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MSI · LGA 1700 · Z790

MSI Z790 Project Zero Gaming

ATX · DDR5 · 4 DIMMs · 14-phase VRM · 7

Quality
67
VRM
40
Value
33
Amazon
$387
MSI Z790 Project Zero Gaming
View MSI Z790 Project Zero Gaming Gallery in high resolution
$387
Unavailable Updated 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Overall67.4
VRM40.0
Chipset94.0
Expansion / storage93.0
Connectivity67.0
Audio43.0
Quality / price33.1
$387 on Amazon Motherboard table Compare this motherboard

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Written analysis

MSI Z790 Project Zero Gaming at a glance

The MSI Z790 Project Zero Gaming uses the ATX form factor, LGA 1700 socket, and Z790 chipset. This is a high-end platform with the feature headroom expected in an enthusiast gaming or productivity build.

Memory support is DDR5 across 4 DIMM slots, with up to 256 GB and rated overclocked speeds up to 7200 MT/s. XMP / EXPO memory-profile support is recorded for easier tuning.

Best fit: a performance gaming and productivity PC that needs a balanced board without workstation-class excess.

Power delivery

The calculated VRM score is 40.0, placing the power delivery in the entry-level class. The board lists 14 CPU power phases, 55 A power stages in a 14+1+1 layout. CPU power input is listed as 2. It is best paired with mainstream 65–105 W-class processors and good case airflow.

Expansion and storage

The expansion and storage score is 93.0: exceptionally well equipped . The platform supports PCIe 5.0. Physical expansion includes 3 ×16 slots, and 1 ×1.

On-board storage consists of 4 M.2 slots and 6 SATA ports. Supported M.2 lengths are listed as 22110, 2280, 2260, 2242. That is enough NVMe capacity for a multi-drive gaming or creator setup without immediately relying on an add-in card.

Connectivity and rear I/O

The connectivity score is 67.0, rated adequate . Wireless networking is Wi-Fi 7 ; wired networking is Intel® 2.5Gbps LAN at up to 2500 Mbps. Bluetooth 5.4 is included. The recorded USB provision is 8 rear connections and 9 front-panel connections. The specification sheet below separates every USB speed and connector type.

Display connectivity includes HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4. These motherboard outputs require a processor with integrated graphics.

Audio

The audio score is 43.0. This is a standard onboard solution using Realtek® ALC897 Codec. It covers normal gaming and communication; demanding headphones or production work still benefit from an external interface. Optical S/PDIF is present for digital audio equipment.

Buying verdict

Overall quality is 67.40, a strong performance-class result. This is the practical sweet spot for a powerful gaming or productivity PC without paying for every flagship extra.

At the recorded Amazon price, the quality-to-price score is 33.1. The nearby-board comparison below may reveal a better-equipped option at a similar price.

Board data

Full specifications

Platform, expansion, storage, rear I/O, internal headers, networking, audio, and board controls in one sheet.

General

Manufacturer
MSI
Motherboard
MSI Z790 Project Zero Gaming
Chipset / socket
Z790 / LGA 1700
Form factor
ATX
Launch price
—
Amazon price
$387
Availability
Unavailable
Price updated
1 month, 2 weeks ago

VRM

CPU phases
14 (55 A)
Power design
14+1+1
EPS connector
2

Memory

Type / slots
DDR5 / 4 DIMMs
Max capacity / OC
256 GB / 7200 MT/s
Per DIMM
64 GB
XMP / EXPO
Yes

PCIe

Supported version
PCIe 5.0
x16 physical
3
x16 Gen 5
1
x16 Gen 4
1
x16 Gen 3
1
x1 physical
1
x1 Gen 3
1

Storage

M.2 slots
4
M.2 lengths
22110, 2280, 2260, 2242
SATA ports
6

Display outputs

HDMI
Yes · 2.1 · 4K 60Hz
DisplayPort
Yes · 1.4 · 4K 60Hz
USB-C DisplayPort
No

USB

Rear USB 2.0
4
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
2
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
1
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C 20 Gbps
1
Front USB 2.0
4
Front USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
4
Front USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 10 Gbps
1
Header USB 2.0
4
Header USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
4
Header USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
1

Networking

Ethernet
Intel® 2.5Gbps LAN
LAN ports
1
LAN speed
2500 Mbps
Wi-Fi
7
Wi-Fi bandwidth
320MHz
Bands
['2.4GHz', '5GHz', '6GHz']
Bluetooth
5.4

Audio

Chipset
Realtek® ALC897 Codec
Analog jacks
—
Gold-plated jacks
No
Optical S/PDIF
Yes
Spatial audio
No

Buttons

BIOS flashback
Yes
Clear CMOS
No
Q-Flash Plus
No
Smart button
No
Onboard start / reset
No

