MSI MEG Z790 Ace (Intel 1700)

Overall, MSI has taken the MEG Z690 ACE and made some improvements, but shortcomings for this product tier will leave you disappointed. Brand loyalty goes a long way and those who are dedicated fans may still be pleased. Under the MEG umbrella, expectations are set high, and MSI unfortunately under delivers in that respect. If you are able to overlook what some would consider superficial complaints, you will still find that the competitors offer advantages in price and features that make this MSI MEG Z790 ACE hard to place as a top recommendation.

We're still a little baffled as to how much money you need to pay for a premium motherboard these days. The MSRP for the ACE sits at 699 USD, here in the EU it's even more absurd as it's listed at close to 1000 EUR. Even with a VAT differential, it seems that retailers really are trying to make the best out of their income. Nauseating. Strictly focussing on the hardware itself, we of course have to admit that the ACE is nearly a bit of a masterpiece. It isn't flawless though, the ATX power connectors are positioned odd, the aRGB connector sits at the wrong side of the motherboard, and in this price class we do expect 10 Gbps ethernet. Other then that, it ticks all the right boxes (pricing excluded). The ACEs has a lot to offer. Five NVMe SSD storage options, WIFI6E (which works really nicely). Thunderbolt is onboard, (but that makes it even more expensive). The VRM design is more than you ever wish or need, and the DNA of PCIe gen 4.0 and 5.0 breathes through the platform. The platform will also support the fastest memories (think 7200 MHz - we dropped it in and enabled the SPD3.0 profile, and it worked beautifully). Hardware wise this puppy is sound; we had no stability issues, the WIFI6E on the 5 and 6 GHz band is lighting fast, the 2.5 GigE LAN jacks perform well, the 105A Power Stages and loads of connectivity in the form of M2, SATA and USB and thunderbolt, it's all lovely. It is safe to conclude that this motherboard is intended only for privileged computer enthusiasts with deep pockets, rather than casual gamers or consumers. For a budget-conscious audience, this is not a viable option. Each market, however, has its own niche of customers, and the ACE is focused firmly at this segment. As a result, while it is a great piece of hardware, many better deals are available. If you want nothing but the best, it's yours for $699 USD.