msiPRO Z790-A MAX WiFi ProSeries Motherboard (Supports 12th/13th/14th Gen Intel Processors, LGA 1700, DDR5, PCIe 5.0, M.2, SATA 6G, 2.5Gbps LAN, USB 3.2 Gen2, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, ATX)

As a loyal MSI customer, with my last three motherboards being MSI, I can confidently say that MSI is a name I trust for quality and reliability. This PRO Z790-A MAX WiFi ProSeries motherboard continues that tradition. From the moment I unboxed it, I was impressed by the thoughtful design and robust construction. Installation was a breeze, and adding components was equally straightforward. The layout is smart, making cable management easy and resulting in a clean, professional look once mounted in my case.The performance of this board is excellent. It effortlessly handles my 14th Gen Intel processor, and the speeds are lightning-fast. The utility software provides all the important details during operation. I've experienced zero crashing issues, a testament to the stability and performance this motherboard offers. The inclusion of multiple M.2 slots with heat sinks is a welcome addition, ensuring optimal performance for my NVMe drives. The board also boasts ample connectivity options, including plenty of USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, Wi-Fi 7, and multiple display outputs.Pros:Easy to installEasy to add componentsLooks nice when mountedExcellent performanceCons:None that I've foundOverall, I am extremely pleased with the MSI PRO Z790-A MAX WiFi ProSeries Motherboard. It offers a fantastic combination of features, performance, and ease of use, all at a reasonable price. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable and high-performing motherboard for their 12th/13th/14th Gen Intel build.

I bought 2 of these motherboards to upgrade the computers in my home. I have built many computers over the years and this MSI model is terrific. WiFi 7 connectivity is a big plus. Plenty of customizable features for OC or user preferences. Built in ARGB lighting support. The MB offers very good stability, speed and performance and is a good value for the money. This MB is built to last and has all the features you want in a modern computer platform.

This motherboard has been fantastic so far, especially for the price. While it doesn’t have RGB lighting, I actually prefer the clean and simple look. I was hesitant to go with MSI again after dealing with bloatware on a previous board, but this time I only installed MSI Center and skipped the unnecessary extras.The new setup is lightning-fast, and I’ve had zero crashing issues, unlike my old build. For reference, I upgraded from an 8th Gen Intel processor to a 14th Gen i5-14600KF. No BIOS update was required—everything worked right out of the box. the board supports 12th, 13th, and 14th Gen CPUs, so setup is a breeze. Highly recommended!

I love this motherboard. It's full of all the features I was looking for. It has support for gen 12/13/14 CPUs, >128GB DDR5 5600 MHz RAM, 6x SATA 6G ports, 4x M.2 slots, 4x PCIe slots, plenty of USB3.2 Gen 2 ports, WiFi7, a HDMI port, a Display Port, and excellent heat management. It handles both single disks via AHCI and RAID arrays via Intel RST seamlessly. Lots of capability at a reasonable price of $209. Love it!HERE'S THE PART YOU NEED TO READ.Nowhere in the documentation is it stated which video port is the default port that should be used when booting up to change BIOS settings. In fact, there really isn't a default port. I chose the HDMI port because I had an HDMI cable. As I rebooted and attempted to enter BIOS (pressing Delete), I got NOTHING but a black display in about 9 out of 10 attempts. The 1 out of 10 successes led me to believe 1) the board had some sort of intermittent quality problem, 2) some other component had a quality problem or 3) I made a "pilot error" building the PC. After ~2 long weeks of debugging, swapping memory sticks, testing the power supply, looking for scratches or other damage to the motherboard, ... , I was about ready to send the motherboard back as defective. Before doing so I borrowed a Display Port cable and rebooted. With both ports connected to displays I observed a splash screen on every reboot, ~90% on the Display Port side and ~10% on the HDMI port side. In other words, the system was performing just fine the entire 2 weeks. I just couldn't see BIOS on the Display Port (because it wasn't connected). I could see it on the HDMI port, but only 1 out of 10 reboot attempts. BOTTOM LINE: I give the motherboard itself 5 stars. I'd give it 6 if I could. On the other hand, I give MSI's documentation and BIOS 1 star. MSI should correct this by either 1) documenting the flip-flop behavior, 2) have the BIOS send video to both ports by default (and not "roll the dice" at each reboot) or 3) not send the video exclusively to a port that's not even connected.

I got it mostly for the looks, and the pre-installed IO shield, but there are plenty of less expensive Z790 boards that are just as capable.