The Intel LGA 1700 platform was launched three years ago in 2021 and it has since seen a total of 3 generations of CPUs, Alder Lake (12th Gen), Raptor Lake (13th Gen), and Raptor Lake Refresh (14th Gen). We have seen at least three generations of motherboards, first with the 600-series which had Z690 as the top SKU, and then two generations of 700-series based on the top Z790 chipset which included a soft refresh for the 14th Gen lineup.
Intel has now introduced its next-generation 800-series chipsets and with the Core Ultra 200S CPU series, the company is also launching a brand new socket called LGA 1851. Today, we will be taking a look at the latest motherboards based on the Z890 chipset.
We received a load of motherboards from various manufacturers so let's start by taking a look at these updated designs. For this review, we will be testing MSI's flagship MEG Z890 GODLIKE, a top-notch product designed for ultimate enthusiasts with a retail price of $1099.99 US.
The Intel LGA 1851 Platform
For its Arrow Lake lineup, Intel is introducing a brand new socket which ends the reign of the LGA 1700 series after a little over three years. The new socket from now onward will be LGA 1851 and this will be first featured on the new 800-series motherboards.
The 800-series chipsets will include several SKUs but the one we are getting today is the top-tier Z890. This platform offers a total of 48 PCIe lanes of which 20 are PCIe Gen 5.0 and these come from both the CPU and the PCH. The Z890 PCH features up to 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes, up to 4 eSPI, up to 10 USB 3.2 ports including 5 20G, 10 10G, and 10 5G options, up to 14 USB 2.0 links & up to 8 SATA III links.
The new platform is further enriched with the latest features which include:
Integrated I/O:
- Up To 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E (Gig+)
- Bluetooth 5.3 (LE)
- 1 GbE
Discrete I/O:
- Up To 4 Thunderbolt 5 ports
- Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 (5 Gig)
- Bluetooth 5.4 (LE)
- 2.5 GbE
In terms of memory support, the new Z890 motherboards will offer up to DDR5-6400 (native) capabilities and expanded speeds over 8000 MT/s with XMP. The platform will support up to 48 GB DIMMs in the dual-channel mode for up to 192 GB capacities in UDIMM, CUDIMM, SODIMM, and CSODIMM flavors.
Lots of Goodies For Overclockers!
Finally, we have the new overclocking goodness which comes in the form of new functionalities for tuners with fine grain control.
These features include:
- Granular core clock - Top turbo frequency in 16.6 MHz steps for P-Cores and E-Cores
- Dual base clock - Run an independent BCLK for SOC and compute tiles
- Tile-to-Tile & fabric OC - Can apply a static/BIOS ratio and supports dynamic ratio changes for fabric
- DLVR bypass - Bypass the internal voltage management using an external supply for extreme OC
- Intel eXtreme tuning utility - New features including automated OC enhancements
- Memory overclocking - New memory controller supports new XMP and CUDIMM DDR5
- P & E-core overclocking - P-core per-core V/f control, and E-Core per cluster V/f control
- Low-temperature overvolting - Increasingly bypass voltage limits as the chip gets colder
The cooler operation of the chips also provides higher headroom for overclockers. As for the TJmax, Arrow Lake-S "Core Ultra 200S" will have a peak operating temperature of 105C.
Cooler Compatibility With LGA 1851 Socket
The Intel LGA 1851 socket is compatible with LGA 1700 socketed coolers though some coolers might require an offset kit for proper thermal load balance. The new socket also has a revised ILM called RL-ILM which uses a spacer between the loading mechanism to ensure proper pressure for the new Arrow Lake CPUs.
