Motherboards - Page 2

All the latest motherboard news, with everything related to new boards from AMD & Intel, new BIOS/UEFI, and upcoming products - Page 2.

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ASRock Z890 Taichi AQUA motherboard - USB-C only, detachable VRM, and M.2 water block

Kosta Andreadis | Oct 15, 2024 3:07 AM CDT

With Intel unveiling its new Intel Core Ultra 200S desktop processors and Arrow Lake's imminent arrival, we've also seen an onslaught of new motherboards for the new Z890 chipset announced. Multiple impressive boards are coming; however, the new ASRock Z890 Taichi AQUA might just be the one to turn a few heads - especially when you look at the rear IO and its features.

ASRock Z890 Taichi AQUA motherboard - USB-C only, detachable VRM, and M.2 water block

ASRock says that with this board, you've got "plenty of Type-C," but if you glance at the rear IO panel, you'll notice that it's exclusively USB Type-C with ten ports available - including dual Thunderbolt 4 ports. By not including even one or two traditional USB Type-A ports, this is a deliberate design choice by ASRock and one that is impressive. Type-C is the future, after all.

The front IO or case supports up to four USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A connections, so there is some support if you need one. Standing out from the pack doesn't stop with USB Type-C; the ASRock Z890 Taichi AQUA has another trick up its sleeve.

Continue reading: ASRock Z890 Taichi AQUA motherboard - USB-C only, detachable VRM, and M.2 water block (full post)

MSI's new fleet of Z890 motherboards go official with style and grace

Jak Connor | Oct 10, 2024 10:14 AM CDT

MSI is ready for Intel's upcoming new generation of desktop CPUs, which will be released under the moniker Arrow Lake.

MSI's new fleet of Z890 motherboards go official with style and grace

MSI has revealed its highly anticipated lineup of new Z890 motherboards that come with support for Intel's Arrow Lake desktop CPUs, which have seemingly already had some of their performance benchmarks leaked online. By the time this article has gone live, more performance benchmarks will likely be online as we are nearing the official launch of Intel's new chips. As for MSI's upcoming range of boards, MSI invited me for a behind-the-scenes tour of its motherboard manufacturing factory in Shenzhen, China, where it was making some of the boards detailed below.

MSI had its main four boards on display at its press event: the Pro Z890-A Wi-Fi, the MPG Z890 Edge Ti Wi-Fi, the MPG Z890 Carbon Wi-Fi, the MEG Z890 Ace, and the MAG Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi. Each of the boards offers unique aesthetics and functionality, but all come ready for Intel's Arrow Lake CPUs. Additionally, each of the boards will come with Thunderbolt 4 support that will enable fast data transfer speeds. Moreover, the improvements to connectivity and additional power to the board via an extra 8-pin connector enable charging up to 60W on some boards, which is especially helpful for users that have multiple devices such as laptops, smartphones, power banks and tablets.

Continue reading: MSI's new fleet of Z890 motherboards go official with style and grace (full post)

You'll achieve full Wi-Fi 7 speeds of 5.8 Gbps with MSI's new Z890 Arrow Lake motherboards

Kosta Andreadis | Oct 10, 2024 10:03 AM CDT

Not all Wi-Fi is the same; most of us know this well. Regardless of the underlying internet speed and whether or not you're connected to fiber or Starlink up in the sky, device speed can vary dramatically. The new Wi-Fi 7 standard is a game changer for wireless speeds and how it handles multiple connections, but many early Wi-Fi 7 devices were kind of Wi-Fi 7 in name only.

You'll achieve full Wi-Fi 7 speeds of 5.8 Gbps with MSI's new Z890 Arrow Lake motherboards

With the arrival of next-gen Intel Core Ultra 200 Series CPUs and a new range of Z890 motherboards, the latest chipset not only adds high-speed USB4 and all manner of support for PCIe Gen 5 storage and other goodies but also sees a shift to Wi-Fi 7 - supported by the always impressive Intel KiLLER network technology.

As much flack as Intel has received in recent months for the issues surrounding its Raptor Lake CPUs, production and foundry delays, and other things - Intel's network technology, whether its Ethernet or Wi-Fi, has remained rock solid. And when it comes to Wi-Fi 7 in the new range of Z890 motherboards for Arrow Lake processors - you're looking at full Wi-Fi 7 speeds and bandwidth.

