MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi Review

The MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi is a top-end solution for those building a high-performance gaming PC with Intel’s Core Ultra CPUs. Offering a 20+1+1+1 VRM power phase design and supporting RAM overclocking up to 9200MT/s, this board focuses on pushing clock speeds. There’s ample storage space, five M.2 slots, a mass of DIY-friendly features to simplify the building process, and solid connectivity options to connect all your favourite peripherals and storage devices. To see what kind of value the Z890 Carbon WiFi offers, we’ve put it through the wringer with plenty of testing and analysis, comparing it against the previous generation offering.

MSI ‘Carbon’ motherboards have always been incredibly popular due to their solid feature sets and competitive pricing. With the refined features of the LGA1851 platform, the MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi has only become more compelling. This motherboard’s overclocking potential is impressive compared to other boards at a similar price point.

As with all of our motherboard reviews, we’ll examine the MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi’s specs, connectivity, expansion options, and features to determine whether it’s a worthwhile purchase.

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Specification

Compared to the MSI MPG Z790 Carbon WiFi II, the Z890 Carbon WiFi has some pretty significant changes regarding overclocking. RAM on the Z890 Carbon WiFi supports a max capacity of 256GB clocked at 9200MT/s, compared to the 7800MT/s cap on the Z890 Carbon WiFi II. CPU overclocking has also seen a nice bump up to a 20+1+1+1 configuration versus the 19+1+1 design on its Z790 counterpart. This allows enthusiasts to push the Core Ultra CPUs to high clock speeds.

Regarding expansion, the MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi features two Gen5 graphics card slots. If both slots are engaged, the primary slot supports full x16 or x8 speeds. This is ideal for those with a dual-GPU setup or for builders looking to add extra storage or USBs. There are five SSD slots on the storage front, one Gen5 and four Gen4. It would be great to see an extra Gen5 slot. However, compared to Z790 boards, we’re happy to see the inclusion of even one Gen5 drive slot.

The front USB ports have remained the same between generations. The MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi features two USB 2.0 headers, two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A headers, and one USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C header. Ultimately, it would be great if this board featured an additional USB 2.0 header, as more fans and coolers use this to interface with the PC, but two will be ample for most builders.

The rear IO is where this motherboard thrives compared to its Z790 counterpart. The MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi features two Thunderbolt4 Type-C ports, ten USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, and a single USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port. Audio, like the other top-end MSI motherboards we’ve reviewed, is somewhat limited, offering only two 3.5mm audio jacks and an optical S/PDIF port, which is a slight downgrade compared to the Z790 Carbon WiFi.

Regarding network connections, this motherboard offers a solid selection to choose from. It features WiFi 7, which offers blazing-fast speeds and stability for those with a supporting router. Additionally, there are two LAN ports, one 2.5 Gigabit and one 5 Gigabit. Neither the ACE nor the UNIFY-X motherboards feature a dual LAN solution, so seeing this on a slightly cheaper motherboard is excellent.

What’s in the Box?

Before we examine the MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi’s design and aesthetic, it’s worth briefly discussing the box accessories. Manufacturers generally include gadgets and additional cables to streamline the PC building process.

The first significant accessory found inside the box is the WiFi 7 antenna. This can be plugged in to extend the range. However, the connection to the rear IO has changed compared to a WiFi 6E antenna. These use snap-in connections instead of screws, which makes it easier to install or remove.

The remaining accessories inside the box are helpful but not crucial for a PC build to function. For example, MSI has included a blank USB drive. This USB can be used for anything, but we recommend installing Windows as a media tool or drivers for this motherboard.

You’ll also find an EZ M.2 Clip and the clip remover. These are handy if you want to install any M.2 storage drives without any tools. The remover, as you’ve probably guessed, is a tool that allows you to remove these clips from the board.

Lastly, there is a range of extra cables designed to make the PC building process more straightforward. There are two RGB extension cables, one 3-pin ARGB and one 4-pin RGB. There are two SATA cables for those with older SATA-based storage, a front panel cable designed to avoid the hassle of plugging in individual front panel pins, and the EZ Connect cable (JAF1), which streamlines fan power and RGB through one header.

MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi Design

Moving onto the design and aesthetic, the MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi looks similar to its Z790 counterpart. The Z890 Carbon WiFi is black across the PCB and the heatsinks, prioritising a darker theme. Both heatsinks that cover the SSDs are entirely tool-less and are held in by latches on the left-hand side. It’s great to see the inclusion of more tool-less heatsinks as this saves the hassle of having to screw things down, which can be a pain if you’ve got plenty of M.2 drives.

Much like the MEG Z890 UNIFY-X, the Z890 Carbon WiFi’s aesthetic is simplistic. This board aims to offer solid performance at a competitive price, so the overall aesthetic won’t blow you away compared to other motherboards. Despite this, I think the Z890 Carbon WiFi offers a solid design. The colouring is consistent, there’s some customisable RGB lighting on top of the rear IO heatsink, and it’s nice to see plenty of PCB coverage with the heatsinks.

Areas of the heatsinks feature a carbon-fibre look, which adds some nice contrast to the motherboard. It’s great to see that all of the SSD slots have some heatsink coverage. Cheaper motherboards often sacrifice heatsink space to save on costs, but this isn’t true on the Z890 Carbon WiFi.

Overall, I think the design of the Z890 Carbon WiFi is solid. It isn’t as sleek or sophisticated as a board like the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z890 HERO, but its simple aesthetic is decent. I’m a big fan of the tool-less slots and the contrasting carbon-fibre look on some heatsinks. While this motherboard would benefit from more RGB as a performance-focused option, this isn’t a deal-breaker.

Connectivity Options

Graphics Card Slots

The MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi features three graphics card slots. The top two are Gen5, and the third is Gen4. The first slot on the board utilises the EZ GPU mechanism, which can lock the card in place with a button on the right-hand side of the board. Offering dual Gen5 GPU slots is a solid feature, especially for those looking to build a gaming/workstation hybrid PC with plenty of expansion cards.

At the bottom of the Z890 Carbon WiFi, you’ll also find the PCI-E supplemental power connector. This header offers more power delivery for those pushing GPUs with more burdensome workloads.

M.2 Slots

This motherboard has five M.2 SSD slots: one Gen5 and four Gen4. The Gen5 slot is at the top, underneath the small heatsink, which can be removed by pushing in the latch. The remaining four are located underneath the larger heatsink that spans the width of the motherboard.

All five M.2 slots on this motherboard use the M.2 clip, which allows the drives to click into place without any screws needed. I’m a big fan of this tool-less feature, and MSI looks to be using it across all of their Z890 motherboards.

RAM DIMMs

The Z890 Carbon WiFi uses a standard RAM configuration. It supports a max capacity of 256GB DDR5, and RAM can be overclocked up to 9200MT/s. There are four DIMM slots, compared to the two on the UNIFY-X, and the slots themselves use one push tab, making them easier to install.

Rear IO

The Z890 Carbon WiFi’s rear IO is one element that makes it a particularly standout option. It has thirteen ports, all of which are high-speed, with no USB 2.0 ports in sight. There’s dual LAN (5 Gigabit and 2.5 Gigabit) catering to those with a home server or advanced networking setup, and WiFi 7 is also an option for those with a supporting router. I’m glad to see the addition of optical S/PDIF out, but I’d prefer more 3.5mm audio jacks, which would open up options for enthusiasts with media interfaces.

Internal Headers

CPU and Motherboard Power

As expected, the Z890 Carbon WiFi’s motherboard power configuration matches the universal standard found on other boards. On the right side of the motherboard, you’ll find a 24-pin power connector between the Q-Code LED and the JAF1 header.

CPU power is just above the RAM DIMMs. The MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi uses two 8-pin EPS connectors, which are standard across all Z890 motherboards we’ve reviewed. We recommend plugging both of these in if you plan on overclocking.

