MSI MPG X870E CARBON AM5 ATX Gaming Motherboard, 4x SATA 6Gb/s, AMD Wi-Fi 7,USB 4.0 AMD Ryzen 9 9950X - Ryzen 9 9000 Series Granite Ridge (Zen 5) 16-Core 4.3 GHz - Socket AM5 170W - Radeon Graphics Processor - 100-100001277WOF

Pros: - The board has lots of I/O ports.

Cons: - NVMe M.2 Slot 4 does not detect any drives installed on this slot. - Two drives (a SATA drive and an M.2 drive) were corrupted, when installed on this board. - Can take 2-3 minutes to boot - Bifurcation is only supported on PCIe slot 1. This is where the video card gets installed. Which genius made this decision???? - MSI has a phone number to actually talk to someone to assist with any issues you have with their products. Although the person we talked to sounded like it was his first job, it was still good to be able to contact a human being.

Overall Review: The board we received is extremely buggy, and prone to corrupt storage drives. One of the storage slots will not detect any drive installed. Our first board was defective. Hopefully, the replacement board will be what we paid for.

Pros: -first of most importantly, it works great with 9800x3d -In general very quality board, feel very solid -Like the design, good looking in my opinion -USB slots are plenty and they marked with the speed! Very detailed work. This board is one of the few that marked the port with speed. Good job! -plenty of space for M2 SSD. (you have to be careful though when using them) -EZ release button is expected for this MB at this price -Some promotion to cut down the price a bit -I like the bios, easy to navigate the use -Very good customer service for rebates/promotion redemptions, which makes me thing the customer support for the product should be good (have not used it since it was working perfectly)

Cons: -Ok, customers have to make sure you read the manual before you using the M2 slot, because the M2_2 is sharing lane with the GPU in PCI_E1. The design would be better if the M2 slot was not sharing lane with the GPU. Asrock Nova and Taichi can do up to 5 M2 slot without sharing lanes with GPU, with a lower price... -No back plate for a MB of $500. Asrock Nova has the back plate for cheaper MSRP...Come on MSI -Would be nice to have a 10G port for internet.

Overall Review: So, my use case is to find a mb to pair with my newly build 9800x3d + 4090. Background is that I like MSI products, as my last board is Z270 gaming pro carbon. In general, this MSI X870e carbon is a great board, is significantly better than Asus X870e Hero and Gigabyte X870E Aorus. However, overall features and the price of this motherboard makes me feel it's really hard to win out when compared with Asrock X870e Nova and Taichi. The design has some flaws in my opinion in terms of M2 SSD slot, and lack of back plate. It just could have been better made. I picked the MSI eventually due to the look, bios, and brand (service), availability, and also due to a couple of promotion to make it more competitive. I still recommend this since it is working great! However, maybe I was picky as a MSI fan, by taking one point off, I just hope MSI could make this board better so that I don't have to debate so much to pick this one over other competitions.

Pros: The build quality is top-notch Sturdy components and an attractive texture design Graphic card quick-release design Sufficient and fast I/O interfaces

Cons: None

Overall Review: I previously owned a B650 motherboard from another brand, but the experience wasn't great. The boot times were long, and the memory couldn't run stably in EXPO mode. After purchasing the 9900X, I decided to upgrade my motherboard as well. Based on my current testing, it has resolved all my issues. The speed of the USB ports and the Wi-Fi card is particularly impressive. Since I frequently copy and transfer data, this upgrade has been a truly satisfying experience for me.

Pros: BIOS updates, Easy Install

Cons: No paper manual, PDF online not on the included Thumb Drive, drivers online only and must be installed on the included Thumb Drive, HDMI and Display Port problems with Nvidia Cards

