MSI Z790 Project Zero Review

Introduction and Technical Specifications

Introduction

Motherboard design hasn’t changed much in a very long time. Since the advent of USB and the merging of many single-chip functions into the chipset or onto the CPU, they’ve all been designed identically. Probably the biggest ‘new’ thing we’ve seen in recent years is horizontal connectors. A few motherboards moved all the connectors from their usual vertical mounting to a horizontal, SATA type design. It was great to help keep your system tide.

Recently we’ve seen a seriously different approach though. We saw it first with an AWD-IT system based upon the ASUS TUF BTF motherboard. That was swiftly followed by the baby brother of today’s review, the MSI B650 Project Zero.

Today we’ve got a motherboard which dispenses with the B chipsets and instead goes full fat. The MSI Z790 Project Zero is a back connect motherboard that also has all the features you’ve come to expect from the latest Intel Chipset. This is very much a motherboard that is best shown off rather than discussed, so let’s do it to it.

Technical Specifications

Whether it’s part of the design, or MSI understanding that this is a proof of concept as much as anything, the Project Zero has 14 55A phases. Very much at the lower end of the Z790s we’ve reviewed. More than enough, be in no doubt, just not high end. The back-connect element is enough of a showpiece already.