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In the lineup of MSI motherboards, the highest-end products belong to the MEG series - MSI Enthusiast Gaming. In this series, when it comes to boards for LGA1851 processors, the company offers three products: the MEG Z890 Godlike - an extremely expensive board packed with various features; the platform for extreme overclocking, MEG Z890 Unify-X; and the MEG Z890 Ace, which is also a premium product but does not include any excessive frills. Today, we will specifically talk about this one.

However, let's clarify right away: despite this, the MSI MEG Z890 Ace is not a cheap board. Its recommended price is $660, and its available features include a 10 Gb/s wired network controller, Wi-Fi 7, and 15 USB ports with speeds exceeding 10 Gb/s on the back panel, among many other things. This clearly shows that it is not a mass-market product but a premium board aimed at a niche audience of high-performance enthusiasts. Moreover, it is not just any enthusiasts, but those who favor Intel processors, even though the top CPU of the current family from this company noticeably lags behind the competition in performance.

The latest generation of MSI motherboards has turned out to be quite successful. We have already reviewed MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi, MSI MPG Z890 Carbon and Z890 Gaming Plus WiFi, and all three boards demonstrated both a quality implementation of the CPU power scheme and effective memory handling, allowing for very high frequencies of DDR5 modules when overclocked. However, the MSI MEG Z890 Ace stands a notch above, and thus, we can expect even more pleasant surprises from it. So let's proceed to a practical introduction.

⇡#Specifications and Bundle

Based on the price of the MSI MEG Z890 Ace, this board is a direct competitor to the Asus Maximus Z890 Hero and Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master. Indeed, these three boards are quite similar in characteristics. However, the MSI variant offers certain advantages. Unlike the Asus board, it features a 10 Gb/s network controller, and compared to the Gigabyte board, it has a more powerful power scheme, a second PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, and more USB ports.

As a result, it is quite difficult to make any reasonable claims about the specifications of the MEG Z890 Ace. Some may not like the presence of only one wired network controller, but this seems more like a nitpick, although some more affordable MSI boards do indeed have two network controllers. Even so, MSI has equipped this board with up-to-date technology.

Intel has designed its Arrow Lake processors to be chosen more for workstations rather than gaming systems. The MEG Z890 Ace seems to align well with this demand. The board allows connectivity for a large number of solid-state drives, features a high-speed network controller, offers a wide array of high-speed USB ports for external devices, and supports bifurcating PCIe 5.0 processor lines into two PCIe x16 slots, allowing for the installation of two high-performance graphics cards that can be used for computational tasks or neural network work.

The accessory kit that comes with the MEG Z890 Ace board seems to be designed for professional use. There are no playful accessories; everything included is essential and useful for building a PC. In addition to the usual guides and stickers, four SATA cables, and a Wi-Fi antenna, there is an extra bracket for mounting M.2 drives with a key for installation, a USB flash drive with drivers, two thermistors, splitters and extensions for connecting various LED strips, as well as an extension cable intended to simplify connections to the motherboard for the case buttons and indicators.

Among all these cables, one stands out particularly: the 1-to-3 EZ Conn-Cable V2 — it combines USB 2.0, a fan connector, and an A-RGB connector, allowing all those bundled cables to connect to a single port on the motherboard, which in several cases can simplify the connection of maintenance-free CPU cooling systems and cable management within the case.

⇡#Design and Features

The first thing that draws attention to the MEG Z890 Ace is its appearance. While strict and monochrome boards in black or white tones have come into fashion, the MSI motherboard stands out against this trend. The monochrome design is accented by golden highlights in the form of lines and logos on the heatsinks, suggesting an influence of Eastern rather than Western aesthetics. Additionally, the board features RGB lighting — a glowing dragon on the back panel cover and the name Ace on the SSD heatsink. As a result, the MEG Z890 Ace may seem overly 'cheerful,' which might not appeal to all users, especially those seeking a platform for a powerful workstation.

