The MSI MEG Z390 ACE Motherboard Review: The Answer To Your USB 3.1 Needs
by Gavin Bonshor on December 17, 2018 12:30 PM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- Intel
- Killer
- MSI
- Coffee Lake
- i7-8700K
- Z390
- ACE
- Z390 ACE
MSI MEG Z390 ACE Conclusion
The MSI MEG Z390 ACE is one angle of MSI's high-end Z390 motherboard segment. It bridges the gap between the more gaming-focused MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon AC ($230) and the ostentatious halo MSI MEG Z390 GODLIKE ($600). The MSI MEG Z390 ACE commands a price tag of $290 which is competitive with similarly priced models from other brands. It looks as though MSI has replaced its Z370 Gaming M5 model in the product stack with this.
A huge chunk of what's onboard could be rightly considered as a 'gaming' feature. This includes the network connectivity, with a Killer E2500 Gigabit NIC, as well as the Nahamic 3 audio utility, the Dragon Center gaming utility, and enthusiast focused overclock profiles with a power delivery to match. Dragon Center for Z390 combines elements from multiple applications such as Command Center, Live Update and is more widely used by the MSI Gaming range of notebooks. The Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec is complemented by an ESS Sabre 9018 DAC in a bid to bolster the user's overall experience. The PCIe layout supports SLI and Crossfire, and storage enthusiasts will like the three-way M.2 support. The only thing missing here is a real top-end feature, like a >1Gbps network port, Thunderbolt 3, or something in the bundle, but at $290, it is less than half the price of the Godlike which has a few top-end features.
On the enthusiast side to this MEG model is a solid looking 13-phase which operates in a 6+2 configuration with doublers on the CPU side. The twelve phases each consist of an ON Semiconductor ON4C029N high-side and an ON4C024N low-side MOSFET. These are doubled up by six International Rectifier IR3598s. The power fed from the two 8-pin 12 V ATX power inputs is controlled by an International Rectifier IR35201 8-channel PWM controller. This is an ample setup for overclocking, and is highly competitive in comparison to other vendors. The power delivery is finished with an appropriately dense heatsink with the majority of the components covered by an aesthetically pleasing plastic rear panel cover.
The performance displayed in every aspect does come across as competitive, with no obvious failings. Overclocking performance was advantageous when done manually, but the Game Boost predefined overclocking profiles certainly need some work. We managed to achieve 5.0 GHz with just 1.31 V set in the BIOS.
The MSI Mystic Light Infinity RGB panel on the MEG Z390 ACE
One of the biggest enhancements going from Z370 to Z390 has been the integration of native USB 3.1 Gen2 connectivity and MSI has made great use of this. MSI has included a total of five USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports on the rear plus a USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port. Two USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C ports are available through headers, bringing the total up to eight. MSI has included an integrated rear panel IO shield which is attached to the rear panel cover for easy installation into a chassis out of the box.
The MSI MEG Z390 ACE stands as a relatively premium option for both gamers and enthusiasts to sink their teeth into. Its focus has been on condensing software into a couple of highly useful utilities which enhances user experience on the whole and has taken steps to better the design of their models from the typical red and black themes to something more neutral. The market in the $250 to $300 segment has very strong competition and while there is plenty of positives in the MSI MEG Z390 ACE, it's very hard to ignore and imagine what could have been with just a little more thought. The ACE could have been the champion the naming suggests it to be, but it's not far away, that much is clear. It's certainly a highlight in MSI's current Z390 line-up, all things considered.
AnandTech 9th Gen CPU and Z390 Motherboard Coverage
- The Intel 9th Gen Review: Core i9-9900K, Core i7-9700K and Core i5-9600K Tested
- The ASRock Z390 Taichi Review: Jack of All Trades, Master of None
- Analyzing Core i9-9900K Performance with Spectre and Meltdown Hardware Mitigations
- Intel to Support 128GB of DDR4 on Core 9th Gen Desktop Processors
- Intel Z390 Motherboard Overview: 50+ Motherboards Analyzed
- GSkill Announces DDR4-4800 and DDR4-4500 Kits for Z390 Boards
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rsandru - Monday, December 17, 2018 - link
Well, that's the problem, I'm already on an HEDT platform but I'm missing on the the fastest CPUs for gaming in exchange of many PCI-E lanes and quad-channel memory that I don't need.I suppose I just can't have it all on the consumer platform for the time being...
