Biostar B850MT-E PRO Motherboard Review – Entry-Level Features For AM5 Builders

Biostar B850MT-E PRO - Unboxing & Close Up

The Biostar B850MT-E PRO motherboard comes in a small cardboard package. The front of this box comes with a plain white color scheme with the "B850M" logo in the middle and the Ryzen logos in the right corner. The full name of the motherboard isn't mentioned on the packaging.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard, such as USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports, DDR5 memory support, and 2.5 GbE LAN, and HDMI.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. These include:

• 1 x Manual
• 2 x SATA Cable
• 1 x I/O Shield
• 1 x Cable for WiFi Antenna

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package. The Biostar B850MT-E Pro motherboard is an M-ATX offering that measures 243.84 x 243.84 mm. The motherboard carries a black and white color scheme and looks decent enough.

The B850MT-E PRO is positioned as a budget-offering so don't expect flashy RGB LEDs or such on this product.

The board uses the LGA 1718 socket to support AMD Ryzen "AM5" processors. The socket works with Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G, and Ryzen 9000 CPUs and will also support future generations of AM5 Ryzen chips that are supported by the platform.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel memory.

These slots are rated to support EXPO profiles up to 8000 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position, so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. The full QVL list can be found here.

The Biostar B850MT-E PRO motherboard features 55A Dr.MOS phases and a Digital PWM that should enable smooth power delivery to the CPU.

There's one large heatsink on the motherboard which does all the cooling job.

The CPU is supplied power through a single 8-pin EPS power connector. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. The AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs are very power-hungry, with the maximum target power going above 220W for the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X CPU.

There's just one cooling block that sits right over the VRMs and the IO panel.

Expansion slots include two PCI Express x16 slots (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 / 1 x Gen 4.0 x4), and three M.2 slots.

• (PCIEX16_1):
  Supports 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (x16 mode) (AMD Ryzen 9000 / 7000 Series Processor)
  Supports 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot (x8 mode) (AMD Ryzen 8000 Series - Phoenix1 Processor)
  Supports 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot (x4 mode) (AMD Ryzen 8000 Series - Phoenix2 Processor)
• (PCIEX16_2):
  Supports 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot (x4 mode)

The motherboard utilizes full metallic slots as part of the "Iron Slot Protection" feature.

The motherboard also has three M.2 slots, of which one is featured under a dedicated heatsink (Gen5). Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the Biostar B850MT-E PRO motherboard:

• 1 x M.2 (Key M) Socket (M2M_CPU1):
  Supports M.2 Type 2280 SSD module
  Supports PCIe 5.0 x4 (128Gb/s) - NVMe SSD (AMD Ryzen 9000 / 7000 Series Processor)
  Supports PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gb/s) - NVMe SSD (AMD Ryzen 8000 Series - Phoenix1 Processor)
  Supports PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gb/s) - NVMe SSD (AMD Ryzen 8000 Series - Phoenix2 Processor)
• 1 x M.2 (Key M) Socket (M2M_CPU2):
  Supports M.2 Type 2280 SSD module
  Supports PCIe 5.0 x4 (128Gb/s) - NVMe SSD (AMD Ryzen 9000 / 7000 Series Processor)
  Supports PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gb/s) - NVMe SSD (AMD Ryzen 8000 Series - Phoenix1 Processor)
  Supports PCIe 4.0 x2 (32Gb/s) - NVMe SSD (AMD Ryzen 8000 Series - Phoenix2 Processor)
• 1 x M.2 (Key M) Socket (M2M_SB):
  Support M.2 Type 2280 SSD module
  Support PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gb/s) - NVMe SSD
• 2 x SATA III Connector (6Gb/s):

Storage options include two SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support up to two different storage devices at once.

For USB, you get a total of 15 ports, which include 6 USB 2.0 (2 Rear / 4 Front), 6 USB 5 Gbps (4 Rear / 2 Front), 1 USB 10 Gbps Type-A (Rear), and 2 USB 10 Gbps Type-C (1 Rear / 1 Front).

Biostar uses a 5 CH HD audio design with the Realtek ALC897 CODEC for rear panel audio. There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard.

The full list of connectors on the motherboard is as follows.

• 1 x M.2 (E Key) Socket: Supports 2230 type Wi-Fi & Bluetooth module
• 1 x USB 3.2 (Gen2) Type-C Port (Each header supports 1 USB 3.2 (Gen2) Type-C port)
• 1 x USB 3.2 (Gen1) Header (Each header supports 2 USB 3.2 (Gen1) ports)
• 2 x USB 2.0 Header (Each header supports 2 USB 2.0 ports)
• 1 x 8-Pin Power Connector
• 1 x 24-Pin Power Connector
• 1 x CPU Fan Connector
• 1 x CPU water cooling connector (CPU_OPT)
• 2 x System Fan Connector
• 1 x Front Panel Header
• 1 x Front Audio Header
• 1 x Internal Stereo Speaker Header
• 1 x Clear CMOS Header
• 1 x COM Port Header
• 1 x TPM Header
• 4 x LED Header (5V)
• 1 x LED Header (12V)
• M.2 (E Key) Wi-Fi card is not provided

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In terms of Ethernet, there is a single Realtek RTL8125D connector that powers 2.5GbE LAN. WIFI is not available on the motherboard and is entirely optional through an AIC since the antennas are bundled with the board.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• 2 x WiFi Antenna Ports
• 1 x HDMI Port (HDMI2.1)
• 1 x DP Port (DP1.2)
• 1 x USB 3.2 (Gen2) Type-C Port
• 1 x USB 3.2 (Gen2) Port
• 4 x USB 3.2 (Gen1) Port
• 2 x USB 2.0 Ports
• 1 x 2.5 Gigabit LAN port
• 3 x Audio Jack
• 1 x SMART BIOS UPDATE Button
• 1 x SMART BIOS USB Port

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