The MSI Z390 ACE sits below the MSI Z390 Godlike in the company's product stack and has plenty to shout about including a trio of M.2 slots, a well built power delivery, and as many USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports as you could ever need.

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
• 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

The MSI MEG Z390 ACE Overview

The MSI Z390 ACE motherboard is aimed at gamers who are looking for premium features to create the foundations for a high-powered gaming system. In this case, MEG stands for 'MSI Enthusiast Gaming', which makes the first MSI redundant, and ACE doesn't stand for anything here, but MSI likes to make their brand names in ALL CAPS just like the GODLIKE so they pop out of the page when people scroll through the product list at Amazon or Newegg. Someone at MSI has put the marketing and naming into 'OVERDRIVE' (please don't make an all-caps motherboard called overdrive, please).

This model comes from MSI's premium product line, the Enthusiast Gaming range, and commands the weighty MSRP of $290. For that amount of money, MSI has to offer something special. The MSI Z390 ACE's core feature set includes four RAM slots with support for DDR4-4500 memory, three M.2 slots, six SATA ports, upgraded audio, a gaming focused 'Killer' network port, and the latest Intel Wi-Fi connectivity. On the design front, the Z390 ACE has a matte black PCB with a set of contrasting gunmetal grey heatsinks and a matching rear panel cover. The rear panel cover features an MSI Mystic Light Infinity panel which has a variety of customizable colors and effects which can be controlled by the MSI Mystic Light RGB software.

A quick glance at the specifications shows that the MSI Z390 ACE is a sub-set of the halo top-end MEG Z390 Godlike and is reflected in both the size and the in the price differences. The MSI Z390 ACE makes use of a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec and in keeping things consistent with a gaming flavor, MSI has also opted to use a Killer based E2500 Gigabit gaming LAN controller. In addition to this is the inclusion of an Intel 9560 802.11ac MU-MIMO Wave2 capable adapter which affords users both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.

Block diagram of the MSI Z390 ACE motherboard

On the technical front, MSI is advertising the Z390 ACE to contain a 13-phase power delivery. The heatsink attached itself has plenty of weight to it. The VCore/CPU section is running twelve ON Semiconductor high-side and low-side MOSFETs. This is controlled by an International Rectifier IR35201 PWM controller which is an 8-channel controller operating at 6+2. Each of the VCore phases features six individual doublers meaning the Z390 ACE is running a 6-phase design on the VCore. Providing power to the CPU is two 8-pin 12 V ATX power inputs while a standard 24-pin 12 V ATX input is there for to power the rest of the motherboards components.

With a total of three full-length PCIe 3.0 slots present, it is possible to run three-way CrossFire multi-graphics card setups on the Z390 ACE, but due to bandwidth limitations, a maximum of two NVIDIA cards in SLI can be accommodated. At the bottom right-hand of the PCB is an overclockers toolkit too. Cooling support is provided by seven 4-pin fan headers. USB 3.1 Gen2 ports are found on the rear panel, both Type-A and Type-C.

Looking at the performance of the MSI MEG Z390 ACE, nothing stands out as exemplary, although the most notable positives came in our 7-Zip encoding test and currently sits at the top of this benchmark. Another positive result came in our 3D Particle Movement and in POV-Ray, with comparable performance to other Z390 chipset boards on other tests. For system related tests such as POST time, the Z390 ACE sits middle of the road with a respectable time of just over 19 seconds; this was improved upon with controllers turned off in the BIOS by around 1 and a half seconds. Performance in other system-specific tests such as DPC Latency also sat middle of the road. The only real negative in our testing was in power consumption, which we explain in the review. 

On the overclocking side of things, the MSI Z390 ACE performed well with manual overclocking, but ludicrous towards the upper end of the Game Boost profiles. As shown manually, we hit 5.0 GHz in our testing. There is plenty of headroom available for users looking to push their 8th and 9th generation processors beyond 5.0 GHz on this board, but the biggest factor in achieving this is keeping core temperatures as low as possible. Users with a 9900K might see better performance with the default solder-based thermal interface material.

The MSI Z390 ACE is one of two enthusiast specific MEG Z390 models which are aimed at the more premium end of the market. The other model in question is the MSI MEG Z390 Golike ($600) which sits right at the top of MSI's Z390 product stack for a sizable price. The Z390 ACE bridges the gap between the Z390 Godlike and the MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon AC ($230) with a solid set of features. With a recommended retail price of $290, and the combination of specifications and aesthetics, MSI looks to woo users across multiple market areas.