Overall Review: This is one of the easiest physical installs ever. Everything is labeled well, and it was easy to find the information in the manual. BUT - the manual is PDF only and only on their website. Also all drivers are only on their website. So I had to copy all the drivers onto the included Thumb Drive. BIOS updates only work with the Thumb Drive as well. Once the BIOS is updated, drivers installed, memory setup, it recognized the new AMD CPU right up. And then it booted straight to Windows no problem. My biggest gripe though - you can't see BIOS unless using the onboard HDMI. I couldn't use my Nvidia card at all. So after finishing setup, getting into windows, then I had to install my Nvidia card, and it only works with HDMI. This is a known bug and it's a major one. I hope they update their BIOS so we can use DisplayPort, but for now it is HDMI only. I had to get a new HDMI 2.1 cable, but it does work. After all this I can say this is way better than my old ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero X570S board. That was a nightmare and it eventually died with so many startup and memory problems. I paid way too much for that setup. From now on it's MSI all the way. Just overall such a better experience and way more stable, even with the HDMI/Displayport bug. If you want a nice board, then get this one. AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, Team T-Force Delta RGB 32GB RAM DDR5 7200 (PC5 57600), ASUS THOR 1200W Platinum II, Nvidia RTX 3090

Pros: - Makes the mechanics of the build easy (toolless M.2, locking PCIE x16 slot, placement of USB/fan/SATA headers) - Great connectivity on rear panel - Gaming performance has been smooth so far

Cons: - PCIE lane sharing has can for you into some tough decisions on card and derive placement; PCIE_1, PCIE_2 and M.2_2 share PCIE lanes. - The placement of the PCIE power header at the bottom of the board makes all but the thinnest cards unusable in PCIE_3. My SoundBlaster AE-7 will not fit in it.

Overall Review: This board is good for simple builds (one graphics card, 1-2 M.2 drives, no other PCIE cards) and will provide great performance for that pattern. Two recommendations I have if using this setup: - If you have 2 M.2 drives, use M.2_1 for your primary and M.2_4 for the other to avoid pulling PCIE lanes away from PCIE_1. - If you plan on using a CPU air cooler, check your clearances on the left and right. The board's fascia on the left is fairly tall and close to the CPU slot. On the right, the RAM DIMM slots are close as well. Tall RAM DIMMs will give you trouble with an air cooler.

Overall Review: Have been waiting for the new X870E board, I bought the 9950X month ago when the CPU launched. MSI has its new ID for the CARBON series. This board comes with the 5G LAN/ WIFi 7 and USB 4.0 pretty decent for the pricing. Solid look with all needed features. Can not wait to put them together!

Pros: - Super easy to install. Only took a little wiggling and it slid right in place in my NZXT H9 case. - Almost all of the cable connections/ports were easy to work with (except for the USB port on the side) - Very easy to install M.2 SSDs. This was a pain on some other motherboards I have used, but on this one its super easy, and as an added bonus the motherboard has built in SSD heat syncs. There is also a ton of SSD slots (4 if I remember correctly), and some of them also support Gen 5.0. - Lots of ARGB headers. Plus some built in RGB on the board itself. - I love all of the 10GB USB slots in the back. I can never have too many USB slots. - The BIOS was easy to use (just press DEL to access when powering on). I was able to easily adjust my RAM to the correct frequency and timings and it worked great. There is also a ton of settings to overclock your RAM and CPU, however I left me CPU alone.

Cons: - The WIFI functionality has not been working. I spent probably 5+ hours troubleshooting the WIFI and I could not get it to work. I've updated all the drivers, tried rolling stuff back, tweaked the bios, etc. The Bluetooth portion works (can can be enabled or disabled from the bios), but the WIFI just never seems to work. At this point I have given up on the WIFI and will just be using a wired connection. - Only the 2.5G ethernet worked until I was able to update drivers, then the 5G worked after that. - Could use a few more fan headers. I am running 10 fans in my system and needed to buy an additional controller for all of the fans. - The side USB headers were a little hard to work with, but once I got the cables plugged in it was fine.

Overall Review: This is my second MSI motherboard. My first MSI board was paired with an Intel 7700k, and this one (roughly 7 years later) was paired with an AMD 9800X3D. I would say that I am fairly happy with this purchase. It was easy to install, the error codes were super helpful when debugging, and I was able to get the new build up and running fairly quickly. Overall I would recommend this motherboard (as long as you don't rely heavily on WIFI).

Pros: Excellent performance out of the box. Bios M-flash quick and easy. Bios is easy to navigate with overclocking made easy. USB ports for days. Lots of M.2 slots with easy release/install mechanism. Quick release mechanism for GPUs.

Cons: Premium board comes with premium price. Long post times as RAM training kept taking place with each restart. RAM listed timing didn't work out of the box even though it was on the QVL.

