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MSI · AM5 · X870E

MEG X870E ACE MAX

ATX · DDR5 · 4 DIMMs · 18-phase VRM · Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)

Quality
103
VRM
98
Value
28
Amazon
$700
MEG X870E ACE MAX
View MEG X870E ACE MAX Gallery in high resolution
$700
Available Updated 3 days, 16 hours ago Prime FBA
Overall103.2
VRM98.0
Chipset100.0
Expansion / storage110.0
Connectivity110.0
Audio98.0
Quality / price28.0
$700 on Amazon Motherboard table Compare this motherboard

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Written analysis

MEG X870E ACE MAX at a glance

The MEG X870E ACE MAX uses the ATX form factor, AM5 socket, and AMD X870E chipset. This is a high-end platform with the feature headroom expected in an enthusiast gaming or productivity build.

Memory support is DDR5 across 4 DIMM slots, with up to 256 GB and rated overclocked speeds up to 8400 MT/s.

Best fit: a premium gaming or creator build that will use the stronger VRM, storage, and I/O rather than simply needing a compatible socket.

Power delivery

The calculated VRM score is 98.0, placing the power delivery in the ultra high-end class. The board lists 18 CPU power phases, 110 A power stages in a 18 + 2 + 1 layout. CPU power input is listed as 2. That is appropriate for sustained high-power CPUs and aggressive tuning when case airflow and VRM cooling are also adequate.

Expansion and storage

The expansion and storage score is 110.0: exceptionally well equipped . The platform supports PCIe 5.0. Physical expansion includes 2 ×16 slots, 1 ×4.

On-board storage consists of 5 M.2 slots supporting NVMe (PCIe x4); no M.2 SATA mode specified and 4 SATA ports. Supported M.2 lengths are listed as 22110, 2280, 2260. That is enough NVMe capacity for a multi-drive gaming or creator setup without immediately relying on an add-in card.

Connectivity and rear I/O

The connectivity score is 110.0, rated premium . Wireless networking is Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) ; wired networking is 1x Marvell ® AQC113CS 10Gbps LAN, 1x Realtek ® 8126 5Gbps LAN at up to 10000 Mbps. Bluetooth 5.4 is included. The recorded USB provision is 13 rear connections and 9 front-panel connections. USB4 Type-C is available at the rear. The specification sheet below separates every USB speed and connector type.

Display connectivity includes HDMI 2.1 FRL, USB-C DisplayPort. These motherboard outputs require a processor with integrated graphics.

Audio

The audio score is 98.0. This is an ultra-premium onboard implementation based on Realtek ® ALC4082 Codec + ESS9219Q Combo DAC/HPA, aimed at users who want strong analogue output without immediately adding a USB DAC. Optical S/PDIF is present for digital audio equipment.

Buying verdict

Overall quality is 103.20, placing this board in the specialist flagship class. Its appeal is breadth—power delivery, expansion, I/O, and onboard features—not merely socket compatibility.

At the recorded Amazon price, the quality-to-price score is 28.0. This is a feature-first premium purchase; compare nearby boards if several flagship extras would go unused.

Board data

Full specifications

Platform, expansion, storage, rear I/O, internal headers, networking, audio, and board controls in one sheet.

General

Manufacturer
MSI
Motherboard
MEG X870E ACE MAX
Chipset / socket
AMD X870E / AM5
Form factor
ATX
Launch price
—
Amazon price
$700
Availability
In stock
Price updated
3 days, 16 hours ago

VRM

CPU phases
18 (110 A)
Power design
18 + 2 + 1
EPS connector
2

Memory

Type / slots
DDR5 / 4 DIMMs
Max capacity / OC
256 GB / 8400 MT/s
Per DIMM
64 GB
XMP / EXPO
Not recorded

PCIe

Supported version
PCIe 5.0
x16 physical
2
x16 Gen 5
2
x4 physical
1
x4 Gen 5
1

Storage

M.2 slots
5
M.2 lengths
22110, 2280, 2260
M.2 modes
NVMe (PCIe x4); no M.2 SATA mode specified
SATA ports
4

Display outputs

HDMI
Yes · 2.1 FRL · 8K@60Hz
DisplayPort
No
USB-C DisplayPort
Yes · 1.4 (HBR3) · 4K@120Hz

USB

Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
9
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 10 Gbps
2
Rear USB4 Type-C
2
Front USB 2.0
4
Front USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
4
Front USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C 20 Gbps
1
USB4
Type-C · rear

