Tom's Hardware Verdict
The Godlike X is an excellent flagship motherboard. While the specifications are the same as the non-X, this is a limited-run board (1,000 units) and includes collectible accessories and unique features. If you’re a big MSI fan, it can be worth the premium for those extras. Otherwise, get the original for hundreds less.
Pros
- +
Collector’s goodies (stand/numbered heatsink, plushy)
- +
Aesthetic updates
- +
15x USB ports (7x Type-C) on rear IO
- +
Up to seven M.2 sockets w/M.2 Xpander-Z
- +
EZ Bridge cable management
- +
Dynamic Dashboard LED
- +
10GbE and 5GbE ports
Cons
- -
Eyewatering price
- -
E-ATX
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2025 marks the 10th anniversary of MSI’s “Godlike” motherboards first hitting store shelves. The first motherboard to bear the name is the X99A Godlike Gaming, a black-and-red HEDT board which, love ‘em or hate ‘em, is the first RGB motherboard (according to MSI). From there, MSI added unique technologies, including a dynamic display, a wireless extender, magnetic RGB modules, and EZ Link, to improve the user experience. Today’s Godlike and other flagship-class motherboards are the pinnacle of consumer board technology, offering users the best of what’s available, cost be damned.
The Godlike X we have in on the test bench celebrates the 10-year milestone with a special collector’s edition for AMD (sorry, no Intel), dubbed Godlike X. The refreshed motherboard gets a few aesthetic updates, though the specifications remain unchanged. It’s collectable, as the board is a limited run of 1,000 units, each identified by a numbered golden nameplate on the M.2 Shield Frozr heatsink. MSI also includes a premium collectors' stand to show off the RGB heatsink (USB-C-powered) and a cute Lucky plush with branded keychain ‘charms’ celebrating the anniversary.
Specifications of the MSI X870E Godlike X
Socket | AM5 (LGA 1718) |
Chipset | X870E |
Form Factor | E-ATX |
Voltage Regulator | 27 Phase (24x 110A SPSMOSFETs for Vcore) |
Video Ports | (2) USB 4 (Type-C Displayport) |
USB Ports | (2) USB 4.0 (40 Gbps) Type-C (5) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C |
Network Jacks | (1) 2.5 GbE |
Audio Jacks | (2) Analog + SPDIF |
Legacy Ports/Jacks | ✗ |
Other Ports/Jack | ✗ |
PCIe x16 | (2) v5.0 (x16/x0, x8/x8) |
PCIe x8 | ✗ |
PCIe x4 | (1) v4.0 (x4) |
PCIe x1 | ✗ |
CrossFire/SLI | ?? |
DIMM Slots | (4) DDR5-9000(OC), 256GB Capacity • 1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6400+ MT/s • 2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MT/s • 2DPC 2R Max speed up to 4800+ MT/s |
M.2 Sockets | (2) PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 80mm) |
SATA Ports | (4) SATA3 6 Gbps (Supports RAID 0/1/10) |
USB Headers | (1) USB v3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) Type-C |
Fan/Pump Headers | (3) 4-Pin (Accepts PWM and DC) |
RGB Headers | (1) aRGB (3-pin) |
Diagnostics Panel | (1) Post Status Checker (4 LEDs) |
Internal Button/Switch | LED Display |
SATA Controllers | ✗ |
Ethernet Controller(s) | (1) Marvell AQC113CS (10 GbE) |
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth | Qualcomm Fast Connect 7800 Wi-Fi 7 - 320 MHz, 6 GHz, 5.8 GHz, BT 5.4 |
USB Controllers | Asmedia ASM4242, ASM1074 |
HD Audio Codec | Realtek ALC4082 + ESS9219Q Combo DAC/HPS |
DDL/DTS | ✗ / ✗ |
Warranty | 3 Years |
Inside the Box of the MSI X870E Godlike X
Inside the premium box are a slew of accessories. The box the “X” is in opens a bit differently to show off the included goodies. It even comes with the cool powered collector’s stand to show off the numbered Shield Frozr M.2 heatsink. In addition to the basics, MSI includes the M.2 XPander-Z Slider Gen M.2 expansion card with the EZ Slide design and an EZ Control hub for the fan and RGB headers. There are also several extension cables, thermistors, stickers, and more. The long list is below, and we’ve included an image of Lucky and the collector’s stand all lit up.
- Installation guide, stickers, EU Reg. notice
- EZ Clips II remove
- EZ Control hub screws
- M.2 XPander Thermal pads
- (2) Thermistor cables
- (4) SATA cables
- EZ Front Panel cable
- M.2 XPander card fan control cable
- EZ Control Hub SATA power cable
- 1 to 3 EZ Conn-Cable (V2)
- ARGB extension cable
- 1 to 2 RGB extension cable
- 1 to 3 ARGB Gen 2 extension cable
- USB drive (drivers)
- EZ Wi-Fi antenna
- EZ Control Hub
- M.2 Xpander-Z Slider Gen 5
Design of the Godlike X
The Godlike X certainly looks the part of a $1,000+ motherboard. It’s covered in shrouds, heatsinks, an LCD screen, and RGB lighting areas that grace the front of the board, while a backplate covers the rear and doubles as an additional heatsink for multiple components. MSI also updated the RGB feature above the VRMs. The dragon is still there, but the background is now an “X” instead of the triangle.
