MSI MEG Z690 Unify Review

MSI MEG Z690 Unify Preview

Introduction

The MSI range has, like most manufacturers, a whole suite of models to suit every budget. The important things to remember is the general rule that their MAG range is their mid-pack stuff, whilst their MEG range is the upper level. Their equivalent to ROG or Aorus. When the MSI Unify arrived in the office we were stunned at the size of the box, but as you’ll see on the next page there was good reason for that. The important part though is the board itself, based on the new Intel Z690 chipset and with everything MSI have at their disposal, it promises to be a high performance model that leaves nothing on the table.

There is so much to love about the MSI MEG Unify in terms of specification and build quality, but the thing that unquestionably smacked us round the face upon first view, and stays with us days later as we’re writing this, is the solidity of the build and the all-black aesthetic. A lot of the new Z690s are weighty, but even by their standards the Unify is up there with the Maximus Formula in pure heft. However, MSI have recently tried a variety of ‘looks’ for their motherboards, from heavy RGB lighting to the bold red of their Dragon logo and even some gold highlighted ones. The Unify, by comparison, is all black. So black it’s a Spinal Tap album cover, and the box is no different.

Looks are all well and good, what we really want to know is how it goes! So let’s find out.

Technical Specifications

Like the Carbon MSI have included a specification table for the MEG Z690 Unify. Clearly it’s a beast of a board with 19+2 phases of 105A stages. We’re getting the feeling the Intel 12th Gen processors will be quite demanding upon your system and your cooling.

MSI MEG Z690 Unify PreviewÂ