MSI B850MPOWER Motherboard Review – $259 Is What You Pay For The Best Overclocking mATX AM5 Motherboard

MSI B850MPOWER Motherboard - Unboxing & Close Up

The MSI B850MPOWER motherboard comes inside a square-shaped cardboard package. The front of the box has the MPOWER theme along with various marketing labels such as "Ready For AI PC" and support for AMD Ryzen 9000 Desktop CPUs.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard, such as the Extreme DDR5 Memory OC design, OC Engine, Lightning Gen5 ports, Quadruple M.2 connectors, 5G LAN, WIFI7+BT5.4, Extended Heatsink, and EZ Dashboard.

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 Quick Installation Guide
• 1 x Shout Out Flyer
• 1 x Sticker Page
• 1 x SATA Cable
• 1 x 1-to-2 EZ Conn-Cable
• 1 x EZ Front Panel Cable
• A set of EZ M.2 Clips II & Standoffs
• 1 x EZ Dashboard
• 1 x EZ M.2 Clip II remover

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The highlight accessory is definitely the EZ Dashboard, which is a small PCB module that can be connected using the JDash connector. This handy module provides users with a nifty set of features such as power & reset buttons, a Clear CMOS button, and a debug LED. The mATX and crowded nature of the board didn't allow MSI to put all of these features on the product, but this module makes sure that overclockers and tuners aren't missing out on these essential features.

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package. The MSI B850MPOWER motherboard is an mATX offering that measures 244 x 244 mm. The board comes with the iconic MPOWER series color scheme, which involves black and yellow.

The B850MPOWER is a very well-thought-out motherboard, and looks very impressive for an mATX design. It is definitely a standout design in this form factor, and we would love to see more companies follow this route.

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 two DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB of dual-channel memory. The dual DDR5 design isn't due to space limitations, but it is due to the extreme OC nature of this board, as it features a 1SPC layout that helps reduce CPU IMC uncertainty and signal loss while delivering maximum stability and frequency.

These slots are rated to support EXPO profiles up to 10,200 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. Another thing to mention is that MSI has worked with various memory brands as part of its MPOWER Alliance, which helps provide higher stability across a range of memory kits.

The MSI B850MPOWER motherboard features a 12+2+1 phase VRM design with 60A SPS stages, and an 8 Layer server-grade PCB with 2oz copper design, plus it features an OC Engine (External BCLK generator).

MSI uses the MPS2509 "MP2857" digital PWM controller and MPS2519 "MP87661" 60A power stages on the motherboard. There's also an external BCLK generator based on the Renesas RC26008, which is labeled as the "OC Engine".

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The MSI B850MPOWER motherboard features four sets of heatsinks. We will first focus on the VRM heat-sinks. These are two individual blocks, one of which leverages the Extended heatsink design. The larger of the two blocks is very dense and extends into the IO panel.

The CPU is supplied power through two 8-pin EPS power connectors. This will feed the CPU with up to 600 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.

The larger of the two heatsinks features the MSI "Dragon" logo, while the smaller heatsink features the "MSI" label.

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Underneath both heatsinks, MSI uses 7W/mk thermal pads. These provide full coverage to the VRMs and chokes.

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.

• 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot, supports x16 mode
• 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot, supports x4 mode

The topmost Lightning Gen5 PCIe slot features up to 128 GB/s bandwidth and the latest PCIe steel armor design. Furthermore, there's an additional 8-pin connector on the motherboard, which provides additional "Supplemental" power of up to 420W for the PCIe slot, RGB headers, and fans. This new design is also ready for next-gen GPUs.

The motherboard also has four M.2 slots, all of which are featured under dedicated heatsinks. Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the MSI B850MPOWER motherboard:

• 2 x Lightning Gen5x4 M.2 (128 GB/s)
• 1 x Lightning Gen4x4 M.2 (64 GB/s)
• 1 x Lightning Gen4x2 M.2 (32 GB/s)

The x4 slots are located under large M.2 Frozr heatsinks, which feature EZ release designs and dual-sided thermal pads. The x2 M.2 slot is located on the back of the motherboard.

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 16 ports, which include 4 USB 2.0 ports, 6 USB 5 Gbps ports (Type-A), 5 USB 10 Gbps ports (3 Type-A + 2 Type-C), and a single USB 20 Gbps Type-C port.

MSI uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the Realtek 4080 CODEC for rear panel audio. There is a large selection of connectors on the motherboard.

In addition to all of these, the MSI B850MPOWER also boasts a 64MB BIOS, making it easy for users to try out the latest BIOS releases without worrying about filling up that precious ROM space. The full list of connectors on the motherboard is as follows.

In terms of Ethernet, there is a single Realtek connector that powers 5.0 GbE LAN. The board also offers the latest Wi-Fi 7 capabilities with Intel's 802.11be 2x2 module. It also offers Bluetooth 5.4 capabilities, with full 320MHz bandwidth.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• 2 x Antenna Ports
• 1 x HDMI Port
• 3 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s)
• 4 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A Ports (5 GB/s)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C Port (20 GB/s)
• 1 x 5GbE LAN Port
• 1 x Clear CMOS Button
• 1 x Flash BIOS Button
• HD Audio Jacks: S/PDIF, Mic-IN, L-Out

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