Overall Review: Excellent board for my first foray into the AMD platform (I've been using Intel for years). Paired well with the 9800X3D, working out of the box. The long post times (POST code 15) seems to be the system RAM training every restart. Enabling Memory Context Restore seems to have fixed the issue. I had to dial back RAM timing a bit as the profile did not work out of the box. Besides these issues, a great experience building on this motherboard. This review is for the MSI Review Rebate Program.

Overall Review: From a robust VRM to a new bios UI, this new release is worth taking a look at. USB 4 is not the only reason to consider this chipset. There are a few products, such as this one that combine quality-of-life features like redesigned M.2 support and decent aesthetics that make it a viable option for enthusiasts. Having an error code display makes all the difference for me personally. This review is for the MSI Review Rebate Program.

Pros: This review is for the MSI Review Rebate Program -Impressive VRM heatsink and 8-layer PCB to support very solid cooling performance. Cinebench R23 Temps maxing out around 70C -No issues pairing with 9800x3D -RAM speeds reached advertised EXPO times with headroom. I am currently running GSkill 2x48GB at 6400 MT/s -Use of a third PCIe slot beneficial for my use case of adding a 10GB networking card. Many of the X870E boards even in the highest tiers (ROG Crosshair Hero, Nova Taichi) only offer 2 bifurcated PCIe x16 slots. Meaning if you were to add Graphics card and another expansion card such as a capture or network card you are halving the bandwidth on both PCIe lanes since they both become x8. For me I would rather sacrifice an extra M.2 slot for the ability to add extra functionality to my computer. So I think this was a thoughtful approach by MSI on the X870E MSI Carbon Wifi. -I prefer white builds but the look and accents on this board won me over. The RGB is tastefully added and it is not aggressive or over-the-top. -MSI seems to be poised to be a leader in RAM support for the future of DDR5 on AM5 such as with CU-DIMM which could be a major advancement in speeds at high capacity. Purchasing a MSI board like the Carbon was a way for me to have support for these features if adopted down the road -Outstanding connectivity with 2 USB 4.0 (40 gbps), 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps type-C), and 9 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) -Great BIOS experience and super clean and easy to use -Much better customer support than ASUS.

Cons: -Using M.2 slot in M2_2 is the biggest downside for me, but as noted above it is a sacrifice I don't mind making for the option to use an extra PCIe slot. I had to remove one of the M.2 drives that I was using but did not have anything on it as of yet. Not the biggest deal in the world but slightly annoying considering Nova Taichi from AsRock doesn't require you to sacrifice this. -Price is a bit high compared to the midrange boards such as Tomahawk. It does offer quite a bit especially on the connectivity side and is right in line with the competitors Strix and Aorus Master -Backplate would have been good here especially with the Nova and Taichi offering backplates at lower costs. This particular CPU doesn't get super hot so it's not the end of the world.

Overall Review: Owning a Asus ROG Strix x670e-a, it wasn't on paper an urgent thing that I needed to upgrade to. However, I have experienced non-stop issues with the Asus Strix from memory support especially to lately all of my devices (mouse, keyboard, etc) stuttering and reconnecting sometimes mid-game or gunfight. I figured with the launch of the X870E line, I could upgrade to a more stable system and one that doesn't seem to always have some sort of issue. So far so good. The X870e MSI Carbon Wifi is rock solid so far in terms of performance. Games and apps do feel less jittery and connections for my peripherals has been great. I am loving the ease at which I can run my RAM at higher speeds and look forward to hearing more about MSI's commitment to CU-DIMM and building on a board that can take advantage of this in a year or two. I don't really feel a need to upgrade motherboards often unless building a completely new computer, and I do think that the X870E MSI Carbon Wifi will give a lot of headroom in this sense.

Pros: works great, easy install in my case and worked with my new CPU.

Cons: I had already ordered heatsink m.2 ssd didnt realize the frozr plate included would interfere with the heat sink. had to return and buy new ssd

Overall Review: I would recommend this product

Pros: +PCIe 5.0 gfx card slot. +2x PCIe 5.0 m.2 slots. While current m.2 5.0 offerings are lacking this will be nice going forward. +Every one of the four m.2 slots has a heatsink and thermal pads to assist with temps. If you're actually going to try currrent m.2 5.0 drives this feature will be healpful. +Able to upgrade BIOS while using a CPU that isn't supported by current BIOS. Never had this feature before and I had to dig to find out how exactly to do it but this is an amazing feature.

