We lead maintain been testing AMD's Threadripper together with Socket TR4 for the yesteryear few months alongside our X370 together with B350 motherboard reviews featuring Ryzen processors. We recognize the potential of high-end desktop platforms together with warnings, together with it's fourth dimension to divulge what we've constitute inward the adjacent X399 motherboard series. So nosotros start.
PCIe, cores, together with retentiveness capacity are peachy Threadripper selling points. AMD embraces this platform as ideal for ribbons, content creators, together with professionals who desire to accelerate together with increase the multitask workload on high-end desktop PCs. To teach there, AMD pieces along with 2 Ryzen give-up the ghost to 1 chip to cast a dual-chip module (DCM). This DCM allows multiple CCX (CPU Complex) bricks, Infinity Fabric, together with of course of pedagogy a laid of PCIe together with direct quad-channel memory. The X399 chipset takes attention of the remaining I / O, storage, together with organisation requirements.
Because Threadripper is a large chip with an abundance of built-in I / O, X399 has a direct finish to fill upwards platform loopholes. USB 2.0, genuine USB 3.1 Gen1, genuine USB 3.1 Gen2, SATA3, together with PCIe Gen2 inward mass tin all live utilized yesteryear motherboard manufacturers to furnish additional device connections. It volition live rattling interesting to encounter how dissimilar vendors lead together with lead this option.
Specifications MSI X399 Gaming Pro Carbon/AC
- Socket TR4
- Chipset AMD X399
- Form Factor ATX
- Voltage Regulator 10+3 Phases
- Video Ports ✗
- USB Ports 10Gbps:(1) Type A, (1) Type C, 5Gb/s: (8) Type A, (2) USB 2.0/1.1
- Network Jacks (1) Gigabit Ethernet
- Audio Jacks (5) Analog, (1) Digital Out
- Legacy Ports/Jacks (1) PS/2
- Other Ports/Jacks (1) Clear CMOS, (1) BIOS Flashback
- PCIe x16 (4) v3.0 (x16/x8/x16/x8)
- PCIe x8 ✗
- PCIe x4 ✗
- PCIe x1 (2) v2.0
- CrossFire/SLI 4x / 4x
- DIMM Slots (8) DDR4
- M.2 Slots (2) PCIe v3 x4 / SATA3 2242/2260/2280, (1) PCIe v3 x4 / SATA3 2242/2260/2280/22110
- U.2 Ports ✗
- SATA Ports (8) 6Gb/s
- USB Headers (1) 10 Gbps, (2) 5 Gbps, (2) USB2.0
- Fan Headers (6) 4-Pin
- Legacy Interfaces ✗
- Other Interfaces (2) RGB-LED, (1) LED Demo, CMOS
- Diagnostics Panel (1) Numeric
- Internal Button/Switch Game Boost Knob, Power, Reset
- SATA/RAID Controllers Integrated (0/1/10)
- Ethernet Controllers Intel® I211AT
- Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Controllers Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 card
- USB Controllers ASMedia® ASM3142
- HD Audio Codec ALC1220
- DDL/DTS Connect ✗ / ✗
- Warranty 3 Years
MSI X399: First Foray into the Core Counts
On paper, X399 together with Threadripper are powerful combos. Cut from the same cloth as other MSI Performance Gaming boards, the X399 Gaming Pro Carbon air conditioning carries all the bells together with whistles nosotros aspect from the exceed board.
The contents of the box are abundant, together with most of the cables are shipped inward handbags together with non plastic. Typical box contents include driver CD, motherboard documentation, quick install guide, together with SATA sticker. Uniquely for this MS3 X399: dual-card, high-bandwidth SLI bridge; extension cable RGB splitter; mounting screws; USB extension; badge case; OC fan mounting hardware; together with several sets of telephone substitution covers for diverse get upwards plates some the board.
One exceptional deserves 5 minutes of fame: a break-out PCIe carte du jour that houses the Dual-Wireless GSM 8265 WiFi module together with antenna header. This solution occupies a unmarried PCIe x1 slot together with USB 2.0 header on the board. We suggest to populate it inward the bottom x1 slot. If you lot are using an SLI carte du jour or 3 dual-slot PCIe cards, you lot are forced to insert the carte du jour into the lower x16 slot, which is less than ideal. However, you lot also practice non lead maintain to role it. And it tin live used on whatsoever other PC you lot have.
Do non live fooled yesteryear silver-plated PCIe slots, which are non all Gen3 x16. The outset together with 3rd slots are connected to the actual x16 connection, land the 2nd together with quaternary slots are connected to x8. Thus, you lot must install SLI or Crossfire to PCI_E1 together with PCI_E4. In addition, you lot teach 2 PCIe x1 slots. Through some placement of smart slots, creative builders tin consider the potential for carte du jour capture together with additional network functioning or high storage controllers.
