MSI MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon Motherboard

MSI MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon

Brand
MSI
Model
MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon
$394–$436estimated range · from catalog price Aug 1, 2026

MSI MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon: ATX Z390 board for 8th/9th‑Gen Intel with OC support, dual M.2, 128GB DDR4, USB‑C Gen2, Intel GbE, and a Thunderbolt add‑on header.

TierHigh end?GixCore tierWhat a part was built to do — not what it costs.EntryBudgetMainstreamHigh endEnthusiastFlagship A part can be cheap because it is an ageing flagship, or because it is a current entry-level model. The tier tells you which.
Released2018
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SocketLGA1151
ChipsetZ390
MemoryDDR4
Max RAM speed4400 MHz
Form factorATX
RAM slots4
M.2 slots2
PCIe x163
GixCore Editorial

Product overview

Released in October 2018 alongside Intel’s Z390 platform, the MSI MPG Z390 Gaming PRO Carbon is a 300‑series LGA1151 board for 8th/9th‑Gen Core processors. It sits in the high_end Z‑series tier: it exists to enable overclocking and fuller I/O on a mainstream ATX platform.Sourcetomshardware.com

It offers four DDR4 DIMMs (up to 128 GB with XMP), three PCIe 3.0 x16 plus three x1 slots, two PCIe/SATA M.2 sockets with shared bandwidth, and six SATA ports. Connectivity includes Intel Gigabit LAN, rear USB‑C/USB 3.1 Gen2, and DisplayPort + HDMI for iGPU; this non‑AC variant has no onboard Wi‑Fi (an AC model adds wireless). Notably, it includes a Thunderbolt add‑on card header. ATX form factor suits standard mid‑tower builds.Sourcemsi.com

Best for
  • overclocking
  • expansion/multi-M.2
  • high-speed memory

Specifications

At a glance iEach dot represents a catalog model. Farther right means a higher measured value, not necessarily a better fit.Measured against the motherboards catalog
Current modelCatalog models
Max RAM speed4400 MHz
Higher than 23% of motherboards
RAM slots4
Higher than 93% of motherboards
M.2 slots2
Higher than 43% of motherboards
Socket
LGA1151
Memory
DDR4
WiFi
No
Integrated Graphics
Yes
USB
3.2
Max Memory Size
128 GB
ECC Support
No
Chipset
Z390
Max RAM speed
4400 MHz
Form factor
ATX
RAM slots
4
M.2 slots
2
PCIe x16
3
Processor Generation
8, 9
Pci E
3.0
M 2
PCI-E, SATA
Sata Slots
6
Sata Speed
6 Gb/s
Pci E Slots
3
Tdp
50 W
Nvme
Yes
Pci E X1
3
Cpu Brand
Intel
Pairing fit

Compatible CPUs

Compatible options ranked for this part's performance class.

Budget pairings6 lower-tier compatible options
Pairing fit

Compatible RAM kits

Compatible options ranked for this part's performance class.

Budget pairings6 lower-tier compatible options
Pairing fit

Compatible Cases

Compatible options ranked for this part's performance class.

Budget pairings6 lower-tier compatible options
Pairing fit

Compatible Power supplies

Compatible options ranked for this part's performance class.

Budget pairings6 lower-tier compatible options