MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE In-Depth Review: A Performance Beast

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Dr. Usman Saleem

At Tech4Gamers, I’m the PC Hardware Specialist, primarily contributing to the “Best-Ofs” section. I provide thoughtful buying advice based on thorough testing and personal expertise. I also review hardware products and games to keep things fresh.

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We’ve reviewed a wealth of MSI motherboards in the past couple of months, and it’s now time to take a look at the best X870E motherboard out there at the moment: the MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE. This is, of course, out of MSI’s enthusiast gaming lineup and sits at the very top of the throne among their diverse lineup (MAG, MPG, and MEG). 

In any case, I’m sure the name’s enough to tell you that this motherboard packs the best performance and features, so let’s uncover everything. 

Key Takeaways

• The MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE is the most expensive X870E motherboard in the market, providing high-end performance, great aesthetics, and a great set of features. 
• Get the board if you want the best performance and features, and budget is not an issue.
• Don’t buy the board if your budget is limited or you don’t need the excess premium features on offer. 

Surprisingly, the board is still cheaper than the MEG X670E GODLIKE, which was priced at $1299 at launch. The predecessor offered a similar setup and included an M.2 card and an LCD dashboard but not the control hub. 

Packaging and Unboxing

The motherboard comes inside a cardboard box and is embellished in mostly black with hints of golden. On the front, we have the usual hazard warnings toward the lower left side. On the back, we have the key features and specifications. 

Opening up, we are greeted by another box with very fancy packaging, and it looks like the type of box you would get when buying expensive jewelry. Inside it lies the motherboard. The accessories and devices are very neatly placed as well; quite a nice unboxing experience!

Here’s what we have inside the box: 

• 1 to 3 ARGB Gen 2 Extension Cable
• 1 to 2 RGB Extension Cable
• ARGB Extension Cable
• 1 to 3 EZ Conn-Cable (V2)
• EZ Link Cable
• EZ Control Hub SATA Power Cable
• M.2 Xpander Card FAN Control Cable
• EZ Front Panel Cable
• 4 x SATA Cables
• 2 x Thermistor Cables
• M.2 Xpander Card Thermal Pads
• EZ M.2 Clips II Remover
• EZ Control Hub Screw Sets
• Cable Sticker
• Shout Out Flyer
• Quick Installation Guide
• European Union Regulatory Notice

So, this is quite a big package, and we can see why the box is so bulky after unboxing everything. We get an M.2 expansion card and an “EZ Control HUB.” The controller is powered by the PSU’s SATA connector and has room for up to 7 fans, plus two A-RGB, one RGB, and one water flow connector. You also get multiple RGB extension cables, some “EZ” cables to help with cable management, 2x thermistor cables, and 4x SATA cables.

Design

The MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE is almost entirely covered in heatsinks, with only the CPU socket, DIMM slots, EPS connectors, and PCIe slots being exposed. It’s a premium look, especially with the shiny, reflective heatsinks and the LCD display; you probably won’t need a mirror after buying this board! The MSI logo is engraved on the rear I/O cover instead of being printed and the detailing makes it look surreal. 

RGB is stacked here, with 3x RGB zones (rear I/O cover, Gen 5 M.2 heatsink, GODLIKE text on the lower right), plus the “Dynamic Dashboard” provides an LCD display. Everything lit up in golden when I first booted with the motherboard, and it’s a beautiful look. 

The motherboard is as quality as it gets, with a 10-layered server-grade PCB with 2oz copper. 

The CPU socket powers DDR5 memory, PCIe Gen 5 slots, Gen 5 M.2, USB 40Gbps, 3x 10Gbps ports in the rear, and the Super I/O controller. Meanwhile, the two Promontory 21 chips provide the remaining USB, PCIe, and M.2 connections. They also power SATA 6G, 10G and 5G LAN, WiFi 7, and audio on the board. 

Let’s dive into the different components of the board. 

Power Delivery System

The MEG X870E GODLIKE uses a hefty 24+2+1 (VCC+SoC+Misc) duet-rail power system with 24x 110A SPS for the CPU. A close-up of the MOSFETs reveals that these are the Renesas R2209004 variant, the same one we saw in the X870E Carbon WiFi. The total power to the CPU is up to 2,640A (the same as we saw in the X870E Taichi Lite), which is the joint highest we’ve seen so far. Compared to the previous generation’s X670E GODLIKE, this is 120A higher. 

