AMA MSI Comet Lake Z490 Motherboard AMA and Giveaway

Page 5 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Status
Not open for further replies.

HzEurythmic

Prominent
May 14, 2020
7
1
515
Will there be a watercooled motherboard for VRMs or whatnot for maximum cooling? I'm talking about a motherboard completely covered in water reservoirs, of course with the pcie, cpu, etc slots uncovered.
 

Joseph57

Distinguished
Mar 27, 2014
55
12
18,565
You only need to connect one. The other is extra power for overclocking.
???
How can an extra panel connector (these are for the on/off - led lights, power reset...ect..) possibly aid on any type of O/C?
They do not provide power, they are mainly for push button on/off and reset switches and led connectors for the case led lights (meaning 99% of the time for the HDD and power) for the case itself????
Please explain if I misunderstand, and show an example of a case that requires two panel connectors, Thank you.
 
Last edited:

HzEurythmic

Prominent
May 14, 2020
7
1
515
I don’t think my question posted before, but will there be a completely watercooled motherboard, lf course with the PCIe slots and CPU slot and stuff uncovered?
 
Apr 28, 2020
10
0
10

Have a question about Comet Lake or the new MSI Z490 motherboards? Now's your chance to speak with MSI directly!

Hey there Toms' Hardware members! We're proud to announce another exciting AMA with the fine folks from MSI. With Comet Lake Z490 motherboards finally out in the wild, MSI wanted to touch base with the Tom's Hardware community and answer any questions regarding any new features and the platforms overclocking performance. We have the following guests from MSI joining us:

Mark Tran – MSI Marketing Manager for Components, @MSIsouleet

David Yee – MSI Marketing Associate Manager for Components, @MSIDavY

Jorge Meza – MSI Technical Marketing Associate, @MSI_GeoX

Manny Chang – MSI CND Marketing, @yellowcardyc

Check out the full list of features on the MSI Z490 landing page.

This thread will be unlocked, open and live for 48 hours starting at 12:00 p.m. noon PDT on Wednesday May 13th. Questions will be moderated and supervised by Tom’s Community Manager Staff, as well as our full team of Senior Moderators.

MSI System Starter Giveaway
To help us celebrate the AMA, we have a massive starter build bundle up for grabs, courtesy of MSI. One grand prize winner will receive the following set of components:

MSI Z490 Gaming EDGE WIFI Motherboard
Gungnir 100 Case
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super Gaming X Graphics Card
MSI Optix MAG272CR Gaming Monitor

To enter all you have to do is comment on this thread with motherboard question for MSI. You can see complete instructions for how to enter on the giveaway widget, linked here.

The sweepstakes will run until May 29th. Please see the contest entry page for a full list of rules and ways to enter.

Ask Me Anything Rules

• No tech support questions, as these require in-depth personal follow-up and diagnostics.

• All Rules of Conduct apply.

• Keep questions direct and to the point.

• Avoid opinion bias, as in, "Why are all your products awesome/horrible?"

• Be respectful of our guests--no insults, no leading questions.

• Do not post duplicate questions or repost your question multiple times.

• Not all questions may be answered. Questions may not be answered in the order in which they are received or posted.

To reiterate: No opinion bias, insults, leading questions, or breaking the Rules of Conduct. Breaking these rules may result in a one-day ban.

Only registered users will be able to ask questions, so if you haven’t yet, be sure to register now for your chance to participate!

The official representatives will reply periodically over the time the AMA is active, using a recognized and verified account.

Please join us on this date to throw your questions into the mix and ask MSI what you've always wanted to ask!

What: Ask Me Anything with MSI

When: Wednesday, May 11th, 12pm PDT

Where: The Tom’s Hardware Forums!

Who: The MSI Motherboard Product Team
Real question: Can we expect to see any improvements to base clock overclocking on these new boards?
Joke question: When can we expect to see RGB vrms, resistors, capacitors, and ports on your boards? When I want an RGB motherboard I want it all over.
 
May 14, 2020
1
0
10
1-Why does CPU companies need to change the socket from time to time.
2-What is the difference between PCI Express generations and is the difference in interface type or in speed.
 

MSIDavY

Honorable
Official Forum Representative
Aug 10, 2016
80
16
10,635
Will there be a watercooled motherboard for VRMs or whatnot for maximum cooling? I'm talking about a motherboard completely covered in water reservoirs, of course with the pcie, cpu, etc slots uncovered.

I don’t think my question posted before, but will there be a completely watercooled motherboard, lf course with the PCIe slots and CPU slot and stuff uncovered?

Within the near future, there will not be a motherboard with a waterblock that covers the whole motherboard. However, a Z490 motherboard with a CPU+VRM waterblock will be released later. You can look up Z490 CARBON EK to see what that may look like.
 

MSIDavY

Honorable
Official Forum Representative
Aug 10, 2016
80
16
10,635
Real question: Can we expect to see any improvements to base clock overclocking on these new boards?
Joke question: When can we expect to see RGB vrms, resistors, capacitors, and ports on your boards? When I want an RGB motherboard I want it all over.

To my knowledge MEG Z490 GODLIKE has a clockgen.

About RGB, the closest you can have is to connect RGB devices to the RGB pin headers and you'll have full internal lighting.
 

MSIDavY

Honorable
Official Forum Representative
Aug 10, 2016
80
16
10,635
1-Why does CPU companies need to change the socket from time to time.
2-What is the difference between PCI Express generations and is the difference in interface type or in speed.

