MSI’s new liquid-cooled gaming motherboard

MSI, a gaming components manufacturer, has formed a partnership with liquid cooling system company EK.

Together, they will cooperate on the new selection for the latest Intel Z490 motherboard for socket 1200 - MSI Z490 CARBON EK X.

"MSI and EK have worked closely for four years now. Always trying to push the limits, to set the bar higher. Our first collaboration was a liquid-cooled GPU, Sea Hawk EK X. This time around, we have partnered up to bring a liquid-cooled gaming motherboard to the mainstream market and truly change the game," says EK founder Edvard König.

"It's a great and exciting moment for gamers seeking extreme performance with elegant and exquisite design. We couldn't ask for a better opportunity than to partner with EK to co-launch the great combo product for gamers.," says MSI CND department vice president Ted Hung.

Inspired by supercars, the latest CARBON iteration from MSI is sleeker and cleaner in design.

Now paired with a monoblock that aesthetically blends with the motherboard, the iconic carbon fibre and matching engraved design shows a refined quality and distinctive look.

Mystic Light RGB on both motherboard and monoblock provides 16.8 million colours and 29 effects with unlimited customisation options, offering a more attractive way to personalise and style your gaming rig.

An aggressive VRM is designed with a complete digital CPU power system, dual power connectors, and exclusive MSI Core Boost technology.

To sustain high-performance for 10th Gen Intel Core processors, a custom-designed EK WB cooling solution offers cooling for both the CPU and VRM power delivery section and is implemented to prevent thermal throttling, allowing gamers and overclockers to sustain heavy and cool gaming and render loads without a noisy environment.

The MSI Z490 CARBON EK X motherboard is crafted with enthusiast-grade hardware and connectors, with a deep array I/O and connectivity.

Onboard 2.5G LAN with LAN manager and the latest Wi-Fi 6 solution which supports MU-MIMO and BSS colour technology, delivers the best online gaming experience.

The built-in USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port offers double bandwidth up to 20Gb/s when connecting the Rear USB Type-C.

Audio Boost 4 provides studio grade sound quality for the most immersive gaming experience with a stunning high definition ALC1220 audio processor.

The motherboard and monoblock combo solution starts at US$399.99 USD.

The MSI Z490 Carbon EK X motherboard is available for purchase through the EK Webshop and worldwide retailers.

Local AU and NZ pricing is yet to be announced.