Intel Desktop Platform Chipset Comparison
| Chipset Name | Arrow Lake-S (ARL-S) PCH / 800 Series (Z890) | Raptor Lake-S (RPL-S) PCH / 700 Series (Z790) | Alder Lake-S (ADL-S) PCH / 600 Series (Z690) | Rocket Lake-S (RKL-S) PCH / 500 Series (Z590) | Comet Lake-S (CML-S) PCH / 400 Series (Z490) | Coffee Lake S (CFL-S) PCH / 300 Series (Z390/H370, B360, Q370, H310) | Coffee Lake S (KBL-R) PCH / Z370 Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process Node | 7nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 14nm | 22nm |
| Processor | 24C, 20C, 14C, 12C, TBD) | 24,16C,12C,10C,6C,4C | 16C,12C,10C,6C,4C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 10C, 8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C, 4C, 2C (Full corporate/consumer SKU stack at launch) | 8C, 6C, 4C (6 Consumer SKUs at Launch) |
| Memory | Up To DDR5-6400 (Native) | Up To DDR5-5600 (Native) Up To DDR4-3200 (Native) | Up To DDR5-4800 (Native) Up To DDR4-3200 (Native) | Up To DDR4-3200 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2933 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2666 (Native) | Up To DDR4-2666 (Native) |
| Media, Display & Audio | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | eDP / 4DDI (DP, HDMI) Display Capabilities | DP 1.2 & HDMI 2.0, HBR3 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) 12-bit AV1/HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP With USB Audio offload SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP SoundWire Digital Audio Interface | DP 1.2 & HDMI 1.4 HDCP 2.2 (HDMI 2.0a w/LSPCON) HEVC & VP9 10-bit Enc/Dec, HDR, Rec.2020, DX12 Integrated Dual-Core Audio DSP |
| I/O & Connectivity | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ 7 BT CNVio) with Gig+ Integrated SDXC 4.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20G) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi6E/ BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 4.0 (Maple Ridge) | Integrated USB 3.2 Gen 2 Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4 | Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Integrated Intel Wireless-AC (Wi-Fi / BT CNVi) Integrated SDXC 3.0 Controller Thunderbolt 3.0 (Titan Ridge) w/ DP 1.4 | Integrated USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) Thunderbolt 3.0 (Alpine Ridge) |
| Storage | PCIe 5.0 (CPU Lanes), 8x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 5.0 (CPU Lanes), 6x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 5.0, 6x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 4.0, 6x SATA 3.0 | Next-Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0 | Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0 | Next Gen Intel Optane memory PCIe 3.0, 6x SATA 3.0 |
| Max PCH PCIe Lanes | Up To 24 (Gen 4) | Up To 20 (Gen 4) Up To 8 (Gen 3) | Up To 12 (Gen 4) Up To 16 (Gen 3) | Up To 24 (Gen 3) | Up To 24 (Gen 3) | Up To 24 (Gen 3) | Up To 24 (Gen 3) |
| Max CPU PCIe Lanes | Up To 20 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4) | Up To 16 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4) | Up To 16 (Gen 5) Up To 4 (Gen 4) | Up To 20 (Gen 4) | Up To 16 (Gen 3) | Up To 16 (Gen 3) | Up To 16 (Gen 3) |
| Max USB Ports | Up To 5 (USB 3.2 Gen 2z2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 5 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 4 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 3 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x2) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 2x1) Up To 10 (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 10 (USB 3.2) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 10 (USB 3.1) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) | Up To 10 (USB 3.0) Up To 14 (USB 2.0) |
| Security | Intel TET Intel Boot Guard | N/A | N/A | N/A | Intel SGX 1.0 | Intel SGX 1.0 | Intel SGX 1.0 |
| Power Management | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C10 & S0ix Support for Modern Standby | C8 Support |
| Launch | 2024 | 2022 | 2021 | 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
The MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE motherboard comes inside a massive box with gold and black colors and a large picture of the product itself. The packaging lists out Core Ultra Series 2 CPU support on the front along with the chipset.
The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard. There are a total of 22 features highlighted which shows just how much this motherboard packs. There's also a picture of the accessories bundled with this ultra-enthusiast product.
Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories. This box has a massive MEG logo and a quote saying "Beyond The Norm, Meet Godlike".
