by a Realtek RTL8125 for 2.5 Gb/s LAN and an Intel 802.11ax for WiFi support.