However, despite its ambiguous appearance, the MEG Z890 Ace is perceived as a high-end and quality product. There has been no compromise on materials: the heatsinks and covers are clearly crafted from aluminum without any skimping, plus the board even includes a backplate, which is quite rare. Overall, the cooling system that MSI has implemented for the CPU power supply looks more than convincing and commands respect.

Indeed, this cooling solution has quite a lot to impress. First of all, it features two copper heat pipes with direct contact technology. Secondly, one of the radiators is made using the technology of quality processor coolers — it is not a simple aluminum block with cutouts, but a stack of thin aluminum plates soldered to the base. And thirdly, this entire system is assembled not from two radiators as is common, but from three that surround the processor socket in the shape of a 'P'.

Perhaps mentioning the use of high-efficiency thermal pads with thermal conductivity of 9 W/(m∙K) is unnecessary — this is a given (to be fair, it is worth noting that the 'gold standard' for motherboards is simpler thermal pads with a conductivity of 7 W/(m∙K)). Additionally, in dissipating heat from the processor power circuitry, a backplate is also involved — it makes contact with the motherboard substrate in the VRM area through a similarly high-efficiency thermal interface.

All this magnificence is intended to dissipate heat from the processor power circuitry, which can be considered one of the most powerful versions of VRM on LGA1851 boards, as its peak current can reach a fantastic 2640 A. It consists of 16 phases distributed across the power paths for the processor core (VCORE), system agent (VCCSA), graphics core (VCCGT), and PCIe controller with other surrounding components (VNNOAN). The main part of this circuitry — the voltage supply to the processor core — is handled by the Renesas RAA229134 PWM controller. It supports the operation of 12 channels, each with dual power stages Renesas R2209004. It is precisely due to the number of these elements, each rated for a maximum current of 110 A, that the colossal power of the entire VRM is achieved. However, the uniqueness of these assemblies is not only in their high power. They are also part of the Smart series, which means they have their own real-time current and temperature monitoring.

As for the other circuits, they are managed by a different PWM controller — the Renesas RAA229131. It implements one phase in the VCCGT and VNNOAN circuits and two phases in the VCCSA circuit. In these chains, simpler Renesas RAA20075R0 power assemblies are used, with a maximum current of 75 A.

Thus, MSI did not cut corners on the VRM in this motherboard, but rather aimed to implement a robust, stable, and long-lasting solution that will be sufficient not only for Arrow Lake but also for future Intel processors compatible with the LGA1851 socket. Therefore, it is no surprise that alongside high-quality power elements from Renesas, the power converter is equipped with titanium chokes and solid-state capacitors made from conductive polymer.

It's also worth noting that the 8-pin 12V power connectors for VRM are placed on the MEG Z890 Ace near the DIMM slots. This is an unconventional location for their placement, but it is quite convenient when assembling the system, as access is not obstructed by the board's heatsinks, the CPU cooler, or the power supply (when positioned at the top in the case).

Speaking of circuit design, it's important to mention that the MSI MEG Z890 Ace is built on an eight-layer PCB, which features not only an increased thickness of the copper layers but also the use of thermally stable fiberglass epoxy laminates. This is significant not for fire safety, but because such PCBs are less prone to deformation when heated and provide better reliability in long-term operation with temperature fluctuations.

Additionally, eight-layer motherboards typically have better EMI shielding for DIMM and PCIe 5.0 slots, making them suitable for overclocking purposes. Indeed, the MSI MEG Z890 Ace promises high results when overclocking memory. The compatibility list provided by the manufacturer includes information on this motherboard's functionality with DDR5-9200 modules. This is an excellent result for a motherboard with four DIMM slots, and its importance cannot be overstated. The reason is that high-speed memory is a critical component specifically in the LGA1851 platform, as it helps to partially mitigate the weaknesses of the memory controller in the Arrow Lake family.