MSI’s “Core Boost” feature (we’re not sure what this does) and OC engine (which includes a dedicated BCLK generator) promise “perfect” conditions for overclocking.

The initial power is provided by solid dual 8-pin connectors, which provide stability and low impedance for an overall solid connection. 

Cooling the VRMs is an extended heatsink underneath, which we have dual heat pipes and 9 W/mK thermal pads. The larger side of the heatsink features a stacked fin design (with 5x fins), and the smaller side has wavy fins. It’s a hefty cooling design for a hefty setup. 

DIMM Slots

The motherboard has 4x surface-mounted DIMM slots and has room for up to 256 GB of DDR5 memory. The memory support promised by MSI is up to 9000 MT/s with OC. Here are the official maximum memory speeds possible with different configurations:

• 1DPC 1R = 8400 MT/s
• 1DPC 2R = 6400 MT/s
• 2DPC 1R = 6400 MT/s
• 2DPC 2R = 4800 MT/s 

Editor`s Note

The memory controller on the Ryzen 7000 and Ryzen 9000 can, at best, function at 1:1 with the memory at 3200 MHz (6400 MT/s for the memory). To really get notably good results beyond that mark, you’ll need to push beyond the 8000 MT/s mark, which is good because the motherboard promises speeds of up to 9000 MT/s!

– Dr. Usman Saleem

MSI’s Memory Boost feature supposedly allows the motherboard to reach higher memory speeds than competitors, and the BIOS also includes multiple overclocking features, including a “High-Efficiency Mode.” 

The board also supports CUDIMMs, the latest innovation in the DIMM standard. These modules include a clock driver capable of regenerating the clock signal driving the memory, for which they would otherwise rely on the CPU. This essentially means better stability and the possibility of reaching higher memory speeds. However, since the motherboard only supports CUDIMMs with clock drivers disabled, they will function as UDIMMS, making this addition not-so-exciting. 

PCIe Slots 

The board features 3x PCIe slots, two of which are Gen 5. You can either occupy the first slot with a full 16 lanes or share x8 bandwidth between the two slots. The third slot is a Gen x4, but it will run at x2 if you occupy M2_4. 

Both the Gen 5 PCIe slots are surface-mounted (SMT) and reinforced with MSI’s Steel Armor II to handle the weight of heavy cards. We used the RTX 4090; however, it’s still recommended that we use an anti-sag bracket as we did. There is only room for one of the slots (the primary one) to feature the EZ PCIe release mechanism. Like in the other motherboards we saw, you can release your card with just a button, and the padlock icon indicates whether the lock is in place.

Storage 

Moving to the storage front, the GODLIKE has 5x M.2 slots (one Gen 5, the remaining Gen 4) with two more Gen 5 slots added by the included card. It also has 4x 6G SATA ports. As mentioned earlier, The card will be installed into the secondary Gen 5 PCIe slot. All the drives support RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 10 configurations. Here are the different sizes supported by the various slots:

• M2_1, M2_2, M2_4, M2_5 = 2280/2260
• M2_3 = 22110/2280
• M.2 card: 2280

Cooling the M.2 drives are three heatsinks, with the first Gen 5 slot being cooled by a separate, thick heatsink. M2_2, M2_3, and M2_4 (M2_2 being Gen 5) are cooled by the same heatsink, and then the third one is cooled by another heatsink that stretches to both ends of the board. The second and third heatsinks are not as thin but provide more surface area.

All the heatsinks can be removed by toolless mechanisms (EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II), but the primary heatsink adds even more convenience and a magnetic design. Pull the heatsink away to remove it, and line it up in position to reinstall it. 

Underneath the heatsinks are double-sided thermal pads for all the drives. You also get EZ M.2 Clip II removal mechanisms for all the slots, but you may need to reposition the clips based on where you’re installing which drive. Use the provided EZ M.2 Clip II remover for that. The installation mechanism is very simple, requiring you to pull the clip away from the drive, place the drive, and then release the clip.

