We are back with another Z690 motherboard review and this one comes from MSI and might be one of the best Z690 boards we’ve seen yet! It is the MEG Z690 ACE and it has everything that you would expect to find on the Alder Lake platform plus much more! You are going to get a 22-phase (19+1+2) power design, DDR5 and PCI-Express 5.0 support, Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 gen 2×2, five M.2 slots, WiFi 6E, dual 2.5G LAN, and lets not forget a very sleek and sexy look with mainly a black design with gold accents. Is this the motherboard you need for your Alder Lake build? Read on as we find out!
Special thanks to MSI for providing us with the MEG Z690 ACE Motherboard to review.
Specifications
Packaging
The MSI MEG Z690 ACE comes in a very nice retail box. On the front there is a picture of the board. Flipping over to the back many of the features of the board are detailed and we also have a list of specifications and overview of the rear I/O ports.
Opening the box up and getting everything out besides the motherboard you’ll find quite a lot. The accessories include the WiFi antenna, screwdrivers, USB drive, 4 SATA cables, 3 sets of RGB extension cables, 2 DP to mini DP cables, EZ front panel cable, M.2 screws and standoffs, screwdrivers, cleaning brush, 2 thermistor cables, cable stickers, MSI stickers, quick installation guide, user’s guide, and a case badge.