When it comes to PCIe slots, the MSI MEG Z890 Ace features three of them, all mechanically configured as PCIe x16, but they offer a different set of lanes. The first and second slots share 16 processor PCIe 5.0 lanes, meaning they operate in x16/x0 or x8/x8 modes depending on whether the second slot is in use. The third slot, however, is connected to the chipset and receives only four PCIe 4.0 lanes from it. MSI has not skimped on the structural reinforcement of all three slots with Steel Armor metal frames, which is quite necessary since modern motherboards employ surface mount technology for slot soldering, failing to provide adequate rigidity. The additional reinforcement helps support the weight of large graphics cards with powerful cooling systems and prevents damage during installation and removal.

The trend towards reducing the number of PCIe slots in favor of M.2 is evident in many flagship motherboards of recent generations, and the MSI MEG Z890 Ace is no exception. For every three PCIe slots on this board, there are five M.2 slots, and interestingly, all of them are logically distinct. The first slot, adjacent to the CPU socket, supports PCIe 5.0 SSDs and is directly connected to the processor.

The processor also controls the second M.2 slot, which is located below the first PCIe x16 slot, but it only supports PCIe 4.0 SSDs. The third slot, similar to the second, is oriented towards PCIe 4.0 drives, but the chipset is responsible for its operation. However, the fourth M.2 slot again supports PCIe 5.0 SSDs by utilizing the processor lanes, but it does not use them exclusively, as it takes them from the second PCIe x16 slot. This means that when a drive is installed in it, the first PCIe x16 slot will be forced to switch to x8 mode, while the second PCIe x16 slot will be limited to just four PCIe 5.0 lanes. However, MSI offers an alternative option: the fourth M.2 slot can be switched to chipset mode (in the BIOS settings), thus supporting no more than PCIe 4.0 SSDs, but this will not narrow the interface available for the graphics card. Finally, the fifth M.2 slot, like the third, works through the chipset and only supports PCIe 4.0 drives, but it has added support for SATA drives, which is not available in all other M.2 slots.

All M.2 slots on the board are equipped with quality cooling. In the case of the first slot, it features an independent 'single-seat' heatsink, while the other slots are covered by a common heat dissipation plate. All these designs are secured with clips, and there are no questions about their effectiveness due to their impressive size. Additionally, there is heat dissipation from the bottom side of the drives in the slots. In other words, in terms of drive cooling, the MEG Z890 Ace offers comprehensive capabilities. The only potential issue here is that the combined heatsink for the M.2 slots from the second to the fifth can only be removed after taking out the graphics card, which may not always be convenient during upgrades.

Flagship and expensive motherboards based on the Z890 chipset differ from more affordable options not only in the number of slots and complexity of the cooling system. Boards like the MEG Z890 Ace are also characterized by developers striving to make the most of the chipset's capabilities. In the examined motherboard, the chipset is pushed to its limits: out of the available 24 and 10 HSIO links for PCIe and USB respectively, 23 PCIe and 10 USB links are utilized. For instance, the available PCIe links are allocated to four PCIe 4.0 x4 interfaces for the third PCIe x16 slot and three M.2 slots; to the four SATA ports on the board; plus an additional three lines support the network controllers (4×4 + 4 + 3 = 23).

The aforementioned network controllers are two in number. Firstly, the onboard 10 Gb/s Marvell AQtion AQC113CS chip requires two PCIe 4.0 lanes to prevent the interface from becoming a bottleneck when operating at maximum capacity. Another lane is needed for the gaming Wi-Fi 7 adapter, Intel Killer BE1750X, which is based on the hardware of the Intel BE200 adapter and can deliver a maximum throughput of up to 5.8 Gb/s. (In parentheses, we note that the gaming focus of this solution is primarily due to the software that can prioritize gaming traffic.)