Pages In This Review

1. Overview [this page]
2. Visual Inspection: Analysis of the Board Components
3. BIOS and Software: Looking that the non-hardware portion
4. Board Features and Test Bed: The full specification list, and how we test
5. System Performance: Component testing, such as power, boot times, and DPC Latency
6. CPU Performance
7. Gaming Performance
8. Conclusion

Visual Inspection

The MSI MEG Z390 ACE is a full-sized ATX board and represents one of two of the companies enthusiast level Z390 options, the other being the very high-end Z390 Godlike.

The overall design of the MSI Z390 ACE is centered around the rear panel cover. Similar in looks to this is the chipset heatsink and an adjoining, but not quite connected, M.2 heatshield. The most notable element from the aesthetics is the Mystic Light Infinity RGB panel which is housed within the rear panel cover. This panel allows users to customize its color state due to RGB LEDs through the MSI Mystic Light RGB utility. On the board we get an all black design while the heatsinks and rear panel cover have a metallic grey finish. Users can add custom RGB with two 4-pin RGB LED connectors, a single 3-pin RAINBOW LED connector, and for users with a compatible Corsair products, a single 3-pin Corsair LED header. Touching more on headers, the MSI Z390 ACE has a total of seven 4-pin fan headers which are divided into three different areas; one dedicated for the CPU, one for a water pump or AIO and five for case fans. 

Taking up a large amount of PCB space on the bottom half of the motherboard are the alternating PCIe slots and M.2 slots. All of the full-length PCIe slots have additional reinforcement, while one of the slots has MSI's branded M.2 Frozr heatshield connected to the large chipset heatsink. The chipset heatink is surrounded with a wave of black plastic which helps it blend in with the rest of the design.

For the PCIe slots, there are a total of three full-length PCIe 3.0 slots which allow for two-way NVIDIA SLI and up to three-way AMD CrossFire. There are also three PCIe 3.0 x1 slots.

MSI MEG Z390 ACE CPU PCIe Layout
Number of Installed PCIe Cards on CPU	PCIe_2	PCIe_4	PCIe_5
x1	x16	-	-
x2	x8	x8	-
x3	x8	x4	x4

Located in the bottom right-hand corner is a 'basic overclockers toolkit'. This kit consists of a power switch, a reset switch, and a Game Boost OC dial which allows users to select between MSI's preset overclocking profiles. There are seven profiles in total which can be accessed by twisting the dial. Pressing the button enables this, but this can also be changed within the BIOS by clicking the appropriate visual representation of button.

Storage options on the MSI Z390 ACE include SATA and M.2 connectivity. There is a total of six SATA ports which allow users to create RAID arrays including 0, 1, 5 and 10. The ACE is one of just two MSI Z390 models to include three M.2 slots. The top two M.2 slots (M2_1 and M2_2) support for both PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA drives, whereas M2_3 only has support for PCIe drives. The M.2 slots support RAID 0, 1 and 5. The M.2 slots and the SATA ports do however share bandwidth between each other. The limitations are as follows:

• If M2_1 slot is populated with a SATA drive, SATA3_2 is disabled and visa versa
• If M2_2 slot is populated with a SATA drive, SATA3_5 is disabled and visa versa
• If M2_3 slot is populated with a PCIe drive, SATA3_5 and SATA3_6 will be disabled and visa versa

The power delivery on the MSI Z390 ACE is publicized as featuring a 13-phase setup optimized for use with the Intel Core i9 Coffee Lake processors including the eight-core Core i9-9900K ($550). Lifting off the heatsink reveals that this is consistent with what's advertised. A total of twelve ON Semiconductor ON4C029N high-side MOSFETs and twelve ON4C024N low-side MOSFETs make up the CPU VCore. The VCore on the MSI Z390 ACE motherboard also has six International Rectifier IR3598 doublers on the rear of the PCB which gives VCore an operational phase count of six. This is confirmed by the International Rectifier IR35201 PWM controller which is capable of operating up to eight channels. The power delivery of the MSI Z390 ACE is running in a 6+2 configuration. Providing power to the CPU is a pair of 8-pin 12 V ATX inputs to allow the board to draw more power to the CPU from the power supply when needed.