Unfortunately, adding a second Gen 5 M.2 slot requires additional bandwidth, so this bandwidth is shared with the rear 40 Gbps USB ports. You can use one or both at half the bandwidth (M.2 at Gen 5 x2 and USB at 20 Gbps). Of course, this isn’t a big problem since you get two additional Gen 5 slots through the card. 

USB Connectivity

You get a whopping 25 USB ports on this board: 

• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 4x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 8x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 6x USB 10Gbps Type C (5x Rear, 1x Front)
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C (Front)
• 2x USB 40Gbps Type C (Rear)

You get 2x USB 40Gbps ports (powered by the ASM4242 controller), as we saw in the X870E Carbon WiFi, but the number of 10Gbps Type-C ports is increased from two to six. 40Gbps USB enables display support for 4K at 120 Hz. 

Other USB controllers include Realtek’s RTS5420 (4x of the rear USB 10Gbps ports) and ASMedia’s ASM1078 (3x front USB 5 Gbps ports). 

Network and Connectivity

Wired connectivity on the MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE is provided by 10G (Marvell AQtion AQC113CS) and 5G (Realtek RTL8126) LAN provisions. For wired connectivity, you get WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

WiFi 7 requires Windows 11 SV3, and Bluetooth 5.4 also requires Windows 11.

Audio Connectivity 

The board’s audio comes from Realtek’s ALC4082 solution and the ESS9219Q Combo DAC/HPA. This chip is similar to the ALC4080 we’ve seen in many mid-range/high-end boards which itself is similar to the ALC1220. The isolated audio design ensures no interference between left and right audio channels. 

Internal Connectors and Components

Here’s the list of connectors inside the board: 

• 1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR)
• 2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR)
• 1x Power Connector(PCIE_PWR 8pin)
• 1x Front Type-C Quick Charge Connector(PD_PWR1)
• 1x CPU Fan
• 2x Combo Fan (Pump_Sys Fan)
• 1x EZ Conn-header (JAF_2)
• 2x Front Panel (JFP)
• 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
• 1x Front Audio (JAUD)
• 2x Thermal Sensor connectors(T_SEN)
• 1x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH)
• 1x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
• LED Switch (LED_SW1) – Switches onboard RGB on/off
• V-check point
• 4x USB 2.0 ports
• 4x USB 5Gbps Type A ports
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C ports
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C ports

The connectors toward the upper-right-hand side are to be connected horizontally while the rest are in the usual vertical position.

You get 2x thermistor connectors for the provided thermistor cables. What’s notable is the addition of a V-check point connector (used to monitor voltage) and a Tuning Controller connector (used to connect the Tuning Controller). It’s disappointing that MSI doesn’t include the device in this package costing $1099 when we’ve seen it in previous, cheaper motherboards such as the MSI MEG Z690 Unify-X. Nonetheless, the device helps in overclocking by providing options like setting BCLK, clearing CMOS or booting in safe mode. 

Moving on, you get the EZ-Conn controller header (2), which combines a system fan, 12V ARGB headers, and a front USB 2.0 header in an 11-pin package, which is especially helpful for supporting MSI liquid coolers. There’s also the connector 60W charging through the front USB Type-C 20Gbps port, requiring you to connect the additional 8-pin power connector. You can monitor this port’s power, amps, and voltage through the MSI Center. 

The additional power connector adds 252W to the total board supply for 420W, leaving 132W for the fans and 36W for RGB. It also adds 2.5x power excursion through the Gen 5 PCIe slots, allowing 165W of peak power. This is an instantaneous (and not a constant) power supply–PCIe slots will still be limited to 75W of constant power. 

The board uses Winbond’s 25Q256JW serial memory chip.

Heatsinks Removed and Backside

Above, you can see the board with all the heatsinks and the Dynamic Dashboard III removed.

The MEG X870E GODLIKE has a metallic backplate on the backside which gives further support to the board. Removing the backplate exposes thermal pads for the VRMs and additional pads that line up around the VRM driver and WiFi 7 controller areas. 

