The AMD X570 Motherboard Overview: Over 35+ Motherboards Analyzed
by Gavin Bonshor on July 9, 2019 8:00 AM ESTMSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon WIFI
The MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon WIFI marks a shift from the company offering two versions of the same model: one with Wi-Fi and one without - this board is only available with Wi-Fi, This model represents its top tier gaming focused model, and its notable features include two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec, Intel Gigabit NIC, and a Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax wireless interface.
On the aesthetic of the MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon WIFI motherboard, it includes a black carbon inspired design with a uniformed X570 chipset heatsink with the two M.2 heatsinks fitting in well with the rest of the board. Both the PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots include their own individual M.2 heatshield and the Frozr chipset heatsink which includes a fan which means the X570 chipset is actively cooled. In the top right-hand corner of the PCB is four RAM slots with support for up to DDR4-4400 with up to 128 GB of capacity. In addition to the two PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, MSI has also included six SATA ports; four with right-angled connectors, and two straight-angled located directly below the chipset heatsink. Included are two full-length PCIe 4.0 slots which operate at x16 and x8/x4 which allows users to use two way AMD CrossFire multi-graphics configurations. There are also two additional PCIe 3.0 x1 slots.
MSI is using Intel's new AX200 802.11ax Wi-Fi adapter with speeds capable of up to 2.4 Gbps and antenna ports are included on the rear panel. The rear panel also includes three USB 3.1 G2 Type-A, one USB 3.1 G2 Type-C, two USB 3.1 G1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0 ports. Also on the rear panel is an HDMI video output for users looking to install a Ryzen based APU, a PS/2 combo port and a BIOS flashback button. This is in addition to an Intel I211-AT Gigabit NIC controlling the single Ethernet port.
The MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon WIFI has an MSRP of $259 which puts it right into the mid-range market segment. With a range of features, an integrated Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax wireless interface and a neutral aesthetic, it looks pretty good. The only niggle is that other vendors for the same price are implementing better NICs such as Realtek's RTL8125 2.5 Gigabit NIC and based on that, other models could make more appeal. The MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon, however, is a no-frills and no fuss option for gamers to sink their teeth into.
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TheUnhandledException - Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - link
Why on the last page would you label a section "3 or MORE M.2 Slots". I looked up all the boards in the section to find the one with four slots. All of the boards listed have exactly three m.2 slots. It isn't 3 or more m.2 slots. It is three m.2 slots.Sychonut - Thursday, July 11, 2019 - link
Great job Gavin!! This is impressive.umano - Thursday, July 11, 2019 - link
Can't wait for the new threadripper platformbinkleym - Thursday, July 11, 2019 - link
Given that several motherboards are having to remove features (RAID, graphical BIOS, user profiles) from the BIOS in order to fit the AGESA for Zen 2, it would be nice if motherboard reviews would start mentioning the size of the BIOS, so we can easily discern which motherboards are designed to be future-proof, and which ones are nickel'd and dime'd into early obsolescence.ballsystemlord - Thursday, July 11, 2019 - link
Spelling and grammar corrections (I did not read the descriptions of all the MBs):"...with that link consuming 4 dedicated anes from each chip."
Missing "l":
"...with that link consuming 4 dedicated lanes from each chip."
"Notably motherboard vendors have said that the upcoming 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X was the baseline for which the new VRM designs were validated against."
Missing comma:
"Notably, motherboard vendors have said that the upcoming 16-core Ryzen 9 3950X was the baseline for which the new VRM designs were validated against."
ballsystemlord - Thursday, July 11, 2019 - link
@Gavin Could you guys start adding a column of boards that have 6 or more PCI(e) slots, it seems that they've been getting fewer and fewer since M.2 came out?Thanks!
ballsystemlord - Thursday, July 11, 2019 - link
I mean total slots. Not any particular size.stux - Thursday, July 11, 2019 - link
In your “if you want thunderbolt 3” section, you really should mention the ASRock Creator. Otherwise the choices are water cooling specialist limited edition or ITX.peevee - Friday, July 12, 2019 - link
Why "DDR4 support" and "memory channels" are listed in the chipset table? These are CPU features, not chipset features.BerserkZodd - Saturday, July 13, 2019 - link
I ordered an X570 Steel Legend and a MP600 Gen4 PCIe M2 drive. My motherboard is still being shipped but it looks like the heatsink that goes over top of the M2 slots is one big piece, meaning my very expensive m2 drive wouldnt fit under that. Can anyone confirm if that is in fact one giant heat sink or does the M2 part come off separate.