Z390 Motherboard Power Delivery Comparison
Motherboard	Controller	H-Side	L-Side	Chokes	Doubler
ASRock Z390 Taichi	IR35201 (5+2)	TI 87350D (12) ON FDPC5939SG (2)		14	IR3598 (6)
ASRock Z390 Taichi Ultimate	IR35201 (5+2)	TI 87350D (12) ON FDPC5939SG (2)		14	IR3598 (6)
ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming 9	IR35201 (5+2)	TI 87350D (12) ON FDPC5939SG (2)		14	IR3598 (6)
GIGABYTE Z390 Aorus Master	IR35201 (6+2)	IR3553 (12)		14	IR3599 (6)
GIGABYTE Z390 Aorus Ultra	ISL69138 (6+1)	SiC634 (12)		13	ISL6617A (6)
GIGABYTE Z390 Aorus Pro WiFi	ISL69138 (6+1)	SiC634 (12)		13	ISL6617A (6)
GIGABYTE Z390 Aorus Pro	ISL69138 (6+1)	SiC634 (12)		13	ISL6617A (6)
GIGABYTE Z390 Aorus Elite	ISL69138 (6+1)	SiC634 (12)		13	ISL6617A (6)
GIGABYTE Z390 I Aorus Pro WiFi	IR35201 (6+2)	IR3553 (6)		8	-
GIGABYTE Z390 Gaming SLI	ISL69138 (5+2)	PPak (10)		12	ISL6617A (5)
GIGABYTE Z390 Gaming X	ISL69138 (5+2)	PPak (10)		12	ISL6617A (5)
GIGABYTE Z390 UD	ISL69138 (5+2)	PPak (10)		12	ISL6617A (5)
MSI MEG Z390 ACE	IR35201 (6+2)	ON4C029N (12)	ON4C024N (12)	13	IR3598 (6)
Supermicro C9Z390-CG	MP2949A (6) MP2940A (2)	MP86945 (6) MP86908 (2)		8	-

The memory has its own pair of ON4C024N low-side and ON4C029N high-side MOSFETs while the SoC has one ON4C024N low-side and one ON4C029N high-side MOSFET. The memory section also includes a Nuvoton NCT3101S low input voltage DDR termination regulator. The power delivery includes a total of thirteen inductors with one of them coming from Texas Instruments but is indistinguishable to determine which; the remaining twelve are marked with R40 which signifies an inductance of 400 nH and a current rating of 60 A per inductor.

Memory specifications on paper look very high-end for enthusiasts as the MSI Z390 ACE has native support for up to DDR4-4500. The MSI MEG Z390 ACE has a total of four memory slots and allows users to install up to a maximum of 64 GB in total. On the slots, MSI has included a coating of Steel Armor and each slot has an installation clasp on either side for installation.

As with the majority of Z390 motherboards currently on the market, the MSI Z390 ACE uses a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec. In addition to this is an ESS Sabre 9018 32-bit DAC which offers support for up to 8-channels. Surrounding the audio is a total of nine Nippon Chemi-con gold audio capacitors with five of them being large and the remainder being small. The Realtek ALC1220 HD codec is covered by the tail end of the plastic rear panel cover but doesn't feature any EMI shielding or isolation. The audio PCB does feature a physical separation line from the rest of the PCB.

One of the main features of the MSI Z390 ACE is a pre-mounted rear I/O shield. This fits in with MSI's red and black gaming theme, but it may have looked better to unite this with the inclusive grey and black heatsinks. The USB real-estate consists of five USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports, a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port and four USB 2.0 ports. One of the rear panel USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports and the single USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port are controlled by an ASMedia ASM3142 chip. The Z390 ACE has two USB 2.0 headers and two USB 3.1 Gen1 headers. The two included USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C headers are driven directly from the Z390 chipset.

Handily located on the rear panel for easy access is a clear CMOS button and a BIOS Flashback+ button. Networking comes from the E2500 network port as well as the 2T2R Intel 9560 Wi-Fi 802.11ac Wave 2 module. It should be noted that MSI Z390 ACE has no video outputs.

What's in The Box

Bundled along with the MSI MEG Z390 ACE motherboard is a rather mediocre set of accessories given the commanded asking price of $290. The most noteworthy inclusions are an NVIDIA HB two-way SLI bridge, four SATA cables (two right-angled, two straight-angled) and a driver installation disc.

• Four SATA cables (two right-angled and two-straight angled)
• Two Wi-Fi Antennas (2x2)
• SLI HB Bridge
• Three RGB LED Extension Cables
• MSI True Gaming Case Badge
• MSI Warranty Card
• MSI Gaming Promotional Card
• SATA Label Stickers
• Quick Install Guide
• Instruction Manual
• Driver Installation CD

BIOS

One key element to MSI's implementation of its UEFI firmware is that the BIOS is consistent throughout the company's current range across the current generation chipsets. MSI currently uses the Click BIOS 5 firmware which is visually tweaked in line with their usual red and black gaming theme primarily found on its previous generations of gaming-centric motherboards. Click BIOS 5 has two modes: EZ mode and Advanced. By default entering the BIOS will revert to the EZ mode while unlocking the more advanced settings and features of the Z390 ACE can be accessed by pressing F7. With this BIOS, the design centres around red highlights with white text against a black background.

