Intel’s 8th gen processors are quite popular among gamers for its impressive performance and overclocking capability they offer for the price. The Z370 chipset was introduced with a new socket type Intel LGA 1151, to replace the old gen LGA 1150. Fortunately, this new chipset and socket were designed for the same 8th gen Intel processors, and only fewer changes in architecture were made to boost up the performance even further. So basically, to use any of these Intel 8th gen processors in your rig, you need an LGA 1151 socket motherboard. Today, we are discussing two of these motherboards based on Z370 chipset (ASUS Prime Z370A Vs. MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon), offering Intel LGA 1151 processor socket. These motherboards are:
We have covered all the specifications with great technical details so that you understand which Motherboard is right for you. Make sure you read until the end so that you know both products well, and feel free to ask any questions or give suggestions in the comment section below. So without any delay, here is the detailed comparison between Asus Prime Z370-A and MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon:
ASUS Prime Z370A Vs. MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon
General
| Specification |
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| Chipset Type | Intel Z370 | Intel Z370 |
| Compatible Processors | Core i5, Core i3, Core i7 (supports 8th Generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7) | Pentium, Celeron, Core i5, Core i3, Core i7 (supports 8th Generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 / Pentium / Celeron) |
| Processor Socket | LGA1151 Socket | LGA1151 Socket |
| Max Processors Qty | 1 | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Asus | MSI Computer Cor. |
As the table implies, both motherboards are based on Intel Z370 chipset, which offers Intel LGA 1151 socket. It supports all Intel 8th gen processors including Intel Core i3, i5, i7, Intel Pentium and Intel Celeron. It makes this motherboard suitable for all types of users. No matters if you require a home computer or high-end gaming rig, this motherboard can be your thing if you have a decent budget. You can use Celeron, Pentium or i3 for entry-level PCs for general computing, video edition (paired with decent GPU) and i5 or i7 for the high-end gaming rig.
Expansion / Connectivity
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| Expansion Slots | 1 x CPU 4 x DIMM 288-pin 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (dual x8; single x16) 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 mode) 4 x PCIe 3.0 x1 | 1 x CPU 4 x DIMM 288-pin 3 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4 modes) 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 |
| Storage Interfaces | SATA-600 -connectors: 6 x 7pin Serial ATA – RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 10 / RAID 5 SATA-600 / PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 1 x M.2 | SATA-600 -connectors: 6 x 7pin Serial ATA – RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 10 / RAID 5 SATA-600 / PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 2 x M.2 – RAID 0 / RAID 1 |
| Internal Interfaces | 4 x USB 2.0 – header 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 – header 1 x serial – header 1 x Thunderbolt – header 1 x audio – header | 4 x USB 2.0 – header 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 – header 1 x audio – header |
| Power Connectors | 24-pin main power connector, 8-pin ATX12V connector | 24-pin main power connector, 8-pin ATX12V connector |
Both motherboards come with single CPU slot and four DIMM slots supporting 288-pin RAM sticks. However, Asus Prime Z370A offers three PCIe 3.0 x16-slots. Two of them support x8 and x16 modes, and the other one supports x4 mode only. Moreover, it comes with four PCIe 3.0 x1-slots. On other hand, MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon offers 3x PCIe 3.0 x16-slots. Moreover, it offers only three PCIe 3.0 x1-slots, where Asus offers four.
For storage interface, both Asus and MSI offer six Serial ATA-600 ports. However, Asus Z370A offers single M.2 connector whereas the MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon provides dual M.2 connectors with RAID 0 / RAID 1 support. The number of USB ports is the same. However, Asus delivers an extra thunderbolt and serial headers port.
