MSI X470 Gaming Plus Max upgrade guide: RAM, storage and CPU

Lifecycle and support

A current model: sold new and supported.

Dates not listed haven't been published by the manufacturer or a reliable third party.

RAM upgrade

There are four DDR4 DIMM slots, all socketed (no soldered memory), running in dual-channel. The board takes 288-pin desktop UDIMM modules only: not laptop SO-DIMM, not DDR5, and not registered or buffered server memory. MSI lists a maximum of 32 GB per module and 128 GB in total.

One caveat before you buy the biggest kit: MSI's documents disagree on the ceiling. The printed manual and the U.S. spec page say the four slots support up to 64 GB, while the current spec page lists 128 GB and notes that it needs a ComboPI 1.0.0.3-based (or newer) BIOS and 32 GB modules. Treat 128 GB as achievable only with an up-to-date BIOS; check your BIOS version first.

Speed depends on both the module and your CPU. Standard (JEDEC) speeds run 1866 to 2667 MHz. With A-XMP enabled, MSI lists up to 4133 MHz for Ryzen 3000-series R5/R7/R9 chips, up to 3466 MHz for 1st and 2nd Gen Ryzen, and only 2400-2667 MHz with Athlon and APU graphics chips. The manual quotes a top A-XMP speed of 3466 MHz across the board, while the online spec page is the more detailed and more recent statement. Rated XMP speeds are overclocks and are never guaranteed - the CPU's memory controller and the modules themselves decide what actually runs.

ECC UDIMMs physically fit, but they run in non-ECC mode, so you get no error correction. MSI asks that you keep DRAM voltage at or below 1.35 V to protect the processor, and recommends extra airflow over the memory when you fill all four slots or run high speeds.

Buying tips:
- Buy a DDR4 UDIMM kit (2x or 4x) from a brand with a matching part number per kit; a two-module kit is usually the sweet spot.
- Modules may boot below their rated speed - you set DRAM frequency or enable A-XMP in the BIOS to reach it.
- Filling four slots or pushing past 3200 MHz? Budget for some airflow over the DIMMs.

Storage upgrade

You get two M.2 slots and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, so there is plenty of room to grow - but the M.2 slots share bandwidth with other connectors, so plan before you buy.

M2_1 is the fast slot, wired to the processor. It is NVMe (PCIe) only - a SATA M.2 drive will not work in it - and runs at PCIe 3.0 x4 with Ryzen processors, dropping to PCIe 3.0 x2 with Athlon and APU graphics chips. It accepts 2242, 2260, 2280 and the long 22110 format.

M2_2 hangs off the X470 chipset and takes either a PCIe (NVMe) drive at PCIe 2.0 x4 or a SATA drive, in 2242, 2260 or 2280 lengths. It shares bandwidth: a SATA drive in M2_2 disables SATA port 1, and an NVMe drive there disables PCI_E6 (the bottom full-length PCIe slot). You cannot have both six SATA drives and an NVMe drive in M2_2 and the bottom PCIe slot at the same time.

For conventional drives there are six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, with RAID 0, RAID 1 and RAID 10 available for SATA devices. MSI publishes no per-drive capacity limit, so current large SATA and NVMe drives should work - the age of your BIOS is the main thing to check for newer devices. How many 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives you can physically mount is a question for your case, not the board; there are no proprietary drive connectors or card-reader slots on this motherboard.

Buying tips:
- Put your boot drive in M2_1 (NVMe) for the best speed, and remember it is NVMe-only.
- Buying for M2_2? Choose SATA or NVMe knowingly - each one disables a different connector elsewhere on the board.
- Check your case's bay count and thickness limits before buying 3.5-inch drives.

CPU upgrade

The processor sits in a socketed AMD AM4 socket (PGA/ZIF), so a CPU swap is a normal, user-replaceable upgrade. Standard AM4 retention hardware is used, which means the stock AMD coolers and ordinary AM4 aftermarket coolers fit.

MSI's spec sheet lists support for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen, Ryzen with Radeon Vega Graphics, 2nd Gen Ryzen with Radeon Graphics, and Athlon with Radeon Vega Graphics. The MAX board ships with a larger BIOS chip and Ryzen 3000-ready firmware, so 3rd Gen parts should work out of the box - but it is still worth checking the BIOS version before installing a new CPU.