The top section of the BIOS screen remains consistent throughout the BIOS which includes a Game Boost profile selector. This allows users to select between the different Game Boost overclocking presets using the button on the motherboard or via the virtual dial within the BIOS. A handy one-click XMP button is placed next to this, while a list of basic information including CPU clock speed, memory speed, and basic temperature readouts are also displayed. Users can also click and drag the boot priority of the system based on multiple drives and interface types such as USB, hard disks, and other media.

Entering the Click BIOS 5 firmware for the first time can be accessed by pressing either F2 or DEL during POST. The EZ Mode has a basic but intuitive layout with five tabs which each contain basic information. This includes CPU, Memory, Storage, Fan Info and a Help screen. Along the bottom of the screen, users can access utilities such as M-Flash, Favorites such as regularly accessed settings and the built-in hardware monitor. Users can also enable AHCI/RAID, enable or disable the integrated audio controller and network port, or select the M.2/Optane Genie when a drive is installed.

Moving into the Advanced mode opens up a larger set of menus and options which include the extensive overclocking features found in the OC section. The central panel has been branded with the MEG branding which has a gold and black futuristic design. The settings sub-section includes advanced options such as USB configuration, power management settings and those pertaining to integrated peripherals; this also includes boot and security settings. The M-Flash utility allows users to easily update and flash the firmware to the latest version which can be found by using the Live Update 6 software or by downloading from the support section on the official MSI MEG Z390 ACE product page.

Within the OC section is a rather extensive list of options for the processor and memory. These options allow users to overclock the components and extends from basic CPU ratio changes in 100 MHz increments and CPU VCore, all the way to CPU system agent voltage and the RING PLL voltage. Memory options on the MSI Z390 ACE are also plentiful with extensive sub-timing customization including the primary and tertiary sub-timings. Even more obscure settings such as DLL bandwidth and on-die termination settings can be configured. The MSI MEG Z390 ACE offers users nine different CPU loadline calibration settings including auto and allows the CPU Core voltage to be set up to a maximum of 1.9 V.

The Hardware Monitor allows for fan header control. Each header can be customized individually or users can opt to set all headers to operate at full speed by pressing F. Users can also customize their own fan curve profiles based on different temperature points so when each temperature threshold is surpassed, the fans will spin up as set. Each header offers PWM and DC modes which depend on the type of fans installed, but users can allow the hardware to do its stuff based on its automatic setting.

In recent times MSI has included a board explorer which offers users a top-down virtual overview of the motherboard and its key components. Each individual slot and header when a component or device is installed is displayed with a red highlight, although the exception is power connectors and the buttons from the overclockers toolkit which are greyed out with a red border. Clicking on the component on the explorer displays basic information about the installed component such as model type and what's connected into each input.

MSI has been very consistent in recent times with its Click BIOS 5 UEFI BIOS and its iteration on the Z390 chipset is no different. The advanced section is kitted out with plenty of options from power management all the way to overclocking. As with other current generation models from MSI, there isn't any RGB utilization available in the BIOS, and users looking to control RGB will have to rely on the Mystic Light RGB software. 

Software

As it stands, MSI offers one of the most comprehensive software bundles with its motherboards across the various vendors and while we have seen plenty of it before, some of it has been revamped and condensed. The MSI Command Center, Live Update 6 and its Dragon Gaming based applications have been united into Dragon Center. Other notable and featured software includes the MSI Mystic Light 3 RGB utility and the Nahamic 3 audio software as well as a custom variant of CPU-Z.

The new Dragon Center is MSI's attempt at condensing down some of its key utilities. We actually see this software on MSI's notebook lineup, but it has made the leap to the desktop. Dragon Center grants users multiple choices to customize and enhance the experience. There's the ability to overclock the system, as well as select different visual profiles based on their current task including a pop out hardware monitor. Also featured is the Live Update section which affords users the opportunity to download the latest drivers and software.

On the overclocking side, the Dragon Centerallows users to push the processor beyond the default settings without the need to enter the BIOS. Both the CPU multiplier ratio can be adjusted, as well as the base clock in 0.01 MHz increments. The voltage options available for customization are also extensive with voltages such as VCore, System agent, DMI, PLL and VCCA all on offer within the utility. 

