MSI MPG Z690 Carbon EK X (Intel 1700)

In der Vergangenheit haben wir uns von MSI und EKWB einige EK-X-Mainboards angeschaut, die im Vergleich zu den gewöhnlichen Modellen eien Monoblock-Wasserkühler mitbringen. So kommt es natürlich wenig überraschend, dass MSI und EKWB auch für Intels Alder-Lake-S-Prozessoren wieder entsprechende Platinen eingeplant haben. Uns hat das MPG Z690 CARBON EK X erreicht, das wir einem kurzen Test unterzogen haben.

MSI's collaboration with EKWB for the MSI MPG Z690 Carbon EK X is unique, though not as uncommon as it once was. Watercooling is becoming more mainstream inside the PC enthusiast community. It seems the big four—MSI, Gigabyte, ASRock and ASUS—all have at least one motherboard available with watercooling as its primary selling point. The general price of entry for a custom loop is anywhere from $300 to $500 in parts alone. This tends to set a tone for things to come. Many newcomers look for cheaper alternatives, like All-In-One (AIO) coolers. However, once you put the money down, it can last for years. For reference, I recently retired tube fittings I bought in 2009. The D5 pump purchased all those years ago has over 30,000 hours of use and is still used daily in my test system.