MSI MAG Z390 Tomahawk And MPG Z390 Gaming Plus 9th Gen Intel Core Motherboards Leak
If the rumors and leaks have been accurate, then we're now just weeks away from Intel rolling out its 9th generation Core processor family, otherwise known as Coffee Lake Refresh. The new round of processors is expected to debut in October. There will be new Z390-chipset motherboards as well, several of which have leaked to the web already. Here's a look at yet another one.
This time around, it's two of MSI's upcoming MAG and MPG models (one each). Like Gigabyte recently did, MSI is using the Z390 launch as an opportunity to introduce a new naming scheme. At the top of the stack, MSI's MEG models will take aim at enthusiasts and overclockers who want all of the bells and whistles, while the MAG and MPG series will slot into the mid-range category.
At a glance, you wouldn't know that the MAG Z390 Tomahawk is a mid-range board, with its aggressive naming scheme and industrial aesthetics. However, a closer examination reveals a single reinforced PCI Express x16 slot alongside two 'regular' PCI Express x16 slots, and a single M.2 slot (with a heatsink).
We can also see a spattering of LED lighting with what appears to be an onboard LED header, along with at least half a dozen SATA 6Gbps ports. Over the left side of the motherboard, it appears the MAG Z390 Tomahawk is sharpened with a pre-installed I/O bracket, with both USB Type-A and Type-C connectivity, and dual GbE LAN ports.
The other leaked motherboard is the MPG Z390 Gaming Plus. Based on the press render, this one will sport red LED lighting, two PCI Express x16 ports (one of which is reinforced), and six SATA 6Gbps ports that sit on an indented section of the PCB. We can't make out the I/O ports, unfortunately. If we had to guess, we'd say it will be a similar selection as the MAG Z390 Tomahawk, minus the second GbE LAN port and perhaps sans a USB-C connector.
Rumor has it Intel will launch three 9th generation Core processors in early October, including two 8-core models. The three processors include:
- Core i9-9900K: 8 cores / 16 threads, 3.6GHz to 5GHz, 16MB L3 cache, 95W TDP
- Core i7-9700K: 8 cores / 8 threads, 3,6GHz to 4.9GHz, 12MB L3 cache, 95W TDP
- Core i5-9600K: 6 cores / 6 threads, 3.7GHz to 4.6GHz, 9MB L3 cache, 95W TDP
The one thing that seems certain prior to the launch is that users will have plenty of Z390 motherboards to choose from, as we've now seen leaked models from ASRock, Gigabyte/Aorus, and MSI.
