Review: MSI MEG Z490I Unify

Conclusion

MSI has revamped its range for the arrival of 10th Gen Core. Of the 11 boards comprising Z490 only one, the Unify, gets the Mini-ITX treatment. The petite form factor makes sense as enough is integrated into the chipset not to warrant larger PCBs for a wide range of customers.

The company does most things right, too, with sensible layout, solid power delivery, USB-C on the front and back, top-notch WiFi, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, and a sleek look that eschews RGB in favour of minimalism.

Benchmark performance is also very solid, matching full-ATX boards in every department, while a top-line Core i9-10900K is run with the least amount of energy observed from Z490s thus far.

Priced at around £250, we come away impressed with how MSI has gone about things. That I/O fan is more for show than real-world benefit, and being picky, the fastest iteration of USB would go great with Thunderbolt 3.

Yet don't let those observations take away from the MSI MEG Z490I Unify being a very tidy example of what you can do with small chassis and cutting-edge kit. Recommended.

MSI MEG Z490I Unify

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TBC.

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