As for high-speed USB, the MSI MEG Z890 Ace is literally a record holder in their quantity. To increase the number of such ports, the developers resorted to the use of three additional USB hubs (Realtek RTS5429, Realtek RTS5420, and Genesys Logic GL3523), each of which splits a single chipset USB 3.2 Gen 2 port into four USB 3.2 Gen 1 or USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports. As a result, from ten chipset ports with a throughput of 10 Gb/s, there is a total of one 20 Gb/s USB port, thirteen 10 Gb/s USB ports, and four 5 Gb/s USB ports. Additionally, this set includes two Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports implemented in the processor, resulting in a total of 20 high-speed USB ports on the MSI MEG Z890 Ace.

Fifteen ports out of these two dozen can be found on the back panel of the board. This includes both Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports (10 Gbps), and eleven USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports (10 Gbps). The integrated graphics can be utilized either through the adjacent HDMI port or via Thunderbolt 4, which can operate in DisplayPort 2.1 mode (supporting UHBR20)—in both instances, the maximum supported resolution achieves 8K at 60 Hz. Additionally, the back panel includes a wired network port and two

The audio subsystem deserves special mention. Despite MSI only placing two analog audio jacks and an S/PDIF output on the back panel of its flagship board, the integrated sound functions as a complete USB audio interface. It's based on the Realtek ALC4082 chip, which has a resolution of 32-bit/384 kHz, and is enhanced by the external ESS ES9219 DAC with a signal-to-noise ratio of 130 dB, capable of driving headphones with an impedance of up to 600 Ohms. Naturally, the entire audio path is designed according to best practices—it is electrically isolated from the rest of the board, shielded with a metal enclosure, and contains specialized WIMA audio capacitors.

To implement active cooling of the PC, the board provides eight four-pin fan connectors. One of these is for the CPU cooler and has a power rating increased to 24 W. Two special connectors rated up to 36 W are reserved for pumps. The other connectors have a maximum power of 12 W. Any of these connectors allow monitoring of fan speeds and regulation either through PWM or directly via voltage.

The extensive capabilities of the MEG Z890 Ace allow for the creation of an RGB spectacular. You can connect a 12V RGB strip up to 2 meters long, as well as three devices with ARGB lighting control. Additionally, the board features an EZ Conn connector compatible with MSI MPG EZ120 fans, which also have controlled RGB lighting. The board itself includes illuminated elements, with RGB LEDs hidden beneath the signature dragon on the rear panel cover and the inscription 'Ace' on the radiator of the first M.2 slot.

A somewhat ambiguous aspect of the MSI MEG Z890 Ace's design is that it expects to connect up to five power cables from the power supply. Besides the standard 24-pin connector and a pair of 8-pin CPU power converter connectors, there are two additional power cable connectors on the board. The extra 8-pin connector at the bottom of the board is necessary to meet the increased demands of powerful graphics cards, pumps/fans, and RGB lighting. MSI recommends using it if the combined power consumption of the 12V devices powered by the board exceeds 168W (the amount that can be drawn from the standard 24-pin connector per specification). Moreover, another 6-pin power connector is located on the right edge of the board next to the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 case port connector. Additional power is utilized here for a specific purpose — to support 60W charging through the USB Type-C port on the front panel of the case. Without this connection, the power output of the port will be at best 27W.

All of this means that not all power supplies will work with the MSI MEG Z890 Ace. Its 8/6-pin power connectors are spread across different points on the board, requiring four separate cables for connection (two 8-pin for CPU and two 8/6-pin for GPU), which the power supply must accommodate.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the MSI MEG Z890 Ace stands out from more affordable motherboards not only due to its rich features but also its suite of tools for PC enthusiasts. First, it has two independent BIOS chips, selected via a hardware switch. Second, the board includes power and reset buttons. Additionally, there are three more buttons on the rear panel for offline firmware updating, BIOS reset, and a separate button with customizable functionality. Third, MSI has provided measurement points for key voltages using a multimeter on the MEG Z890 Ace. Fourth, the board features not only diagnostic LEDs but also a full POST code indicator, facilitating the troubleshooting of issues during system startup. Fifth, there are special jumpers for working with liquid nitrogen cooling. Sixth, the board includes an independent Renesas RC26008 clock generator. This external clock generator ensures a more precise BCLK reference signal for CPU clocking and allows for asynchronous clocking of CPU cores and PCIe/DMI buses.

