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A wide selection of processors, predictable platform development, and guaranteed support until at least 2027 are the determining factors for the success of Socket AM5 solutions. It is not surprising that in the current top ten most popular motherboards in Ukraine, there are barely one or two places for competitor devices. AMD has managed to take advantage of Intel’s mistakes/circumstances and win over at least a significant number of users who prefer to build their own PCs (DIY). A wide range of different models allows you to choose the best option for your tasks, but at the same time, you need to pay attention to the details to understand the difference and not overpay for unnecessary options. Today we are reviewing MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI, a compact mATX model with interesting equipment and a reasonable price.
Model name | MSI B6500M GAMING PLUS WIFI |
Processors | AMD Ryzen 9000/8000/7000 |
Connector | Socket AM5 |
Form factor | mATX, 244×244 mm |
Chipset | AMD B650 |
Memory | 4×DIMM DDR5, up to DDR5-7200+; 256GB max. |
Expansion slots | 1×PCI-E 4.0 x16; 2×PCI-E 3.0 x1 |
Storage devices | 2×M.2 PCI-E 4.0 x4; 4×SATA 6 Gb/s |
Network | 1×2,5 GbE LAN (Realtek RTL8125BG); 1×Wi-Fi 6E (AMD RZ616, 802.11ax, Bluetooth 5.3) |
Elements of the interface panel | 4×USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A); 3×USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A); 1xUSB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-C); 1×HDMI 2.1; 1×DisplayPort 1.4; RJ-45; 2× Wi-Fi antenna; 3× audio; Flash BIOS button |
Ventilators | 5×4 foam (PWM/DC) |
Sound | Realtek ALC897 codec |
Approximate price | 7200 UAH (~$170) |
MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI package contents
The board is shipped in a small cardboard box decorated in silver colors with a photo of the device on the front panel.
The package includes a quick setup guide (detailed instructions are available on the manufacturer’s website), additional EZ M.2 clip clips for M.2 drives, one SATA interface cable, and an external amplifying antenna for the Wi-fi module.
Design and layout
MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI is available in mATX format with dimensions of 244×244 mm. The board is based on a 6-layer PCB and has a classic appearance with a black “base” and silver cooling elements.
The model is based on the AMD B650 chipset, the most popular solution among owners of Socket AM5 platforms. Good features at a reasonable price. The board is ready to work with any AM5 processors – Ryzen 9000/8000/7000 series chips.
The CPU power supply stabilization unit has a 13-phase configuration (10+2+1) and uses AONS36303 and AONS36308 MOSFET assemblies from Alpha&Omega Semiconductor with an operating current of up to 53 A. The Richtek RT3678BE PWM controller is used to control VRM parameters.
The power elements are cooled by additional aluminum radiators, one of which has significantly increased dimensions, acting as a decorative cover over the interface panel area. This design increases the overall dissipation area, allowing for more efficient heat dissipation from the MOSFETs and chokes, which the radiator assemblies also come into contact with through heat-conducting substrates.
Two 8-pin EPS12V connectors are provided for connecting additional power, which seems to hint at the board’s readiness to work with flagship processors. Although, due to the VRM configuration, 8/12-core CPU models are more likely to be a rational choice here.
MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI has four slots for memory modules. It is worth reminding that all Socket AM5 platforms use DDR5 RAM. So, in this case, the developers claim that the board is able to work with kits up to DDR5-7200+.
At least, these are the values specified when using a pair of peer-to-peer modules. Kits that have been validated by developers are listed in the corresponding section on the manufacturer’s website.
MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI supports 64GB modules, so the total memory capacity can be up to 256GB. You can’t expect such configurations to work in DDR5-7200 mode, but it’s unlikely to be a practical necessity.
The mATX format imposes certain restrictions on the overall layout of the board and the availability of slots for additional expansion cards. MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI offers one full-size PCI-E x16 4.0 and a pair of PCI-E x1 3.0. The first compact connector is located on the top position, closest to the processor socket. Next is PCI-E x16. This should be taken into account if you want to use a video card with a cooling system design that is more than 3 slots wide. In such cases, access to the lower system connectors will be difficult.
