MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II motherboard review: stable result

Updating motherboards is a typical situation when it comes to popular models that have already proved their worth. However, there is always room for further improvement, and the emergence of a line of new processors usually becomes the most successful moment for a point redesign of devices that have received certain user sympathies. Today we review MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II motherboard for Intel Core 12/13/14th generation processors – a mATX model with interesting equipment and a certain change in the original concept.

Package contents

The board is supplied in a rather compact cardboard box decorated in the classic dark style for MAG devices.

A short paper manual for initial assembly is included. The usual detailed manual is available for download via QR code. The package includes a set of additional racks for screwless mounting of M.2 drives (EZ M.2 Clip). The fact that there is only one SATA interface cable indicates a shift in emphasis towards faster drives.

To enhance the signal of wireless networks, the board is equipped with an additional antenna, which in this case has a remote design. An extension cord for connecting the controls on the chassis will make the assembly process more convenient. An additional bonus will be a set of stickers with company logos.

Design and layout

MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II is built on a 6-layer textolite base in the mATX format with dimensions of 244×244 mm. The board is based on Intel B760, the most popular chipset for mass systems, which generally offers quite a wide range of functionality. The model is ready to work with any LGA1700 processors – these are 12th/13th/14th generation Core chips, including the flagships of the lineups, as well as the basic CPUs of this platform – Celeron and Pentium Gold.

The overall exterior design is a timeless classic with a black printed circuit board and silver aluminum cooling elements. This combination generally contrasts well and supports virtually any color scheme for the system’s interior.

MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II has a 14-phase (12+1+1) configuration of the power stabilization subsystem. The circuit uses Renesas RAA220075R0 power assemblies with an operating current of up to 75 A, and the Renesas RAA229132 PWM controller is used to control VRM parameters.

The stabilizer elements are cooled by additional radiator blocks. One of them has a significantly increased dissipation area. Structurally, the radiator covers the area behind the interface panel, simultaneously serving as a decorative element. It’s a kind of aesthetics with practical benefits. MSI was the first to use this technique, which later became almost an industry standard in this segment.

The second unit is noticeably more compact, but the additional ribbing also increases the dissipation area, which should improve cooling efficiency. In both cases, the heatsinks are in contact with the VRM assemblies and throttles through heat-conducting gaskets.

Two 8-pin EPS12V connectors are provided for connecting additional power.

The board has four slots for DDR5 memory modules. The MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II model is already capable of working with 64GB cards, so the total RAM capacity can be up to 256GB. As for the speed indicators, the manufacturer claims that the board can work with modules up to DDR5-7800+, and this is one of the differences from the first-generation version of the “mortar”, for which the DDR5-7000+ mode was announced.

However, of course, there are nuances here, and the maximum speeds are achievable only with two modules – one per channel. In addition, it is worth recalling that modes beyond DDR5-7000 are usually available only when using processors with the “K” index in the model name, i.e. versions for enthusiasts with an unlocked multiplier. Base chips, even when it comes to models of the Core i7/i9 series, are often limited to DDR4-6400. This is not explicitly stated in the specifications, so such nuances are determined either by practical experience (which is usually the case) or if you are persistent/curious enough to look at the page with the description of verified modules.

The memory module slots have a one-way locking mechanism. Given the layout, this technique is appropriate here and makes it easier to install/uninstall modules.

The use of the mATX format generally determines the possibilities of board layout, but manufacturers are already using the available space at their discretion. MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II offers two expansion slots – the main full-size PCI-E x16 always works in x16 mode and uses PCI-E 5.0 processor lines. The second available slot is PCI-E x4 and operates in this mode. It is serviced by a chipset and has dedicated PCI-E 3.0 lines, so the bandwidth is up to 4 GB/s.

Of course, this slot can be used to connect any PCI-E x1 expansion card, taking into account backward compatibility. In addition, the connector does not have an additional limiter, so if necessary, it is possible to connect even PCI-E x8 or PCI-E x16 cards that have enough available bandwidth.

The main PCI-E x16 is additionally armored with a metal casing to increase the strength of the connector itself. This is a fairly typical situation when a video card with a massive cooling system can weigh much more than one kilogram. A useful option is the enlarged blade of the slot locking flag (XL Clip), which makes it easier to press it when uninstalling the video card.

The slot layout has become one of the key differences between MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II and the first generation modification. The predecessor had three expansion slots – PCI-E 5.0 x16, PCI-E 3.0 x1 and PCI-E 4.0 x16 (x4). At first glance, this configuration looks more solid. However, in the case of the updated version of the board, the developers have allowed you to connect more drives by increasing the number of M.2 ports from two to three. Given the current integration of subsystems, the number of additional expansion cards is usually minimal. In most cases, the available slots remain unused at all, or only one slot is occupied by a discrete sound card (PCI-E x1). Although the latter are more likely to be externally connected via USB, which expands the possibilities of their use.

So, as noted, MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II already offers three M.2 ports for connecting drives of the corresponding format. Two of them have aluminum coolers as standard. The SSD in the M.2_2 connector is left without a radiator.

