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Firmware, Software and Test System

Firmware

MSI has updated its BIOS for Z890 (and X870), renaming it “Click X” and improving the aesthetic and functionality. The company changed the format from its previous UEFI, with the headings on the left side, details in the middle, and system status information on the right. Like most other board partners, it has an informational EZ Mode, allowing limited functionality, such as Game Boost, PBO, XMP, and more. The black background that fades to gold with light-colored text is easy to read, and most of what you need is at your fingertips. Overall, I like the new layout, and maneuvering around is intuitive, though it does take some getting used to.

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MSI Z890 Godlike — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Software

MSI Center is a single utility that offers a wide range of functionality. From hardware monitoring to RGB control with Mystic Light, the software features numerous applets and serves as a one-stop shop for downloading additional utilities, including overclocking and fan control. Those looking to use the Gamebar feature, Super Charger, or any other utilities MSI offers will find them all in MSI Center.

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Test System / Comparison Products

We’ve updated our test system to Windows 11 (24H2) 64-bit OS, with all updates applied as of late September 2024, including the Branch Prediction Optimizations for AMD. Hardware-wise, we’ve updated the RAM kits (matching our Intel test system), cooling, storage, and video card. Unless otherwise noted, we use the latest non-beta motherboard BIOS that is publicly available. Thanks to Asus for providing the RTX 4080 TUF graphics card and Crucial for the 2TB T705 SSDs. The hardware we used is as follows:

Test System Components

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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Cooling	Arctic Liquid Freezer II 420
Storage	Crucial 2TB T705 M.2 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD
RAM	Kingston Fury Beast DDR5-6000 CL36 (KF560C36BBEAK2-32)
RAM	GSkill Trident Z5 CK (F5-8200C4052G24GX2)
RAM	Klevv Cras XR5 RGB DDR5-8000 (KD5AGUA80-80R380S)
RAM	Kingston Renegade Fury DDR5-8200 CU-DIMM (KF582C40RS-24)
GPU	Asus TUF RTX 4080 16G
PSU	EVGA Supernova 850W P6
Software	Windows 11 64-bit (24H2)
Graphics Driver	NVIDIA Driver 561.09
Sound	Integrated HD audio
Network	Integrated Networking (GbE to 10 GbE)

Benchmark Settings

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Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings	Row 0 - Cell 1
Procyon	Version 2.8.1352 64
Row 2 - Cell 0	Office 365, Video Editing (Premiere Pro 24.6.1), Photo Editing (Photoshop 25.1.2, Lightroom Classic 13.5.1)
3DMark	Version 2.29.8294.0 64
Row 4 - Cell 0	Speed Way and Steel Nomad (Default)
Cinebench R24	Version 2024.1.0
Row 6 - Cell 0	Open GL Rendering Benchmark - Single and Multi-threaded
Blender	Version 4.2.0
Row 8 - Cell 0	Full benchmark (all 3 tests)
Application Tests and Settings	Row 9 - Cell 1
LAME MP3	Version SSE2_2019
Row 11 - Cell 0	Mixed 271MB WAV to mp3: Command: -b 160 --nores (160Kb/s)
HandBrake CLI	Version: 1.8.2
Row 13 - Cell 0	Sintel Open Movie Project: 4.19GB 4K mkv to x264 (light AVX) and x265 (heavy AVX)
Corona 1.4	Version 1.4
Row 15 - Cell 0	Custom benchmark
7-Zip	Version 24.08
Row 17 - Cell 0	Integrated benchmark (Command Line)
Game Tests and Settings	Row 18 - Cell 1
Cyberpunk 2077	Ultra RT: - 1920 x 1080, DLSS - Balanced
F1 2024	Ultra High Preset - 1920 x 1080, 16xAF/TAA, Great Britain (Clear/Dry), FPS Counter ON

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Joe Shields is a Freelance writer for Tom’s Hardware US. He reviews motherboards.

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21 Comments Comment from the forums

extremepcs1

Way overkill for a CPU that isn't even great at gaming.
Reply
Energy96

Good review but probably should have reviewed the AMD version. Can’t imagine many people building a super high-end machine would choose Intel right now. The AMD version was also a little less expensive.

