As we have stated in the past, both Intel and AMD’s engineering departments seem to be waging a 2-pronged psy-op on their customers… with the unstated goal of confusing the ever living heck of them. Yes. It is an ongoing battle for your sanity when it comes to understanding, let alone explaining, chipset names. For example, right now Intel Z890 is top dog in the Blue corner, while X870E (and its non‑E version) leads the way for Team Red. Needless to say, this ongoing “in joke” has annoyed motherboard manufacturers enough that some are starting to take steps to protect their buyers.
Take MSI, for instance. They get that the shipping container their motherboard comes in does more than just protect its precious cargo, and rather, its other main priority is to educate and inform potential buyers. At this, MSI has become masters at first grabbing one’s attention (via understated elegance and not screaming) and then teaching their customers about the tricky ways of chipset engineers. Both at the subconscious and… conscious levels.
For example, with AMD boards (such as the X870E Ace MAX recently reviewed), they include a red underscore that says AMD Motherboard. Smack dab in the center of the box, the underlying part of the motherboard’s name. On this Intel Z780 TomaHawk II? It is blue and says Intel Motherboard. Directly under the “Z890 TomaHawk” portion of the model name. Which not only teaches buyers but crams into their craniums that Red equals AMD, and Blue equals Intel. That way, even if they put it down and go elsewhere, they now instinctively know what chipset(s) pair with what CPU series in any given generation. Color us highly impressed, and we sincerely hope that other companies follow suit and help put an end to this techbro nonsense.
Moving on. While it is indeed true that this is a motherboard targeted more towards the budget-constrained buyers, that does not mean MSI has cut too many corners. Instead, the internal protection setup is pretty much as good as what a Carbon, Ace… a GodLike gets. That is to say, the motherboard sits in its own safe zone, surrounded by dense cardboard that acts as both structure and cushion. It is this kind of design that proves MSI knows exactly how disrespectful warehouse handlers and Mr. Shipping Agent(s) are. Put simply, this box will keep its contents safe long past what one would assume an inexpensive, and conservative-looking, motherboard box would.
In that vein, the included accessories carry over this same conservative philosophy of going above and beyond expectations… but in a way that respects the board’s budget. To be more precise, MSI includes everything one needs to successfully build a system, including some things that novices don’t even know they need… but don’t expect razzle-dazzle accessories on top of the true necessities. Rather, every single thing included has a goal and a job to do. For example, yes, there are stickers. They are not goo-gaws. They are labelling tools that a properly built system should be using so that in X years… you know where each cable goes without having to trace back the darn thing.
As for the things you don’t even know you need… MSI includes the drivers on a USB “thumb” drive for hassle-free installation and a good magnetic mounting antenna for the WiFi and Bluetooth. Both of which make life much easier when it comes time to set up and complete the build. Better still, they include a couple extra EZ M.2 Clip gen 2 M.2 “posts” and a custom installation tool for easy installation (and removal) of those itty bitty, but oh so critical M.2 mounting bolts. So while it may be plastic… it is not a throw-away accessory. You will want to keep it safe, as if you ever do need to move the M.2 securing post (say you buy a little 30mm drive or conversely a big 110mm long one) it will get the job done and protect your motherboard from being easily scratched.
It is these kinds of small, yet smart, inclusions that prove the design team is builders too… as we have all been there looking for a way to make life easier during a build. Especially on ‘budget’ builds where time and money are in short supply. Color us highly impressed that this kind of attention to detail is not just reserved for the more expensive Carbon/Ace/Godlike’s of their product stack.