There are a ton of accessories that the GODLIKE comes with but the most interesting ones are the two AIC (Add-In-Cards) which include an M.2 XPADNER Gen5 & the Thunderbolt M5. There's also an EZ Control Hub.
Following is the full list of accessories bundled with the motherboard:
- M.2 Xpander-Z SLIDER Gen5
- ThunderboltM5
- EZ Control Hub
- USB Driver
- EZ Wi-Fi Antenna
- EZ M.2 Clips II Remover
- 1 to 3 ARGB Gen2 Extension Cable
- 1 to 2 RGB Extension Cable
- ARGB Extension Cable
- 1 to 3 EZ Conn-Cable (V2)
- EZ Link Cable
- EZ Control Hub SATA Power Cable
- M.2 Xpander Card Fan Control Cable
- Thunderbolt 5 Header Cable
- EZ Front Panel Cable
- 4x SATA Cables
- 2 x Thermistor Cables
- M.2 Xpander Card Thermal Pads
- M.2 Screw & Standoff Set
- EZ Control Hub Screw Sets
- Cable Sticker
- Shout Out Flyer
- Quick Installation Guide
- European Union Regulatory Notice
The M.2 XPANDER-Z SLIDER Gen5 AIC comes with a special sliding mechanism that lets you install and remove Gen5 SSDs with relative ease. The card is a single-slot design & comes with dedicated cooling.
With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package. The MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE is a massive motherboard that measures 277x304.8mm & features an E-ATX form factor.
The motherboard comes in a matte black color scheme with a few shiny reflective surfaces on the IO plate, the SSD heatsink, and the EZ Bridge panel. The board also comes with a large backplate with several MOSFET heat pads underneath it.
The board uses the LGA 1851 socket to support Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" processors. At launch, the LGA 1851 socket will only support the Arrow Lake CPUs though we can expect a brand new family in the coming years.
Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.
These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 9200 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage.
The full QVL list can be found here. The motherboard supports 4800 MT/s natively. The 9200 MT/s apply to 1DCP (1 Rank) configurations.
Another cool aspect of the MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE is its EZ Bridge which acts as a mini hub and a front display with which users can access the dashboard for various real-time monitoring stats and tuning options. All connectors on this Mini Hub are right-angled and there are Power On/Off, & reset buttons placed on it. The third button is used for the EZ PCIe release.
Following is how the EZ Bridge dashboard looks when booted up. You can also put up custom GIFS or pictures for a more personalized experience.
The MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE motherboard features a 26+2+1+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX) phase SPS VRM power delivery that utilizes the Renesas RAA 229131 PWM controller, & R2209004 HBD (110A) stages for the VCore.
The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the LGA 1851 socket. The board uses a 10-layer server-grade PCB with 2oz Thickened copper in a low-loss design, retaining signal integrity for stable CPU and memory operations.
The VRMs receive ample cooling from the Frozr heatsinks which feature several aspects such as the aluminum IO cover, Wavy Fin Design, Direct-Touch Cross heatpipe, 9W/MK Thermal Pads, dual-sided M.2 Shield Frozr heatsinks, a Metal backplate, and for the cooling enthusiasts out there, a vast array of fan headers to maximize your cooling needs.
The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8 pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. Intel's Arrow Lake "Core Ultra 200S" Desktop CPUs can sip up to 250W of power by default. These connectors are placed on the right-hand side, making them a little easier to access.
The Frozr heatsink solution has two massive heat pipes and a third extended heat pipe coming through the finned heatsink stack. The primary heatsink has one denser fin array which shows premiumness. Underneath the VRM heatsink are Thermal pads that transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink.
Expansion slots include two PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16, 1 x Gen 5.0 x8), a single PCIe 4.0 x4 slot and 8 M.2 slots.
- PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU)
- PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x8 (From CPU)
- PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset)
- * PCI_E1 slot will run at x8 speed and PCI_E2 slot will run at x4 speed when installing PCIe Gen 5 M.2 device in M2_6 slot.
