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Black rectangular ATX motherboard with silver heatsinks and gold accents

MSI

MSI MEG Z490 ACE Intel motherboard

SKU CH-74AB-E2EJ7

ATX board with Intel Z490 chipset and LGA 1200 socket supports 10th and 11th Gen Intel Core processors, up to 128GB DDR4 memory at speeds up to 4000MHz, dual LAN with 2.5G and 1G controllers.

  • ProcessorSupports 10th Gen Intel Core™, 11th Gen Intel Core™, Pentium
  • ChipsetIntel Z490
  • CPU socketLGA 1200
  • Supported memorySupport dual-channel DDR4 2133/2200/2400/2666/2800/3000/3200
  • Max supported RAM128 GB
  • PCI slots3x PCIe 3.0 16 slots (2 from CPU, 1 from PCH, support 16/0/4
  • Supports 10th and 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs on LGA 1200 socket
  • Dual-channel DDR4 up to 4000 MHz with 128 GB maximum capacity
  • PCIe 4.0 ready on primary slots with 11th Gen processors
  • 5 GbE plus 1 GbE LAN for high-speed wired networking
  • Realtek ALC1220 with ESS SABRE9018Q2C DAC delivers 7.1-channel audio

Socket LGA 1200 ATX motherboard

The MSI MEG Z490 ACE is an ATX motherboard built around the Intel Z490 chipset for LGA 1200 processors. It supports 10th and 11th Generation Intel Core, Pentium Gold and Celeron CPUs. Dual-channel DDR4 memory runs at speeds from 2133 to 4000 MHz with a maximum capacity of 128 GB.

Enthusiast builders needing multi-GPU

The board suits enthusiasts who need three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots for multi-GPU configurations and dual LAN controllers including a 2.5 G Realtek 8125B and an Intel I219V 1 G port. Users requiring a smaller form factor, a different chipset, or integrated wireless networking should consider other models.

PCIe generation depends on CPU generation

PCI_E1 and PCI_E3 slots run at PCIe 4.0 with an 11th Generation CPU and at PCIe 3.0 with a 10th Generation CPU, so the processor choice decides the top link speed for graphics and add-in cards.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in Motherboards for Intel CPUs, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $172.99
Pricier than about 77% of the 2,965 comparable items (median $97.99).

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Specifications

Product
Brand nameMSI
Product lineMSI MEG Z490 ACE
Model nameMSI MEG Z490 ACE
Processor
ProcessorSupports 10th Gen Intel Core™, 11th Gen Intel Core™, Pentium Gold and Celeron processors for LGA 1200 socket
CPU socketLGA 1200
ChipsetIntel Z490
Memory
Supported memorySupport dual-channel DDR4 2133/2200/2400/2666/2800/3000/3200/3400/3600/3800/4000 MHz memory
Max supported RAM128 GB
Storage
SATA and RAID support3XM.2 interface
6XSATA III interface
Audio & video
Audio chipRealtek ALC1220 Codec + ESS SABRE9018Q2C combo DAC
7.1-Channel High Definition Audio
Supports Optical S/PDIF output
Connectivity
Ethernet controller1x Realtek 8125B 2.5G LAN controller
1x Intel I219 V 1G LAN controller
Ports & slots
PCI slots3x PCIe 3.0 16 slots (2 from CPU, 1 from PCH, support 16/0/4, 8/8/4)
PCI_E1 & PCI_E3 slots (From CPU)
Support up to PCIe 4.0 for 11th Gen Intel CPU
Support up to PCIe 3.0 for 10th Gen Intel CPU
PCI_E5 slot (From chipset)
Supports up to PCIe 3.0
2x PCIe x1 slots (from chipset)
PCIE_5 shares lanes with M2_3, please refer to manual for details
Onboard USB headersNtel Z490 Chipset
4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbit/s ports (3 Type-A ports on the back panel, 1 Type-C internal connector)
4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 5 Gbit/s ports (2 Type-A ports on the back panel, 2 ports through the internal USB connector)
6x USB 2.0 ports (2 Type-A ports on the back panel, 4 ports through the internal USB 2.0 connectors)
ASMedia 3241 chipset
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 × 2 20 Gbit/s Type-C port on the back panel

Questions about this item

Which CPU socket and chipset must my processor match for this MSI MEG Z490 ACE board?

The board uses the LGA 1200 socket with the Intel Z490 chipset and supports 10th and 11th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold and Celeron CPUs for that socket.

Will my existing PCIe 3.0 graphics card run at full speed in the primary slot with a 10th Gen CPU installed?

Yes, the PCI_E1 slot operates at PCIe 3.0 x16 with a 10th Gen processor and at PCIe 4.0 x16 with an 11th Gen processor, so a PCIe 3.0 card works at its rated bandwidth either way.

How can I verify the Realtek ALC1220 and ESS SABRE9018Q2C audio combo is active after building the system?

Check Device Manager for the Realtek High Definition Audio device, confirm 7.1-channel output is selectable in Sound control panel, and test optical S/PDIF output if you connect a digital receiver.

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