MSI's MEG X870E UNIFY-X MAX motherboard is built for the new Ryzen 9850X3D

At CES 2026, AMD announced the new Ryzen 7 9850X3D desktop processor that takes the world's fastest CPU for PC gaming and makes it even faster by delivering Boost Clock speeds of 5.6 GHz, up from 5.2 GHz. Alongside this announcement, MSI has announced its latest flagship AM5 motherboard, the MEG X870E UNIFY-X MAX.

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Perfect for the Ryzen 7 9850X3D processor and overclocking enthusiasts, this high-performance motherboard features a specialized 2-DIMM layout, making it the world's first motherboard to break the DDR5 10,000 MT/s barrier. According to MSI, its internal testers have already pushed DDR5 speeds on the MEG X870E UNIFY-X MAX to 10,200 MT/s - which is impressive.

The MEG X870E UNIFY-X MAX also doubles the BIOS ROM from 32MB to 64MB. It even features a dedicated tuning controller (and yes, it looks like a remote) that lets you adjust memory and CPU frequencies directly within the OS, bypassing the need to shut down, reboot, and enter the BIOS.

• Read more: MSI MPG X870I EDGE TI EVO motherboard released: official support for 10,000+ MT/s memory speeds
• Read more: MSI MEG X870E ACE MAX mobo specs: 3 x PCIe 5.0 slots, 64MB BIOS + 'next-level CPU' support
• Read more: GIGABYTE's new Ryzen X3D motherboard boosts gaming performance by 25%

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Overclocking is handled by MSI's OC Engine, a dedicated overclocking chip with independent control that can boost in-game performance on the Ryzen 7 9800X3D by up to 15%.

In addition to its overclocking capabilities, the MEG X870E UNIFY-X MAX is a stacked flagship motherboard with five PCIe Gen5 x4 M.2 SSD slots, a robust 18+2+1 power phase (110A SPS), and advanced cooling for all components. There's also a stack of EZ DIY features, Wi-Fi 7, 5G LAN, and USB4.

As for the physical design, the X in the MEG X870E UNIFY-X MAX is printed in silver that contrasts well with the dark black finish, which MSI says symbolizes the board's extreme performance and quality.