- ** PCI_E3 will be unavailable when installing M.2 SSD in the M2_5 slot.
The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot which makes use EZ PCIe release mechanism to make installing and removing graphics cards easy.
The motherboard also has a vast array of M.2 slots, all of which are featured under dedicated M.2 Shield Frozr heatsinks. All of these M.2 heatsinks come with an EZ release mechanism and use the magnetic notches to connect with the motherboard.
Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE motherboard:
- 8x M.2
- M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
- M.2_2 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
- M.2_3 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260 devices
- M.2_4 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 22110/2280 devices
- M.2_5 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA mode, supports 2280/2260 devices
- M.2_6 Source (From CPU+Chipset) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 + PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 2280/2242 devices
4x SATA 6G - M.2_1 Source (via M.2 XPANDER-Z SLIDER GEN5) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 , supports 2280 devices
- M.2_2 Source (via M.2 XPANDER-Z SLIDER GEN5) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 , supports 2280 devices
The Z890 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink cover which utilizes a matte black texture and has a small LCD which when booted displays the "GODLIKE" logo.
Storage options include four SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 4 different storage devices at once. There are also 4 USB 2.0, 4 USB Type-A (5 Gbps), and 1 USB 20 Gbps Type-C front panel connectors are also included. The motherboard also supports 60W fast charging via the USB C ports.
IO on the GODLIKE is very rich with 2 Onboard Thunderbolt4 ports (Rear/Front), up to 8 USB Type-A 10 Gbps, 5 USB Type-C 10 Gbps, and a single USB Type-C 20 Gbps port. MSI uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC4082 CODEC with a combination of ESS9219Q combo DAC, 32-bit / 384 kHz.
The full list of connectors on the motherboard is listed as follows.
- 1x Thunderbolt5 card connector(JTBT5, support RTD3)
- 1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR)
- 2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR)
- 1x Power Connector(PCIE_PWR 8pin)
- 1x Front Type-C Quick Charge Connector(PD_PWR1)
- 1x CPU Fan
- 2x Combo Fan (Pump_Sys Fan)
- 7x System Fan
- 1x EZ Conn-header (JAF_2)
- 2x Front Panel (JFP)
- 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
- 1x Water Flow connector
- 1x Slow Mode Booting Jumper(JSLOW)
- 1x Front Audio (JAUD)
- 2x Thermal Sensor connectors(T_SEN)
- 1x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH)
- 3x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
- 1x RGB LED connector(JRGB)
- 1x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0)
- V-check point
- 4x USB 2.0 ports
- 4x USB 5Gbps Type A ports
- 1x USB 20Gbps Type C ports
MSI is using the latest WIFI 7 (BE1750x) Module to power wireless connectivity with a 320MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single Marvell 10 GbE (AQC113CS) chip and a second Killer E5000B 5 GbE LAN chip. Following is the full list of IO on the GODLIKE:
- USB 10Gbps (Type-A)
- Flash BIOS Button
- Clear CMOS Button
- Smart Button
- 10G LAN
- 5G LAN
- Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
- HD Audio Connectors
- Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps (Type-C)
- USB 10Gbps (Type-C)
- USB 20Gbps (Type-C)
- USB 10Gbps (Type-C)
- USB 10Gbps (Type-A)
- Optical S/PDIF-Out
For testing, I used the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU which was sent to us by Intel on a range of Z890 motherboards.
