MSI MEG X870E Ace Max Motherboard Review: A second Ace up MSI’s AM5 sleeve?

It’s been a while since we reviewed an AMD version of MSI’s MEG Ace motherboard. In fact, the last one was for X670E back in 2022. Back then, the premium mid-range board offered plenty of connectivity, a high-quality audio solution, ample USB ports, and fast networking. Fast forward to today, and the MSI MEG X870E Ace Max motherboard offers high-end features and a premium appearance, but on AMD’s latest platform.

Priced at $649.99 (already discounted from $699.99 MSRP, it seems), it isn’t cheap. but you do get the best or fastest of everything available for X870E. The board sports 13 USB ports (2x USB4) on the rear I/O, fast LAN (5 and 10 GbE) and Wi-Fi 7, ample storage with four SATA ports and five M.2 sockets, and flagship-class audio with an integrated AMP/DAC. In addition to the hardware, it’s loaded with EZ DIY features (PCIe Release, EZ M.2m, etc.) to help with building and installing parts in the PC, as well as a premium black aesthetic with gold accents that blends in with any dark build theme.

Below, we’ll examine the board's performance and other features to determine whether it deserves a spot on our list of the best motherboards. But before we share test results and discuss details, here are the specifications from MSI’s website:

Specifications of the MSI X870E Ace MAX

Inside the Box

The X870E Ace Max includes a few accessories to get you started. You get your typical collection of cables, clips, and screws, but nothing extraordinary, even for the premium price. It isn’t much different than the X870 Edge Ti we recently covered. Read the full list below.

• EZ Wi-Fi Antenna
• Cable Stickers/Installation Guide
• 1 to 3 EZ Conn-cable (v2)
• 1 to 3 ARGB Gen 2 extension cable
• (4) SATA cable
• (2) Thermistor cables
• EZ Front Panel cable
• EZ M.2 Clip II remover
• (3) EZ M.2 Clip II
• (3) M.2 screws

Design of the Ace MAX

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The X870E Ace Max sports a sleek black 8-layer PCB with large heatsinks. Polished gold accents around the board symbolize “high-quality materials and construction that evoke a sense of prestige,” according to MSI. On top of the Frozr design heatsink is the first RGB lighting area, with MSI’s dragon shining through. The other RGB feature is on the primary M.2 socket with ‘Ace’ branding. Outside of that, most of the PCB is covered in the EZ ‘one-touch’ heatsinks. Again, we like the appearance, and the mostly black theme fits well with any dark builds.

Focusing on the top half of the board gives us a better look at the Frozr Guard cooling for the VRMs. The oversized heatsinks are connected by a direct-touch heatpipe that distributes the load between them. The top heatsink also uses MSI’s ‘wavy fin array’ to increase surface area and, in theory, effectiveness. Above the VRMs are two 8-pin EPS power connectors (one required) for the processor. Between the capable MOSFETs below and the large cooler, you won’t have anything to worry about.

Moving right and past the socket area, the next thing we see are four DRAM slots, with locking mechanisms on the top (where you have room to access them). MSI lists support for up to DDR5-8400 (with an APU), which is well past AMD’s sweetspot. Our DDR5-7200 kit worked without issue with the desktop-class CPU. With our recently acquired Ryzen 5 8600G APU, the board also happily ran our Klevv DDR5-8000 kit and finally put to rest the question of whether our desktop-class processor’s IMC was the issue (it was).

Just above the RAM slots are the first three (of eight) four-pin fan headers. Each header supports both PWM- and DC-controlled devices, with the output varying for each. The system fans are the lowest at 1A/12W, CPU_FAN1 next at 2A/24W, and the PUMP-SYS1-2 header (defaults to PWM mode) is the most at 3A/24W. This is plenty of power for most cooling systems. If you’re pushing the limits, be sure to connect the supplemental PCIe (6-pin) power to ensure the board can safely output all that juice.

In the corner are four small holes designed for voltage readings. There’s a contact for Vcore, SOC, DDR, and a ground. Most won’t use this, but if you’re pushing the limits and overclocking, you’ll want the most accurate readings (software can sometimes be off), which are from a multi-meter.