Networking

Ethernet
1x Marvell ® AQC113CS 10Gbps LAN, 1x Realtek ® 8126 5Gbps LAN
LAN ports
2
LAN speed
10000 Mbps
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Wi-Fi bandwidth
320MHz (up to 5.8Gbps)
Bands
['2.4GHz', '5GHz', '6GHz']
Bluetooth
5.4

Audio

Chipset
Realtek ® ALC4082 Codec + ESS9219Q Combo DAC/HPA
Analog jacks
—
Gold-plated jacks
No
Optical S/PDIF
Yes
Spatial audio
No

Buttons

BIOS flashback
Yes
Clear CMOS
Yes
Q-Flash Plus
No
Smart button
Yes
Onboard start / reset
No

Additional information

CPU support
Supports AMD Ryzen™ 9000/ 8000/ 7000 Series Desktop Processors, Socket AM5,
OS support
Support for Windows ® 11 64-bit,
Memory notes
Supports AMD POR speed and JEDEC speed. Supports memory overclocking and AMD EXPO; manual overclocking available after boot. CUDIMM supported only in clock-driver bypass mode. DIMM slots have single-sided latches. POR boot frequency and CUDIMM support may vary by CPU series; some CPUs may fail to boot until BIOS updates improve compatibility. Memory compatibility and supported speeds depend on CPU and memory configuration — consult the vendor Memory Compatibility List on the product support page (https://www.msi.com/support/).
Display notes
1x HDMI (HDMI 2.1 FRL). 2x USB Type-C (USB4) ports provide DisplayPort 1.4 with HBR3 over USB Type-C. HDMI maximum 8K@60Hz and DP over Type-C maximum 4K@120Hz are available only on processors featuring integrated graphics. Graphics specifications may vary depending on the installed CPU.
Expansion notes
PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU), PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x8 (From CPU), PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x4 (From CPU), • Supports up to PCIe 5.0 x16/ x0 or x8/ x8 (For Ryzen™ 9000/ 7000 Series processors), • Supports up to PCIe 4.0 x8/ x0 (For Ryzen™ 8700/ 8600/ 8400 Series processors), • Supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4/ x0 (For Ryzen™ 8500/ 8300 Series processors), * PCI_E3 & M.2_1 share the bandwidth. M.2_1 will run at x2 speed when installing device in the PCI_E3 slot. You can switch PCI_E3 slot to x4 in the BIOS, but this will disable the M.2_1 slot.
M.2_1
PCIe 5.0 (Ryzen 9000/7000) / PCIe 4.0 (Ryzen 8000) 4 · 2280, 2260 · From CPU — Shares bandwidth with PCI_E3: if PCI_E3 is populated M.2_1 will run at x2. BIOS can force M.2_1 to x4 but that will disable PCI_E3. PCIe version/speed of M.2_1 depends on CPU (PCIe 5.0 x4 on Ryzen 9000/7000; PCIe 4.0 x4 on Ryzen 8000).
M.2_2
PCIe 5.0 (Ryzen 9000/7000) / PCIe 4.0 (Ryzen 8700/8600/8400) 4 · 2280, 2260 · From CPU — Unavailable with Ryzen 8500/8300 series. Shares bandwidth with USB 40Gbps Type-C ports: when M.2_2 is populated the USB Type-C ports run at x2. BIOS can force M.2_2 to x4 but that will disable the USB 40Gbps Type-C ports. PCIe version/speed of M.2_2 depends on CPU.
M.2_3
PCIe 4.0 4 · 22110, 2280 · From Chipset
M.2_4
PCIe 4.0 4 · 2280, 2260 · From Chipset
M.2_5
PCIe 4.0 4 · 2280 · From Chipset
RAID
SATA / PCIe (SATA: RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 10; NVMe (M.2): RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10 (RAID 5/10 only supported with Ryzen 9000/7000 series).)
Storage notes
5x M.2 slots (two CPU-fed supporting up to PCIe 5.0 on select CPUs, three chipset-fed at PCIe 4.0). 4x SATA 6G ports. M.2_2 may be unavailable on Ryzen 8500/8300 CPUs. BIOS options can change M.2_1/M.2_2 speeds but will disable PCI_E3 or USB Type-C respectively. Heatsink restrictions apply for M.2 SSDs per manual. RAID support differs by device type and some RAID levels require Ryzen 9000/7000 series CPUs.
USB notes
Two USB 40Gbps Type-C ports on the rear share bandwidth with the M.2_2 slot. These USB 40Gbps Type-C ports run at PCIe 4.0 x2 when using Ryzen 8500/8300 Series processors and will operate at x2 when a device is installed in M.2_2. Switching M.2_2 to x4 in BIOS disables the USB 40Gbps Type-C ports.
Audio notes
7.1-Channel USB high-performance audio; supports S/PDIF output; supports up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback on front panel; HD Audio connectors; combo DAC/HPA included (ESS9219Q).
Networking notes
Wireless module pre-installed in M.2 Key-E slot. Supports MU-MIMO TX/RX, MLO, 4KQAM. Wi-Fi 7 up to 320MHz channels and up to 5.8Gbps; 6GHz band support may depend on country regulations and Windows 11 readiness. Bluetooth 5.4 support/versions may be updated per chipset vendor/MSFT schedule. Ethernet: 1x Marvell AQC113CS (10Gbps) and 1x Realtek 8126 (5Gbps).
Button notes
No Q-Flash Plus mentioned. Rear I/O and features include USB 40Gbps (Type-C), USB 20Gbps (Type-C), USB 10Gbps (Type-C and Type-A), USB 5Gbps Type-A ports, USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.1, Optical S/PDIF-Out, 10G LAN, 5G LAN, Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth, and HD audio. Power connectors: 1x ATX_PWR, 2x CPU_PWR, 1x PCIe_PWR (8-pin), 1x Front Type-C Quick Charge (PD_PWR1). Headers and sensors: 1x CPU fan, 2x PUMP_SYS fan, 5x system fan, 1x ARGB+FAN+USB2.0 header (JAF_2), 2x front panel (JFP), 1x chassis intrusion (JCI), 1x water flow connector, 1x front audio (JAUD), 2x thermal sensor connectors (T_SEN), 1x tuning controller (JDASH), 3x addressable V2 RGB (JARGB_V2), 1x RGB (JRGB), TPM header (supports TPM 2.0), V-check points, and 2x BCLK frequency jumpers (JBCLK).
Fan / RGB headers
1 CPU · — OPT · 2 AIO · 5 chassis · 3 ARGB · 1 RGB
Thermal sensors
2
Other headers
Front audio · System panel · TPM
Accessories
,
Dimensions
ATX, 243.84mmx304.8mm,