Intel LGA 1851 "Z890" Motherboard Test Platform:
| Processors | Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (Extreme Profile) |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | Maxsun iCraft Z890 Arctic (1.1) ASRock Z890 Taichi OCF (2.17) ASRock Z890 Taichi Aqua (2.12) ASRock Z890 Taichi (2.08) ASRock Z890 Taichi LITE (2.08) ASRock Z890 PG Nova (2.08) MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X (7E20v1A1) MSI MPG Z890 Carbon (7E17v1A1) MSI MPG Z890 Edge TI (7E19v2A2) MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk (7E32v1A3) Gigabyte Z890 AORUS Master (F9) |
| Power Supply | FSP Hydro G 1200W PSU |
| Solid State Drive | Crucial T700 2 TB Gen5 SSD |
| Memory | T-Force Delta RGB DDR5-7200 (CL34 2 x 16 GB) |
| Video Cards | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition |
| Cooling Solutions | Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420mm AIO |
| OS | Windows 11 64-bit |
Our test rig includes the Crucial T700 2 TB Gen5 SSD that boots up our main OS. In addition to these, we are running an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition graphics card and an FSP Hydro G 1200W PSU. For this specific review, we used the V-Color Manta DDR5-9466 MT/s (48 GB) memory kit running at CL46 timings.
All Z890 Motherboards Memory Support (Official Rating)
The Intel Z890 motherboards are listed with some of the highest-listed DDR5 memory support out of the box. The new platform supports the latest DDR5 CUDIMM memory kits, offering over 9000 MT/s speeds. Following is how each of the motherboards we tested stacks up in terms of frequency support:
Max DDR5 Speed Support In MT/s (Higher is Better)
3DMark CPU Profile Benchmark
Instead of producing a single number, the 3DMark CPU Profile shows you how your CPU's performance changes and scales with the number of cores and threads used. The 3DMark CPU Profile has six tests that help you benchmark and compare CPU performance for gaming and other activities.
3DMark CPU Profile (Max Threads) (Higher is Better)
Blender
Blender is a free and open-source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, and even video editing and game creation.
Blender 2.8 (Lower is Better)
Cinebench 2024
Cinebench 2024 utilizes the power of Redshift, Cinema 4D's default rendering engine, to evaluate your computer's CPU and GPU capabilities. Cinebench 2024 is designed to accommodate a broad range of hardware configurations - while it seamlessly supports x86/64 architecture (Intel/AMD) on Windows and macOS.
Cinebench 2024 (Higher is Better)
Cinebench R23
Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 20 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user.
Cinebench R23 (Higher is Better)
CPU-Z
CPUz is a freeware that gathers information on some of the main devices of your system such as the Processor name and number, codename, process, package, cache levels, Mainboard, chipset, Memory type, size, timings, and module specifications (SPD), and Real-time measurement of each core's internal frequency, memory frequency.
CPU-z (Higher is Better)
Geekbench 6
Geekbench 6 is a cross-platform benchmark that measures your system's performance with the press of a button.
Geekbench 6 (Higher is Better)
HandBrake
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
Handbrake (Higher is Better)
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing, and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.
PCMark 10 (Higher is Better)
POV-Ray
The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.
POV-Ray 3.7 (Higher is Better)
SuperPI
Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.
SuperPi 32M (Lower is Better)
WinRAR
WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can back up your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP, and other files downloaded from the Internet, and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.
Winrar (Lower is Better)
Battlefield V
Battlefield V brings back the action of the World War 2 shooter genre. Using the latest Frostbite tech, the game does a good job of looking gorgeous in all ways possible. From the open-world environments to the intense and gun-blazing action, this multiplayer and single-player FPS title is one of the best-looking Battlefields to date. The game was tested at max settings at 1440p.
Battlefield V (2K)
Battlefield V (2K) 5.6 GHz All-Core OC
DOOM Eternal
DOOM Eternal brings hell to earth with the Vulkan-powered idTech 7. We test this game using the Ultra Nightmare Preset and follow our in-game benchmarking to stay consistent.
DOOM (2K)
DOOM (2K) 5.6 GHz All-Core OC
GTA V
GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It's scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.
GTA V (2K)
GTA V (2K) 5.6 GHz All-Core OC
Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus continues the journey of Artyom through the nuclear wasteland of Russia and its surroundings. This time, you are set over the Metro, going through various regions and different environments. The game is one of the premier titles to feature NVIDIA’s RTX technology and does well in showcasing the ray-tracing effects in all corners. The game was tested at Ultra setting with RTX settings turned off at 1440p.