Front USB Headers & SATA

Underneath the heatsink on the right-hand side of the motherboard are USB-C and USB 3.0. The two USB 3.2 Ge n1 headers support up to four ports, while the USB Type-C header is limited to a maximum of two ports. SATA power is also located here, just to the left of the bottom USB 3.2 Gen1 header. There are four SATA data ports, which is ample for those with 2.5″ or 3.5″ SATA drives.

Below the Gen4 x16 slot are two USB 2.0 headers. Again, these support up to four ports. Ideally, we’d like an extra header or two for those with more advanced fans or cooling setups, but two is fine for most builders.

Pump and Fan Headers

The MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi offers a solid selection of headers. At the top, there are three 4-pin PWM headers. The closest to the CPU power connectors is ‘CPU_Fan’. The white header is a pump/Sys fan combo header, and the second black connector is another system fan header.

The final three fan headers line the bottom of the PCB. There are five ‘Sys_Fan’ headers, three at the bottom and two at the top, which is more than ample to provide plenty of cooling support for your build.

RGB Headers

Regarding RGB support, there are three 3-pin addressable RGB headers and one 4-pin non-addressable header. The non-addressable header sits at the bottom left of the board, and the first addressable one sits slightly to the right of it. The second is located towards the bottom right of the PCB. You’ll find the final one at the top right of the board, near the CPU_Fan connector.

Ultimately, it would be nice to see more RGB headers on the MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi, but three seems standard across most motherboards and will be enough for most builders.

Building with the MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi

The MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi is a simple motherboard that streamlines the building process. Every Z890 board we’ve reviewed features a range of tool-less sockets and slots that make assembling a PC incredibly simple. The click latches for SSDs, for example, don’t require a screwdriver and allow you to add or remove an M.2 drive with minimal hassle.

It’s a slight shame that this motherboard doesn’t feature a backplate, as this can help reduce nicks and cuts when putting parts together, especially when installing a motherboard inside a case. However, this isn’t a deal-breaker for us, and in our experience with this motherboard, it was straightforward to build with.

Features We Like

Solid Overclocking Capabilities

Much like the MEG Z890 UNIFY-X and MEG Z890 ACE, the MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi is built for overclocking. It offers a robust VRM power phase design to sustain a solid boost clock speed, and the RAM can also be overclocked to 9200MT/s, which was unheard of until the release of Z890 motherboards. Therefore, this board is a worthwhile pickup for enthusiasts.

Solid USB Port Selection

The MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi’s rear IO is unique. With thirteen high-speed ports, this board is well-equipped to support a range of peripherals or large file transfers with external drives.

Features We Don’t Like

Limited Audio Options

Unfortunately, one of the downgrades compared to the previous generation Z790 version of this board is that there are fewer audio ports. While this won’t be crucial to everyone, it restricts options for those with complex speaker setups or audio interfaces.

Doesn’t Feature a Backplate

It’s a shame this motherboard doesn’t have a backplate. Motherboard backplates provide a more premium look and feel to the board and extra stability while minimising the risk of accidentally cutting yourself during a PC build. This is a feature we’d like to see more of on more affordable board like the Z890 Carbon WiFi.

MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi

Product Name: MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi

Brand: MSI

• Features
• Design
• Performance
• Value For Money

4.3

Summary

The MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi is a solid board that successfully builds upon previous designs with a more refined set of features. There are some similarities between the MPG Z790 Carbon WiFi II and MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi, but generally speaking, some significant differences generationally make the Z890 version worth considering. Namely, the overclocking support features high VRM power phases and RAM overclocking capabilities. Additionally, there’s a considerable amount of M.2 SSD storage space and high-speed USB ports.

The most significant caveat to consider is the audio selection more than anything else. This is one of the more affordable high-end motherboards on the market, but as a top-end option, we expect there to be more IO options that cater to a broader range of prospective buyers. Additionally, the lack of a motherboard backplate does make this board slightly more complicated to build with, which may be a deal-breaker if you’re constantly switching boards around.

Pros

✅ Overclocking performance

✅ Rear USB ports

✅ Solid storage expansion

Cons

❌ No motherboard backplate

❌ Restrictive audio options

❌ Simple design