MSI MEG Z590 Ace Gold Edition (Intel 1200)

In unserem MSI-Z590-Mainboard-Marathon geht es nach der PRO-, MAG- und MPG-Produktreihe mit der MSI-Enthusiast-Gaming-Serie (kurz: MEG) weiter. Wir richten unsere Blicke nun auf das MSI MEG Z590 ACE, das in der Oberklasse angesiedelt ist und einige interessante Ausstattungsmerkmale vorzuweisen hat. Kann das MSI MEG Z590 ACE mit dem ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero mithalten?

At the time of writing, the MSI MEG Z590 Ace is available at Amazon for $470 and at Newegg for $492, so we recommend users make their purchase at Amazon. Regarding competition, the best comes from ASUS with the ROG Maximus XIII Hero ($500), with a very similar feature set, but includes two Intel I225-V 2.5 GbE controllers, and has six USB 3.2 G2 Type-A ports on the rear panel. Both boards are solid examples of premium models, so the decision comes down to aesthetics and rear panel connectivity.

Spending close to £500 on a motherboard means the manufacturer has to do a lot to get hold of your cash. MSI goes about prising this money with a Z590 board featuring bulletproof build, over-the-top electrical potential, Thunderbolt 4, four M.2 slots, and cutting-edge audio. Able to overclock like a champ, it's a good solution for anyone contemplating Core i9 processors, but do be aware that it's power thirsty and only carries single 2.5G Ethernet. One also wonders about the logic behind adding so much high-speed peripheral potential to a chipset stunted with last-generation transfers and a narrow link to the CPU.

We're big fans of the aethetics too. It's fairly subtle following the popular all-black route, with a few MEG logos in gold just to add some accents. As you have seen from our temperature graph the Adaptive Boost Technology on our Core i9-11900K leads to some searingly hot temperatures, so the many fan headers on the MEG Ace will come on useful when it comes to getting as much airflow in your case as possible. The power stage is very high quality and, as you saw on the previous page, barely getting warm even when we tortured it as much as we could. All in all the MSI Z590 MEG Ace combines the very best of the Z590 platform in terms of performance and connectivity, and does so without costing as much as you might expect for such a fully featured motherboard. There has been a climb in motherboard pricing recently, so to get all this for a penny under £440 is very attractive and wins the MSI Z590 MEG Ace our OC3D Performance Award.

The MEG Z590 ACE is a lovely motherboard. It has nice features as well. However, with a price tag hovering in the 450~500 USD range, this board is way out of my comfort zone. It does offer four M2 slots, six SATA3 slots, AX WIFI, and a 2.5 GigE LAN. We would have liked to see the latter replaced by a 5 or 10 GigE jack at this price level. Of course, we should not forget to mention the motherboard has Thunderbolt 4. And armed with a Rocket Lake proc, Intel brings the platform much-desired PCIe Gen 4.0 lanes, of which four you can utilize for a super-fast NVMe SSD. Aside from double DMI link bandwidth and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps), there is little gain from Z590 overall. A multitude of Z490 motherboards will even support PCIe Gen 4.0 after a BIOS update (Gen 11 proc mandatory). How important the rest is to you is for you to decide. VRM wise MSI did thing right, you can tweak as far as your proc can go, but with the power signature of Rocket-lake and the corresponding thermals, you'll likely not pass 5300 MHz on all cores unless you arm yourself with a kilowatt PSU and intense cooling. In the end, the MSI MEG Z590 ACE is an engaging, feature-packed board with excellent aesthetics, performance, and overclocking options. It all comes delivered at a hefty price tag. And yes, you do get Thunderbolt 4.0. Platform wise you'll get some nice features overall. Recommended? Sure, if you find it worth the price tag, of course.

The MSI MEG Z590 ACE is an attractive, feature-packed board with great aesthetics, performance, and overclocking. At just under US$500, the MSI MEG Z590 ACE commands a hefty price tag, but if Thunderbolt and top-tier overclocking are what your are looking for, the MSI MEG Z590 ACE could be the perfect board for you.

With a plethora of features, this board isn’t designed for your standard everyday user. It may be better aimed at professional gamers and entry-level enthusiasts and content creators. Looking at the board as a whole and it should find itself fitting in nicely inside a case or even atop a test bench depending on your preferred setup. The MSI MEG Z590 ACE offers more features than most will need but are always handy to have and does it all in a pleasant to look at the package.

The MSI MEG Z590 ACE features a sleek and modern aesthetic with exceptional attention to detail. The use of aluminium throughout with a minimal reliance on plastic lends the MSI MEG Z590 ACE a premium feel to match its suave appearance. The RGB LEDs are bright and intricate when on and unobtrusive when disabled. Paired with the stellar feature set which includes four M.2 slots, Thunderbolt 4, and a cutting edge audio solution, the MSI MEG Z590 ACE is a compelling package.

The MSI MEG Z590 Ace is a premium motherboard adorned with several high-end features, including a very robust VRM capable of handling 10th and 11th generation flagship Intel processors at both stock speeds and overclocked. Additionally, the board includes four M.2 sockets, 2.5 GbE and integrated Wi-Fi 6E, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports for increased bandwidth and peripheral flexibility.