MSI launched the B650 Project Zero motherboard
MSI showcased the B650 Project Zero motherboard, featuring a rear-insertion design, at this year’s Taipei Computer Expo, though it actually first appeared a year prior. Now, the introductory page for this product has finally been released by MSI.
The MSI B650 Project Zero is an mATX form-factor motherboard, constructed with a 6-layer, double-copper PCB, and utilizing a 10+2+1 phase power design. It offers four DDR5 memory slots, supporting DDR5-6400 memory, with a maximum capacity of 128GB. The motherboard also provides one PCI-E 4.0 x16 slot and one PCI-E 3.0 x1 slot, with two M.2 interfaces supported directly by the CPU, both accommodating PCI-E 4.0 x4 and additionally offering four SATA 6Gbps interfaces.
What sets this motherboard apart from other products is that all wire connection interfaces are located on the rear side of the motherboard. This includes the motherboard’s 24-pin and CPU 8-pin power connectors, fan interfaces, SATA ports, various USB expansion ports, front panel extensions, and audio interfaces. Since the front side does not need to accommodate these interfaces, the majority of the space is essentially covered by white armor, giving the front a more streamlined and neat appearance compared to other motherboards.
Located at the back, in addition to the 24-pin + dual 8-pin power connectors, are four SATA ports, one front-facing USB 10Gbps Type-C expansion port, one set of USB 5Gbps front-facing expansion pins, two sets of USB 2.0 expansion pins, three ARGB, and one RGB lighting interface.
The rear panel I/O includes one USB 20Gbps Type-C, one USB 10Gbps Type-C, three USB 10Gbps, two USB 5Gbps, two USB 2.0, one Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, while the wireless network card adheres to the Wi-Fi 6E specification, and the sound card is Realtek ALC897.
In reality, MSI likely had this motherboard ready for some time, but the release value of a rear-insertion design required a wait for a compatible ecosystem to mature. With MSI now offering rear-insertion compatible GUNGIN and SEKIRA cases, it seems the appropriate moment to formally launch this motherboard. However, when the MSI B650 Project Zero will actually be available for purchase remains uncertain, as does the price, though it is expected to be somewhat more expensive than the standard B650.
