MSI MEG Z490 GODLIKE Gaming Motherboard (E-ATX, 10th Gen Intel Core, LGA 1200 Socket, DDR4, SLI/CF, Triple M.2 Slots, Thunderbolt 3 Type-C, Wi-Fi 6, Mystic Light RGB)

I build a PC about once every 5 years. I figure that makes the investment of cash worth the technology upgrade. The PC / media server I built in 2015 is still a monster gaming machine, it can run most games on maximum, but with the new rtx video cards coming out and the new VR HMDs bound to follow, I figured it was time for a new machine.I got this motherboard along with an intel i9-10900k and 64 gb of gskill ripjaw V 3600mhz RAM. It cost a fortune, Ill be eating cereal next week (or month) but IT BLOWS AWAY my other gaming computer (that one that runs game graphics on max). I benchmarked the new board and cpu and it ranked on the top of the cpuid list. It is as of this review, in a class of its own.This motherboard is on a whole different level than my evga z97 classified board. Five years ago that board cost me nearly as much, that board still goes for $200 used on ebay. That board is childs play compared to this one.I assembled my new PC, booted it up, and immediately went into bios. 60 seconds later I set my PC to boot from the Samsung 970 evo plus nvme ssd (that i installed in 1 of the 3 native nvme slots on the board) AND I overclocked my RAM to 3600mhz (mind you I've never overclocked anything before)(I clicked on a RAM icon, clicked on an XMP icon and it was done).The BIOs on this board had so much info available, yet it is displayed in such a way so that even though I never really messed with BIOs before, I knew what to do and I did what needed to be done quickly. I set all 10 fan headers (yes the board has 10 different headers) to PWM , rebooted the machine and installed windows. 30 minutes later windows 10 pro was installed. 35 minutes after booting the PC for the 1st time, the board was configured and a fresh fully updated install of windows was running.This is an expensive board. Im a programmer and I play the occasional video game, but its probably more board than I need. Having said that, it is quality and it is future proof. I have no doubt that 5 years from now Ill be struggling with the decision once again as to whether or not I even need to build a new PC. Once again I expect the answer to be no, and once again I expect Ill build a new one anyways.

This is a great MB with some future proofing. It is a bit pricey. But, I had the money and thought about going cheaper for the socket 1200 z490. But the features makes it worth it I think. Comes with a m2 nvme riser card so you can add terabytes of data without taking the heat sinks off the board.Only complaint - is (was) supposed to come with spacers for m2 memory. Mine did not. I had to get them elsewhere. Not sure why I was missing the spacers, but not worth contacting MSI about it. I'd have to pull the thing apart at this point to solve an issue that I've already solved.As for other things, I never contacted MSI support, so I don't know if they are good at customer support. The Bios upgrade worked perfect - it comes with a bootable USB 8GB memory. You can store data on it or whatever.Oh, also comes with a key chain. Ah. Yeah. To be honest, Id have rathered a sticker or something. But that is probably just me.

The media could not be loaded. This motherboard has all the bells and whistles! Monitoring or adjusting CPU clock speeds, Ram, system fans, or RGB lighting is made easy through the Dragon Center software. You can either overclock in the bios or automatically/manually adjust system settings through the Dragon Center software in Windows. Its everything you need in one easy to navigate place, controlling CPU, Ram, RGB lighting, fan speeds, network, gaming modes, and more! As you can see by my video/photo, I've incorporated tons of RGB lighting in my case. The options for RGB are insane! MSI thought of every possible configuration and added support for them ALL. Speaking of support, MSI customer support is fantastic! I was quickly connected to the staff when I called with a minor question and was treated like a valued customer which was greatly appreciated! Bottom line, For those who want the best performance, latest gen tech, sturdy construction, great support, and an attractive MB to boot, then the MSI Z490 Godlike MB is definitely for you!

I purchased one of these boards and was so blown away that I upgraded my wife's computer with the same board the next week. Yes, they are a little pricey but to me worth every penny. It is not only beautiful, but has every option you can think of. They have both been working flawlessly for over 8 months now and I have never been able to throttle anything on this board no matter what game I play on it. Do yourself a favor and spend a little extra and you won't be sorry.