So this port can be used for the slower model with the lowest heat dissipation. Or you can use an optional heat sink for cooling.

All three ports support PCI-E 4.0 x4 mode, and one also allows you to connect an M.2 drive with a SATA interface.

As for the “native” SATA drives, the board has four ports for them – two near the bottom and side of the board.

A rather large radiator is used to cool the chipset chip, which, however, has no additional fins.

The MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II is equipped with six 4-pin connectors for customizing the cooling system. All of them support PWM/DC for fan speed control. At the same time, one of the connectors nominally intended for connecting the SRO pump has a channel with a current of up to 3A (36 W), all the others are also amplified – up to 2A (24 W). It is unlikely that fans of this power will be used for a home system, but there is a potential for this.

Motherboard manufacturers seem to have decided to leave the issue of additional RGB backlighting solely at the discretion of the owner. This is yet another model we’ve tested that doesn’t have any illumination at all. Some people find it annoying, while others are ready to “flood” the entire internal space of the system unit with bright lights. For those who are ready to experiment with lighting aesthetics, MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II provides one connector for connecting 12-volt RGB strips (5050), as well as two connectors for more modern ARGB Gen2 addressable strips.

Of course, support for Mystic Light technology is retained, which allows you to synchronize the backlighting of all system components. The corresponding settings are made in the proprietary MSI Center application.

Custom models occasionally offer additional equipment for specific settings or control of the system in an open stand. Such options are rather unnecessary for a typical model of using a home system, so the idea of rational spending of money has not been canceled. In terms of similar functionality, MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II offers only the EZ Debug LED pre-diagnostic system with a set of LED indicators that can notify you of certain problems with key subsystems (processor, video card, memory, drive).

The board doesn’t support Flash BIOS technology for offline firmware updates from a USB drive. However, we don’t expect new generations of CPUs for the LGA1700 platform, which could theoretically require such an option.

As expected, MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II is equipped with an internal USB Type-C port, which allows you to bring the corresponding port to the case wall (if such a connector is available). In this case, the port supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface version (10 GB/s).

The board is also equipped with an internal JTBT_U4_1 connector for connecting an optional MSI USB4 PD100W EXPANSION CARD, which allows you to get USB 4 ports with the ability to transmit power up to 100W. However, this expansion card, which unfortunately is not offered in Ukraine, remains an option even in theory.

The USB 4 ports offer 40 GB/second bandwidth in normal mode, while the available PCI-E x4 3.0 slot can only transfer data at speeds up to 32 GB/second. Therefore, such a controller will work with certain limitations. Although, external devices that can fully utilize the potential of USB 4 still need to be searched for.

The presence of the WiFi designation in the model name is an unambiguous sign that the board is equipped with the appropriate controller and is initially ready to work with wireless networks. MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II uses the corresponding Intel AX211 module, which provides support for Wi-Fi 6E (up to 2.4 Gbps) and Bluetooth 5.3. The controller is installed in the area of the interface panel with connectors for connecting an external amplifying antenna.

The Realtek RTL8125BG controller (2.5 GB/s) is responsible for wired communication.

The MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II sound subsystem is based on the Realtek ALC897 chip. Traditionally, additional isolation of the audio path area is provided. You should not expect any revelations in this class. However, in general, the sounding is bright, with clear and deep bass and accentuated high frequencies: in some compositions they may seem sharp. The middle frequencies are a bit “dry”, but in general, such sound together with high-quality acoustics is able to satisfy almost all users who do not pursue the highest quality sound – the latter will be guided by a separate USB DAC in any case.

The interface panel comes with a metal cover plate, so you won’t forget to pre-install it into the case when assembling the system. As for the equipment, MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II offers four USB 2.0 (480 GB/s) ports for peripherals that do not require high data transfer rates. There are also three USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (10 GB/s), and for USB Type-C, a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface with transfers of up to 20 GB/s is implemented.

When using processors with integrated graphics, you can use DisplayPort and HDMI video outputs to connect screens.

The panel also has an Ethernet socket for a wired network and SMA jacks for the antenna of the wireless module. There are five 3.5 mm jacks and an optical S/PDIF for connecting speakers.

On the reverse side of the PCB, you can clearly see the clear isolation of the audio subsystem area. On the PCB, you can see the “interspersed” surface-mount elements. Also note that all the radiator blocks of the cooling system have screw fasteners.

BIOS and software

To configure system parameters, the board uses Click BIOS 5, which has a familiar structure with two modes – EZ Mode and Advanced Mode – for basic operations and more detailed debugging of the platform.

Motherboards based on Intel B760 do not provide for the possibility of overclocking the processor, so there are fewer options and ranges than on enthusiast models based on Intel Z790. However, those who want to experiment with memory modes and processor overclocking will find all the necessary tools here.

To configure the platform, the operating system uses the MSI Center complex with a set of useful add-ons. It provides for monitoring parameters, adjusting cooling system algorithms, synchronizing and selecting backlight modes, prioritizing network traffic, updating drivers, and other options.