Extracted notes sit here. Official manufacturer copy is at the bottom of the page.

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Price history

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VRM fit

VRM-appropriate CPUs

AM5 processors whose TDP sits in this board’s VRM window. Socket match is required; chipset extras still matter on sTR5. This is a power-delivery filter, not a ranked CPU guide.

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Discussion

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Vendor copy

Official manufacturer data

Raw manufacturer text kept for reference. Structured specs above are extracted from this copy and are the source for scores and tables.

CPU support

Supports AMD Ryzen™ 9000/ 8000/ 7000 Series Desktop Processors, Socket AM5,

Memory

4x DDR5 UDIMM, Maximum Memory Capacity 256GB, Memory Support DDR5 8400 - 5600 (OC) MT/s / 5600 - 4800 (JEDEC) MT/s, Ryzen™ 9000 Series Processors max. overclocking frequency:,
• 1DPC 1R Max speed up to 8400+ MT/s,
• 1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6400+ MT/s,
• 2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MT/s,
• 2DPC 2R Max speed up to 6400+ MT/s, , Supports AMD POR Speed and JEDEC Speed,
Supports Memory Overclocking and AMD EXPO™,
Supports Dual-Channel mode,
Supports Non-ECC, Un-buffered memory,
Supports CUDIMM, Clock Driver bypass mode only*, , * The DIMM slots on this motherboard only have single-sided latches., ** CUDIMM support and POR boot frequency may vary by CPU series, with manual overclocking available after boot. Certain CPUs may fail to boot, but future BIOS updates will improve compatibility., *** Memory compatibility and supported speeds can vary depending on the CPU and memory configuration. For detailed information, please refer to the Memory Compatibility List available on the product’s Support page or visit https://www.msi.com/support/,

Graphics

1x HDMI™, Support HDMI™ 2.1 FRL, maximum resolution of 8K 60Hz*, 2x Type-C DisplayPort, USB4 ® port, supporting DisplayPort 1.4 with HBR3 over USB Type-C, maximum resolution of 4K@120Hz*, * Available only on processors featuring integrated graphics., ** Graphics specifications may vary depending on the CPU installed.,