We should also note the presence of a metal cover for PCI-E x16 – an additional increase in the slot’s strength will not be superfluous when using heavy graphics adapters, especially when transporting the system unit in an assembled state. Another feature of the connector is the enlarged clip blade (XL Clip), which simplifies the uninstallation of the graphics adapter.
MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI offers two M.2 storage connectors. In both cases, there are slots for installing 2280/2260 SSDs with PCI-E 4.0 interface. Both drives have screwless mounting and radiators for additional cooling (M.2 Shield Frozr). However, the plates themselves are fixed with screws, so a screwdriver is required.
To connect both drives, the processor lines of the PCI-E 4.0 x4 bus are used. The exception is the situation with the Ryzen 5 8500G chip, when one of the two SSDs will be limited to PCI-E 4.0 x2 mode.
For devices with a SATA interface, the board provides four corresponding connectors (SATA 6G) – two on the bottom and side edges. Given that the M.2 ports are used exclusively for PCI-E models, there are no restrictions or shared channels for SATA. Moreover, it is possible to combine SATA drives in RAID 0, 1, or 10.
The chipset chip is cooled by a fairly compact radiator unit with small additional profile fins. During practical experiments, we will determine how such a cooler copes with its task.
As for the active cooling system, MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI offers five 4-pin connectors with separate control channels (PWM/DC).
The rated connectors for the CPU cooler and SRO pump are amplified up to 3 A (36 W), and the board is capable of providing up to 2 A (24 W) for the case fans.
The absence of standard additional backlighting on mid-range boards is no longer surprising – it’s a typical situation for models of this class. It seems that logo backlighting is basically left only to top-of-the-line solutions. But if your soul needs festive and elegant lighting, you can always connect external LED strips. For this purpose, MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI has two connectors for RGB on 5050 (12V) and ARGB Gen2 (5V) elements.
Additional options that are actually mandatory on MSI boards include the EZ Debug LED initial diagnostic system with a set of four LEDs, which allows you to identify the problematic subsystem during the initial startup.
MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI also has a Flash BIOS mechanism with the ability to update the firmware from a USB drive by connecting only the power supply to the board. The activation button is located on the board’s interface panel.
The board has an internal USB Type-C port for outputting the corresponding port to the external panel of the case (of course, if this option is initially provided by the case design). In this case, USB 3.2 Gen 2 with a bandwidth of up to 10 GB/s is implemented.
From the name MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI, it’s easy to guess that the board is initially equipped with a controller for working with wireless networks. Nowadays, this option is becoming almost ubiquitous, and it’s probably harder to find a model without Wi-Fi support, especially when it comes to mid-range boards.
So, MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI is equipped with an AMD RZ616 module based on a Mediatek controller that provides support for Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3. In this variation, the tri-band unit supports a 160 MHz channel, allowing for a bandwidth of up to 2.4 GB/s.
To connect to wired networks, the board is equipped with Realtek RTL8125 (2.5G).
The sound subsystem is based on the Realtek ALC897 codec. There are several specialized capacitors from Chemicon in the circuit. The audio path area is isolated on a separate segment to reduce interference. For the same purpose, the right and left channels are separated on different PCB layers.
The MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI interface panel is initially covered with a cap with the designations of the available connectors and auxiliary elements. A simple trick from the manufacturer immediately simplifies the process of assembling the system – with this option, you will surely not forget to install the plate, which you usually remember only when the board is already securely fastened. Anyone who has been in a similar situation will understand.
As for the panel itself, we have four USB 3.2 Gen1 (5 GB/s) and three USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 GB/s) in Type-A format. One more USB 3.2 Gen2 port is presented in symmetrical USB Type-C. For connecting screens when using integrated graphics, full-size DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 with maximum 4K@60Hz modes are provided.
The location of the RJ-45 socket is somewhat unusual, as it is shifted to the video outputs. There are also two SMA jacks on the panel for the antenna of the wireless network module. Three 3.5 mm audio jacks are provided to connect a speaker system.
