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MSI

MSI MPG Z890 Carbon

LGA1851 · Z890

91
/ 100
From $529
VS
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero wins by 2
ASUS

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

AM5 · X870E · PCIe 5.0 · 5 Gb LAN

93
/ 100
From $699
Specdex verdict

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero takes it — here’s why.

In our weighted Specdex score, MSI MPG Z890 Carbon lands at 91 and ROG Crosshair X870E Hero at 93. That puts ROG Crosshair X870E Hero ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.

Pick MSI MPG Z890 Carbon if…

  • ✓PCIe 5.0 support
  • ✓Current-gen networking
  • ✓Modern I/O

Pick ROG Crosshair X870E Hero if…

  • ✓Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
  • ✓Excellent VRM
  • ✓5G + 10G networking options

Score breakdown

MSI MPG Z890 Carbon
91
vrm 91
features 89
bios 87
value 84
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
93
vrm 96
features 96
bios 92
value 80

Specs side-by-side

Spec
MSI MPG Z890 Carbon
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
Socket
LGA1851
AM5
Chipset
Z890
X870E
VRM phases
—
20+2
RAM slots
—
4× DDR5-8000+
PCIe
—
2× PCIe 5.0 x16
Networking
—
5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7

MSI MPG Z890 Carbon

Pros
  • +PCIe 5.0 support
  • +Current-gen networking
  • +Modern I/O
Cons
  • −Firmware updates on launch
  • −DDR5 required
  • −Pricing varies week to week

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Pros
  • +Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
  • +Excellent VRM
  • +5G + 10G networking options
Cons
  • −Expensive
  • −Only 2 DIMMs for memory overclocking headroom
  • −Fan control UX

FAQ: MSI MPG Z890 Carbon vs ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Which is better, MSI MPG Z890 Carbon or ROG Crosshair X870E Hero? +

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero scores 93 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.

Is MSI MPG Z890 Carbon worth the price? +

At $529, MSI MPG Z890 Carbon delivers a Specdex score of 91 — strongest in vrm.

Is ROG Crosshair X870E Hero worth the price? +

At $699, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in vrm.

Does MSI MPG Z890 Carbon or ROG Crosshair X870E Hero last longer? +

Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.