MSI's new X870(E) UNIFY-X MAX motherboard: A dream for overclocking enthusiasts.

MSI launched its new AMD X870 and B850 motherboard lineup at CES 2026, all part of the company's PC build ecosystem, which includes cases, GPUs, coolers, and more.

 

Power was a key theme for MSI at CES 2026, evidenced by the incredibly powerful RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z GPU. These new motherboards are built specifically for high-performance systems, with overclocking, acceleration, and system tuning being top priorities.

1. The most outstanding tech products at CES 2026

The new MSI X870(E) UNIFY-X MAX motherboard is built for high performance.

High-end PCs and overclocking become easy.

 

MSI's new AMD motherboards come with a few tweaks for performance and overclocking enthusiasts. What people really like about the MSI X870(E) is the Tuning Controller, a handy external controller that you plug directly into the motherboard, which comes with a number of useful features.

For example, you can control overclocking parameters like voltage and temperature, apply different overclocking settings, clear CMOS and other error states, enter safe mode, and restore saved overclocking settings, all with a single tap. This is a really cool and useful way to simplify overclocking, even though this is a motherboard aimed at high-end gamers and performance enthusiasts.

This motherboard features a design with two dedicated DDR5 slots to maximize performance, with MSI aiming for speeds of 10,000 MT/s. It also has five PCIe Gen5x4 slots, an 18+2+1 phase power supply, and supports Wi-Fi 7 , 5G LAN, and US4. Additionally, it boasts an upgraded 64MB BIOS ROM, providing much-needed support for the latest CPUs (such as the Ryzen 7 9850x3D!).

 

Elsewhere, MSI has also focused on high performance, opting for larger heatsinks as well as 9W/mK heatsinks and a dual-sided EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II to keep everything running cool.

The MSI MAG B850 MAX series focuses on precision.

There are three models to choose from.

 

If the X870(E) UNIFY-MAX super-powerful configuration isn't what you're looking for, you should consider the MSI MAG B850 MAX series. These motherboards don't have many built-in overclocking technologies, but they adequately meet your needs without causing problems.

There are three new models to choose from: MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI II, MAG B850M MORTAR MAX WIFI (micro-ATX standard), and MAG B850 GAMING PLUS MAX WIFI (white).

The MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI II is the most feature-rich of the three models, boasting 4 DDR5-8400 slots, AMD Expo configuration, 3 PCIe 5 slots, 2 PCIe 5 M.2 slots, 2 PCIe 4 slots, along with 3 USB 3.2 ports, multiple USB-C ports, Wi-Fi 7 support, and more.

It also focuses on performance. This motherboard supports a 14+2+1 phase power system with intelligent power technology, comes with a large heatsink, additional VRM heatsink, 7W/mK heatsink, and the convenient EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II to keep everything running smoothly.

Additionally, each MSI MAG B850 MAX motherboard features an upgraded 64MB BIOS ROM, Wi-Fi 7 and 5G LAN support, along with a host of MSI's super-convenient EZ DIY features. For example, you can use EZ PCIe Release to remove the GPU with just one click, while EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II and EZ M.2 Clip II allow for tool-free SSD installation, and EZ Antenna makes Wi-Fi setup and configuration easy.

The stunning MSI MAG X870 EDGE TI EVO WIFI motherboard.

 

Aside from its rather silly and long name, MSI's Mini-ITX X870 motherboard is actually a great option. First, it's a compact motherboard designed for the latest AMD 9000 series CPUs, supporting the latest X870 chipset and delivering powerful performance.

It supports DDR5 memory up to 10,000MT/s, includes 3 M.2 slots, and features the MSI M.2 XPANDER-Z SLIDE GEN 5 option, a unique and powerful storage expansion card from MSI hardware. This card adds storage capacity to Mini-ITX motherboards, allowing for the addition of two M.2 drives with maximum transfer speeds.

If you're considering building a compact PC, this might be what you're looking for.

MSI's upcoming GPU protection technology is highly anticipated.

GPU Safeguard+ means no more connector melting or GPU overheating.

MSI also showcased its new GPU Safeguard+ technology, which will prevent many of the overheating and connector melting issues associated with the 12V-2x6 connector.

Essentially, it acts as a monitoring system that detects any unusual current changes around the GPU and its connector, isolates the problem, and shuts down the system. It uses MSI Center to issue alerts when you restart, detailing exactly where the problem originates (related to the connector).

Given that the 12V-2x6 connector has caused numerous problems over the long term, it's good to see MSI directly addressing this issue.