Another plumage inward the cap for X399 is its might to expose the PCIe business upwards to 3 genuine venture state drives NVMe Gen3 x4. These cards are placed nether each of the exceed 3 x16 slots, together with as an added bonus you lot teach a hot M.2 protective plate. We role the Toshiba RD400 inward all our exam beds, together with thence nosotros tin non undertake vendor cooling solutions to verify the effectiveness of the shield, but tin live removed using an attractive hinge mechanism.
After getting to a greater extent than prominent features, let's teach around. Staring at the exceed of the backplate, flashbacks of the BIOS together with clear CMOS buttons are already available along with 2 legacy USB 2.0 together with solely PS / 2 ports. Underneath in that location are clusters of 8 USB 3.1 Gen1 ports, followed yesteryear gigabit Ethernet ports together with 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C together with Type-A ports. MSI crunch it with 5 analog good ports together with 1 SPDIF digital audio. The Audio Boost solution on Gaming Pro uses Nahimic 2+ technology, which claims the fellowship improves good customization together with provides enhanced SNR together with amplification.
It is hard to clothing the header of a fan, but having a neat distance together with label at the bottom of the board is a clear benefit. Front panel audio, RGB together with Rainbow, 3 4-pin fans, TPM, together with USB 2.0 fill upwards the left one-half of the bottom border of the board. The correct one-half has a USB 3.1 Gen2 header for sophisticated front end panel chassis connections, integrated might together with reset buttons, LED debug, together with Game Boost buttons. The push clit is non rattling of import to us because nosotros role a shut chassis, but fortunately it tin live accessed through UEFI together with tin live involved inward 7 dissimilar OC circumstances, which nosotros volition hash out later.
We honey the 2 angled USB 3.1 Gen1 headers on the board. The illustration uses a rattling stiff USB 3.1 cable, together with thence reducing the flex on the header makes us experience better. SATA connections are available through 6 elbows together with 2 straight connectors supporting Ryzen 10/1/10 measure Ryzen mode. The exceed correct corner is rattling tight but gives us access to the 4-pin fan pivot together with CPU fan. Do non forget the 4-pin fan header located to the left of the DIMM slot.
With plenty board size, it's amazing how narrow the exceed of the MSI X399 Gaming Pro Carbon air conditioning tin experience with the 8 DDR4 DDR4 slots, a 24-pin ATX connection, 2 8-pin CPU might connections, together with a PCIe 6-pin might header Hal -that is together with thence narrow that MSI chooses to role a to a greater extent than vertical solution to cool the Vregs board rather than the typical setting beside the bring upwards panel section. As foreign as it looks on the production image, this solution is much amend than the intricate designs we've seen inward the past. After adding the cooling solution together with filling the DIMM slot, the foreign heatsink looks correct at home. If additional cooling for Vreg is required, only role OC fan mounting hardware to direct the fan straight to the heatsink. Using the exceed exhaust fan plant as good for our overclocking test.
Finally, nosotros desire to hash out the sockets for TR4. We e'er experience comfortable with the AM4 solution, where you lot seat the CPU into the socket together with activate the retention arm. AMD has been using it for decades. The introduction of the TR4 retention organisation is clearly a divergence from the norm, but its size should non intimidate anyone. The pattern is precise together with plant good inward theory. Although the ratcheting machinery seems excessive, a convincing torque click click shows the exact tension on the screw. Screw sequence tagging is also helpful, as you lot may only tighten or loosen it seriously.
Our only worry is with Threadripper cassette. With all the components of this venture metallic socket, the sparse plastic stuff that surrounds the Threadripper does non seem to live sufficient. Also, sleds that are glided yesteryear a slightly smaller processor. We did demand to double-check that our processor is truly lined upwards with a sled earlier putting the module downward for retention. There is a give-and-take of the exact length of the screw, together with most the sockets that Foxconn vs. Lotes produces. The products nosotros reviewed role diverse Lotes.
The aesthetics of the MSI X399 Gaming Pro Carbon air conditioning is much less conspicuous than some of the existing AM4 boards on the market, together with the selection for users to supplant the covert over the X399 chip, Audio boost, together with I / O port tin assist deliver. a piffling to a greater extent than personality. On-board LEDs are non the focal request of this board together with vice versa assist depict focus to installed components. The only layout changes nosotros volition advise volition live to motion the PCIe might connector adjacent to the 24 pivot ATX connector, together with shuffle the 2 SATA vertical ports elsewhere. Also, motion the M.2 connector together with PCIe slot some together with thence that the lower x16 slot does non hang at the bottom of the pivot together with the debug header volition allow the role of longer cards inward the bottom slot.
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