Expansion slots

2x PCI-E x16 slot (Qty), 1x PCI-E x4 slot, PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU), PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x8 (From CPU), PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x4 (From CPU), ,
PCI_E1 & PCI_E2 slots,
• Supports up to PCIe 5.0 x16/ x0 or x8/ x8 (For Ryzen™ 9000/ 7000 Series processors),
• Supports up to PCIe 4.0 x8/ x0 (For Ryzen™ 8700/ 8600/ 8400 Series processors),
• Supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4/ x0 (For Ryzen™ 8500/ 8300 Series processors), , * PCI_E3 & M.2_1 share the bandwidth. M.2_1 will run at x2 speed when installing device in the PCI_E3 slot. You can switch PCI_E3 slot to x4 in the BIOS, but this will disable the M.2_1 slot., ** Please refer to the PCIe configuration table in the manual for more details.,

Storage

5x M.2 (Qty), M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 , supports 2280/2260 devices, M.2_2 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 , supports 2280/2260 devices, M.2_3 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 22110/2280 devices, M.2_4 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 2280/2260 devices, M.2_5 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 2280 devices, 4x SATA 6G (Qty), ,
M.2_1:,
• Supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 (For Ryzen™ 9000/ 7000 Series processors),
• Supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 (For Ryzen™ 8000 Series processors),
M.2_2:,
• Supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 (For Ryzen™ 9000/ 7000 Series processors),
• Supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 (For Ryzen™ 8700/ 8600/ 8400 Series processors), ,
* The M2_2 slot will be unavailable when using Ryzen™ 8500/ 8300 Series processors.,
** M.2_1 & PCI_E3 share the bandwidth. M.2_1 will run at x2 speed when installing device in the PCI_E3 slot. You can switch M.2_1 slot to x4 in the BIOS, but this will disable the PCI_E3 slot.,
*** USB 40Gbps Type-C ports & M2_2 share the bandwidth. USB 40Gbps Type-C ports will run at x2 speed when installing device in the M2_2 slot. You can switch M.2_2 to x4 in the BIOS, but this will disable the USB 40Gbps Type-C ports., **** Please refer to the manual for M.2 SSD heatsink restrictions.,, Supports RAID 0, RAID 1 and Raid 10 for SATA storage devices,
Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for M.2 NVMe storage devices, , *RAID 5/ 10 configuration is only supported by Ryzen™ 9000/ 7000 series processors.,

USB

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), , * USB 40Gbps Type-C ports on the back panel only run PCIe 4.0 x2 when install Ryzen™ 8500/ 8300 Series processors., * USB 40Gbps Type-C ports & M2_2 share the bandwidth. USB 40Gbps Type-C ports will run at x2 speed when installing device in the M2_2 slot. You can switch M.2_2 to x4 in the BIOS, but this will disable the USB 40Gbps Type-C ports.,

Internal I/O

1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR), 2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR), 1x Power Connector(PCIE_PWR 8pin), 1x Front Type-C Quick Charge Connector(PD_PWR1), 1x CPU Fan, 2x PUMP_SYS Fan, 5x System Fan, 1x ARGB+FAN+USB2.0 Header (JAF_2), 2x Front Panel (JFP), 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI), 1x Water Flow connector, 1x Front Audio (JAUD), 2x Thermal Sensor connectors(T_SEN), 1x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH), 3x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2), 1x RGB LED connector(JRGB), 1x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0), V-check point, 2x BCLK Frequency Jumpers(JBCLK), 4x USB 2.0 ports, 4x USB 5Gbps Type A ports, 1x USB 20Gbps Type C ports,

Rear I/O

USB 10Gbps (Type-A) Flash BIOS Button Clear CMOS Button Smart Button 10G LAN 5G LAN Wi-Fi / Bluetooth HD Audio Connectors HDMI™ 2.1 Port USB 40Gbps (Type-C) USB 10Gbps (Type-C) USB 10Gbps (Type-A) Optical S/PDIF-Out,

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7 Solution, The Wireless module is pre-installed in the M.2 (Key-E) slot,
Supports MU-MIMO TX/RX, 2.4GHz/ 5GHz/ 6GHz* (320MHz) up to 5.8Gbps,
Supports 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac/ ax/ be, , Supports Bluetooth ® 5.4**, MLO, 4KQAM, , * 6GHz band support may depend on every country’s regulations and Wi-Fi 7 will be ready in Windows 11 SV3.,
** The Bluetooth version may be updated, please refer to the Wi-Fi chipset vendor's website for details. Bluetooth 5.4 support schedule depends on MSFT Windows 11 plan.,

Audio

Realtek ® ALC4082 Codec + ESS9219Q Combo DAC/HPA, 7.1-Channel USB High-Performance Audio,
Supports S/PDIF output,
Supports up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback on front panel,

Accessories

,

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