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MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries ATX Motherboard Review

MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries ATX Motherboard Review

The MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries ATX Motherboard is one of the best motherboards on the market. It has great features and is very easy to use. The only downside is that it is a bit expensive. Overall, the MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries ATX Motherboard is a great choice for anyone looking for a high-quality motherboard.

The MSI Z490-A PRO is a ProSeries ATX motherboard that supports the latest Intel processors and delivers excellent performance. It has a robust feature set and includes support for dual M.2 slots, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and Intel Optane Memory. The board also has impressive overclocking potential and is a great choice for gamers and enthusiasts alike.

Why choose the MSI Z490-A PRO?


The MSI Z490-A PRO is a great choice for anyone looking for a high-quality ATX motherboard. It has all the features you need to build a powerful gaming PC, including support for the latest Intel processors and graphics cards.

The Z490-A PRO also has plenty of room for expansion, with four PCIe slots and six SATA ports. And if you're looking to overclock your system, the Z490-A PRO has all the tools you need to get the most out of your hardware.

The MSI Z490-A PRO has a lot to offer gamers, including a fast processor, plenty of storage, and a great graphics card. It's also got a few features that make it stand out from the competition. Here's why you should consider the MSI Z490-A PRO for your next gaming PC.

Packaging and Contents


When you open the box, you’ll find the MSI Z490-A PRO motherboard bundled with a few essential accessories. As is customary, there’s an I/O shield to help protect your expansion slots when installing the motherboard outside of a case. 

You also get four SATA cables, a driver and utility DVD, and a quick start guide. All of the included accessories are fairly standard for a motherboard in this price range. The I/O shield is a nice touch, as it’s not always included with lower-priced boards. 

The four SATA cables should be enough to connect all of your storage devices, but if you need more they’re easy to find and relatively inexpensive. The driver and utility DVD includes all of the necessary drivers and software for the MSI Z490-A PRO.

Board Layout


MSI's Z490-A PRO is a well-rounded motherboard for Intel's 10th Generation "Comet Lake" processors. It offers a good blend of features and performance, and its $150 price tag makes it an attractive option for budget-minded shoppers.

The board's layout is straightforward, with the CPU socket and power connectors situated in the traditional locations. The four DIMM slots support up to 128GB of DDR4-2666 memory, and there are two PCIe x16 slots for graphics cards.

The top slot operates at x16 speeds, while the second slot runs at x8. There are also four PCIe x1 slots for expansion cards. The storage options on the Z490-A PRO are plentiful, with six SATA ports and two M.2 slots.

BIOS and Overclocking

The MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries motherboard is a great option for anyone looking to overclock their system. The BIOS is easy to use and navigate, and the overclocking options are plentiful. 

I was easily able to push my CPU to its limits with this board, and I had no issues with stability or overheating. Overall, the MSI Z490-A PRO ProSeries is a great option for anyone looking to get the most out of their system.

Test Setup

If you're looking for a great ATX motherboard that won't break the bank, the MSI Z490-A PRO is a great option. It's packed with features including support for Intel's 10th generation processors, DDR4 memory, USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, and more. It also has a solid selection of expansion slots and ports, making it a great choice for building a new gaming PC or workstation.

Results

The MSI Z490-A Pro is a great motherboard for anyone looking to build a high-end gaming PC. It has all the features you need to support the latest CPUs and GPUs, and it comes with a robust VRM that can handle overclocking.

The board also has plenty of expansion slots and ports, so you can add all the components and peripherals you need. In our testing, the MSI Z490-A Pro performed exceptionally well. It was able to handle our Intel Core i9-10900K CPU without any issues, and it overclocked our GPU by more than 20%.

The board also stayed cool throughout our testing, even when we were pushing it hard. Overall, the MSI Z490-A Pro is a great choice for anyone looking to build a high-end gaming PC.

Conclusion

The MSI Z490-A Pro is a great motherboard for those looking for a quality ATX board that won't break the bank. It has a solid feature set and performs well, making it a great option for budget-conscious gamers and enthusiasts alike. If you're looking to build a new Intel system on a tight budget, the MSI Z490-A Pro should be at the top of your list.