1. Very simply, it's for seamless compatibility. Sockets change so to allow for either or even both increased data transmission and increased power delivery.

2. That is a topic beyond the scope of this AMA, but is rather easy to lookup. The most important updates on PCI-E for motherboards is bandwidth.
 

4freedomssake

Honorable
Oct 30, 2017
106
6
10,585
If an MSI motherboard (B360 Gaming Plus iTX) says it can handle 2666 MHz of RAM and my CPU (Intel i5-9400) says it can handle a faster speed of RAM, which should I follow?
 
May 14, 2020
18
0
10
Is it possible to use skylake cpu with B360M MORTAR? Or it supports coffee lake only?

Btw big thanks for Afterburner software, Im using it every day even on my second pc without msi parts. Its cool that its not MSI proprietary. Keep on the good work.
 

kkunicc

Commendable
Apr 7, 2018
2
0
1,510
If AMD changes its mind with b450/x470 compatibility with ZEN 3 CPUs, will there be BIOS update for compatibility on all of those motherboards or only on newer MAX editions?
 

MSIDavY

Honorable
Official Forum Representative
Aug 10, 2016
80
16
10,635
If an MSI motherboard (B360 Gaming Plus iTX) says it can handle 2666 MHz of RAM and my CPU (Intel i5-9400) says it can handle a faster speed of RAM, which should I follow?

Check the memory compatibility list under the SUPPORT tab for your motherboard. There, it will list tested memory kits.
 

MSIDavY

Honorable
Official Forum Representative
Aug 10, 2016
80
16
10,635
Is it possible to use skylake cpu with B360M MORTAR? Or it supports coffee lake only?

Btw big thanks for Afterburner software, Im using it every day even on my second pc without msi parts. Its cool that its not MSI proprietary. Keep on the good work.

Coffee lake only.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CyrilP96

MSIDavY

Honorable
Official Forum Representative
Aug 10, 2016
80
16
10,635
If AMD changes its mind with b450/x470 compatibility with ZEN 3 CPUs, will there be BIOS update for compatibility on all of those motherboards or only on newer MAX editions?

We cannot comment on a partner matter that has not reached a conclusion.
 

MSIDavY

Honorable
Official Forum Representative
Aug 10, 2016
80
16
10,635
How difficult is it to create an ITX version and what is the most challenging aspect?

It is very difficult. Mini-ITX was originally designed for the likes of Intel Atom platforms which didn't have very many features and the processors had low power draws.

Our MEG Z490I UNIFY, our only Z490 mini-ITX motherboard, has 10 PCB layers which is more than even our MEG Z490 GODLIKE. Add to the fact that there's Thunderbolt 3, two M.2 connectors, 8 direct phases of power delivery that has dedicated VRM cooling, 7.1 surround audio, and Wi-Fi 6, the surface of the motherboard is crowded with components.

If you have ever been to a densely populated city, imagine how difficult it would be to build a road or even a highway through a packed neighborhood.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ThiaJay

ThiaJay

Distinguished
Jan 23, 2008
13
1
18,515
It is very difficult. Mini-ITX was originally designed for the likes of Intel Atom platforms which didn't have very many features and the processors had low power draws.

Our MEG Z490I UNIFY, our only Z490 mini-ITX motherboard, has 10 PCB layers which is more than even our MEG Z490 GODLIKE. Add to the fact that there's Thunderbolt 3, two M.2 connectors, 8 direct phases of power delivery that has dedicated VRM cooling, 7.1 surround audio, and Wi-Fi 6, the surface of the motherboard is crowded with components.

If you have ever been to a densely populated city, imagine how difficult it would be to build a road or even a highway through a packed neighborhood.

That's a great answer, I genuinely didn't know about the layering used. It's amazing what you can fit into a small space. I presume heat dissipation is also a challenge on a smaller board?
 

MSI_GeoX

Official Forum Representative
Mar 27, 2020
19
7
15
???
How can an extra panel connector (these are for the on/off - led lights, power reset...ect..) possibly aid on any type of O/C?
They do not provide power, they are mainly for push button on/off and reset switches and led connectors for the case led lights (meaning 99% of the time for the HDD and power) for the case itself????
Please explain if I misunderstand, and show an example of a case that requires two panel connectors, Thank you.

There is a bit of misconception here that you were referring to the two 8pin ATX power supply connectors for CPU power. Our motherboards only really have one system panel connector section split into two parts JFP1 and JFP2. JFP1 has headers for your conventional connectors (Power, Reset, HDD LED, PLED) while JFP2 is just a row of 4 pins used for debugging speakers in order to hear beep codes if you wish to do so.

Regarding TPM modules, you can definitely find them online at places like Amazon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MSIsouleet
Aug 6, 2019
26
0
30
what do you think about current RTX technology? do you think we finally will be able to get high refresh rates at 1080p with ray-tracing enabled in the next 3000 series? and what about the myth that raytracing is a gimmick or a fraud?
 

MSI_GeoX

Official Forum Representative
Mar 27, 2020
19
7
15
That's a great answer, I genuinely didn't know about the layering used. It's amazing what you can fit into a small space. I presume heat dissipation is also a challenge on a smaller board?

Yeah, heat dissipation on a smaller board has its own set of challenges relative to larger ATX form factors. Thankfully most CPUs are very power efficient keeping heat down as much as possible. You just mostly lose out on some overclocking potential when you have a less robust VRM design/cooling due to the limited real estate on the motherboard in comparison to a bigger board.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.