MSI Z890

Das MSI MPG Z890 CARBON WIFI bietet unserer Meinung nach eine sehr gute Basis für die aktuellen Intel Core CPUs. Das Mainboard bietet eine großzügige Spannungsversorgung, wodurch die aktuellen CPUs ohne Probleme an ihre Grenzen gebracht werden können. Auch bei der Ausstattung wurden keine Kompromisse gemacht, das Mainboard nutzt sehr viele aktuelle Standards.

Intel macht mit Arrow Lake einen technologischen Fortschritt, bleibt jedoch in der Praxis hinter den Erwartungen zurück, da die Leistungsunterschiede zum Raptor-Lake-Refresh nur im einstelligen Prozentbereich liegen und die alte Generation in Spielen teils sogar schneller ist. Trotz besserer Effizienz und Temperaturen ist AMD weiterhin die bessere Wahl, insbesondere im Hinblick aufs Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis.

Heute ist es endlich soweit und wir dürfen nicht nur Intels brandneue Core-Ultra-200S-Prozessoren zeigen, sondern auch deren Performance präsentieren. Als erstes Z890-Mainboard hatten wir in einer Preview bereits das MEG Z890 ACE von MSI vorgestellt - und genau diese Platine werden wir als erstes genauer unter Lupe nehmen und auf die Details eingehen. Das MEG Z890 ACE ist in der Oberklasse angesiedelt und positioniert sich direkt unterhalb des MEG Z890 GODLIKE, das das Z890-Flaggschiff von MSI darstellt.

From speed and stability to wealth of available connectors and features the MEG Z890 ACE by MSI is clearly the best Z890 motherboard to arrive in the lab, to date. As a matter of fact, some issues I had with other Z890 chipset-based models I don’t with the MEG Z890 ACE which is why I will be using for all Z890 related reviews from this point forward. That being said since I do enjoy nitpicking, I have a couple of complaints about it, first the lack of an LCD screen instead of the dragon logo (more and more models have that) and second the design of the MSI Center software which just doesn’t look as good as I’d expect (for older models this was fine, it’s 2026 however now). Again, these aren’t really drawbacks but for some consumers they may play a role in their decision.

If you're unfamiliar with MSI's motherboard ranges, MEG sits at the top. Motherboards here are high-end, usually drool-worthy and pack a punch in terms of performance, the MEG ACE models rarely disappoint. They're usually pricey too, but thanks to recent price cuts the MEG Z890 ACE now leaves you with change from $500, rather than hitting your wallet for $700. You'll want to be pairing a suitably high-end system with this kind of board. It offers dual PCIe Gen 5 M.2 slots and triple PCIe x16 slots (electrically x16, x8 and x4), 10 Gbps Ethernet is included too. Of course not all the board's slots can be used together without their lanes being limited. There are 24 vCore power phases, dual Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, and you can throw up to 60 W at Type-C devices from its Type-C front panel header too.

MSI‘s MEG Z890 ACE motherboard is here to deliver big on performance, wielding the formidable power of Intel’s Z890 chipset and engineered to extract every ounce of performance from 15th Gen Intel CPUs, which are actually the 1st Gen of the new Core Ultra processor series, and come with a new naming/numbering system. This ATX motherboard is a masterpiece of engineering, meticulously crafted to cater to the desires of hardcore gamers and overclocking enthusiasts. At its heart beats the Z890 chipset, unlocking a new era of PCIe capabilities, amplified bandwidth for storage devices, and a refined power delivery system. This translates to full support for PCIe 5.0, paving the way for blistering data transfer speeds with the latest graphics cards and SSDs. While I loved the TOMAHAWK motherboard we also reviewed today, the ACE is designed to be much more high-end for those who want more extreme performance and connectivity, but of course, that will come with a greatly increased cost too.

The MSI Z890I Edge Ti impresses with a record four M.2 ports, four fan headers, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, seven USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps USB ports and a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20 Gbps Type-C header with 27 W power delivery, is this one of the best Mini-ITX motherboards ever made?

While Intel's Core Ultra CPUs haven't exactly flown off shelves like the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, one partially redeeming feature is that they do seem to overclock reasonably well. Combined with the fact they run a heck of a lot cooler than their predecessors and draw much less power too, there's an argument for considering them if you're up for some tweaking. For that you'll need a Z890 motherboard, such as the MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk Wi-Fi that we're looking at here.

The MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi is one of MSI’s mid-end boards and even though it’s packed with interesting and useful features I do expect the higher-end models to pack even more and produce slightly better overall performance. That being said I really have no serious complaints from this specific motherboard, performance was solid during my tests, there were no stability issues and as for its peripherals the integrated WiFi 7 card works well (not having to tighten the Antennas is convenient), the tool-less M.2 slots are easy to use and as for the push to release button for the primary PCIe x16 slot it’s something I was expecting to happen eventually. Unfortunately, there’s one thing missing from the MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi which I would have really liked to see and that’s no other than power and reset buttons on the motherboard (next to the RAM slots). Yes, I do expect these to be available in higher end models (MPG/MEG lines), but it would be great if MSI had also used them here as well.

I’ve used a lot of Tomahawk motherboards over the years, as they often strike a sweet spot for features and value, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how the new MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WIFI motherboard holds up that reputation! It comes equipped with Intel’s latest Z890 chipset and support for the flagship 15th Gen Intel Core Ultra processors, which are technically the 1st generation of the new Core Ultra series, so have a new naming and numbering scheme as a result of this. This ATX motherboard represents a competitive blend of performance and value, delivering an impressive feature set tailored for gamers who demand a performance edge without breaking the bank. Built around the Z890 chipset, this motherboard unlocks access to the latest advancements in connectivity, including PCIe 5.0 support for lightning-fast data transfer speeds with next-generation graphics cards and SSDs, and support for flagship DDR5 memory kits, which are needed to get the best performance out of the latest Core Ultra series CPUs.

Passend zu den beiden neuen LGA1851-Prozessoren, in Form des Core Ultra 5 250K Plus und des Core Ultra 7 270K Plus (Test), hat MSI auch das bestehende MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI überarbeitet und das MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI II vom Stapel gelassen. In diesem Test legen wir unseren Fokus natürlich auf die neuere Variante, halten jedoch auch die Unterschiede zur ersten Version fest. Eins steht jedenfalls schon jetzt fest: Das MSI MAG Z890 TOMAHAWK WIFI II ist ein interessantes Modell mit einem annehmbaren Preis, wenn man den Preis des Vorgängers vor Auge führt.