We are dealing with 14 60 amps Powers stages, 12 of which are CPU centric. We have 12 direct phases, delivering a whooping 720 AMPs to our CPU.
Obviously more than you’ll ever need to run and severely overclock any processors featured in the Ryzen 3000 and 5000 series.But most importantly and identical configuration to its aging MAG X570 TOMAHAWK which is not a bad thing since it was the best performing mid-budget gamer of its class.
Read more @ Laurent’s Choice
There’s a total of three PCIe slots on the Z690 FORCE WIFI, with the top two slots supporting PCIe 5.0 in 1 x PCIe x16 or 2 x PCIe x8 configuration, and the most bottom slot supporting PCIe 3.0 in PCIe x4 configuration.
Underneath the heatsinks is a total of five M.2 slots, which is a really good addition to those who want only M.2 SSDs for their system but you’ll have to take note of the connection for each slot – The first M.2 slot from the CPU, while the rest are from the chipset. Just like the Z690 CARBON WIFI, you’ll get the same EZ M.2 clips to lock your SSD in place.
Red more @ Tech Critter
Furthermore, by sticking to cooling such as a server grade 8-layer board with a 2 ounce copper layer and a large aluminum heat sink with a 2-block configuration connected using a heat pipe, the power required by the CPU can be output in a stable manner. This is the reason why the power control mechanism has been improved to maximize the performance of the 12th generation Intel Core processor, which has been boosted for a longer period of time.
Read more @ GDM (Japanese)
The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WiFi is one of these launch motherboards with a list of enticing specifications. You’ve got PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support, not to mention five M.2 slots, a hefty VRM setup with an 18+1+1 power delivery design, and a stunning subtle design that will work well with most PC cases. It’s certainly poised for a seat on the best motherboards list, but it might be too much for some.
Read more @ Windows Central
In terms of aesthetics, the MSI MEG Z690 GODLIKE motherboard features a vast array of RGB LEDs running over the M.2 slots, the I/O panel, and the PCH heatsink. There’s also a huge 3.5″ Touch LCD panel right next to the DDR5 DIMM slots making it as large as the first iPhone. The LCD panel will display useful metrics such as core clocks, temperatures, voltage readings and can be further customized through MSI’s Dragon app.
It is an elegant and balanced high-end model, offering a brutal 19 + 2-phase 105A VRM that takes the power available for these CPUs to a new level. It also comes full of new features in its connectivity, releasing DDR5 XMP 3.0 memories, PCIe 5.0 slots, the new Z690 chipset along with LGA 1700 and up to 5, yes 5 M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots . We will discover all this and more in our in-depth review, let’s get started!
Read more @ Professional Review (Spanish)
MSI offers us with this MEG Z690 Carbon Wifi, a very interesting motherboard to launch on Alder Lake, all accompanied by DDR5. First of all, the performance is excellent with our i9-12900K and close to what we were able to achieve with the Maximus Z690 APEX. This “Carbon EK X” version also offers ultra-complete connectivity with five SSD slots but also many USB ports as well as the presence of an HDMI and DisplayPort output.
Read more @ Overclocking (French)
As time has passed so MSI seem to be backing away somewhat from the Carbon effect which gives the Z690 Carbon WiFi its name, instead having just enough so that it’s obvious, without dominating proceedings. On the Z690 it is really only there on the bottom of the chipset heatsink, and the IO shield section at the top left. We are fans of the removal of any colour at all too, as some earlier Carbons had either red or gold on them, the newest addition to the range is stark by comparison.
Read more @ OC3D
There is so much to love about the MSI MEG Unify in terms of specification and build quality, but the thing that unquestionably smacked us round the face upon first view, and stays with us days later as we’re writing this, is the solidity of the build and the all-black aesthetic. A lot of the new Z690s are weighty, but even by their standards the Unify is up there with the Maximus Formula in pure heft. However, MSI have recently tried a variety of ‘looks’ for their motherboards, from heavy RGB lighting to the bold red of their Dragon logo and even some gold highlighted ones.
Read more @ OC3D
The board itself is completely black, with a few silver accents where it could not be avoided. You won’t find integrated RBG lighting here, so you could say that the Unify-Z is darker than the Dark. A large part of the visible area consists of the surfaces of the heat sinks made of black anodized or brushed aluminum, which gives a high-quality impression.
Read more @ Igor’s Lab (German)