I used the AMD version of this board with a 9950x3d and it’s awesome. No other board looks as good as this one, wish I could post up some pics but they just don’t do it justice. The board is a masterpiece and in a glass case with liquid cooling and all the animations and lcd screen it’s mind blowing. It’s pricy for sure but nothing else like it out there. Myself, I used the money I saved from a cancelled weekend trip to pay for it lol. Zero regrets, I could stare at it for hours.
Reply
Kindaian

But... but... but... It has no floppy disk controller!
Reply
ITAngel

Amazing, love the features listing for it.

Energy96 said:
Good review but probably should have reviewed the AMD version. Can’t imagine many people building a super high-end machine would choose Intel right now. The AMD version was also a little less expensive.

I used the AMD version of this board with a 9950x3d and it’s awesome. No other board looks as good as this one, wish I could post up some pics but they just don’t do it justice. The board is a masterpiece and in a glass case with liquid cooling and all the animations and lcd screen it’s mind blowing. It’s pricy for sure but nothing else like it out there. Myself, I used the money I saved from a cancelled weekend trip to pay for it lol. Zero regrets, I could stare at it for hours.
Personally, I would choose Intel, but I have my reasons, especially since I’ve previously owned both AMD Ryzen and Threadripper setups. My primary use is for creative work, so I really appreciated seeing a review of the Intel version. There are already so many reviews of the AMD versions online, so this was a refreshing change.
Reply
ITAngel

Kindaian said:
But... but... but... It has no floppy disk controller!
I am assuming 3.5 or 5.25 drives? Dang I just aged myself. :rofl:!
Reply
Energy96

ITAngel said:
Amazing, love the features listing for it.

Personally, I would choose Intel, but I have my reasons, especially since I’ve previously owned both AMD Ryzen and Threadripper setups. My primary use is for creative work, so I really appreciated seeing a review of the Intel version. There are already so many reviews of the AMD versions online, so this was a refreshing change.
It’s an amazing board in either version for sure.

It’s probably great for professional work but I would say this is mostly targeted to gamers who want a showpiece. I couldn’t imagine this locked away inside a closed case. Anything short of a full glass case with water cooling seems like a waste. I put it in an Antec C8 glass curve. That’s also a great case btw, well designed, very sturdy, and a lot better quality than its price would suggest. I was pleasantly surprised. Antec getting back into the game is good to see.
Reply
drtweak

I can see it now!

"I picked up my PC and my BIOS just reset on its own!"

Why put a Clear CMOS button on the back?

"Was plugging in my new printer via USB and i had reset my BIOS"

lol
Reply
Energy96

drtweak said:
I can see it now!

"I picked up my PC and my BIOS just reset on its own!"

Why put a Clear CMOS button on the back?

"Was plugging in my new printer via USB and i had reset my BIOS"

lol
It’s there to allow for easier overlocking functionality without needing to open the case.

The buttons are recessed into the IO plate and you need to hold it down for a duration to reset it. Not likely going to happen by accident. Do you usually pick up your PC by the IO plate? lol.

This feature is also found on many other boards btw. I’ve had several with it, usually boards targeted at overclocking.
Reply
HardwiredWireless

Energy96 said:
Good review but probably should have reviewed the AMD version. Can’t imagine many people building a super high-end machine would choose Intel right now. The AMD version was also a little less expensive.

I used the AMD version of this board with a 9950x3d and it’s awesome. No other board looks as good as this one, wish I could post up some pics but they just don’t do it justice. The board is a masterpiece and in a glass case with liquid cooling and all the animations and lcd screen it’s mind blowing. It’s pricy for sure but nothing else like it out there. Myself, I used the money I saved from a cancelled weekend trip to pay for it lol. Zero regrets, I could stare at it for hours.
I think I would probably also choose Intel and I would use this generation if I were building a workstation and last generation if I were building a gaming rig. So far AMD has not come up with a processor that is better than one you can get from Intel.
I think the name is kind of funny though It seems like if you truly were God-like you wouldn't need a computer at all. The fact that you need a computer belies you're God likeness.
Reply
dwd999

Yeah, but does it come in white. LOL
Reply