In term of networking, interfaces, audio/video output, and Supported RAM, both Asus Prime Z370A and MSI Z370 Gaming Carbon Pro are pretty same. Here is a quick look at detailed technical details:
Networking
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Data Link Protocol | Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet | Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet |
| Network Controller | Intel I219V | Intel I219V |
| Network | Gigabit Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet |
Miscellaneous
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Product Type | motherboard | motherboard |
| Included Accessories | 1 x M.2 screw, CPU installation tool, I/O backplate | I/O back plate |
Interface Provided
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Qty | 1, 2 | 1, 2, 4 |
| Type | DVI-D DisplayPort, audio line-out, audio line-out (center/subwoofer), audio line-out (rear), microphone, HDMI, LAN (Gigabit Ethernet), TOSLINK, USB 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C Gen2, audio line-in | DisplayPort, HDMI, audio line-out, audio line-out (center/subwoofer), audio line-out (rear), microphone, LAN (Gigabit Ethernet), PS/2 keyboard / mouse, TOSLINK, USB 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C Gen2, audio line-in |
| Connector Type | mini-jack | mini-jack |
Audio Output
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Compliant Standards | DTS Connect, DTS Headphone:X, High Definition Audio | High Definition Audio |
| Type | sound card | sound card |
| Audio Codec | Realtek ALCS1220A | 2x Realtek ALC1220 |
| Audio | High Definition Audio (8-channel) | High Definition Audio (8-channel) |
Supported RAM
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Bus Clock: | 2133 MHz, 2800 MHz (O.C.), 2666 MHz (O.C.), 2400 MHz (O.C.), 3000 MHz (O.C.), 3200 MHz (O.C.), 3300 MHz (O.C.), 3400 MHz (O.C.), 3333 MHz (O.C.), 3466 MHz (O.C.), 3733 MHz (O.C.), 3600 MHz (O.C.), 3866 MHz (O.C.), 4000 MHz (O.C.) | 2400 MHz, 2133 MHz, 2667 MHz, 2800 MHz (O.C.), 3000 MHz (O.C.), 3200 MHz (O.C.), 3300 MHz (O.C.), 3400 MHz (O.C.), 3333 MHz (O.C.), 3466 MHz (O.C.), 3733 MHz (O.C.), 3600 MHz (O.C.), 3866 MHz (O.C.), 4000 MHz (O.C.) |
| Registered or Buffered | Unbuffered | Unbuffered |
| Features | Dual channel memory architecture, Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP) | Dual channel memory architecture, Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP) |
| Technology | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| Max Size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Supported RAM Integrity Check | Non-ECC | Non-ECC |
Mainboard Features
| Specification |
|
|
| BIOS Type | AMI | Not Specified |
| BIOS Features | ACPI 6.0 support, ASUS EZ Flash 3, ASUS O.C. Profile, ASUS Quiet Thermal Solution, DMI 3.0 support, Multilingual BIOS, SMBIOS 3.0 support, UEFI BIOS, WfM 2.0 support | MSI ClickBIOS 5 |
| Sleep / Wake Up: | wake on LAN (WOL), wake on PME | Not Specified |
|
Hardware Features: | AMD 3-way CrossFireX technology support, ASUS 5X Protection III, ASUS PRO Clock Technology, ASUS Precision Tweaker 2, ASUS Q-Connector, ASUS Q-Design, ASUS Q-Shield, ASUS SafeSlot Core, ASUS Stainless Steel Back I/O, ASUS TPU (TurboV Processing Unit), AURA RGB Lighting Control, C.P.R. (CPU Parameter Recall), ASUS Crystal Sound 3, CrashFree BIOS 3, Dual Intelligent Processors 5, Fanless Design Heatsink, GPU Boost, Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) support, Intel Optane Memory Ready, Intel Smart Response Technology, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, LANGuard, MemOK!, ASUS DIGI+ Power Control, Memory O.C. Design, NVIDIA 2-way SLI Technology Support, PrebooteXecution Environment (PXE), Q-DIMM, Q-LED, Q-Slot, Turbo LAN, audio jack detect technology, jack retasking, ASUS DIGI+ VRM, ASUS EPU (Energy Processing Unit), ASUS EZ DIY, ASUS Fan Xpert 4, ASUS O.C. Tuner, ASUS Overvoltage Protection | 3D printing friendly, AMD 3-way CrossFireX technology support, MSI Military Class V, MSI Mystic Light, MSI Steel Armor, NVIDIA 2-way SLI Technology Support, Nahimic 2+ Sound Technology, Debug LED, Game Boost, Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) support, Intel Optane Memory Ready, LAN Protect, MSI Audio Boost 4, MSI Gaming Device Port, MSI Guard-Pro |
Software
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Software Included | ASUS AI Charger ASUS AI Suite III ASUS Turbo App Cloud GO! PC Cleaner drivers & utilities | MSI Command Center MSI Gaming Hotkey MSI Live Update 6 MSI X-BOOST RAMdisk drivers & utilities |
Cable Details
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Type | SLI bridge, Serial ATA cable | SLI bridge, Serial ATA cable |
| Included Qty | 1, 3 | 1 |
As you can see, ASUS offers a lot more BIOS features compared to what MSI Z370 Gaming carbon pro has to offer. These features significantly affect when you want to overclock your PC. Moreover, Asus is more regular when it comes to providing BIOS updates. Both motherboards come with their own set of software, which come handy when setting up your rig. Asus Prime Z370A ships with 1x SLI Bridge cable and 3 Serial ATA cables, where MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon ships with single SLI bridge cable and single Serial ATA cable. Both weigh almost same, and their dimension is same as well.
Dimensions & Weight
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Width | 12 in | 12 in |
| Depth | 9.6 in | 9.6 in |
Service & Support Details
| Specification | ASUS PRIME Z370-A | MSI Z370 Gaming Pro Carbon |
| Service Included | Parts and labor | Part and labor |
| Type | limited warranty | limited warranty |
| Full Contract Period | 3 years | 3 years |
Conclusion:
We hope this post helps you to understand how these two motherboard differs so that you can choose the right product according to your requirements. If you have any query or suggestions, feel free to use the comment box below. Thank You, see you until next post!
