Conclusion

A sensible layout, basic RGB and 802.11ac support, and solid performance all play well at the £150 price point...

MSI's Intel Z390 motherboard line-up is pretty smart because there is clear differential between each model. Looking at the mass market end of the spectrum - sub-£200 - shows that you need to be careful in aligning your desired features.

Want specific M.2 cooling and fandabidozi RGB lighting, then the Gaming Carbon Pro is probably for you. Yet those after a more restrained board whose standout feature is WiFi ought to take a closer look at the Gaming Edge AC.

A sensible layout, basic RGB and 802.11ac support, and solid performance all play well at the £150 price point. Sure, we'd like the faster wireless and fancier cooling of the Pro Carbon AC, but the extra £50 stretch is uncomfortable when building to a mainstream budget.

DIY builders after a no-frills Z390 board with the added bonus of WiFi ought to consider the MPG Gaming Edge AC, especially at the current price point.

The Good		The Bad
Solid price Built-in WiFi Onboard USB 3.1G2 Type-C Strengthened PCIe slots Clean look		RGB hit and miss M.2 cooling a feature too far? Slightly annoying BIOS

MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Edge AC

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The MSI MPG Gaming Edge AC motherboard is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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