ASUS
ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
LGA1851 · Z890 · ATX
8.7
$450Nov 93 videos
MSI MEG Z890 Ace
Enthusiast Z890 ATX board with 10GbE, dual Thunderbolt 4 and five M.2 slots.
- LGA1851
- Z890
- ATX
- DDR5
- 5
PCPR score
8.4
Great
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R1
The short version
The MEG Z890 Ace is MSI's enthusiast Z890 ATX board, with a 10GbE Marvell LAN port, Wi-Fi 7, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, five M.2 slots and eleven rear USB 10Gbps Type-A ports. A second Gen5 M.2 slot is available by changing a BIOS setting. It suits high-end Core Ultra 9 builds that want 10GbE and many USB ports; MSI lists its pages as showing different VRM figures by region, so verify the exact variant.
Pros
- 10GbE LAN plus Wi-Fi 7
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 20Gbps front USB-C connector
- Five M.2 slots, with one more Gen5-capable via BIOS
- Flash BIOS button and onboard debug LEDs
Cons
- Only one HDMI output on the rear I/O
- M.2_4 is Gen4 by default and needs a BIOS change for Gen5
- M.2_4 and M.2_5 cannot both hold 22110 drives
Best for
- High-end Core Ultra 9 builds that want 10GbE
- Users with many USB devices
J3
Full specifications
Core
- Socket
- LGA1851
- Chipset
- Z890
- Form factor
- ATX
Memory
- Memory type
- DDR5
- Memory slots type
- DIMM
- Memory slots
- 4
- Max memory
- 256 GB
- Max memory speed (OC)
- 9,200 MT/s
Expansion
- M.2 slots
- 5
- M.2 PCIe 5.0 slots
- 2
- M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots
- 3
- M.2 PCIe 3.0 slots
- 0
- Supports M.2 22110
- Yes
- SATA ports
- 4
- PCIe x16 slots
- 2
- Primary PCIe slot version
- 5.0
- PCIe x4 slots
- 1
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- Ethernet speed
- 10 GbE
- Ethernet ports
- 1
Ports & I/O
- USB4 / Thunderbolt ports
- 2
- Rear USB-C ports
- 4
- Rear USB-A ports
- 11
- Front USB-C header
- Yes
- USB 3 headers
- 2
- USB 2 headers
- 2
- HDMI outputs (iGPU)
- 1
- DisplayPort outputs (iGPU)
- 0
Cooling
- Fan headers
- 8
- ARGB headers (5V)
- 3
- RGB headers (12V)
- 1
Power
- CPU power
- 2x 8-pin
Fit
- Back-connect (BTF / Project Zero)
- No
Features
- BIOS flashback
- Yes
- BIOS note
- Second M.2 slot M2_4 defaults to chipset PCIe 4.0 and can be set to CPU PCIe 5.0 in BIOS.
Physical
- Color
- Black
Compatibility notes
- M.2_4 and M.2_5 cannot both host a 22110 device at the same time.
- MSI notes M.2 heatsink restrictions; see the manual.
P1
Where to buy
- Buy from the maker
MSI official page
Direct link
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AV1
Video reviews
No verified video reviews yet
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AV2
What reviewers and owners say
Tom's Hardware
PositiveTom's Hardware praises the board's abundant M.2 slots, 15 rear USB ports, 10GbE and easy DIY touches, but notes rivals offer similar features for less money.
4/5 · Review
Read the sourcePC Gamer
MixedPC Gamer found this pricey board underdelivers on performance but impresses with thirteen fast rear USB ports, dual Thunderbolt 4, and five M.2 slots, suiting peripheral-heavy builds.
Review
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Summaries are written in our words. Follow the links for each source’s own review.
R9
Common questions
Does the MEG Z890 Ace have 10GbE?
Yes, it has a Marvell AQC113CS 10Gbps LAN port, along with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
How many PCIe 5.0 SSDs can it run?
M.2_1 runs at PCIe 5.0 x4 from the CPU, and M.2_4 can be switched from chipset PCIe 4.0 to CPU PCIe 5.0 x4 in the BIOS.
J9Alternatives
