MSI MPG Z690 CARBON EK X Gaming Motherboard

PREMIUM HARDWARE DESIGN

With years of experience, MSI is no stranger to building high-performance motherboards. Our R&D and engineering teams have reviewed countless designs, evaluated a wide selection of high quality components, and developed products for reliability even under extreme conditions.

EK CUSTOM-DESIGNED CPU + VRM WATER COOLING

Sustain the high performing for 12th gen Intel core processors, a custom-designed EK cooling solution that offers pristine cooling for both the CPU, VRM and primary M.2 section is used to prevent thermal throttling, allowing gamers to sustain heavy gaming loadings without the noisy environment. It's ready for everything!

M.2 SHIELD FROZR

World’s fastest SSDs can start to lower performance when getting hot. Part of the motherboards heatsink design, M.2 SHIELD FROZR is the next generation M.2 thermal solution to avoid this by offering the best thermal protection to make sure that SSD maintains maximum performance.

FROZR AI COOLING

Detecting CPU & GPU temperatures and automatically adjusting fan duty of system fans to a proper value by adopting MSI AI ENGINE.

OPTIMIZED FOR WATER COOLING

Designed to support the most popular All-In-One & customized water cooling solutions on the market. A dedicated water pump PIN header supports up to 3 amp, giving you full control of the water pump speed. A clearly marked ‘keep-out-zone’ allows for easy and safe installation and a perfect fit.

DIRECT 18 + 1 +1 PHASES POWER DESIGN

Unleash and sustain maximum performance with an aggressive VRM design built with a total of direct 18 +1+1 power phases. Combining 2x 8-pin power connectors and exclusive Core Boost technology, MPG series motherboard is ready to sustain heavy daily work.

CORE BOOST

Core Boost technology combines MSI’s premium layout and digital power design which allows for faster and undistorted current delivery to the CPU at pin-point precision. Not only supporting multi-core CPU, also creating the perfect conditions for your CPU overclocking.

1-SECOND OVERCLOCKING!

MSI Game Boost enables one-second overclocking, giving you the performance boost you need to get more FPS.

LOAD-LINE CALIBRATION

What you set, is what you get. LLC makes sure your CPU voltage remains 100% stable under any load. This greatly improves stability when demanding more CPU performance.

OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION

Prevents potential short-circuit damage to the CPU and other critical components.

DIGITALL POWER DESIGN

A fully digital power design allows for faster and undistorted current delivery to the CPU at pin-point precision. Creating the perfect conditions for CPU overclocking.

DOUBLE POWER CONNECTORS

Two 8-pin connectors deliver adequate power even for an overclocked multi-core CPU.

EZ M.2 CLIP

Have trouble turning screws? MSI innovative EZ M.2 clip assist you install an M.2 SSD quickly and effortlessly.

PRE-INSTALLED I/O SHIELD

Featuring the Pre-installed I/O Shield, makes your installation process easier and safer. The patent-pending design protect your IO ports and also prevent electrostatic discharge damage, makes your motherboard a strong gaming foundation.

PCB DESIGN

The PCB design has been optimized for higher bandwidth and faster transfer speeds, which is also beneficial for reliable circuit transmission.

FORTIFY YOUR SYSTEM WITH PCI-E STEEL ARMOR

MSI PCI Express Steel Armor slots are secured to the motherboard with extra solder points and support the weight of heavy graphics cards. When every advantage in games counts, Steel Armor shields the point of contact from electromagnetic interference.

ULTIMATE MOTHERBOARD PROTECTION

Double ESD protection doubles up the grounding layer around the mounting holes, preventing static discharge surges from damaging the motherboard.

WINDOWS 11 CERTIFIED

With MSI you benefit from great compatibility and a worry-free user experience when using Microsoft Windows 11.With a true dedication to performance, our R&D team has made sure everything works as intended when using the latest version of Microsoft Windows on any MSI product.

ENHANCED PERFORMANCE

High performance MSI motherboards are loaded with advanced features and the latest technology to overwhelm any challenge at hand no matter whether you're a gamer, prosumer, or PC enthusiast.

LATEST DDR5 MEMORY

A huge step of DDR performance enhancement with the latest DDR5 memory. Combines with dedicated SMT welding process and MSI Memory Boost technology, MPG Z690 CARBON EK X is ready to deliver the world class memory performance.

SMT DDR5 MEMORY SLOT

The advanced SMT(Surface Mount Technology) welding process reduces the defect rate of slot solder joints, electromagnetism, and interference. Combining with exclusive Memory Boost technology allows MSI motherboards to deliver the clean and pure high-frequency DDR5 signal.

EASY OVERCLOCKING WITH XMP PROFILE

The XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles) in MSI BIOS are tested and certified by MSI OC LAB. It is easy to enable with auto power settings to get the best memory speed and stability.

LIGHTNING GEN 5 PCI-E

MSI Lightning Gen 5 PCI-E represents the bandwidth of a x16 interface to 128GB/s, which is double of the speed of the previous generation.

SMT PCIE 5.0 SLOT

MSI motherboards adopted the advanced SMT(Surface Mount Technology) PCI-E slot to diminish interference and electrical noise, fully supporting higher bandwidth and faster transfer speeds of PCI-E 5.0 signal.

OPTANE: BOOST YOUR HDD TO PERFORM LIKE AN SSD

PC Enthusiasts can now enjoy the performance of an SSD on their HDD by coupling it with the new Intel® Optane™ Memory device. Intel® Optane™ technology provides an unparalleled combination of high throughput, low latency, high quality of service, and high endurance.

HIGH-BANDWIDTH AND LOW-LATENCY NETWORK

2.5Gbps LAN provides incredible data transfer speed faster than general Gigabit LAN. This is a premium solution for demanding users.

SURFACING WITH THE REAL MU-MIMO TECHNOLOGY

The latest Wi-Fi 6E solution supports 6GHz spectrum, Bluetooth 5.2, two-way MU-MIMO and BSS color technology, provide up to 4X network capacity and efficiency in the high signal density environment, delivering speeds up to 2400Mbps.

HIGH DEFINITION ALC4080 AUDIO PROCESSOR

From HD-A to USB Interface, twice the DAC format from 32-bit/192kHz to 32-bit/384kHz, deliver the highest sound quality.

HIGH QUALITY AUDIO CAPACITORS

A high fidelity sound experience with exceptional acoustics and realism for studio level headphones is ensured.

ISOLATED AUDIO DESIGN

Like a dedicated sound card, audio components and circuits have been laid on a reserved motherboard section and electrically isolated.