Rear I/O Panel

The rear I/O panel includes: 

• USB 10Gbps (Type-A)
• Flash BIOS Button
• Clear CMOS Button
• Smart Button
• 10G LAN
• 5G LAN
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
• HD Audio Connectors
• USB 40Gbps (Type-C)
• USB 10Gbps (Type-C)
• USB 10Gbps (Type-A)
• Optical S/PDIF-Out

Like in previous motherboards, I have to appreciate the labeling of USB speeds on the rear instead of the USB standard name. You also get BIOS flash, clear CMOS, and the Smart Button. The Smart Button can be programmed to trigger safe boot, reboot, maximum fan speeds, or turning RGB on your board on/off. 

The stainless steel I/O shield comes pre-installed on the board. 

Dynamic Dashboard III and EZ Control Hub

The board includes a 3.99-inch LCD in the upper right-hand corner, and on the panel, you also get dedicated shut-down, restart, and EZ PCIe release buttons. This LCD screen is probably the one component you won’t find in mid-range or cheaper boards. The dashboard can be used as a clock, for monitoring purposes, debugging booting issues, and even as a music player! 

You get a magnetic design here so the dashboard can be removed and reinstalled easily. On the side, you can see various connectors (such as USB 2.0 and Tuning Controller connector) to simplify cable management, as your case will probably have routing holes right beside this area of the board. 

The EZ Bridge connector connects to the EZ Control Hub, providing 7x fan headers, 2x A-RGB headers, and one RGB and WaterFlow header each. This dedication from MSI means cable management will be as easy as possible, even if you don’t put in a lot of effort. 

M.2 XPANDER-Z SLIDER Gen 5 Expansion Card 

The M.2 XPANDER-Z Slider Gen 5 card adds dual Gen 5 M.2 slots to the setup, bringing up the total M.2 slot count to seven. This is intended to be installed into the PCI_E2 (Gen 5 x8) slot, in which case the PCI_E1 Gen 5 slot will run in x8 mode. 

Looking at the card, it shows solid build quality and uses a 70-mm double ball bearing fan to cool the drives. The heatsinks here are also double-sided. Installing a drive involves pulling out the slot(s), removing the heatsink, installing the drive, and then placing the heatsink back. After this, the slot is put back into the card. MSI provides a handy tutorial for this.

The card has two LEDs: one for when the SSD is detected and one for when data is being transferred. 

Test Setup

Check out the delicious test bench with everything assembled, along with some extra RGB showcase pictures.

Test setup and RGB showcase

1 of 4

Here’s what our test bench looks like for the CPU:

• AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 16C/32T
• ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420 Liquid CPU Cooler
• G. Skill Trident Z5 Royal NEO DDR5-8000 CL36 EXPO Kit (2×16 = 32GB)
• XPG Lancer RGB 32GB 7200MHz DDR5 RAM
• Nvidia GeForce Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
• Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD [For Software]
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD [For Games]
• Sabrent Rocket NANO V2 4TB Portable SSD
• Corsair HX1200i Platinum PSU
• Windows 11 Pro Build 23H2
• BIOS Version 1.A15
• AGESA 1.2.0.2 firmware

Synthetic Benchmarks

Let’s start with the synthetic tests.

The test system with this board completed the render in 49 seconds, a second faster than the other X870E boards. 

The MEG X870E GODLIKE scored 2311 points in the multi-core and 141 in the single-core tests. 

In Corona 11, the board stood on top again with a 62.7-second render time. 

In CPU-Z’s multi-core and single-core tests, the X870E GODLIKE was, again, the top scorer. 

The Geekbench 6 multi-core test saw the MEG X870E GODLIKE recording 21817 points. 

In V-Ray, our MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE system scored 49246 points. 

Gaming Benchmarks

Next, here are the games we tested: 

The board top-scored in both average FPS and minimum FPS figures. 

In Far Cry 6, the board’s numbers were on top again. 

Finally, in Starfield, the board outputs 112 FPS on average and 84 at the least. 

Power Consumption and VRM Temperatures

Power consumption from the $1099 board was the highest, as expected. The CPU/motherboard power consumption maxed at 410W during the Cinbench 2024 multi-core test. In gaming, the power consumption stood at 134W on average, while the idle power consumption was 114 watts. Across all loads, the board showed the highest numbers. 

The VRM temperatures are super-impressive! During a 30-min Cinebench 2024 test, the maximum temperature stood at just 48°C, much cooler than all other boards on our list. 

Boot Times

Our system boot time was 21 seconds with the board. This is the same as the MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi. 

