MSI MEG X399 Creation
A full-fat super-solution for Thread ripper
HOT DIGGITY, is this board something else! From the extravagant styling, to the power phase design, the RGB LEDs, and the expansive connectivity, this mobo has it all. It’s a beast, and in our eyes, MSI has created something truly remarkable.
Thread ripper’s always been an odd one when it comes to motherboards; it benefits massively from improved power delivery systems. As most of the I/O navigates its way directly to the processor itself, as opposed to going through a chipset, connectivity has usually been a bit of an afterthought, so the premium boards are typically less about “What can you plug in?” and more “How well does it handle current?” Back in the early days of 12 and 16-core processors, that was particularly evident when overclocking, especially as the VRMs began to take
more of a grunt—having to deal with those 180W TDP generating volts, heat was a potential issue. Today, with 24 and 32 cores, you need a lot more juice, which in turn means better power delivery, and thermals to take into account. Just take a look at the ROG Zenith Extreme from Asus, a flagship motherboard, now being offered with a free heatsink upgrade to make sure your 24-core-plus parts don’t throttle under load. You get the picture. The 24-core zone is tough stuff.
So, what makes the MEG X399 Creation so special, apart from its absolutely bonkers looks? A 19-phase power delivery design adorns the top of the board, covered by an impressive chunk of aluminum. Compare that to Asus’s 8+3 design in the Zenith, and you’ll start to see why the differences occur when push comes to shove under load—this board kicks some serious butt.
Speaking of which, let’s talk numbers. For our testing (and because we haven’t reviewed many X399 boards), we used the Thread ripper 2950X. This 16-core, 32-thread giant is, admittedly, more focused on the gaming scene than on professional workstations, but it should still show us just what this board can do under pressure. So, we saw X264 at 68.51fps (versus the Rampage’s 64), Cinebench R15 clocked in at 3,259, versus 3,225, and Fry Render came in at 1:20, versus 1:24. Not huge margins, but what was impressive was the power draw figures. Under load, the MEG drew 299W from the wall at its peak. Compare that to the Asus’s 366W, and you can see the difference (and perhaps restraint in applying voltage) that MSI is leveraging.
When it comes to overclocking, the MEG continues to pull ahead of its rival. In our undervolting test, the MEG managed to hold a 4.0GHz overclock across all 16 cores, with a meager 1.135V pumped into the CPU, versus the Zenith Extreme’s 1.15. It certainly has some overclocking chops, that’s for sure. If nothing else, it also shows you how cautious AMD, Asus, and MSI have been when applying their stock auto voltages. Usually, you can expect voltages to spike anywhere from 1.25V to 1.35V under load, with load temps of around 60 C when using a 240mm AIO. Drop that down to 1.15V or 1.175V, and you’ll see those temps plummet by around 10–15 C overall.
So, the MSI MEG performs well, looks absolutely insane, has more than enough rear I/O and internal connectivity, costs the same as the Asus ROG Zenith, and will save you money on your electricity bill as well. There must be a catch. Well, compared to the Zenith, it does lack an OLED display, and it doesn’t have the integrated DIMM M.2 support that the Asus mobo does. But, honestly, that’s about it. For the money, MSI has produced a fantastic motherboard here, which would sit proud and true in any high-end Threadripper system.