Metro Exodus (2K)
Metro Exodus (2K) 5.6 GHz All-Core OC
Shadow of The Tomb Raider
Sequel to The Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of The Tomb Raider is visually enhanced with an updated Foundation Engine that delivers realistic facial animations and the most gorgeous environments ever seen in a Tomb Raider Game. The game is a technical marvel and shows the power of its graphics engine in the latest title.
Shadow of The Tomb Raider (2K)
Shadow of The Tomb Raider (2K) 5.6 GHz All-Core OC
Intel's Arrow Lake "K" SKUs come with a default TDP of 125W and a PL2 rating of 250W for the Ultra 9 285K and 159W for the 245K. The chips can be set to performance or extreme mode using the BIOS software from each respective motherboard vendor.
Power Consumption - Stress Test (Full System)
Power Consumption - Gaming Test
The Intel Core Ultra 200S "Arrow Lake" Desktop CPUs come with a slightly modified IHS which is equipped over the tiled CPU die. This IHS is soldered with gold plating underneath to ensure good heat dissipation and thermal conductivity. The socket also features a revised ILM mechanism called RL-ILM (Reduced-Load) to provide optimal pressure for the socket and the CPU.
Temperatures (Stock)
Temperatures (5.6 GHz OC) Cinebench Test
MSI's MEG Z890 GODLIKE is a very powerful and feature-rich motherboard. The motherboard has a very powerful VRM design which was enough to push the Arrow Lake Core Ultra 9 285K to the max. The best part is the cooling which offers some of the lowest VRM temperatures that we have seen across the Z890 options that we tested. Memory support also remains strong with CUDIMM DDR5 support and up to 9200 MT/s speeds with more possible through extreme overclocking.
Features such as the EZ Bridge Dashboard and the Click BIOS X are solid and work great. There are a lot of tuning options available for this motherboard and you won't be disappointed at all.
For IO, you get all the latest features such as WIFI7, BT5.4, lots of Thunderbolt 4, and USB4 ports. The motherboard has 7 USB Type-C ports on the back along with 8 USB Type-A ports. All of these are high-speed 10 Gbps or 20 Gbps connections. You also get dual LAN ports (10+5 GbE). Audio is also strong and for easy access, you get a trio of buttons that offer Flash Back, Clear CMOS, and SMART functionality.
The looks of the MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE are truly impressive. It comes in the E-ATX form factor and has the full black color scheme going on with several RGB and LCD zones which shine in the classic "GOLD Yellow" color scheme plus they offer further room for customization. The motherboard also comes with several EZ PCIe and M.2 release slots which make installing/removing new devices a breeze. You also get several right-angled connectors which should make things simple for cable management.
The things we loved about the MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE
- Superb VRM Design (30 Phases, 110A SPS)
- Faster Memory Support (9200 MT/s+)
- Awesome design with several RGB, LCD zones
- Lots of USB ports (Including Thunderbolt4)
- Eight M.2 slots with EZ heatsinks
- Latest WIFI7 & BT5.4 Support
- EZ Toolless Design For GPU
- Useful accessories for increased M.2/TB4 ports
- EZ Bridge acts as a Minii Hub and offers an LCD dashboard with lots of tuning options
Things that you may not like:
- Massive E-ATX design
- Massive Price Tag ($1100 US)
The motherboard also comes with three useful accessories, two of which are Add-In-Cards that offer extra Gen5 M.2 and Thunderbolt5 connections while an EZ Control Hub makes life easier for PC DIY'ers. It does come at a hefty price over $1000 US and that's probably the only downside I can think of.
The MSI MEG Z890 GODLIKE is a GOD-tier design that makes a powerful statement in the enthusiast space. Its overclocking capabilities are top-notch, its design is ferocious, it cools the VRMs quietly and effectively, and has an endless array of IO and features that will fulfill all your wildest needs.