Working our way down the right edge, we find another fan header and the first 3-pin ARGB header. MSI Control Center and the Mystic Light application control the integrated RGBs and those attached to the headers. Next is the two-character debug, 24-pin ATX power for the board, 6-pin PCIe connector for supplemental board power, and the combo JAF_2 header that combines fan, USB, and RGB into one connector (EZ Con-cable included).

Power delivery on the X870E Ace Max consists of 21 total phases, with 18 dedicated to Vcore. Power heads from the 8-pin EPS connector(s) in the top-left corner, then to a Renesas RAA229620 controller. From there, it moves to the 18 Renesas R2209004 110A SPS MOSFETs. It’s a robust solution that will handle anything you throw at it, including the Ryzen 9 9950X or the recently released Ryzen 9 9850X3D.

On the bottom half of the board, and hidden under a shroud on the left side, is the audio section. The Ace Max uses the flagship Realtek ALC4082 codec, along with an ESS9219Q Combo DAC/HPA. This configuration is one of the best native audio implementations you can find on motherboards.

In the middle are two full-length PCIe slots and one x4 slot for graphics and expansion. Surprisingly, all three slots connect through the CPU. The top slot, primary for graphics, runs at PCIe 5.0 x16, while the middle slot runs at PCIe 5.0 x8. If the second slot is populated, the top slot drops to x8 as well. The bottom x4 slot supports PCIe 5.0 x4. Just note that PCI_E3 (bottom-most) and M.2_1 share bandwidth. M.2_1 will run at 5.0 x2 speed when there is a device in PCI_E3. You can switch the slot to x4 in the BIOS, but this will disable M.2_1. Not ideal if you need to use the extra slot, but otherwise unimportant if you don’t.

Among the slots are four M.2 sockets, with a fifth on the back of the board. The top two sockets, M.2_1/2, source their bandwidth from the CPU and run up to PCIe 5.0 x4 (238 Gbps) while supporting up to 80mm devices. M.2_3/4/5/ receive their bandwidth from the chipset and all run up to PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) while supporting 80mm devices (M.2_3 supports up to 110mm). We talked about bandwidth sharing with M.2_1, but there’s more. M.2_2 shares bandwidth with the USB 40 Gbps Type-C ports. So when the M.2 socket is used, bandwidth drops to x2 speeds for both. Like PCIe lanes, you can force an x4 connection, but you’ll lose both USB4 ports in the process. If you have many M.2 drives and plan to use the bottom PCIe slot, make sure you understand how this board assigns them.

Past the one-touch plate heatsinks to the right edge, we run into the front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) connector, followed by four SATA ports and two 19-pin USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) connectors—standard fare.

We've also included many images of the active IC's for the board. The Ace MAX uses multiple different brands, including Renesas (VRMs), Realtek (audio, PWM controller, USB), and ASMedia (USB).

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Along the bottom are several headers, ranging from the front panel to fans and supplemental PCIe power, and more. From left to right, we’ve listed them below. One item worth mentioning is the supplemental PCIe power connector for additional board power, so the board can actually output everything it’s rated for.

• Front panel audio
• 4-pin RGB
• 3-pin ARGB
• (2) 2-pin thermistor headers
• (3) 4-pin System fan
• PCIe supplemental power
• 2-pin BCLK jumpers
• (2) USB 2.0 headers
• 2-pin LN2 header
• 3-pin ARGB
• (2) System fan headers)
• LED on/off switch
• BIOS switch
• Front panel
• 2-pin battery header (CMOS reset)

The rear IO on the X870E Ace Max has everything you need, including 13 USB ports. Starting on the left, there are six (of nine) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps, red) ports, followed by the HDMI output and the two USB-C 40 Gbps ports. In the middle are three convenient buttons: BIOS Flashback, Clear CMOS, and a programmable smart button. Next to that are the two Ethernet ports, 10 and 5 GBE, respectively, while below that are the other three USB 3.2 Gen2 ports. Finally, on the right is the quick-connect Wi-Fi 7 and audio stack (two 3.5mm and SPDIF out).

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