The pop-out hardware monitor shows the values for voltage, temperature, fan speed, CPU frequency, etc. When doing the overclocking, we had a slight issue getting CPU-Z to read out load voltages in which we had to use this monitor which seemed to work well.

RGB control is through the Mystic Light software. There integrated RGB is one zone, and the ACE has four RGB strip headers and some headers with support for Corsair RGB fans. MSI has a total of twenty-eight lighting effects including rainbow wave, lighting and double flashing, all the way to modes such as color pulse. Each of the headers and the rear panel cover RGB can be individually set or synced together to create a look of unity, or they can be simply switched off.

The partnership between Nahamic and MSI is in full effect and the culmination of this comes with the latest iteration of its audio focused software, Nahamic 3. The biggest feature comes through a new 3D audio engine which is designed to offer users an immersive auditory experience. It's geared up towards gamers but there are scenarios in which it could be useful for users looking to watch movies, listening to music, and enhance audio quality when using communication applications such as Skype and Discord. Nahamic 3 can be used with the rear panel connections provided by the Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec, as well as USB headsets and even Bluetooth devices. Gamers can make use of the built-in sound tracker which helps pinpoint noise from a directional point of view including gunshots, explosions and other in-game sounds.

As with most motherboards from MSI and other vendors, the Z390 ACE includes its own custom skinned version of the CPU-Z monitoring utility developed by CPUID. It is black in design with red highlights and represents MSI's Dragon Gaming theme.

Board Features

Recently MSI has slowly rebranded its new gaming range into three different segments. These consist of the MAG (Arsenal), MPG (Performance) and MEG (Enthusiast) series. All three of the ranges are primarily aimed at gamers, with MAG representing the entry level, MPG the mid-range and MEG the high-end.

MSI MEG Z390 ACE ATX Motherboard
Warranty Period	3 Years
Product Page	Link
Price	$290
Size	ATX
CPU Interface	LGA1151
Chipset	Intel Z390
Memory Slots (DDR4)	Four DDR4 Supporting 64 GB Dual Channel Up to DDR4-4500
Video Outputs	N/A
Network Connectivity	Killer E2500 Gigabit Intel 9560 802.11ac 2T2R
Onboard Audio	Realtek ALC1220
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU)	3 x PCIe 3.0 x16 x16, x8/x8, x8/x4/x4
PCIe Slots for Other (from PCH)	3 x PCIe 3.0 x1
Onboard SATA	Six, RAID 0/1/5/10
Onboard M.2	3 x PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA, RAID 0/1/5
USB 3.1 (10 Gbps)	4 x Type-A Rear Panel (Z390) 1 x Type-A Rear Panel (ASMedia) 1 x Type-C Rear Panel (ASMedia) 2 x Type-C Header (Z390)
USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)	2 x Header (four ports) (ASMedia)
USB 2.0	4 x Type-A Rear Panel 2 x Header (four ports)
Power Connectors	1 x 24-pin ATX 2 x 8pin CPU
Fan Headers	1 x CPU (4-pin) 1 x CPU/pump (4-pin) 6 x System (4-pin)
IO Panel	1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A 1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C 4 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A 4 x USB 2.0 Type-A 1 x Network RJ45 (Killer) 5 x 3.5mm Audio Jacks (Realtek) 1 x S/PDIF Output (Realtek) 1 x Clear CMOS Button 1 x BIOS Flashback Button 2 x Intel 9560 Antenna Ports

Although the MSI Z390 ACE is one of the more expensive Z390 motherboards with a price tag of $290, there is a certain something lacking. Some of the other boards in the same price bracket feature 2.5G Realtek LAN (ASRock), or 5G/10G Aquantia NICs, but in 'keeping up with the Joneses' MSI could have done their own implementations. The ACE does make the most of the Z390 native USB 3.1 Gen2 connectivity with a combined total of eight 10 Gbps USB ports, including five Type-A and a single Type-C on the rear panel. The rest come through the use of internal headers with two USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C internal connectors, with a further four USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports being available via two internal headers.

Test Bed

As per our testing policy, we take a high-end CPU suitable for the motherboard that was released during the socket’s initial launch, and equip the system with a suitable amount of memory running at the processor maximum supported frequency. This is also typically run at JEDEC subtimings where possible. It is noted that some users are not keen on this policy, stating that sometimes the maximum supported frequency is quite low, or faster memory is available at a similar price, or that the JEDEC speeds can be prohibitive for performance. While these comments make sense, ultimately very few users apply memory profiles (either XMP or other) as they require interaction with the BIOS, and most users will fall back on JEDEC supported speeds - this includes home users as well as industry who might want to shave off a cent or two from the cost or stay within the margins set by the manufacturer. Where possible, we will extend out testing to include faster memory modules either at the same time as the review or a later date.

