MSI’s MEG Z490 Unify motherboard ($299.99) stands out as an unusual board in the market for high-end Intel desktop boards, but not for any of the reasons you'd likely think by looking at it. It doesn’t have a unique configuration, or any uncommon hardware. It’s simply one of the few high-end motherboards from the last few years—on AMD or Intel platforms—not to glow like the rising sun. This motherboard instead is jet-black and devoid of cosmetic LEDs. This kind of sober approach has been absent outside the low-end board market for years now. It's an intentional design from MSI, and welcome, though the board itself is largely vanilla, despite the dark design. We've seen better mainstream value in some other Z490 boards from Asrock and Asus, but this one will certainly do the job and deliver a stealthy design to boot. The Design: Basic Black at the High End The MEG Z490 Unify, built around the LGA1200 socket and Intel's Z490 chipset for its mainstream desktop CPUs, features an almos...
MSI’s MEG Z490 Unify is a plain-looking, but premium, motherboard for Intel-PC upgraders and builders who prefer to shun LEDs, or are building into a zero-visibility chassis.
Minimalist, dark PCB design (for those who prefer that); Sturdy build; Actively cooled VRMs and beefy power-phase design; Well-rounded feature set, including onboard Wi-Fi 6; Separate front and rear audio chips
Lack of RGB LEDs may dissuade some builders; With test cooler, fans run at full blast with current firmware; Ports at the top of the board can be tricky to access