⇡#Test System

The testing of the MSI MEG Z890 Ace was conducted on a system built from the following components:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (Arrow Lake, 8P+16E cores, 3.7-5.7/3.2-4.6 GHz, 36 MB L3).
• CPU cooler: custom liquid cooling solution made from EKWB components.
• Motherboard: MSI MEG Z890 Ace (LGA1851, Intel Z890).
• Memory:
  • 2 × 16 GB DDR5-7600, 36-46-46-121 (G.Skill Trident Z5 F5-7600J3646G16GX2-TZ5RK);
  • 2 × 24 GB DDR5-8800, 42-54-54-148 (XPG Lancer CUDIMM RGB AX5CU8800C4224G-DCLACRSG).
• Graphics Card: GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming OC (AD102 2235/2535 MHz, 24 GB GDDR6X 21 Gbps).
• Storage Subsystem: Intel SSD 760p 2 TB (SSDPEKKW020T8X1).
• Power Supply: ASUS ROG-THOR-1200P (80 Plus Titanium, 1200 W).

Tests were performed on the Microsoft Windows 11 Pro (24H2) Build 26100.2605 operating system. To further enhance performance, we disabled 'Virtualization-based Security' in Windows settings and activated 'Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling'. A fresh GeForce 566.36 Driver was used in the system.

The MSI MEG Z890 Ace was tested with BIOS version 7E22v1A52 from February 13, 2024.

⇡#BIOS;

In motherboards with Z890 and X870 chipsets, MSI has transitioned to a new version of the UEFI interface — Click BIOS X. It definitely looks better than the old Click BIOS 5 and is more user-friendly, but overall, there aren’t many fundamental changes. The structure and functionality haven’t changed, and those familiar with MSI motherboards will easily navigate the BIOS of the MEG Z890 Ace. One of the most obvious changes is the shift to a new color scheme, which now depends on the specific series of the motherboard. For instance, the BIOS of the MEG Z890 Ace is adorned in black and gold tones, echoing the external design of the board itself.

Upon entering the BIOS, users are first greeted by a simplified mode featuring basic settings. Here, predefined profiles allow for CPU, NPU, and memory overclocking in just a few clicks, as well as the opportunity to view the system’s hardware configuration and change some important settings deemed critical by MSI. It’s worth noting that the simplified mode page on MSI boards is probably the richest in content among competitors. However, users cannot edit the options displayed here as boards from Gigabyte allow. On the bright side, MSI enables users to access settings from the Favorites page directly from this mode without switching to the advanced BIOS mode.

From the simplified mode, there is also access to fan configuration and firmware updates.

However, experienced users will likely prefer the standard advanced mode, which offers significantly greater control over system settings. It makes sense to immediately navigate to the Overclocking section, where the most important options for system optimization are concentrated.

For users not ready to dive into the depths of overclocking experiments, MSI has provided ready-made presets that allow for performance upgrades with just a couple of mouse clicks. There are quite a few such presets:

• MSI Performance Preset — four options for easing processor consumption limits.
• Available through the simplified BIOS mode, the CPU Game Boost profile boosts the maximum frequency of E-cores in turbo mode by 200 MHz.
• Memory Try It! — primary memory timing profiles for various DDR5 modes replacing XMP profiles.
• Memory Extension Mode — aggressive settings for secondary timings aimed primarily at increasing the tREFI delay (refresh interval).

For a detailed list of settings available in the BIOS of the reviewed motherboard, refer to the gallery of screenshots.

Source: 3dnews.ru