While we have been able to measure audio performance from previous Z370 motherboards, the task has been made even harder with the roll-out of the Z390 chipset and none of the boards tested so far has played ball. It seems all USB support for Windows 7 is now extinct so until we can find a reliable way of measuring audio performance on Windows 10 or until a workaround can be found, audio testing will have to be done at a later date.

Test Setup
Processor	Intel i7-8700K, 65W, $300, 6 Cores, 12 Threads, 3.7 GHz (4.7 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard	MSI MEG Z390 ACE (BIOS Version 7B12v12)
Cooling	Corsair H100i V2
Power Supply	Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W Gold PSU
Memory	2x16GB Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-2400 Ran at DDR4-2666 CL16-18-18-35 2T
Video Card	ASUS GTX 980 STRIX (1178/1279 Boost)
Hard Drive	Crucial MX300 1TB
Case	Open Test Bed
Operating System	Windows 10 RS3 inc. Spectre/Meltdown Patches

Readers of our motherboard review section will have noted the trend in modern motherboards to implement a form of MultiCore Enhancement / Acceleration / Turbo (read our report here) on their motherboards. This does several things, including better benchmark results at stock settings (not entirely needed if overclocking is an end-user goal) at the expense of heat and temperature. It also gives, in essence, an automatic overclock which may be against what the user wants. Our testing methodology is ‘out-of-the-box’, with the latest public BIOS installed and XMP enabled, and thus subject to the whims of this feature. It is ultimately up to the motherboard manufacturer to take this risk – and manufacturers taking risks in the setup is something they do on every product (think C-state settings, USB priority, DPC Latency / monitoring priority, overriding memory sub-timings at JEDEC). Processor speed change is part of that risk, and ultimately if no overclocking is planned, some motherboards will affect how fast that shiny new processor goes and can be an important factor in the system build.

Hardware Providers for CPU and Motherboard Reviews
Sapphire RX 460 Nitro	MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X OC	Crucial MX200 + MX500 SSDs	Corsair AX860i + AX1200i PSUs
G.Skill RipjawsV, SniperX, FlareX	Crucial Ballistix DDR4	Silverstone Coolers	Silverstone Fans

New Test Suite: Spectre and Meltdown Hardened

Since the start of our Z390 reviews, we are using an updated OS, updated drivers, and updated software. This is in line with our CPU testing updates, which includes Spectre and Meltdown patches. As we are in the process of testing more Z390 boards, that data will be added in future reviews however at this point we only have Z370 on the old testing as a reference.

System Performance

Not all motherboards are created equal. On the face of it, they should all perform the same and differ only in the functionality they provide - however, this is not the case. The obvious pointers are power consumption, but also the ability for the manufacturer to optimize USB speed, audio quality (based on audio codec), POST time and latency. This can come down to manufacturing process and prowess, so these are tested.

For Z390 we are running an updated version of our test suite, including OS and CPU cooler. This has some effect on our results.

Power Consumption

Power consumption was tested on the system while in a single ASUS GTX 980 GPU configuration with a wall meter connected to the Thermaltake 1200W power supply. This power supply has ~75% efficiency > 50W, and 90%+ efficiency at 250W, suitable for both idle and multi-GPU loading. This method of power reading allows us to compare the power management of the UEFI and the board to supply components with power under load, and includes typical PSU losses due to efficiency. These are the real world values that consumers may expect from a typical system (minus the monitor) using this motherboard.

While this method for power measurement may not be ideal, and you feel these numbers are not representative due to the high wattage power supply being used (we use the same PSU to remain consistent over a series of reviews, and the fact that some boards on our test bed get tested with three or four high powered GPUs), the important point to take away is the relationship between the numbers. These boards are all under the same conditions, and thus the differences between them should be easy to spot.

In comparison to other Z390 models, the MSI MEG Z390 ACE is at the top end in both idle and long idle states, but performs well when at load.

Non-UEFI POST Time

Different motherboards have different POST sequences before an operating system is initialized. A lot of this is dependent on the board itself, and POST boot time is determined by the controllers on board (and the sequence of how those extras are organized). As part of our testing, we look at the POST Boot Time using a stopwatch. This is the time from pressing the ON button on the computer to when Windows starts loading. (We discount Windows loading as it is highly variable given Windows specific features.)