Cons: -I would've been thrilled if they had a version in white. -Does not come with a full on paper manual, only a QR code. There's a quick setup guide but I could've saved some time on the build if it came with one.

Overall Review: This is posted as a result of a shout out review but talking this thing up is easy. It's been a while since I've bought a motherboard and this thing has some cute features that would've brought me to leave a review regardless. To update bios with an unsupported CPU get the latest BIOS file, name it MSI.ROM, put it in the root folder of a USB stick, plug USB stick into the SPECIFIC USB PORT LABELED (BIOS something), then press the flash BIOS button on the back. Sit back and wait. It will turn off when it's done.

Pros: This motherboard is an absolute powerhouse built for enthusiasts and serious gamers who demand top-tier performance and future-proofing. With support for AMDs latest Ryzen processors and PCIe 5.0, its designed to handle the most demanding setups, offering incredible speed, stability, and room for upgrades. The thermal design is especially impressive, featuring high-quality heatsinks, thermal pads, and an onboard M.2 Shield Frozr that keeps temperatures in check even during intensive use. While its on the pricier side, this board truly delivers on its premium features, making it a solid investment for those who want longevity, reliability, and high-end performance. If youre building a cutting-edge rig and need a motherboard that can keep up with your ambitions, this one is well worth considering.

Overall Review: Paired this with my 9800xed CPU for blazing fast performance in a top tier gaming setup. This AMD setup replaces an overheating i9-14700 CPU (see intel's Info on 13th/14th gen Overheating chips). Super glad for Wifi7 and all the other great MB features like additional SSD slots and plenty of fan support. You won't go wrong with this MPG X870E Carbon MB. This review is for the MSI Review Rebate Program

Pros: Handles the 9800x3d like a beast, Overclocked CPU and RAM flawlessly. The design is also clean af and everything was super easy to work with. The PCI-E release switch is super nice too.

Cons: Boot times are insane! but that could also be due to my OCing.

Overall Review: I'd definitely recommend it, I've always gone with ASUS but I wanted to switch it up this time around. BIOS took a little time to get use to but its pretty similar.

Pros: -High End Motherboard -Improved my component performance

Cons: -Pricey -Needs Bios update to improve functionality of service codes -

Overall Review: If moving from 670 series I would wait for prices to lower

Pros: Great I/O Looks BIOS is easy to navigate gen 5 ssd support great for overclocking

Cons: I wish this was a 2 dimm for extra memory stability. And maybe 10g ethernet. Also a backplate would be nice.

Overall Review: It doesn't get much better than the carbon for AM5 chips. This board as all the I/O one needs and has some pretty sweet asthetics too like the light up dragon logo. The RAM compatibility is vast and seems to be quite stable. I hope they keep adding faster models to their list though. Overall this board is a great value and has not given me any issues. This review is for the MSI Review Rebate Program

Pros: Very good layout of pins and connectors, installing and setup was easy. Plenty of USB A and C ports, and all of the USB A parts are 3.0, where it seems like most motherboards even at the high end have a few USB 2.0 ports or very limited number of USB ports overall. LEDs on the board can be turned off with a switch if you are not into that. All of the quality of life features for testing - diagnosis code LED, on board reset and power buttons, etc and they are easy to get see/get to if needed even with a massive GPU installed. Build quality seems great - no flex on the board, even with the extra weight with the built in VRM and M.2 heatsinks. Reinforced/connectors for two of the PCI-E slots, which is pretty common now but still lends towards how sturdy the board feels.

Cons: You know this going in, but this is way past any reasonable price/performance comparison. You buy this because its the top of the line, has ample ceiling to overclock electrically, and has the all of the newest I/O in one package, not because of the price point. Only 4x SATA ports, but in the worst case you can buy an expansion card. Also seemed odd to only include 2x SATA cables with 4 ports, but I'm guessing that most people buying this board are relying on M.2 drives. Would've liked a physical manual too, but probably just me being old school. Not really a con, but just a note - the included WiFi antenna is slightly too large for the storage spot in ASUS ProArt PA602 case, which has a small storage space in the top of the case for antennas. However, the tip of the antenna is just plastic casing and you can remove just enough from it in without getting to the actual antenna to make it fit.