Continue reading: You'll achieve full Wi-Fi 7 speeds of 5.8 Gbps with MSI's new Z890 Arrow Lake motherboards (full post)

MSI's Z890 motherboards have reinforced aluminum PCIe slots for next-gen graphics cards

Kosta Andreadis | Oct 10, 2024 9:46 AM CDT

MSI has a pretty impressive line-up of motherboards for Intel's new Core Ultra 200 Series CPUs - from the high-end MEG Z890 ACE to the stylish PRO Z890-A WIFI and the PC gamer-focused MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI and MPG Z890 CARBON WIFI.

MSI's Z890 motherboards have reinforced aluminum PCIe slots for next-gen graphics cards

In addition to supporting new chips, they come equipped with advanced full-speed Wi-Fi 7, multiple M.2 storage slots that include support for PCIe Gen5, and more USB ports than you'd think possible. With more and more desktop PCs being used for generative AI workloads, some models, like the new MPG Z890 CARBON WIFI, even support installing multiple graphics cards.

Outside of AI, desktop graphics cards for PC gaming - especially on the high end - have only gotten bigger in recent years. They have triple slots or higher thickness, lengths extending beyond the motherboard's end, chunky heatsinks, and three fans as standard. MSI, and other board makers for that matter, have noted and are factoring the larger size, weight, and power consumption into their new motherboard designs.

Continue reading: MSI's Z890 motherboards have reinforced aluminum PCIe slots for next-gen graphics cards (full post)

MSI's new Z890 motherboards have an additional 8-pin PCIe power connection, here's why

Kosta Andreadis | Oct 10, 2024 9:31 AM CDT

Recently, when pictures of new 2024 motherboards for new CPUs began to appear online, many noticed the addition of a new 8-pin PCIe power connection on the bottom of specific boards. Located on the opposite end of the main motherboard and CPU power plugin, this led to speculation about what it could be for.

MSI's new Z890 motherboards have an additional 8-pin PCIe power connection, here's why

Is it for the upcoming release of the GeForce RTX 5090 and GeForce RTX 5080? NVIDIA's next-gen flagship graphics cards are rumored (from multiple credible sources) to require 600W and 400W of power, respectively. Or, is it to compensate for the dramatic increase in CPU power consumption in recent years - precisely, on the Intel side of the fence?

The answer is yes, no, all of the above, and more. During a recent visit to MSI's factory in Shenzhen, China, where we saw MEG Z890 ACE, PRO Z890-A WIFI, MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI, and MPG Z890 CARBON WIFI, we asked one of the company's leading engineers and designers about the new connector to find out what it's used for.

Continue reading: MSI's new Z890 motherboards have an additional 8-pin PCIe power connection, here's why (full post)

MSI Click BIOS X is the company's revamped UI for Intel Core Ultra and AMD motherboards

Kosta Andreadis | Oct 10, 2024 9:14 AM CDT

This year, AMD and Intel have announced and released their next-gen desktop CPUs with the new Ryzen 9000 Series and Intel Core Ultra (Series 2). New processors mean new chipsets, in this case, Intel Z890 and AMD X870, and countless new motherboards hitting retail shelves as we close the year.

MSI Click BIOS X is the company's revamped UI for Intel Core Ultra and AMD motherboards

During a recent tour of MSI's impressive factory in Shenzhen, China, where we saw Intel Z890 motherboards being produced at a mind-boggling scale, we got to go hands-on with a few Intel Core Ultra 200 builds with MSI's new boards. New CPUs and new motherboards are always exciting, but when you throw in a brand-new, modern BIOS redesign - it all feels 'next-gen.'

MSI is calling its revamped, redesigned, and overhauled BIOS interface and UI the Click BIOS X system. We went hands-on with two systems: an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU and MEG Z890 ACE motherboard and an Intel Core Ultra 5 245K CPU and MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboard.

Continue reading: MSI Click BIOS X is the company's revamped UI for Intel Core Ultra and AMD motherboards (full post)

MSI teases absolute monster Z890 GODLIKE motherboard ready for Intel Arrow Lake

Jak Connor | Oct 10, 2024 9:05 AM CDT

Enthusiast-level gaming motherboards can arguably be some of the most impressive pieces of technology within a PC, especially when considering the motherboard is responsible for the correct communication between components, power regulation, etc.

MSI teases absolute monster Z890 GODLIKE motherboard ready for Intel Arrow Lake

MSI has been at the forefront of impressive enthusiast-level gaming motherboards for quite some time, and right at the top of the company's offerings is its GODLIKE series. Likely picked up in the name, the GODLIKE series is meant to have as many bells and whistles as a motherboard possibly can, and just like the Z790, the upcoming Z890 has followed suit with some substantial improvements.

