MSI MEG X870E ACE MAX Motherboard Review: ACE Returns On AMD’s AM5 With Supercharged Design, & Zen 6-Ready

Conclusion - Ultimate Motherboard For Your Next-Gen AM5 Build

AMD's Ryzen CPUs, especially the cost-effective X3D options, are currently selling like hotcakes. This huge demand has led motherboard makers to offer new, cost-optimized, and feature-rich options based on the X870 chipset since that is the most popular choice for mainstream builders. MSI has also upgraded its AM5 lineup to meet the growing demand for new motherboards and new feature sets, and is rolling out the "MAX" and "EVO" series. These boards continue to build upon existing designs with an improved set of features. Today, we tested and took a deeper look at the ACE MAX and found it to be an ultimate X870E motherboard designed for enthusiasts.

MSI's X870E ACE MAX is seen as a big update to the AM5 ACE series because the last "ACE" product was released on the X670E chipset. So it's not a simple refresh from an existing X870E product, but an actual update that brings a lot of features in a stunning design. The 18(110A)+2+1 phase VRM design and the wavy finned heatsink with heatpipes deliver top-notch cooling, and with the OC Genie, which adds an external BCLK generator, allows users to do manual BLCK adjustments, which they can combine with the new PBO BLCK Booster tech within the BIOS for added performance. MSI has already gone the extra mile with its BIOS-specific features such as High-Efficiency mode, X3D Gaming Mode, & many more, boosting gaming and app performance by 10-20%.

MSI also retains solid DDR5 memory support across its lineup and is always offering the latest BETA BIOS for improved support. DDR5-8400 is superb for AMD Ryzen CPUs, & 256 GB capacities are always a plus.

The other crucial aspect of the "MAX" and "EVO" series is that they feature a 64 MB BIOS. This larger BIOS, an upgrade from the 32 MB BIOS on the previous motherboard, ensures that users will retain all BIOS features while looking-forward towards future Zen CPU support, such as the upcoming Zen 6 lineup, which is slated for the second half of 2026.

Besides its BIOS-side and power/cooling capabilities, the MSI MEG X870E ACE MAX motherboard also comes with a strong 5 M.2 SSD layout, dual USB4 Type-C ports, lots of USB ports (22 in total), a full-on EZ DIY design, and full utilization of the native PCIe 5.0 LANes from the CPU.

• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 4x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 9x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 2x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C (Front)
• 2x USB 40Gbps Type C (Rear)

Connectivity is also strong with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, plus 10G and 2.5G ports combo.

The things we loved about the MSI MEG X870E ACE MAX:

• Strong VRM design
• Looks great & retains ATX form factor
• Great VRM cooling solution
• Lots of USB ports (Including Dual USB4)
• Five M.2 slots with heatsinks
• Latest WIFI7 & BT5.4 Support
• Dual LAN ports (10G+2.5G)
• EZ Toolless Design For GPU & M.2 Slots
• Solid BIOS Firmware
• 64 MB BIOS for future Zen CPU support

Things that we want to see improved:

• Added PCIe/M.2 AIC in Accessories
• Further optimizations to gaming performance with BIOS features

MSI's MEG X870E ACE MAX is a top-of-the-class design. It's brilliantly made and looks exquisite with its black and gold color theme. The motherboard has insane amounts of IO, a strong VRM which stays cool with the strongly developed heatsink design, a simplified and tool-less installation process thanks to the EZ DIY solution, and an intuitive BIOS with loads of features that aren't just all talk but actually improve the CPU performance in gaming and applications. The motherboard is a love letter from the MSI engineers to PC enthusiasts, and the ACE MAX is well-deserving of one of the best X870E motherboards that we have tested this year.

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