Overall Review: This review is for the MSI Review Rebate Program. I generally do a new build every 5-7 years, so see buying this as 'future proofing' for new standards like WiFi 7, PCI-E 5.0, etc vs going with a cheaper motherboard that skips those. I haven't had a chance to do any real stress testing or overclocking, but have had zero issues with stability and the physical build quality is impressive. I'd recommend this for someone wanting to do a high end build that will last them years.

Pros: The MSI MPG X870E Carbon is a dream come true for any PC enthusiast. Right out of the box, I was impressed by its sleek design and robust build quality. The BIOS is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for those new to overclocking. Key Features That Shine: Future-Proof Power: The 18-phase Duet Rail Power System is a beast, ensuring rock-solid stability for even the most demanding CPUs and overclocking scenarios. Blazing-Fast Connectivity: The 5G LAN and Wi-Fi 7 provide lightning-fast network speeds, perfect for online gaming and content streaming. Ample Storage: The multiple M.2 slots, including Gen5 and Gen4, offer incredible flexibility for high-speed storage solutions. Efficient Cooling: The Frozr thermal design keeps everything running cool, even under heavy load. User-Friendly Design: The EZ Debug LED and easy-to-use BIOS make troubleshooting and customization a breeze. I've been incredibly pleased with the performance and reliability of this motherboard. It's a fantastic choice for anyone looking to build a high-performance PC that can handle anything you throw at it.

Cons: While the MSI MPG X870E Carbon is an incredible motherboard, it's not without its quirks. A Few Minor Drawbacks: Online-Only Manual: While the digital manual is comprehensive, it's less convenient than a physical copy, especially for those who prefer a tangible reference. EZ Connector Complexity: The EZ Connector, while a helpful feature, can be a bit confusing to use, especially for first-time builders. Price Premium: As a high-end motherboard, it comes with a premium price tag. While the performance justifies the cost for enthusiasts, it might be excessive for casual users. Gen5 Lane Sharing: While the PCIe 5.0 support is impressive, the lane sharing between the PCIe slots and M.2 slots can limit flexibility, especially for those who need to maximize storage and GPU performance. Limited SATA Ports: The limited number of SATA ports might be a drawback for users who prefer traditional storage solutions. Overkill for Casual Users: For casual users who don't need the extreme performance and features, this motherboard might be overkill and more expensive than necessary.

Overall Review: The MSI MPG X870E Carbon is a high-performance motherboard designed for demanding users. It offers a wealth of features, including PCIe 5.0 support, DDR5 memory, and a robust power delivery system. The BIOS is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it a great choice for both beginners and experienced overclockers. I paired this motherboard with a Ryzen 9 9800x3d and was blown away by the performance. The BIOS is easy to navigate, and overclocking was a breeze. The Frozr thermal solution kept everything cool, even under heavy load. The 5G LAN and Wi-Fi 7 provide lightning-fast network speeds, and the multiple M.2 slots offer ample storage options. If you're looking for a high-performance motherboard that can handle the latest and greatest hardware, the MSI MPG X870E Carbon is an excellent choice.

Pros: Bios very functional! Good build quality!

Cons: Plastic lining is a bit tricky to take off around large heatsink with dragon Not a fault of the motherboard, but be careful when plugging in USB connector for pc case and it's easy to bend pins

Overall Review: I would recommend!

Pros: -It looks good -The layout of inputs is nice

Cons: -I've tried two different sets of ram that MSI's site says is tested to run at 8000mhz, it doesn't work because everytime they update the bios it breaks it. Best I can get is 6200mhz. -Wifi is terrible: In the most recent bios (7E49v1A33) and a few before it, If you enable x3d mode in the bios, the Wifi stops working. The Qualcomm wifi/bluetooth is just bad.

Overall Review: I replaced my MSI x670e Carbon with this x870e Carbon. The bios, RAM expo/overclocking and WIFI are worse in every way. The only improvement I can see over the x670e carbon is the quality of PCIE slots. For example the PCIE x16 port on x670e Carbon is cheaply made and broke/bent on my first day using it. This x870e is more robust.