Additional information

Memory notes
Maximum overclocking frequency depends on the memory configuration: 1DPC 1R up to 7200+ MHz, 1DPC 2R up to 6600+ MHz, 2DPC 1R up to 6400+ MHz, and 2DPC 2R up to 5600+ MHz. Supports un-buffered memory.
Display notes
HDMI 2.1 supports HDR. Video outputs are available only on processors featuring integrated graphics. Graphics specifications may vary depending on the CPU installed.
Expansion notes
PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU) PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 3.0 supports up to x1 (From Chipset) PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset) PCI_E4 Gen PCIe 3.0 supports up to x1 (From Chipset)
M.2_1
4.0 4 · 22110, 2280, 2260, 2242 · From CPU
M.2_2
4.0 4 · 2280, 2260, 2242 · From Chipset
M.2_3
4.0 4 · SATA · 2280, 2260, 2242 · From Chipset
M.2_4
4.0 4 · SATA · 2280, 2260, 2242 · From Chipset
USB notes
Includes one internal USB4 card connector (JTBT_U4_1, supports RTD3) for a USB4 add-in card.
Audio notes
7.1-Channel High Performance Audio
Networking notes
The Wireless module is pre-installed in the M.2 (Key-E) slot. Supports MU-MIMO TX/RX, up to 5.8Gbps. Supports 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac/ ax/ be. Supports MLO, 4KQAM. 6GHz band support may depend on every country’s regulations and Wi-Fi 7 will be ready in Windows 11 SV3. The Bluetooth version may be updated, please refer to the Wi-Fi chipset vendor's website for details. Bluetooth 5.4 support schedule depends on MSFT Windows 11 plan.
Fan / RGB headers
1 CPU · — OPT · 1 AIO · 6 chassis · 2 ARGB · 2 RGB
Other headers
Front audio · System panel · TPM · Thunderbolt
Dimensions
30.5 cm x 24.4 cm

Extracted notes sit here. Official manufacturer copy is at the bottom of the page.

Amazon

Price history

Nearby quality

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Boards on LGA 1700 close to MSI Z790 Project Zero Gaming on overall quality. Open the motherboard table to sort, filter, and compare side by side.

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VRM fit

VRM-appropriate CPUs

LGA 1700 processors whose TDP sits in this board’s VRM window. Socket match is required; chipset extras still matter on sTR5. This is a power-delivery filter, not a ranked CPU guide.

Open LGA 1700 CPUs in the CPU table

Discussion

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Vendor copy

Official manufacturer data

Raw manufacturer text kept for reference. Structured specs above are extracted from this copy and are the source for scores and tables.

Memory

4x DDR5 UDIMM, Maximum Memory Capacity 256GB
Memory Support 7200+(OC)/ 7000(OC)/ 6800(OC)/ 6600(OC)/ 6400(OC)/ 6200(OC)/ 6000(OC)/ 5800(OC)/ 5600(JEDEC)/ 5400(JEDEC)/ 5200(JEDEC)/ 5000(JEDEC)/ 4800(JEDEC) MHz
Max. overclocking frequency:
• 1DPC 1R Max speed up to 7200+ MHz
• 1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6600+ MHz
• 2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MHz
• 2DPC 2R Max speed up to 5600+ MHz

Supports Dual-Channel mode
Supports non-ECC, un-buffered memory
Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile

Graphics

1x HDMI™
Support HDMITM 2.1 with HDR, maximum resolution of 4K 60Hz*
1x DisplayPort
Support DP 1.4, maximum resolution of 4K 60Hz*
*Available only on processors featuring integrated graphics. Graphics specifications may vary depending on the CPU installed.

Expansion slots

3x PCI-E x16 slot
1x PCI-E x1 slot
PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU)
PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 3.0 supports up to x1 (From Chipset)
PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset)
PCI_E4 Gen PCIe 3.0 supports up to x1 (From Chipset)

Storage

4x M.2
M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 22110/2280/2260/2242 devices
M.2_2 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 2280/2260/2242 devices
M.2_3 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA mode, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices
M.2_4 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA mode, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices
6x SATA 6G

USB

4x USB 2.0 (Rear)
4x USB 2.0 (Front)
2x USB 5Gbps Type A (Rear)
4x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
1x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Front)
1x USB 20Gbps Type C (Rear)

Internal I/O

1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR)
2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR)
1x CPU Fan
1x Pump Fan
6x System Fan
2x Front Panel (JFP)
1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
1x Front Audio (JAUD)
2x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
2x RGB LED connector(JRGB)
1x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0)
1x USB4 card connector (JTBT_U4_1, supports RTD3)
4x USB 2.0 ports
4x USB 5Gbps Type A ports
1x USB 10Gbps Type C ports

Rear I/O

Mouse / Keyboard
DisplayPort 1.4
USB 2.0
2.5G LAN Port
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Antenna
HD Audio Connectors
Flash Bios Button
USB 2.0
HDMI™ 2.1 Port
USB 5Gbps Type-A
USB 20Gbps Type-C
USB 10Gbps Type-A

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7
The Wireless module is pre-installed in the M.2 (Key-E) slot
Supports MU-MIMO TX/RX, 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz* (320MHz) up to 5.8Gbps
Supports 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac/ ax/ be

Supports Bluetooth® 5.4**, MLO, 4KQAM

* 6GHz band support may depend on every country’s regulations and Wi-Fi 7 will be ready in Windows 11 SV3.
** The Bluetooth version may be updated, please refer to the Wi-Fi chipset vendor's website for details. Bluetooth 5.4 support schedule depends on MSFT Windows 11 plan.

Audio

Realtek® ALC897 Codec
7.1-Channel High Performance Audio Supports S/PDIF output

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