MSI MEG X570 ACE (MAX)
9/10 (Expert Score)
Meta-review: Editors are impressed by the MEG ACE’s feature set, attractive design and powerful VRM. They are somewhat less impressed by the price tag and a relative shortage of SATA ports (4).
Description
MSI’s MEG series is a premium/enthusiast range of motherboards with comprehensive feature sets and normally all high-end components. The MEG X570 ACE is second in terms of feature set (and price) only to the MEG Godlike X570. However, at the top end of the range, MSI also offers the E-ATX Creation board, which is similarly full-featured but targets content creators rather than gamers.
Like all AMD X570-based motherboards, the MEG ACE, launched in 2019, introduces the 4th generation of the PCI Express interface, which doubles the theoretical bandwidth compared to the predecessor. At present, the main benefit of the new interface is improved storage performance when using a PCIe 4.0 SSD that can take advantage of the additional bandwidth.
MSI MEG X570 ACE Key Features
AMD’s X570 chipset was launched in conjunction with the CPU manufacturer’s 3rd-gen Ryzen processors, but will also work with CPUs from the 2nd generation. The MEG X570 ACE is among the more expensive, enthusiast-oriented motherboards to use the chip, comparable to e.g. the ASUS X570 Crosshair VIII Hero. Unlike the Asus board, however, onboard Wi-Fi 6/ax is not an optional add-on.
The ACE’s high-end power delivery components (12+2+1 IR digital power) should be more than sufficient to enable overclocking and tweaking. As is common with motherboards with the X570 platform, the MSI ACE uses active cooling in the form of a fan, in addition to MSI’s Frozr-branded heatsinks.
What makes the ACE stand out a bit even in the enthusiast ATX segment is that it comes with three PCIe 4.0-compatible M.2 SSD slots. Most comparable boards, such as Asus’ Crosshair Hero and Formula are equipped with two. DDR4 RAM support extends up to 128 GB (4x32GB) running at up to 4600+(OC) MHz in dual-channel mode.
Networking functionality is provided by an onboard Wi-Fi 6 MU-MIMO solution, in addition to a 2.5 Gbit LAN controller. For builders who want RGB customization options, the MEG X570 ACE uses MSI’s Mystic Light Infinity solution.
MSI MEG X570 ACE Vs. X570 Godlike
| Product | MSI MEG X570 Godlike | MSI MEG X570 Ace |
|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | E-ATX | ATX |
| CPU Support | 2nd- and 3rd-gen AMD Ryzen | 2nd- and 3rd-gen AMD Ryzen |
| RAM Support (up to) | 4800+ Mhz (OC) | 4600+ Mhz (OC) |
| Memory Slots (Channels) | 2 (4) | 2 (4) |
| Max. RAM | 128 GB | 128 GB |
| PCI-E 4.0 X16 Slots | 4 | 2 |
| PCI-E 4.0 X4 Slots | 0 | 1 |
| PCI-E 4.0 X1 Slots | 0 | 2 |
| SATA III Ports | 6 | 4 |
| M.2 Slots | 3 (+2 via add-in card) | 3 |
| RAID Support | 0/1/10 | 0/1/10 |
| LAN | 1x KillerTM E2600 Gigabit LAN, 1x KillerTM E3000 2.5 Gbps LAN 10 Gbps Super LAN add-in card | 1x Intel WGI211AT Gigabit LAN 1x Realtek RTL8125 2.5 Gbps LAN |
| USB Ports | Front: 1x (Gen2, Type C) 4x (Gen1, Type A) 4x USB 2.0; Rear: 1x (Gen2, Type C) 3x (Gen2, Type A) 2x (Gen1, Type A) | Front: 1x (Gen2, Type C) 4x (Gen1, Type A) 4x USB 2.0 Rear: 1x (Gen2, Type C) 3x (Gen2, Type A) 2x (Gen1, Type A) |
| SLI/Crossfire | Y/Y | Y/Y |
| Audio Ports | 5+ Optical S/PDIF (Realtek ALC1220) | 5+ Optical S/PDIF (Realtek ALC1220) |
Compared to the MSI’s flagship ‘Godlike’ X570 motherboard, the MEG ACE does not have quite as extensive RAM support and has fewer PCIe slots. It does not come with the add-in cards that provide 10 Gbit LAN and additional M.2 slots.
Reviews
In the majority of our test suite, the MSI MEG X570 Ace performs better than the B450/X470 models we have tested so far.
The MEG X570 ACE is an attractive, refined motherboard. The VRM is the most sophisticated and overbuilt I have seen so far, and the integrated rear I/O shield is an excellent touch that adds to the elegance of the board.
eTeknix:
Additional information
Specification: MSI MEG X570 ACE (MAX)
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