Motherboards News - Page 1

ASRock had several goodies to showcase at Computex 2023, with everything from displays to graphics cards and motherboards. On that front, it had a couple of notable new high-end entries that will take full advantage of the new Wi-Fi 7 standard that can hit a theoretical data rate of 46 Gbps.

ASRock's new Phantom Gaming Z790 Nova Wi-Fi 7.

The flagship Wi-Fi 7 board from ASRock is the Phantom Gaming Z790 Nova Wi-Fi 7, which features a 20+1+1 Phase Power Design and plenty of expansion opportunities. Storage-wise, it features a single 'Blazing' M.2 slot (PCIe Gen 5x4), five additional 'Hyper' M.2 Slots (PCIe Gen 4x4), and three SATA ports.

USB-wise, you're looking at 19 in total (10 on the rear and 9 on the front), with two being Type-C and four being USB 3.2 Gen2. In addition to Wi-Fi 7, you've also got an impressive Realtek 5GbE LAN connection.

One of the big themes of Computex 2023, at least in terms of complete PC builds, was looking at ways to improve cable management through the smart motherboard and case design. With MSI creating everything from motherboards to fast SSDs to GPUs and cases, it was no surprise that 'MSI Project Zero' was on hand to showcase a glimpse at the p[otential future of cleaner and more visually appealing builds.

MSI Project Zero offers a cable-free clean look, and it's coming soon.

It all comes down to a brand-new motherboard design with no visible circuits or cabling on the front, which in turn leads to a clean-looking build. All the major stuff is on the back of the Micro-ATX MSI B650M Project Zero motherboard, from the chunky 24-pin motherboard power connector, front panel connectors, RGB headers, fan headers, and even SATA connectors.

The B650 chipset supports the current generation of AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors, dual PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, DDR5 memory, 2.5G LAN, and support for Wi-Fi 6E. What separates the MSI Project Zero build from similar stealth projects at Computex 2023 is that everything you see here is on track for a release this year.

A large number of GIGABYTE motherboards are reportedly affected by a vulnerability that could be seriously bad news.

That's according to cybersecurity outfit Eclypsium, which runs a system that heuristically picked up backdoor-like behavior in PCs with GIGABYTE mobos in the wild.

Embarking on an investigation and subsequent analysis, Eclypsium pinned down the problem to GIGABYTE's firmware and a compact updater app therein (designed to ensure the firmware stays fully up to date).

With ASUS being one the leading suppliers of AM5 motherboards, the recent Ryzen 7000 CPU burnout issue brought the question of warranty to the fore regarding what's covered in terms of beta BIOS updates, AMD EXPO, and Intel XMP overclocking profiles. For the Ryzen issue, a string of BIOS updates and new specifications from AMD has aimed to resolve the issue of potentially catastrophic failure by limiting SoC voltage and improving thermal protection for CPUs.

ROG Strix X670E-E Gaming Wi-Fi and TUF Gaming X670E-Plus Wi-Fi motherboards, image credit: ASUS.

ASUS, specifically, has been called out by prominent tech-oriented YouTube channels like Gamers Nexus for its handling of the issue highlighting the frantic updating of BIOS revisions, bugs, and Ryzen 7000 SoC voltages remaining at potentially unsafe levels.

There was also the question of whether something as simple and straightforward as enabling an AMD EXPO memory overclocking profile voids a motherboard's warranty - something that also applies to Intel XMP overclocking. Today's statement from ASUS is welcome news; you can read it in full below.

MSI has pushed out a fresh BIOS update for AM5 motherboards (X670 and B650) which introduces a new option that supposedly cuts boot times in half.

MSI's MAG X670E Tomahawk motherboard (Image Credit: MSI)

That's a pretty spectacular claim, but MSI proved this was the case, at least in one test scenario shared by the company (as highlighted by Tom's Hardware).

In the case of a PC with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor and MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk WIFI motherboard, by turning on the new feature - 'Memory Context Restore' - the time for a cold boot (from hitting the on switch to reaching the desktop) was reduced from 43 to 22 seconds.

A new report at Wccftech indicates that the launch of entry-level A620 motherboards for AM5 Ryzen 7000 CPUs is happening this week, with an MSI A620 motherboard set to launch with a price point under USD 90.

And yeah, that's what we'd call entry-level and affordable, and something that will open the door to more budget-conscious Ryzen builds using the lower, more efficient SKUs of the Ryzen 7000 Series. Like, say, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600.

Of course, lowering the price does mean reducing the capabilities, with PCB images of the MSI A620 board showcasing a 6+2+1 VRM design and a single 8-pin power connector for the AM5 socket. Still, the board will feature VRM heatsinks and, per the AM5 spec, support DDR5 memory (with AMD EXPO overclocking) via two slots.

Cheap AM5 motherboards are right around the corner, with the entry-level A620 boards for Ryzen 7000 CPUs set to launch soon. And we might be seeing prices drop below the USD 100 barrier, making them excellent options for budget-conscious gamers putting together a new build.

Retail listing for the new MSI Pro A620M-E motherboard, image credit: Momomo_US

Two overseas (or local, depending on where you're reading this) retailers have listed the new MSI Pro A620M-E motherboard - Polish site BuyIT and the Slovakian-based Edis Computers. The listings arrive via @Momomo_US.

With the price conversion to USD, you're looking at roughly $80 for the budget AM5 motherboard. No images or details for the MSI Pro A620M-E motherboard were listed, so we can only speculate based on our knowledge.

Thanks to VideoCardz.com, we've got our first look at an entry-level A620 motherboard for AMD's new AM5 platform introduced with the new Ryzen 7000 CPU range. A620 will be the affordable entry-level option below B650 and X670 series offerings.

ASRock A620 motherboard for Ryzen, image credit: VideoCardz

A620 boards will greatly interest those looking to create a new Ryzen build that doesn't break the bank.

With the first shots of the upcoming ASRock A620 motherboard (A620M-HDV/M.2), we've also got some idea of what's being cut to pave the way for a more affordable range of AMD-compatible boards.

Recently we reported on ASUS's new BTF motherboard range, where the physical design put all the primary connections on the underside for improved cable management. It's part of the company's DIY-APE design. In fact, it's the sort of design that we'd love to see become standard - the only real catch being that, as of now, only a limited number of cases support the design.

MSI B650 motherboards with new powerr-connector design, Image Credit: Bilibili

That is, cases with suitable holes and space so these new motherboards can be mounted in the first place. But with one of the largest manufacturers of motherboards, ASUS, creating motherboards like the TUF GAMING B760M-BTF WIFI D4, we've also got word that another big player is looking to do the same.

With new reports coming in, it's looking like MSI is prepping its own AMD B650 motherboards with the main power connectors on the underside. And Maxsun too. On the MSI front, we'd love to see the design as part of the company's iconic Tomahawk range.

AMD's Ryzen 7000 CPUs had their sales momentum hampered by the cost of upgrading initially, with expensive motherboards being part of the problem right off the bat - but now truly affordable AM5 options are arriving.

This ASRock B650M board is the most affordable AM5 product so far (Image Credit: ASRock)

Enter stage left the ASRock B650M-HDV/M.2 motherboard, which Newegg is offering for US$125 right now, a US$15 discount on the recommended price (US$140).

We say Newegg is offering it, although at the time of writing, it's still officially on pre-order, but it goes on sale today (March 10), so should be available in a matter of hours (probably by the time you read this).