MSI MEG Z890 ACE Motherboard Review

When it comes to enthusiast computer hardware everyone has their own taste.  Some enjoy the nuance and mystery of storage subsystems while others take the easy way out and make sure they have the fastest video subsystem money can buy.  Well, for me I love motherboards, I love seeing the design variation between the various motherboard makers and discovering the various trends that seem to sweep across the industry at the same time.

For instance, one year every board maker had covered their products in gold decorations and this was so prevalent it made many hardware editors question if this was just a coincidence or some overt industrial espionage to ensure that every company would have an equal stake in the China market.  The same thing happened with separated audio sections on most motherboards and the famous military theme that dominated gaming motherboards for a couple years.

These trends are what give motherboards an interesting story while the layout and legacy help to set them apart from other boards on the market.

In this review we will be looking at the MSI MEG Z890 ACE gaming motherboard.  The MSI MEG line of motherboards are the highest tier product in each segment offering the most features and the promise for better performance.  ACE is also a popular product name indicating the top of the gaming line right behind the “Godlike”

The MSI Godlike was made famous with the X99A being the first motherboard to have onboard RGB and kicking off the RGB lighting movement we continue to enjoy.

It has been a while since I have reviewed a motherboard from MSI so let’s start with a run down the motherboard specs and features.

• Support Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2) for LGA 1851 socket
• Supports DDR5 Memory, Dual Channel DDR5 9200+ MT/s (OC)
• Ultra Performance: 24+2+1+1 Duet Rail Power System, 110A SPS, OC Engine, dual 8-pin CPU power connectors, Core Boost, Memory Boost, 8-layer PCB made by 2oz thickened copper and server-grade level material.
• Frozr Guard: Wavy fin design, Direct Touch Cross Heat-pipe, MOSFET Baseplate, 9W/mK thermal pads, Double-Sided M.2 Shield Frozr and Frozr AI software ensure the utmost performance with low temperature.
• EZ DIY: EZ PCIe Release, EZ Magnetic M.2 Shield Frozr II, EZ M.2 Clip II and EZ Antenna.
• Ultra Connect: Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, 10G LAN, and Full-speed Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7 Solution - The latest solution for professional and multimedia use, delivering secure, stable, and high-speed networking and data transmission.
• Lightning Fast Game Experience: PCIe 5.0 slots, Onboard 5x M.2 Connectors with Lightning Gen 5 Solution, Front USB 20G with 60W USB Power Delivery.
• Audio Boost 5 HD: Ultimate audio solution with latest premium ALC4082 audio processor combining ESS audio DAC and amplifier deliver the breathtaking experience.

Model Name MEG Z890 ACE
CPU Support Intel Core Ultra Processors (Series 2)
CPU Socket LGA 1851
Chipset Intel Z890 Chipset
Expansion Slots

• 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots
• 1x PCIe 4.0 x4 slot

Display Interface

• 2x Thunderbolt 4 (Type-C),
• Support 8K@60Hz as specified in HDMI 2.1 FRL, (Requires Processor Graphics)

Memory Support 4 DIMMs, Dual Channel DDR5 9200+ MT/s (OC)
Storage

• 1x M.2 Gen 5 x4 128Gbps slot,
• 4x M.2 Gen 4 x4 64Gbps slots,
• *M.2_4 support Gen 5 x4 by manual BIOS adjustment
• 4x SATA 6Gbps ports

Thunderbolt 4

• 2x USB Type-C up to 40Gbps,
• Charging support up to 5V/3A, 15W

USB ports

• 1x USB 20Gbps (1 Type-C),
• 13x USB 10Gbps (11 Type-A + 2 Type-C),
• 4x USB 5Gbps (4 Type-A),
• 4x USB 2.0

LAN Marvell AQC113CS 10G LAN
WiFi / BT Intel Killer BE1750x Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Audio 8-Channel (7.1) USB High Performance Audio with Audio Boost 5 HD

Be sure to check out the MSI MEG Z890 ACE product page for a complete list.