MSI MPG Z590 Carbon EK X (11th Gen) Review

Nate

on Mar 30th, 2021,

in Motherboards.

Manufacturer: MSI

Audio Quality »

Finished Looks

Installing the block is a straightforward affair. Simply cut the thermal pads to size with a pair of scissors and apply the provided thermal paste to your installed CPU before mounting 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 Z590 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

Test System
Processor:	Intel Core i9-10900K 5.3 GHz (maximum Boost clock), 20 MB Cache Intel Core i9-11900K 5.3 GHz (maximum Boost clock), 16 MB Cache
Memory:	2x 8 GB DDR4 3600 MHz G.SKILL Trident Z Neo F4-3600C16Q-32GTZN
Cooling:	Custom loop: Swiftech Apogee SKF LT block, Bitspower SC6 pump, and 360 mm radiator
BIOS Version:	1.2
Graphics Card:	EVGA RTX 2080 FTW3 Ultra
Harddisk:	1x Crucial MX500 500 GB SATA 6 Gb/s SSD (OS) 1x Crucial P1 1000 GB NVMe SSD (data) 1x Crucial P1 1000 GB NVMe SSD (external I/O testing)
Power Supply:	Seasonic Titanium 1000 W
Case:	Primochill Praxis Wetbench
Software:	Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, NVIDIA GeForce 452.06 WHQL

For 11th Gen testing, I have left the board at its default settings except to enable XMP. Notably, I have left the "Gear" setting on auto. Most boards ran my 3600 MHz kit in Gear 1 (synchronous) mode, but a few ran in Gear 2 (1:2) mode.