Ryzen Zen 4 finally makes its debut with the release of the 7000 series CPUs. To coincide with the launch, MSI released the MSI MEG X670E ACE along with other motherboards for the latest AM5 platform.
Using the highest end AMD X670 chipset, the MEG X670E ACE is aimed to pair with the latest Ryzen 7 and 9 processors with the bells and whistles you would expect from a high end motherboard.
Priced at RM3,890, how does the MSI MEG X670E perform and how does it stack up to the competition today?
MSI MEG X670E ACE Specifications
| Chipset | AMD X670 |
| CPU Support | Ryzen 7000 series AM5 Socket |
| Memory | DDR5 x 4 slots Up to 6666+ MHz (OC) |
| Expansion Slots | 3x PCI-E x16 slot Supports x16/x0/x4, x8/x8/x4 PCI_E1 PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU) PCI_E2 PCIe 5.0 supports up to x8 (From CPU) PCI_E3 PCIe 5.0 supports up to x4 (From CPU) |
| Storage | 4x M.2 slot M.2_1 (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 5.0 x4 , supports 2280/2260 devices M.2_2 (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 2280/2260 devices M.2_3 (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 2280/2260 devices M.2_4 (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 , supports 22110/2280 devices 6x SATA 6G port |
| Dimension | E-ATX 277mmx304.8mm |
With full PCIe 5.0 support and overclocking features, the MSI MEG X670E ACE does have all the flagship features that enthusiasts need to build their high end PC system.
Design
While motherboards are often ignored when it comes to PC aesthetics, having a tacky looking design ruins the overall look, especially considering the cost of high end PC parts. Luckily, the MSI MEG X670E ACE does not disappoint. With a black-gold trim looks premium without being too flashy. The dragon emblem is RGB too!
Thanks to the extended heatsink design, most of the PCB is covered, save aside for the power connectors and headers.
At the back, a large backplates covers most of the PCB. Although it won’t be visible once it is installed onto a case, having a backplate provides me with a piece of mind knowing that it protects the rear from sharp objects.
All in all, the design is more towards the minimalistic side. The black-gold accents would certainly appeal to those who want an understated yet premium looking motherboard to complement their PC builds.
What’s In The Box?
To cater to the enthusiasts, the MSI MEG X670E ACE came with quite a few neat accessories out of the box:
- MSI M.2 XPANDER Dual
- WiFi 6E and Bluetooth Antenna
- Bios Flash Drive
- M.2 Clips
- RGB Extension Cables
- SATA Cables
- Thermistor Cables
Features
As one of the top of the line motherboards for the AM5 platform, the MSI MEG X670E ACE is packed with a plethora of features that hardcore users would enjoy:
Overclocking Support
Designed to handle extreme overclocking, the X670 ACE uses a 22+2+1 phase design. Some enthusiasts were able to overclock the Ryzen 7000 series chips to more than 6GHz, so it would be exciting to see what this board is capable of.
Cooling
The motherboard has chunky heatsinks and heat pipes covering the heat generating components, providing great cooling and maintaining thermal stability.
Full PCI-E 5.0 Support
As mentioned earlier, the motherboard comes with three PCI-E x 16 slots, which is more than enough even for the most hardcore of builders. These slots are equipped with MSI Steel Armour, providing them with sufficient strength to handle the latest and heaviest GPUs (have you seen how big the RTX4090 is?).
In anticipation of widespread usage of PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs, the MSI MEG X670E ACE has a single Gen5 x4 M.2 slot. If you need more however, you can always install the XPANDER Dual card onto one of the PCI-E slots to get two additional PCI-E 5.0 M.2 slots.
Rear I/O
The MSI MEG X670E ACE comes fully loaded with eleven USB ports, nine of which are USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, while the other two are USB 3.2 Gen2x2 20GB/s Type-C ports. With this amount of ports, you won’t need to use USB hubs ever again.
Furthermore, the X670E ACE comes with a WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2 module with an included antenna, and blazing fast 10 Gigabit LAN. It also has support for S/PDIF for the audio geeks out there.
Debug LED & Post Codes
We know that overclocking your CPU is a trial and error process, and the debug LED and post codes will come in handy to help you troubleshoot any errors.
Screwless M.2 Installation
Included in the box are M.2 clips that helps you install and secure M.2 SSDs without needing for a screwdriver. The M.2 heatsink is also on a latch, so removing and reinstalling SSDs are a breeze.
Conclusion
As one of the motherboards packing the AM5 socket, the MSI MEG X670E ACE delivers exceptional performance and features out of the box that would satisfy the demands of the most hardcore of builders. The minimalist design works well with a variety of builds, while the PCI-E 5.0 support helps with futureproofing when newer hardware gets released.
Overall, with the bar set this high out of the gate, the AM5 platform would be an exciting generation to watch!
To learn more about the MSI MEG X670E, do check out the official website here.
