Yes, the motherboard appears to be in good condition.
Yes, the motherboard appears to be in good condition.
I’m looking into X570 motherboards for the Ryzen 9 5900X. The MSI X570S MPG CARBON MAX WiFi stands out because it offers more rear USB ports than my current board, which has helped with storage upgrades and reduced frustration. Any suggestions or alternatives worth exploring?
I couldn't install the USB add-in because it would block my GPU and the support bracket it came with, potentially stopping one or two fans. If I were building custom water cooling, that would be the approach since I’d likely have enough room. For a 5950x, 16 cores seems too much to me, and the Steel Legend doesn’t include Wi-Fi, which is important for me.
I have some experience with MSI products, so I wouldn't suggest MSI to my biggest opponent. This is the setup I used for my 5900X build. Corsair 4000X case (includes dedicated 3.2 F/P I/O) Corsair RM850x Asus Tuf B550-PLUS board (the B550-PRO would be better for this model) Crucial Ballistix DDR4-3200 CL16 Scythe Mugen 5 Black Edition cooler Corsair LL120 x3 (SP120s would work better with the 4000X fans if needed) Corsair iCUE Commander Core XT with thermal monitor RGB control Corsair XTM150 thermal paste Inantek 20GBps USB 3.2 PCIe 6A / 2C (10GBps per 3A / 1C) It runs between 38°C and 42°C idle, 55°C to 65°C while loading, peaking at 76°C (PBO off), 87°C (PBO on). I agree with others—it doesn’t make sense to invest more just to fix an existing issue. Good planning is essential. That’s why I don’t like liquid cooling; it’s complicated, takes up space you might need later, and adds unnecessary bulk.
The USB add-in cards tend to be compact, so you'd likely only cover half of a fan. It adds just enough impact, barely noticeable. Even if it helped your GPU, there are plenty of expansion ports on the board—just pick one of the lower ones to avoid any issues. For a board that supports WiFi, the X570 Steel Legend is the most affordable choice currently. If you check the PCIe layout, it should fit your card comfortably, leaving at least one slot between it and the card (more than enough). I mentioned the 5950X mainly to highlight how pricey that board was. You can find a better CPU for the same budget, but spending over $300 on a motherboard for a $400 CPU that matches a $300 CPU (like the 12700F) doesn't seem logical.
I understand the situation. At the microcenter nearby, they don’t carry the X570 steel legend. The alternative board I was thinking about was the MSI X570S MPG EDGE MAX WiFi, which is around $60 to $70 less. Another reason for choosing that model was its appealing design with a larger heatsink for the SSDs—though now I realize it might not be as clever as it seems.