MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus, Intel Z490 motherboard - socket 1200 [7C75-007R]

Since the "Comet Lake-S" processors require a new socket due to the optimized power supply, the Intel series LGA1200 socket is used on the 400 series mainboards. Despite the increased number of pins, the actual size of the socket remains identical to older sockets, so that CPU coolers for socket LGA 115x can also be mounted on the mainboard.

The features of the MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus motherboard at a glance:
- 2x PCIe (3.0) x16 and 3x PCIe (3.0) x1
- 2x USB 3.1 (1x type A / 1x type C)
- A total of 7x USB 3.0 and 6x USB 2.0 (internal & external)
- 2x M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4) / 6x SATA 6G
- Supports max. 128 GB DDR4 RAM up to 4,800 MHz
- Integrated RGB LED lighting with RGB LED headers
- Fast 2.5 Gbit LAN

The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus in detail
The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus is a motherboard in the ATX form factor and offers two PCIe x16 slots, one of which is connected to the CPU with 16 lanes and one to the chipset with four lanes, as well as two PCIe x1 slots for plug-in and expansion cards. The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus also supports multi-GPU setups via AMD Crossfire / XDMA.

Other features of the mainboard also include a striking cooler design and integrated RGB LED lighting. Additional RGB LED components can be connected and controlled via a 4-pin RGB header (12V) and two digitally addressable 3-pin RGB headers (5V), provided they are compatible with the RGB software of the mainboard.

RAM and drives
Up to 128 GB DDR4 RAM in dual-channel mode can be used in the four DIMM slots. The Z490 chipset supports clock speeds of up to 2,933 MHz, but the MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus enables the operation of RAM kits with up to 4,800 MHz using OC!

Two M.2 slots and six SATA 6G connectors are available for connecting drives. The M.2 slots support the NVMe protocol, which enables data transfer rates of just under 4 GB / s. This means that M.2 PCIe SSDs are up to eight times faster than SATA 6G SSDs!

External connections
The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus has a USB 3.1 port on the I / O panel. Type-C socket is particularly thin and plugs can be inserted on both sides. USB 3.1 (USB 3.2 Gen. 2) achieves high transmission speeds of up to 10 Gbit / s. br>
In addition to a USB 3.1 port and two USB 3.0 type A ports, the board also offers two USB 2.0 ports and a classic PS / 2 port for mouse or keyboard. In addition, an HDMI and a display port connection are provided as signal outputs for the integrated graphics unit of the processor. The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus offers fast 2.5 Gigabit LAN (Realtek 8125B) for wired networks.

When it comes to audio, the manufacturer relies on the Realtek ALC1200 audio codec. This provides a total of five 3.5 millimeter jack sockets and an optical S / PDIF output on the I / O panel and supports 7.1 surround sound. Internally, the mainboard provides a large selection of connections and headers.

Overclocking features
The MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Plus offers a total of eight 4-pin PWM connections for fans and / or pumps on the main board. For the power supply, there is a 24-pin ATX connector as well as an 8-pin and a 4-pin connector on the mainboard. Overclockers are also pleased about the extensive power supply with 12 + 1 + 1 phases, which is equipped with large-area heat sinks.

The large expansion slot for the graphics card is reinforced to counteract wear and tear under frequent use, for example when the mainboard is used in test systems and benchtables. The color of the board design is dominated by black, so that illuminated components come to the fore.

Compatible only with 10th generation Intel CPUs!

Technical details:
Format:
- ATX
- Chipset:
- Intel Z490
- Base:
- 1200 (for 10th-generation Intel CPUs)
- R.A.M:
- 4x DDR4 (2,933 MHz, up to 4,800 MHz using OC)
- Dual channel
- 128 GB max
- Slots (physical):
- 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 / x4)
- 3x PCIe 3.0 x1
- Compatible multi-VGA configurations: 2-way CrossFireX (Quad-GPU)
- Internal connections:
- 6x SATA 6G
- 1x M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4 & SATA6G, 2242-22110)
- 1x M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4 & SATA6G, 2242-2280)
- 1x USB 3.0 Type C (USB 3.2 Gen. 1, one header)
- 4x USB 3.0 (USB 3.2 Gen. 1, two headers)
- 4x USB 2.0 (two headers)
- 2x system panel connectors
- 1x front panel audio connector
- 1x TPM header
- 1x chassis intrusion header
- 1x TBT connector
- 1x Clear CMOS jumper

Fan header:
- 1x CPU fan (4-pin PWM)
- 1x water cooling / CPU fan (4-pin PWM)
- 6x case fan (4-pin PWM)
- RGB header:
- 1x 4-pin RGB header (12V)
- 2x 3-pin A-RGB header (5V)
- External connections:
- 1x PS / 2 (keyboard / mouse)
- 1x UB 3.1 Type C (USB 3.2 Gen. 2, max. 10 Gbit / s)
- 1x USB 3.1 Type A (USB 3.2 Gen. 2, max. 10 Gbit / s)
- 2x USB 3.0 Type A (USB 3.2 Gen. 1, max. 5 Gbit / s)
- 2x USB 2.0
- 1x HDMI
- 1x DisplayPort
- 1x 2.5 gigabit LAN (Realtek 8125B)
- 5x 3.5 mm jack (Realtek ALC1200)
- 1x optical S / PDIF
Power supply:
- 1x 24-pin ATX 12V
- 1x 8-pin ATX 12V
- 1x 4-pin ATX 12V
- Scope of delivery:
- 1x mainboard
- 1x driver CD
- 1x MSI case sticker
- 2x SATA data cable 1x user manual
- 1x promo postcard
- 1x postcard for product registration
- 1x MSI product catalog
- 1x quick start guide