There is also a small button on the panel to activate the Flash BIOS firmware update mechanism. The USB (Type-A) port, into which you must first insert a flash drive, is highlighted by a blue frame on the protective panel.
There are minimal surface mount elements on the back of the PCB. You can see the repeaters in the VRM area, and the additional insulation of the segment with the audio subsystem is clearly visible. All the radiator blocks are mounted with screws.
BIOS and software
Traditionally, the board is equipped with Click BIOS 5 for system settings. The shell offers two modes: EZ Mode – for basic operations, and Advanced Mode – for detailed settings.
AMD B650 motherboards allow you to not only experiment with RAM modes, but also overclock the processor, so the MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI offers options for moderate enthusiasts.
The MSI Center complex is offered in the operating system for software settings. Here you can monitor parameters, configure cooling system algorithms, backlight synchronization, and other options.
Test bench configuration
- Motherboard: MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI (Intel B650, mATX)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (8/16; 4.2/5.0 GHz; 96 MB L3)
- Cooling: MSI MAG CORELIQUID M360
- Memory: KINGSTON FURY RENEGADE DDR5-7200 32 GB (KF572C38RWK2-32 2×16 GB)
- Video card: MSI GeForce RTX 4090 GAMING X TRIO 24G
- Drive: KINGSTON SKC3000S1024G (1 GB)
To test the capabilities of the MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI, we used the top combination for the gaming platform – Ryzen 7 7800X3D and GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB. This combination is now the most powerful solution for entertainment and more.
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D octa-core chip with an additional 3D V-Cache buffer is the fastest processor for gaming. With some exceptions, this model provides the highest fps on average, especially in cases where the number of fps depends on the processor’s capabilities. And the GeForce RTX 4090 24GB needs no further introduction. This is simply the fastest graphics card in the custom lineup that has no competitors.
As a reminder, Ryzen 7 7800X3D has a frequency formula of 4.2/5.0 GHz, so this processor will not surprise you. Moreover, in situations where the increased third-level cache (L3) is not essential, due to the lower operating frequencies, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D may be inferior to the even more affordable Ryzen 7 7700X (8/16; 4.5/5.4 GHz; 32 MB L3). But the version with an additional 64 MB L3 makes up for it in games, which are usually very sensitive to buffer increases.
MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI in action
As expected, in multi-threaded tasks (video rendering/encoding), the Ryzen 7 7800X3D frankly fails to impress, falling short of the Ryzen 7 7700X and, of course, the Ryzen 7 9700X.
The lower operating frequencies at such stages are quite fundamental, and the additional L3 does not provide tangible benefits. In general, we have the results of a typical 8-core processor, but no more.
Let’s analyze the operating mode of the platform during the maximum multi-threaded CPU load (Cinebench R23 rendering). The Ryzen 7 7800X3D computing cores under these conditions operated at 4650 MHz at 1.05 V. The chip’s power consumption was kept at 90 W. According to this indicator, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is a worthy opponent to the Ryzen 7 9700X with a base TDP of 65 W, which consumed 88 W in similar conditions. But the Ryzen 7 7700X is capable of simultaneously accelerating all cores to 5000-5050 MHz, but it also consumes 135 watts.
Despite the very moderate power consumption, an efficient cooling system is desirable for the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Even with the use of SRO, the processor warmed up to 88C under maximum load.
On the other hand, it is always possible to use the Precision Boost Overdrive mechanism by limiting the temperature limit. In this case, the system will automatically adjust the chip’s operating parameters according to the efficiency of the existing cooling system. However, of course, there is no desire to lose performance.
Let’s pay attention to the performance of the motherboard components. The MOSFET power assemblies heated up to 53C under load. Considering the low power consumption of Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the chip is frankly letting the board “rest” here. 12/16-core models that may require more than 200 watts are unlikely to be so lenient. Consequently, the VRM operating temperature will change in this case.