The primary M.2 heatsink is where you’ll see the Godlike name and the engraved gold number (0001-1000), while to the right is a static RGB display. The EZ Bridge houses the Dynamic Dashboard III TFT LCD panel that displays system status, temperatures, voltages, BIOS Flash status, and error messages. You can even customize it using your own image file (.gif, .bmp, .png, .jpg). The M.2 plate heatsinks now sport a ribbed pattern with gold highlights on the X. There’s no doubt it’s a good-looking motherboard, and will be cooler for some because it’s a limited edition.
In the upper-left corner, we get a better look at the first RGB feature, with the MSI dragon and an “X” in the background (previously, it was a triangle). Typically, we’d also see the EPS power connections here, but they’re on the other side of the wavy fin, direct-touch heatpipe-connected VRM heatsinks, sticking out between the shroud and the Dynamic Dashboard III.
Below the two 8-pin EPS connectors are four DRAM slots with the locking mechanism at the top (where there’s room). MSI lists support up to DDR-9000(OC), which is plenty fast for the platform. We could run our DDR5-7200 kit, but our Klevv DDR5-8000 kit booted to Windows and did not complete the stress test. I didn’t see our kit on the QVL list, so we weren’t disappointed. Perhaps with some additional tweaking, it could get there. As always, stick to the QVL list for your best opportunity at plug-and-play, especially with high-speed kits.
To the right of the DRAM slots is the EZ Bridge. This unique item contains the Dynamic Dashboard III (3.99-inch 800x480 TFT full-color LCD) and several connections (think front panel, USB, some fans, and more) that magnetically attach to the motherboard. The design cleans up the board's appearance, hiding all those unsightly ports and headers. The Dynamic Dashboard displays system status, temperatures, voltages, BIOS Flash status, error messages, accepts custom images, and is truly the showpiece of the board. I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for these screens on motherboards for some reason.
From top to bottom, you have a 4-pin ARGB header, CPU and PUMP fan headers, 24-pin ATX power, supplemental 8-pin PCIe power (required for 60W charging via USB-C), Front panel USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) and Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C ports, and another 4-pin fan header. The Godlike includes the EZ Control Hub that attaches to the JBRG_HUB1 port on the EZ Bridge. The hub offers seven more fan headers (for a total of 10), two ARGB headers, one 3-pin RGB header, and a water-flow connection. Power for the hub comes from a SATA power connector, while control over most devices is handled through the MSI Center and its applications, or, for some devices (like fans), through the BIOS as well.
Power delivery on the Godlike consists of 27 phases, 24 of which are dedicated to Vcore. Power is supplied via the 8-pin EPS connector(s) to a Renesas RAA229628 controller. From there, it moves to the Renesas R2209004 110A SPS MOSFETs. The 2,640A available is plenty for even the flagship Ryzen 9 7950X or 9950X. The VRMs are among the most robust on the platform and will not hold you back, even if you decide to overclock with sub-ambient cooling.
On the bottom left side, hidden under the heatsink, is a flagship-class audio solution based on the 7.1-channel Realtek ALC4082 codec/chip and supported by an ESS 9219Q Combo DAC/HPA, with its own audio capacitors and the audio separation line to minimize EMI. You won’t find much better audio hardware on a modern motherboard.
Three PCIe slots and five M.2 sockets are in the middle of the board. The top PCIe slot connects to the CPU, supports PCIe 5.0 x16, and uses a convenient button on the EZ Bridge to lock and unlock the video card in its slot. The second slot also connects through the processor and runs up to PCIe 5.0 x8 speeds. When both slots are populated, they both run at x8 speeds. The bottom PCIe x4 slot connects through the chipset and runs at PCIe 4.0 x4. Note that the bottom slot will run at x2 speeds when the M.2_4 socket is populated. You can switch it to x4, but this disables the M2_4 slot.Onboard, two M.2 sockets (M.2_1/2) are PCIe 5.0 x4-capable and handle up to 80mm modules. M.2_3/5 connects through the chipset and runs PCIe 4.0 x,4 while the M.2_4 is limited to PCIe 4.0 x2 (fine for PCIe 3.0 x4 modules).
If you need additional PCIe 5.0 M.2 storage, MSI includes the M.2 Xpander-Z Slider Gen 5 add-in card with two PCIe 5.0 x4 slots with an EZ Slide design for quick installation/removal. You don’t have to remove the card from your PC to access it, as the drives install through the IO plate. The Godlike can hold a wild seven M.2 drives — the most I recall seeing on any consumer motherboard.
Past the second RGB feature (above the chipset), to the right edge is the standard fare of connectors for the space, including two 19-pin USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) headers, supplemental PCIe power, two SATA ports, a USB 2.0 header, and front-panel audio.
There isn't much across the bottom of the board, as many headers are contained in the EZ Bridge. Under a magnetic strip, you’ll find the other two SATA Ports, three switches (Dashboard, LED, BIOS Select), LN2, battery (CMOS), and OC jumpers.
Before getting to the rear IO, we snapped a few pictures of the onboard ICs that control some of the board's features.
The rear IO on the X870E Godlike X has a lot going on, as you’d expect. The black background with white writing allows for easy reading and properly labels each port so you know exactly what it is. Starting with USB ports, there are a total of 15, with seven of them being USB Type-C! You get two 40 Gbps (with DisplayPort capability) and five 10 Gbps Type-C ports, plus eight more 10 Gbps Type-A ports. In the middle are three buttons: one to Flash the BIOS, a second to clear the CMOS, and the third is a flexible Smart Button (Reset, Mystic Light on/off, Safe Boot, or Turbo Fan). Above those are the two Ethernet ports (10 Gbps and 5 Gbps), standard Wi-Fi 7 antenna connections, and the two-plug (mic-in and line-out) plus SPDIF audio stack.
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