The Z390 ACE is reasonably competitive here - at default, the POST time was just over 19 seconds, where as we managed to achieve a quicker 17.4 seconds when non-essential controllers were disabled within the BIOS.

DPC Latency

Deferred Procedure Call latency is a way in which Windows handles interrupt servicing. In order to wait for a processor to acknowledge the request, the system will queue all interrupt requests by priority. Critical interrupts will be handled as soon as possible, whereas lesser priority requests such as audio will be further down the line. If the audio device requires data, it will have to wait until the request is processed before the buffer is filled.

If the device drivers of higher priority components in a system are poorly implemented, this can cause delays in request scheduling and process time. This can lead to an empty audio buffer and characteristic audible pauses, pops and clicks. The DPC latency checker measures how much time is taken processing DPCs from driver invocation. The lower the value will result in better audio transfer at smaller buffer sizes. Results are measured in microseconds.

The DPC latency performance from the Z390 ACE gave an average result of 130 microseconds. None of the boards we have tested so far has been optimized for DPC latency, however, some models designs are clearly more effective than others.

CPU Performance, Short Form

For our motherboard reviews, we use our short form testing method. These tests usually focus on if a motherboard is using MultiCore Turbo (the feature used to have maximum turbo on at all times, giving a frequency advantage), or if there are slight gains to be had from tweaking the firmware. We put the memory settings at the CPU manufacturers suggested frequency, making it very easy to see which motherboards have MCT enabled by default.

For Z390 we are running an updated version of our test suite, including OS and CPU cooler. This has some effect on our results.

Rendering - Blender 2.78: link

For a render that has been around for what seems like ages, Blender is still a highly popular tool. We managed to wrap up a standard workload into the February 5 nightly build of Blender and measure the time it takes to render the first frame of the scene. Being one of the bigger open source tools out there, it means both AMD and Intel work actively to help improve the codebase, for better or for worse on their own/each other's microarchitecture.

Rendering – POV-Ray 3.7: link

The Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer, or POV-Ray, is a freeware package for as the name suggests, ray tracing. It is a pure renderer, rather than modeling software, but the latest beta version contains a handy benchmark for stressing all processing threads on a platform. We have been using this test in motherboard reviews to test memory stability at various CPU speeds to good effect – if it passes the test, the IMC in the CPU is stable for a given CPU speed. As a CPU test, it runs for approximately 1-2 minutes on high-end platforms.

Compression – WinRAR 5.4: link

Our WinRAR test from 2013 is updated to the latest version of WinRAR at the start of 2014. We compress a set of 2867 files across 320 folders totaling 1.52 GB in size – 95% of these files are small typical website files, and the rest (90% of the size) are small 30-second 720p videos.

Synthetic – 7-Zip 9.2: link

As an open source compression tool, 7-Zip is a popular tool for making sets of files easier to handle and transfer. The software offers up its own benchmark, to which we report the result.

Point Calculations – 3D Movement Algorithm Test: link

3DPM is a self-penned benchmark, taking basic 3D movement algorithms used in Brownian Motion simulations and testing them for speed. High floating point performance, MHz, and IPC win in the single thread version, whereas the multithread version has to handle the threads and loves more cores. For a brief explanation of the platform agnostic coding behind this benchmark, see my forum post here.

Neuron Simulation - DigiCortex v1.20: link

The newest benchmark in our suite is DigiCortex, a simulation of biologically plausible neural network circuits, and simulates activity of neurons and synapses. DigiCortex relies heavily on a mix of DRAM speed and computational throughput, indicating that systems which apply memory profiles properly should benefit and those that play fast and loose with overclocking settings might get some extra speed up. Results are taken during the steady-state period in a 32k neuron simulation and represented as a function of the ability to simulate in real time (1.000x equals real-time).

Gaming Performance

AoTS Escalation

Ashes of the Singularity is a Real-Time Strategy game developed by Oxide Games and Stardock Entertainment. The original AoTS was released back in March of 2016 while the standalone expansion pack, Escalation, was released in November of 2016 adding more structures, maps, and units. We use this specific benchmark as it relies on both a good GPU as well as on the CPU in order to get the most frames per second. This balance is able to better display any systematic differences in gaming as opposed to a more GPU heavy title where the CPU and system don't matter quite as much. We use the default "Crazy" in-game settings using the DX11 rendering path in both 1080p and 4K UHD resolutions. The benchmark is run four times and the results averaged then plugged into the graph.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Rise of the Tomb Raider is a third-person action-adventure game that features similar gameplay found in 2013's Tomb Raider. Players control Lara Croft through various environments, battling enemies, and completing puzzle platforming sections, while using improvised weapons and gadgets in order to progress through the story.