Ryzen 5000 (Zen 3) support is not confirmed in MSI's documents for this board. MSI has issued BIOS updates bringing Zen 3 to many 400-series MAX boards, but the sources we checked do not confirm it here. If a Ryzen 5000 chip is on your list, look up MSI's official CPU support list for the exact

How to upgrade

Before you start

• Back up anything you cannot lose - especially before a CPU swap or a BIOS update.
• Shut the PC down, switch the PSU off and unplug the power cable.
• Ground yourself (touch the metal case or use an anti-static strap) before handling parts.
• Open the case; the owner's manual shows the exact screws, panels and latches for your unit.
• Install the new part (see the notes above for slot and lane sharing).
• Close the case, reconnect the power and start the PC.
• Check that the BIOS sees the new part, and set DRAM frequency or A-XMP if the memory runs below its rated speed.

Steps

1. Installing RAM
   After powering off, unplugging and grounding yourself, open the case and locate the four DIMM slots. MSI's manual tells you to populate DIMMA2 first, then DIMMB2, for a two-module dual-channel setup. Press each module firmly into place (the manual shows the latches), close the case, and confirm the total capacity in the BIOS. If the speed looks low, set DRAM frequency or enable A-XMP there. Update the BIOS first if you are installing 32 GB modules for a 128 GB total.
2. Installing an M.2 SSD
   Power off, unplug, ground yourself and open the case. Pick the slot that matches your drive: M2_1 for NVMe only (including 22110-length drives), M2_2 for either NVMe or SATA. Mount the drive as described in the owner's manual, close up, and check the BIOS detects it. Remember the trade-offs: a SATA drive in M2_2 turns off SATA1, and an NVMe drive there turns off PCI_E6.
3. Installing a CPU
   Back up your data, update the BIOS before the swap if the new CPU needs newer firmware, then power off, unplug and ground yourself. Open the case, remove the cooler and lift the old processor from the AM4 socket using the manual's procedure for the exact release mechanism, seat the new chip and refit an AM4 cooler. Close the case and check the BIOS recognises the processor and reports expected temperatures and memory speed.

Good to know

• MSI's documents disagree on maximum memory (64 GB vs 128 GB) and on top A-XMP speed (3466 vs 4133 MHz); the current msi.com spec page is the more detailed statement.
• Ryzen 5000 (Zen 3) support is not confirmed for this board in the available documents - verify against MSI's CPU support list for the exact MAX model.
• MSI's spec sheet states no official CPU TDP cap, though 105 W AM4 parts such as the 2700X, 3800X and 3900X class are supported.

Frequently asked questions

How much RAM can the MSI X470 Gaming Plus Max take?

MSI's current spec page lists up to 128 GB (four 32 GB DDR4 UDIMM modules), but only with a ComboPI 1.0.0.3-based or newer BIOS. The printed manual and the U.S. spec page still say 64 GB, so update the BIOS first if you want to go past that.

Does the MSI X470 Gaming Plus Max support Ryzen 5000?

Not confirmed. MSI's spec sheet lists support up to 3rd Gen Ryzen, and MSI has released Zen 3 BIOS updates for many 400-series MAX boards - but the documents we checked do not confirm it for this exact model. Check MSI's CPU support list for the X470 Gaming Plus Max before buying, and make sure the board has a current BIOS.

What RAM does the X470 Gaming Plus Max use?

DDR4 desktop UDIMM (288-pin) modules only. Not DDR5, not laptop SO-DIMM and not registered server memory. Two or four modules in a matched kit work best.

Does it support ECC memory?

ECC UDIMM modules fit and work, but in non-ECC mode - so there is no error correction. The board does not take registered or buffered server memory.

How many SSDs can I install?

Two M.2 drives (one NVMe-only slot and one NVMe/SATA slot) plus up to six SATA drives - with the caveat that a SATA drive in M2_2 disables SATA1 and an NVMe drive there disables the bottom PCIe slot (PCI_E6).

What RAM speed does the X470 Gaming Plus Max support?

Standard speeds of 1866-2667 MHz, with A-XMP overclocks up to 4133 MHz on Ryzen 3000-series R5/R7/R9 chips, up to 3466 MHz on 1st and 2nd Gen Ryzen, and 2400-2667 MHz on Athlon and APU graphics chips. Rated speeds are overclocks and are not guaranteed.

Official documents and references

• MSI X470 Gaming Plus Max - Specifications (msi.com)
  Official specification page: memory speeds and capacity, M.2 and SATA details, supported CPU generations.
• MSI X470 Gaming Plus Max - Specifications (U.S. site)
  Official U.S. specification page; it lists 64 GB maximum memory, which conflicts with the current global page.
• PDF MSI X470 Gaming Plus Max user manual (PDF)
  Manual covering installation, DIMM population order, M.2 bandwidth sharing and BIOS settings.
• PDF MSI X470 Gaming Plus Max manual (PDF, mirror)
  Full user manual mirror in PDF form.
• Newegg product listing - MSI X470 Gaming Plus Max
  Retailer listing that confirms the 128 GB memory figure.