According to the monitoring data, the AMD B650 chipset chip heated up to 52C during operation. Despite the fact that the cooler is quite compact, its capabilities are enough to maintain normal temperature indicators.
RAM
For the test bench, we used a dual-channel KINGSTON FURY RENEGADE DDR5-7200 32GB (2×16GB) RAM kit. It is the DDR5-7200 mode that the manufacturer specifies as the conditionally limiting for MSI B650M GAMING PLUS WIFI. At least the modules with these parameters are listed in the validation table on the MSI website.
When using the appropriate profile in the BIOS, the set worked without any additional questions on the specified DDR5-7200 with a delay formula of 38-44-44-105 and a supply voltage of 1.45 V.
As is the case with other chips equipped with a single CCD crystal, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor has a certain “asynchrony” in working with RAM. The data reading speed here is significantly lower than the write speed. In this mode, we have read and write speeds of 59/83 GB/s, respectively, and a total latency of 71 ns.
“Ryzen 7 7800X3D + GeForce RTX 4090” bundle
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D with GeForce RTX 4090 is a true gaming “combo” and a synergy of the fastest components in its class.
If the processor goes through purely computational stages with dignity, but without exciting results, then with the GeForce RTX 4090, the overall performance of the platform begins to pleasantly please.
It’s unlikely that anyone will decide to buy a top-of-the-line graphics card for gaming in Full HD, but if you do, you should also get a high-speed monitor – in many rather “heavy” projects, even at maximum settings, we have more than 200 frames per second. While in competitive games, you should expect even higher performance. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D also makes some effort to achieve such results. In lower resolution modes, the CPU’s contribution is most noticeable.
During the gaming session, we also checked the power requirements of the processor. Even in the resource-intensive Cyberpunk 2077, the simultaneous load on the CPU cores is significantly lower than when rendering a scene in Cinebench. This, on the one hand, allows the chip to increase the operating frequencies of active computers, and on the other hand, it consumes less power. The consumption of Ryzen 7 7800X3D while playing Cyberpunk 2077 in Full HD mode was about 45 watts.
With 1440p mode, it makes more sense to use the most powerful graphics card possible. The game panorama expands significantly, but the number of fps remains sufficient for a very comfortable game. We have 150-230 frames per second in maximum quality modes, but without Ray Tracing. Only Metro Exodus EE managed 120 fps, but this improved version of the game uses ray tracing by default. Given the results, other projects will obviously also allow you to experiment with RT. Of course, the system is charged with GeForce RTX 4090.
The graphics flagship reveals its potential in 4K. Although Cyberpunk 2077 is capable of dropping performance to 77 fps, this is a “pure picture” without scaling. Metro Exodus EE has similar indicators, but, as we have already noted, it creates similar requirements due to native RT support.
In general, in 4K mode, the extraordinary “gaming abilities” of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D are almost leveled. Therefore, the actual difference in fps between this chip and, say, Ryzen 5 7600 may be only 2-3%.
In Cyberpunk 2077, the 4K mode with the highest quality ray tracing (RT Overdrive) turns out to be too much for even the GeForce RTX 4090. In this case, we are talking about honest Path Tracing. An exceptional situation that can only be resolved by enabling DLSS Quality. The picture remains excellent, but it is a wake-up call and a reminder that there is room for further improvement of video cards. But in the meantime, DLSS can be a very effective way to improve performance.
Power consumption
During the gaming tests, we also measured the overall power consumption of the system. The efficiency of the platform is fundamentally important now, and the importance of this indicator will only increase over time. Although GeForce RTX 4090 with a TDP of 450W is not a story about energy efficiency at all, it was interesting to get the real performance of this video card with Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
Once again, we are convinced that the nature of the CPU/GPU load in different gaming projects has significant differences. This topic is covered in more detail in our recent research article “PC Power Consumption in Games“. We strongly recommend reading it to those interested in the issue.
Returning to the test platform based on Ryzen 7 7800X3D and GeForce RTX 4090, we note that in the projects used, the PC consumed between 350 and 540 watts. Despite the fact that the review involved quite demanding games, we have a significant difference in performance.
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