Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | ASRock - Z890 Taichi Aqua | MSI - MEG Z890 Ace |
|---|---|---|
| M.2 slots | 5 | 6 |
Between the Z890 Taichi Aqua and MEG Z890 Ace, the Z890 Taichi Aqua comes out ahead in several specs, while the MEG Z890 Ace wins on m.2 slots. Overall, the Z890 Taichi Aqua scores 70.7 and the MEG Z890 Ace scores 76.2 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The MEG Z890 Ace edges ahead on the Mars Score (70.7 vs 76.2), but the 5.5-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
The Z890 Taichi Aqua does not pull ahead on any single popular-comparison spec — its strengths sit in the spec-table groups rather than the headline advantages.
Pick the MEG Z890 Ace if you care most about m.2 slots. Its strongest claims are m.2 slots. The single most decisive one: M.2 slots — 1.00 more. 6 vs 5.
Both ship with comparable max memory, ram slots, pcie slots, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the MEG Z890 Ace is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: ASRock - Z890 Taichi Aqua or MSI - MEG Z890 Ace?
MSI - MEG Z890 Ace leads the current Mars Score by 5.5 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare m.2 slots against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose ASRock - Z890 Taichi Aqua if…
ASRock - Z890 Taichi Aqua does not lead a decisive measured field here, so choose it for price, ecosystem, design, or availability when those matter more to you.
Choose MSI - MEG Z890 Ace if…
MSI - MEG Z890 Ace has the measurable edge on m2 slots.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why ASRock - Z890 Taichi Aqua wins
- No decisive advantages.
Why MSI - MEG Z890 Ace wins
- ▲M.2 slots — 1.00 more. 6 vs 5.
Spec comparison
Platform
Expansion
| Spec | ASRock - Z890 Taichi Aqua | MSI - MEG Z890 Ace |
|---|---|---|
| RAM slots | 4 | 4 |
| Max memory | 192 GB | 192 GB |
| PCIe slots | 3 | 3 |
| M.2 slotsⓘ | 5 | 6lead |
I/O
| Spec | ASRock - Z890 Taichi Aqua | MSI - MEG Z890 Ace |
|---|---|---|
| USB ports | 14 | 14 |
| 2.5GbE LAN | true | true |
| Wi-Fi 7ⓘ | true | true |