The Z890 GODLIKE, which currently doesn't have an official release date, but I can confirm will be launched sometime in Q4, has expanded storage capabilities with support for up to 6x M.2 (2x Gen5 + 4x Gen4) and 4x SATA 6Gbp/s. Moreover, the Z890 GODLIKE has expanded on its connectivity offerings, with support for 2x USB 3.2 20G (1x Rear Type-C / 1x Front Type-C PD60W), an insane 13x USB 3.2 10G ports (8x Rear Type-A + 5x Rear Type-C), 4x USB 3.2 5G (4x Front Type-A), and 4x USB 2.0 (4x Front Type-A). Comparatively, the Z890 GODLIKE has 23 USB ports, compared to the Z790 GODLIKE's 18.

Continue reading: MSI teases absolute monster Z890 GODLIKE motherboard ready for Intel Arrow Lake (full post)

NZXT reveals its new N9 X870E motherboard: ready for Zen 5, launches in 2025

Anthony Garreffa | Oct 1, 2024 2:45 AM CDT

NZXT's last motherboard was the older-gen, mid-range B650E motherboard but the company has just teased its upcoming N9 X870E motherboard that will be dropping in 2025... ready for those new Ryzen 9000X3D processors.

NZXT reveals its new N9 X870E motherboard: ready for Zen 5, launches in 2025

The new NZXT N9 X870E motherboard features the AM5 socket of course, with 20+2+1 VRM and an 8-layer PCB with 110A Smart Power Stage, which is a big upgrade from the 16+2+1 and 90A design that NZXT's former B650E motherboard had. The upcoming N9 X870E motherboard also supports DDR5-8000+ memory, but we don't know what the maximum ceiling is on high-speed DDR5 memory on this mobo just yet.

On the connectivity side, NZXT provides Wi-Fi 7 and 5GbE ethernet, which is another upgrade from the Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5GbE on the former board. You can install 4 x M.2 SSDs (one of them Gen5, the other three are Gen4).

Continue reading: NZXT reveals its new N9 X870E motherboard: ready for Zen 5, launches in 2025 (full post)

ASRock unleashes its Zen 5-ready X870 and X870 motherboards: led by the X870E Taichi

Anthony Garreffa | Sep 30, 2024 11:22 PM CDT

ASRock has just unleashed its new family of X870E + X870 motherboards, ready for AMD's new Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 series CPUs... and led by the gorgeous new ASRock X870E Taichi motherboard. Check it out:

ASRock unleashes its Zen 5-ready X870 and X870 motherboards: led by the X870E Taichi

Each and every one of ASRock's new X870E + X870 motherboards features PCIe Gen5 GPU and Blazing M.2 (Gen5x4) SSD ports, as well as dual USB4 Type-C ports on the rear I/O for external connectivity at extreme speeds. The company uses a DIY-friendly approach with EZ release graphics card slot, and a tool-less M.2 heatsink installation.

ASRock even provides an additional heatsink pre-installed under the M.2 SSD, which can significantly reduce PCI-Express Gen-5 SSD temperatures to help prevent thermal throttling. All motherboards include the BIOS Flashback function, accessible via the rear I/O, allowing for effortless BIOS updates even without the CPU and memory installed.

Continue reading: ASRock unleashes its Zen 5-ready X870 and X870 motherboards: led by the X870E Taichi (full post)

ASUS next-gen ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme motherboard spotted at US retailer for $1100+

Anthony Garreffa | Sep 29, 2024 3:43 PM CDT

ASUS is preparing some expensive new flagship Z890 motherboards, with a US retailer listing Z890 motherboards from ASUS including the flagship ROG Maximus Z890 EXTREME motherboard costing over $1100.

ASUS next-gen ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme motherboard spotted at US retailer for $1100+

The company will have 10 models of new Z890 motherboards: with the flagship ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme, ROG Maximus Z890 Apex, ROG Maximus Z890 Hero, ROG Strix AZ890-A Gaming, ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi, and the ROG Strix Z890-E.

Starting with the flagship ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme motherboard which is listed with retailer HSSL for $1111.87, priced at around $100 more than its predecessor in the ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme. Under that, we've got the ROG Z890 Apex motherboard priced at $812.29, which is almost $200 more than its predecessor which launched for $649.99.

Continue reading: ASUS next-gen ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme motherboard spotted at US retailer for $1100+ (full post)

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