Should You Buy It? 

It’s amazing, but is it really worth it? 

✅You want the absolute best performance: For top-of-the-line, compromise-free performance, the MEG X870E GODLIKE stands on top with class-leading performance. Its VRMs are about the best we’ve seen, and the VRM cooling is amazing. 

✅You appreciate the premium design: With an all-black design, shiny heatsinks with RGB, and the Dynamic Dashboard III, the board’s design screams premium.

✅You prioritize convenience: With countless EZ-DIY mechanisms, including the EZ Bridge, to simplify cable management, the board can save you much time and effort compared to other boards. The board also offers handy “EZ” software features like one-click overclocking. 

✅High memory speeds are important: With memory overclocking speeds of up to 9000 MT/s being promised, you can push your memory to the limits on the board. 

✅You need excessive USB and storage provisions: With 25x USB ports and room for up to 7x M.2 drives, the board should cover even the most excessive needs. 

Don’t Buy It If

❌You don’t have a ton of cash to spend: With enthusiast performance and features comes a price tag of over one grand USD.

My Thoughts

The MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE is the most expensive consumer gaming motherboard we’ve tested so far. Starting with the VRMs, it packs some serious firepower with a 24+2+1 DRPS design and 110A SPS for the VCore. This means you can push your CPU to its best potential without worrying about the power supply falling behind. We also tested the VRM temperatures, and the excellent Frozr heatsinks kept the setup under 50°C across a 30-minute Cinebench 2024 run at stock CPU settings. The board also has room for DDR5 speeds of up to 9000 MT/s through overclocking. 

While I prefer more minimalist designs, the MEG X870E GODLIKE’s design premium aesthetics are undeniable. The highlights include the etched MSI dragon logo, which looks gorgeous when lit up, and the dynamic dashboard III, which can be used for various purposes, including hardware monitoring. There are three RGB zones, and all of them and any other RGB devices you install can be synced through the EZ Control Hub. 

The EZ Control Hub also allows better cable management, with connections for multiple fans and RGB all in one place and a magnetic design to allow easy attachment at the back of your chassis. 

We get 3x PCIe slots, including dual PCIe 5.0 (the bandwidth can be shared, or a full 16 lanes can be given to the primary slot). You can split the bandwidth if you plan to use the M.2 expansion card; otherwise, there’s no need. Speaking of M.2, the board has 5x M.2 slots–including 2x PCIe 5.0 (and two more added) by the expansion card. EZ mechanisms for the heatsinks and drives add a ton of convenience, and double-sided thermal pads provide adequate cooling for all of them.

There are 25 USB ports, including two USB4s. They share bandwidth with the M2_2 slot, but even in this case, you’ll have 3x Gen 5 M.2 slots if you use the expansion card. You can get 60W charging through the 20G Type-C port through the internal USB connector, but you’ll need sufficient wattage from your PSU for this. For connectivity, 10G and 5G LAN, plus WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, will keep you covered as these are the latest offerings at the moment. 

For audio, the combination of Realtek’s ALC4082 and ESS9219Q Combo DAC/HPA provides an experience as good as any for a consumer motherboard. 

There’s no doubt that the performance, features, and onboard cooling of the board are really as good as they get, but we still can’t say the price justifies it. Even if you remove the cost of the extra goodies (the Gen 5 card, Dynamic Dashboard III, and EZ Control Hub), which we approximate would be around $250-$300 in total, the board costs $800.

When you compare this to a board like the X870E Taichi Lite that costs $349 and equally capable VRMs, you’ll further realize that the price is just too high. But that’s what you’ll have to pay if you want the absolute best X870E board that money can buy. 

MSI offers a 3-year warranty for the board. 

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Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Usman Saleem brings 8+ years of comprehensive PC hardware expertise to the table. His journey in the tech world has involved in-depth tech analysis and insightful PC hardware reviews, perfecting over 6+ years of dedicated work. Usman’s commitment to staying authentic and relevant in the field is underscored by many professional certifications, including a recent one in Google IT Support Specialization.

8+ years of specialized PC hardware coverage
6+ years of in-depth PC hardware analysis and reviews
Lead PC hardware expert across multiple tech journalism platforms
Certified in Google IT Support Specialization

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com