Test bench configuration

• Motherboard: MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II (Intel B760, mATX)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-14400 (6/12+4; 2.5/4.7 GHz + 1.8/3.5 GHz)
• Cooling: MSI MAG CORELIQUID E240
• Memory: KINGSTON FURY RENEGADE DDR5-7200 32 GB (KF572C38RWK2-32 2×16 GB)
• Video card: MSI GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING X TRIO 12G
• Drive: KINGSTON SKC3000S1024G (1 GB)

To test the motherboard, the system was equipped with a Core i5-1440 processor, a typical chip used in systems of this class and a perfectly suitable model for building an optimal gaming PC.

In order to get a configuration close to the PC of the Month recommendation, the test platform was also supplemented with a GeForce RTX 4070 series graphics card and 32 GB of RAM.

The tuned version of the MSI GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING X TRIO 12G has a significant GPU acceleration – 1920/2610 MHz instead of the standard 1920/2475 MHz formula, and 1.2 kg of “live weight”.

Despite the fact that even a fairly simple air cooler would be enough for the Core i5-14400, we used a two-segment MSI MAG CORELIQUID E240 liquid cooling system during the experiments. This will create an additional thermal load on the VRM elements, so this kind of bench equipment is even more useful for testing the board.

MSI MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI II in action

Having a system with a configuration close to the recommended PC of the Month gaming configurations, we initially conducted a performance benchmarking of the plflorm.

The Core i5-14400 combination performs as expected, demonstrating good overall performance. Special attention should be paid to Cinebench R23, which we used as a stage that creates the maximum load on the processor in multi-threaded mode, allowing us to evaluate system performance when the PC is running in such conditions.

As you can see in the HWInfo64 screenshot, the processor at its peak accelerated to 4700 MHz. But under load on all computing units, the processor consumed a maximum of up to 118 W with a constant 107-108 W. Against the background of the performance of the top models (300+ watts), this is generally the entry level, which will certainly not cause problems with the motherboard’s VRM.

During active rendering, the CPU temperature was kept at 61C. The liquid cooling system contributed to this.

As for the motherboard parameters themselves, according to the monitoring indicators, the power elements warmed up only to 52C. Without any additional airflow, even indirect. The temperature of the chipset chip rose to 55C. Here you can feel the proximity to the massive video card, which hangs directly over the PCH radiator. But even so, the heating performance is quite acceptable.

In general, the combination of an Intel B760 motherboard with a Core i5-14400 processor is quite typical and common. It is with these CPUs that mass-market models are assembled. As for working with the basic versions of Core i7/i9, there will probably be no issues there either, given the general VRM configuration and the resulting temperature indicators.

RAM

On the test bench, we used a DDR5-7200 memory kit. However, as we have already noted, K-series processors are required to work in this mode. Massive chips without an unlocked multiplier have more modest capabilities for working with high-speed RAM sets.

First, we use the basic settings, getting the DDR5-4800 mode (40-39-39-77). The measurements show transfers at 66-71 GB/s and latencies of 88 ns.

Attempts to use XMP profiles with DDR5-6800/7200 modes were unsuccessful. Problems arose at the stage of the board’s self-diagnosis. But the DDR5-6400 profile with a fairly aggressive timing formula (32-39-39-80) was perfect. After such transformations, data transfer speeds increased to 86-94 GB/s, and memory latency decreased to 69.3 ns.

To experiment with higher-speed modes, you will definitely need a K-modification processor, preferably from the 14th generation Core line. These are the chips that were validated by the manufacturer in the DDR5-7800 mode, which is declared as possible for operation.

Performance in games

The gaming capabilities of the configuration with Core i5-14400 and GeForce RTX 4070 12GB are generally well known. In Full HD mode, we usually see more than 120+ fps even in relatively heavy projects. With the transition to 1440p, the counter also usually jumps over 100+ fps.

But looking at the performance of Black Myth: Wukong in native mode with the Cinematic profile, where the GeForce RTX 4070 fails to get an average of 60 frames per second even at 1920×1080… Of course, the Unreal Engine 5 engine, a nice rich picture, but what a level of performance. At maximum quality in Full HD we have an average of 51 fps, and in 1440p – 38 fps. Of course, DLSS scaling is indispensable here, and in the settings there is also a Frame Generation option that is only available on RTX 40xx.

It seems that the next stage is beginning, when the thesis is being formed that current-generation video cards are no longer up to the task and we urgently need more productive solutions at any cost. It’s up to everyone to decide how to respond to such “challenges”.

Power consumption in games

During the gaming performance tests, we also determined the average power consumption of the system. It differs in each individual project, depending on the nature and intensity of the simultaneous load on the processor/video card.

The actual system performance during games ranged from 270-355 watts. It should be noted that in our case, the overclocked MSI GeForce RTX 4070 GAMING X TRIO 12G has a slightly higher power consumption level compared to the recommended value for the base GeForce RTX 4070 – 215 W vs. 200 W.