One of the unique aspects of this benchmark is that it’s actually the average of 3 sub-benchmarks that fly through different environments, which keeps the benchmark from being too weighted towards a GPU’s performance characteristics under any one scene.

Overclocking

Experience with the MSI MEG Z390 ACE & Intel Core i7-8700K

Intel has taken clear strides with clock speed capabilities of its latest processors. This has also stretched to memory frequencies, as vendors have been releasing high-performance kits with fast speeds escalating with each generation upgrade. This puts demand and pressures upon both the motherboard vendors and integrated memory controllers on the processors themselves. This is apparent as the Z390 chipset is seemingly forcing the envelope with power delivery designs, especially when compared with the last couple of generations including Z270 and Z370.

The MSI Z390 ACE in this regard has a 12-phase VCore power delivery which is split into a 6-phase design with the use of six doublers. This kind of setup, in reality, is eminently more than acceptable and it is very capable to push a processor to its thermal limits on ambient cooling solutions. The MSI Click BIOS 5 firmware is very consistent throughout which is becoming the norm for MSI motherboards; both on the AMD and the Intel options over the last year. MSI has given the MEG Z390 ACE a very generous limit of 1.9 V on the VCore for overclockers.

MSI's Game Boost automatic overclocking utility is featured in both hardware (a button with a twisty knob) and within the BIOS with a virtual representation of the OC dial. Available is a total of seven different predefined overclocking profiles ranging from 1 to 11; the 11 setting applies a very high 5.0 to 5.4 GHz overclock with 1.475 V on the VCore. Even with one of the best aftermarket AIO CPU coolers on the market, it would be just too much heat to cope with.

Changing the CPU VCore and frequency beyond default values automatically disables Intel's power saving features. Overclocking on the MSI MEG Z390 ACE was painless and settings entered into the BIOS applied first time on this sample with the latest firmware version available. Our test bench Core i7-8700K isn't the greatest of silicon, but the MSI MEG Z390 ACE did manage to hit 5.1 GHz without fanfare.

Overclocking Methodology

Our standard overclocking methodology is as follows. We select the automatic overclock options and test for stability with POV-Ray and OCCT to simulate high-end workloads. These stability tests aim to catch any immediate causes for memory or CPU errors.

For manual overclocks, based on the information gathered from the previous testing, starts off at a nominal voltage and CPU multiplier, and the multiplier is increased until the stability tests are failed. The CPU voltage is increased gradually until the stability tests are passed, and the process repeated until the motherboard reduces the multiplier automatically (due to safety protocol) or the CPU temperature reaches a stupidly high level (90ºC+). Our test bed is not in a case, which should push overclocks higher with fresher (cooler) air.

Overclocking Results

There seems to be a common trend so far with the Z390 boards we have tested so far to throttle quite hard when using the more ambitious predefined overclocking profiles. Performance in POV-Ray when using the Game Boost profiles started to decline around profile 6 which is a 4.8 GHz overclock with 1.38 V on the VCore. By comparison with manual overclocking we managed to achieve 4.8 GHz with just 1.2 V in the BIOS with a load voltage of 1.226 V using MSI's Dragon Centre monitoring software. 

The takeaway from the overclocking experience is that the preset overclocks are quite tragic given that the default boost of the Core i7-8700K processor is 4.7 GHz. Despite this, MSI felt the need to drive 1.25 V on the VCore to achieve this across all cores. Even more ridiculous is allowing users to select a profile good for 5.0 GHz with 1.475 V on the VCore without any form of warning when selecting the profile. The load voltage was monitored going over 1.5 V which is dangerous for the longevity of the chip and will piledrive regular cooling methods into the ground. As expected, our chip instantly throttled and it shows with a measly score of 2540 in POV-Ray; by default the score was over 1000 higher.

For what its worth, we hit 5.0 GHz with 1.31 V set in the BIOS for comparison which hit a maximum of 1.332 V under full load and the silicon on this sample is quite average. Above this, we saw throttling at 5.1 GHz.

There is major room for improvement within the preset overclocking profiles, but overall the experience when manually overclocking was conducive for enthusiasts looking to push their capable silicon to 5.0 GHz and beyond. Users pairing the MSI MEG Z390 ACE up with the Core i9-9900K with a soldered IHS will benefit most from this, or users using de-lidded Core i7-8700Ks, will easily be able to push the limits with this board. The key here is the chosen cooling method as this makes or breaks the overall CPU performance and is the clear limitation factor here.

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