CheapSushi - Monday, December 17, 2018 - link
Are you talking just about the cheapest platforms? Because it does exist already.oRAirwolf - Monday, December 17, 2018 - link
Stopped reading as soon as I saw the word "Killer."The_Assimilator - Monday, December 17, 2018 - link
Ditto; that trash does not belong on a board that costs nearly three hundred dollars.CheapSushi - Monday, December 17, 2018 - link
Why? Why are people still throwing out this old garbage of a viewpoint? They're just rebadged Qualcomm Atheros chips. The "Killer" part is just a software addon that makes it function like a router if you want. Do want router like function? Already have a dedicated router? Cool. Don't install the software. Are you saying Atheros are crap? There's nothing wrong with it. Everyone just says "Intel" because they're bog standard and had better support for Linux unlike Realtek but don't know much about it detail wise. Hell, other companies are doing better add-on chips now, especially past 1Gpbs, like Aquantia. But according to the mindshare....who cares right?PeachNCream - Tuesday, December 18, 2018 - link
For a desktop PC with a full ATX motherboard, the presence of a Killer network adapter is a problem that can be overcome by simply adding a cheap RealTek or whatever else in an expansion slot. Its almost a non-issue since you can just disable it and forget it exists. It becomes a more significant issue on a laptop where you may have motherboard integrated hardware and no alternative or a warranty that would discourage a surgical procedure to remove and replace the hardware in question.As for Rivet Networks, the issue there is the fact that the company is basically rebranding 3rd party hardware, adding worthless traffic prioritization software that while finally not entirely unstable still serves no useful purpose, and presenting it as a premium solution to the point that even journalists like those at Anandtech were, for a time, mindlessly touting them as a desirable feature despite having zero supporting evidence and not a single review for years. Even earlier than that, Killer NIC drivers were awful and thusly earned a well-deserved reputation as a pig wearing a lot of lipstick. People picking up Killer NICs in the post "my network adapter runs a Linux OS and has a freakish metal K heatsink on the SoC" era were under the impression they were getting superior hardware but actually ended up with a rebranded whatever that was festooned with iffy drivers and saddled with a dumpster fire attempt at filtering and prioritizing packets.
In the end, people are bitter. That historic distaste keeps getting reinforced by the number of times the brand has been spun off, bought, and sold. They got sick of being sold something that didn't work and are sick of seeing Killer hardware slung at them as premium or magically better without evidence to verify the software actually does anything more than eat CPU cycles for no reason. That breeds discontent and no small number of outspoken, fed up people that hope tech journalists will eventually get feedback up to OEMs like MSI so the company stops sticking buyers with Rivet's ethernet and wireless products because the companies don't understand the mindset of their potential customers. Its taken us years of railing in comments about Killer NICs to even get to the point where Anandtech doesn't tell us "It's got a primo-uber-tuber-you-have-to-love-it-Killer-NIC lol disclaimer no benchmarkz whatsoever hahaha!" when a product passes through here with Rivet's rebadged gear soldered on it. Its a good change when the Killer NIC just gets noted with a neutral comment on the opening page, but I think a lot of us are waiting with our sour grapes for the day when Rivet Networks goes out of business so we can happily buy a computer with literally any other network adapter in it.
Aikouka - Wednesday, December 19, 2018 - link
Honestly, I've been wary of them ever since I ran into a driver issue that caused some nasty memory leaks. That was a fun one to diagnose... "Hm, why is it that whenever I download anything, my memory usage shoots through the roof?" All I can say is that it's a good thing that I build my main machines with 32GB+ of memory!sharathc - Monday, December 17, 2018 - link
I hate to see Spectre/Meltdown this that shit patches in the OS row under Test Setup. Thanks Intel for your performance turned security risks features.sharathc - Monday, December 17, 2018 - link
I hate to see Spectre/Meltdown this that shit patches in the OS row under Test Setup. Thanks Intel for your performance turned security risks features.hapkiman - Tuesday, December 18, 2018 - link
I recently purchased this mobo, and I have to say I am very pleased with it and it looks great with the grey/gun metal color and RGB panel (really does look pretty cool). This is a very solid high quality board. You can just feel the "heft" and quality of it when making your build. I have typically been an ASUS fan over the years, but I am very happy with this MSI board. I'm currently getting a 5GHz OC on all 8 cores on my i9 9900K at 1.3v and no other settings changed. But I'm just starting to play with it. Thanks for the review.