MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X Motherboard Review – The Return of The Memory OC Behemoth, 9600 MT/s Tested

MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X Unboxing & Close Up Inspection

The MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front features a picture of the motherboard along with the MSI Dragon logo. The packaging also lists down a few features such as Killer 5 Gigabit LAN, Killer WIFI7, Core Ultra Series 2 support, Z890 chipset, and also includes the "AI Ready" tag.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard such as the 20-phase 110A SPS VRM & Frozr Thermal Design, Ultra Connect Hub, a DIY Friendly Design, and also the ability to achieve world records.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. You get:

• Quick Installation Guide
• Cable Sticker
• Shout out Flyer
• Tuning Controller
• EZ Wi-Fi Antenna
• 4 x EZ M.2 Clip II
• EZ M.2 Clip II Remover
• M.2 Screw / Standoff set
• USB Drive
• 4 x SATA Cables
• 1 to 3 EZ Conn-Cable (V2)
• EZ Front Panel Cable
• 1 to 2 RGB Extension Cable
• ARGB Extension Cable
• 2x Thermistor Cables
• EZ Front panel cable

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With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package.

The MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X motherboard is an ATX offering that measures 244 x 305 mm. The motherboard carries an all-black PCB and color scheme with a few silver accents. The Unify-X is part of the MSI MEG "MSI Enthusiast Gaming" lineup which is aimed at gaming audiences. This is a very enthusiast-positioned motherboard based on its price.

The board uses the LGA 1851 socket to support Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. At launch, the LGA 1851 socket will only support the Arrow Lake CPUs though we can expect a brand new family in the coming years.

Next to the socket are two DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 9600 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage.

The full QVL list can be found here. The motherboard supports 5600 MT/s natively and 6400 MT/s for Arrow Lake K CPUs. The 9600 MT/s apply to 1DCP (1 Rank) configurations.

The MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X motherboard features a Direct 20 phase VRM power delivery that utilizes the Renesas RAA 229131 & RAA 229134 PWM controllers, with 110A SPS power stages which come in the form of Renesas R2209004 (HBD @110A) and RAA 220075R0 (75A). The board comes equipped with a BCLK generator.

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The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the LGA 1851 socket. The board uses an 8-layer NPG-170D server-grade PCB with 2oz Thickened copper in a low-loss design, retaining signal integrity for stable CPU and memory operations. The VCore inductors are all TLVR specs and these offer faster dynamic response and also stabilize voltage during spikes.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from the Frozr heatsinks which come with an extended design.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. Intel's Arrow Lake "Core Ultra 200S" Desktop CPUs can sip up to 250W of power by default.

Coming to the cooling solution, the Extended Frozr heatsink features two aluminum blocks that are connected using a dual heat pipe solution.

Underneath the VRM heatsink are 9W/mK Thermal pads which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink. The backplate also has thermal pads to ensure the best possible thermal performance.

Expansion slots include three full-length PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 / 1 x Gen 5.0 x8 / 1 x Gen 4.0 x4), a single PCIe 4.0 x1 slot and six M.2 slots.

CPU:

• PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU)
• PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x8 (From CPU)

Chipset:

• PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x1 (From Chipset)
• PCI_E4 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset)

The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot which makes use EZ PCIe release mechanism to make installing and removing graphics cards easy.

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The motherboard also has a vast array of M.2 slots, all of which are featured under dedicated M.2 Shield Frozr heatsinks.

One of the larger heatsinks also works as a cover plate for the motherboard's lower portion. It has a black and silver finish with a large MEG logo and underneath, you can find dual-sided thermal pads. You need to remove the plastic sticker from the thermal pads before installing a new SSD for proper heat transfer. The slot comes with an EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II design, making for a toolless design.

The primary M.2 Shield Frozr heatsink is the bigger one and provides better cooling to a Gen5 M.2 SSD. This has the same tooless EZ mechanism. The PCH heatsink features a solid aluminum frame which provides dedicated cooling to the Z890 chipset. There's also a sixth M.2 slot next to the ram slots.

Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X motherboard:

CPU:

• M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
• M.2_6 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
• M.2_4 Source (From CPU+Chipset) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 + PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 22110/2280/2260 devices

Chipset:

• M.2_2 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
• M.2_3 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
• M.2_5 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA mode, supports 2280/2260 devices
• 6x SATA 6G

The Z890 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with a brushed black finish.

The motherboard offers a single RGB accent zone and that's the Dragon emblem on the IO shield which can be customized using the MSI Mystic RGB software.

Storage options include six SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 6 different storage devices at once. These SATA ports are located under the SSD heatsink cover housing. There are also 3 USB 3.2 front panel connectors (4x Gen1 Type-A & 1x Gen2 Type-C ports). 2 USB 3.2 (four ports) front panel connectors are also included.

MSI uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC4080 CODEC. There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard including a DEBUG LED and a Digital DEBUG LED. MSI also features a dedicated 8-pin PEG connector for the PCIe slots which can provide additional juice and reduce the strain on the ATX connector.

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The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.

•  1x Thunderbolt5 card connector(JTBT5, support RTD3)
• 1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR)
• 2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR)
• 1x Power Connector(PCIE_PWR 8pin)
• 1x Front Type-C Quick Charge Connector(PD_PWR1)
• 1x CPU Fan
• 2x Combo Fan (Pump_Sys Fan)
• 4x System Fan
• 1x EZ Conn-header (JAF_2)
• 2x Front Panel (JFP)
• 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
• 1x Water Flow connector
• 1x Slow Mode Booting Jumper(JSLOW)
• 1x Front Audio (JAUD)
• 2x Thermal Sensor connectors(T_SEN)
• 1x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH)
• 3x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
• 1x RGB LED connector(JRGB)
• 1x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0)
• V-check point
• 4x USB 2.0 ports
• 4x USB 5Gbps Type A ports
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C ports

MSI is using the latest WIFI 7 Module to power wireless connectivity with a 320MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single 5 GbE LAN port powered by the Intel Killer E5000B chip.

Furthermore, the rear IO connectors also include three new buttons that are the Flash BIOS, Clear CMOS, and Smart buttons. These are handy tools for tuners and the Smart Button can be used to pre-select a desired setting. The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• USB 10Gbps (Type-A)
• Flash BIOS Button
• Clear CMOS Button
• Smart Button
• 5G LAN
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
• HD Audio Connectors
• USB 10Gbps (Type-C)
• Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps (Type-C)
• USB 10Gbps (Type-C)
• Keyboard / Mouse
• USB 10Gbps (Type-A)
• Optical S/PDIF-Out

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