MSI launched its new range of AMD X870 and B850 motherboards at CES 2026, all tying into its PC building ecosystem spanning cases, GPUs, coolers, and more.
Power has been the theme of MSI’s CES 2026, as evidence with its insanely powerful RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z GPU. These new motherboards are built with high-performance systems directly in mind, with overclocking, boosting, and system tweaking at the forefront.
The new MSI X870(E) UNIFY-X MAX motherboard is built for performance
High-tier computer and overclocking made easy
MSI’s new AMD motherboards come with a few tweaks for the performance chasers and overclockers of this world. I’ll get to the motherboard specs in a moment, but what I really liked about MSI’s X870(E) is the Tuning Controller, a handy external control you plug directly into the motherboard that comes with some handy features.
For example, you can control your overclocking parameters such as voltage and temperature control, apply different overclock presets, clear the CMOS and other fail states, enter a fail-safe mode, and restore your saved overclock settings, all with a single press. It’s a really interesting and useful way to make overclocking simple, even if this is a motherboard aimed at high-end gaming and performance chasers.
The motherboard itself features a specialized 2-DIMM DDR5 design to help maximize performance, with MSI pushing for the 10,000 MT/s barrier. It also features five PCIe Gen5x4 slots, an 18+2+1 power phase, Wi-Fi 7 support, 5G LAN, and US4. It also features an upgraded 64MB BIOS ROM, which will deliver the extra support required for the latest CPUs (like the Ryzen 7 9850x3D!).
Elsewhere, MSI has also built with extreme performance in mind, and has opted for a larger heatsink design as well as 9W/mK thermal pads and a double-sided EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II to keep everything running nice and cold.
MSI’s new laptops bring its gaming smarts to everyday portables, and they look so good
Shiny, fast, and ultra-portable—what’s not to love?
The MSI MAG B850 MAX series is all about precision
And there are three models to choose from
If the ultra-specced X870(E) UNIFY-MAX isn’t what you’re looking for, you should check out MSI’s MAG B850 MAX series instead. These motherboards don’t have heaps of inbuilt overclocking tech, but it delivers where you want without fuss.
There are three new models to choose from: the MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI II, the micro-ATX MAG B850M MORTAR MAX WIFI, and the all-white MAG B850 GAMING PLUS MAX WIFI.
The MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI II is the most feature-rich of the three, with four DDR5-8400 slots, AMD’s Expo profiles, 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’s also performance-focused. It supports a 14+2+1 power phase with smart power phase tech, and also includes a large, extended heatsink, an additional VRM heatsink, 7W/mK thermal pads, and a handy EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II to keep everything running nice and smooth.
Elsewhere, each of the MSI MAG B850 MAX motherboards comes with an upgraded 64MB BIOS ROM, and all support Wi-Fi 7 and 5G LAN, along with MSI’s array of super-handy EZ DIY features. For example, you can use EZ PCIe Release to remove your GPU with one click, while the EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II and EZ M.2 Clip II allow for tool-free SSD installation, and the EZ Antenna makes installing and tuning your Wi-Fi straightforward.
I also saw this lovely motherboard: the MSI MAG X870 EDGE TI EVO WIFI
Now that’s a mouthful
Aside from the rather silly and long name (motherboard naming conventions are generally quite ridiculous), MSI’s X870 Mini-ITX keyboard is a really interesting proposition. First up, it’s a tiny board built for the latest AMD 9000-Series CPUs, supports the latest X870 chipset, and delivers really strong performance.
It supports DDR5 memory up to 10,000MT/s, includes three M.2 sockets, and has the option for MSI’s M.2 XPANDER-Z SLIDE GEN 5, a powerful storage expansion unique to MSI’s hardware. The card brings additional storage support to the Mini-ITX board, allowing two more M.2 drives at maximum transfer rates.
If you’re considering a smaller form factor PC build, this could be what you’re looking for.
MSI’s super-powered RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z has a huge integrated display
A GPU with a built-in display? Whatever next.
MSI’s GPU protection tech can’t come too soon
GPU Safeguard+ means no more melting connectors or overheating GPUs
MSI also showed me a demo of its new GPU Safeguard+ tech, which will prevent many of the overheating and melting problems associated with the 12V-2×6 connector.
It basically serves as a monitor that detects any abnormal current changes around the GPU and its connector, isolates the problem, and shuts the system down. It uses MSI Center to issue a warning when you reboot, detailing exactly where the issue stems from (in relation to the connector).
Given how long the 12V-2×6 connector has caused problems, it’s good to see MSI directly addressing the problem.
MSI targets PC builders of all types with its new motherboards
I’m impressed with MSI’s new motherboard offerings. At the top end, you have everything a power-hungry overclocker could want, and the Tuning Controller is a nice extra feature that’ll make control much easier.
Then, just down the pecking order, the B850 MAX motherboards offer a real range of options, making PC building easy with its EZ DIY tools.
