The Gift of the Black Dragon King MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI Motherboard Unboxing and Testing

This time, we unboxed the MPG B650 CARBON WIFI, MSI's top-of-the-line motherboard in the B650 chipset model, and this time, MSI didn't release the MPG B650 CARBON WIFI in the AMD B650. UNIFY SeriesTherefore CARBON became the most advanced model of the B650.The B650 CARBON has a 16+2+1 Duet Rail Power System (DRPS) VRM power supply architecture with ample power supply performance to drive the B650 CARBON. AMD's flagship processor Ryzen 9 7950X, PCIe 4.0 x16 graphics card metal slots and M.2 PCIe Gen5 x4 SSD expansion mounting position, able to satisfy the bandwidth required by the current highest-end RX7900XTX/RTX 4090 graphics cards, this year's forthcoming PCIe Gen5 M.2 SSDs are also painlessly supported. (Actually, this motherboard is my Christmas gift~ my chance of getting it in the Christmas lottery is quite low, even I think I'm a ghost... )

MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI Specifications:
Size: ATX 30.5 x 24.4cm
Processor Support: AMD Ryzen 7000
Processor Pin: AM5
CPU Power Phase: 16+2+1 80A Duet Rail Power System (DRPS)
Chipset: AMD B650
Memory: 4x DDR5 DIMMs, max capacity 128GB, DDR5-6600+(OC) MHz
Memory Certification: AMD EXPO (EXTended Profiles for Overclocking)
Display output: HDMI 2.1, DP 1.4
Expansion slots: PCIe 4.0 x16, PCIe 4.0 x4 (x16 slots), PCIe 3.0 x1
Storage slots: 6x SATA 6Gb/s, M.2_1 2280/2260 PCIe Gen5 x4, M.2_2 2280/2260 PCIe Gen4 x4, M.2_3 2280/2260 PCIe Gen4 x4, M.2_4 2280/2260 PCIe Gen4 x4
Network: Realtek RTL8125 2.5Gbps LAN
Wireless: AMD RZ616 Wi-Fi 6E, BT 5.3
Sound: Realtek ALC4080 7.1 Channel
USB Ports (Front Expansion): 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports), 2x USB 2.0 (supports four front USB 2.0 ports)
USB Ports (Rear I/O): 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, 7x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2x USB 2.0
RGB: 3x ARGB 5v-3pin, 1x RGB 12v-4pin
FAN: 1x 4-Pin CPU Fan, 1x 4-Pin PUMP FAN, 5x 4-Pin System FAN

MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI Open the box.

As mentioned earlier this board in fact I drew at Christmas, when Taiwan also saw no one opened the box this motherboard, the result of waiting for me to get in January in February to have time to open the box ... already someone opened the box of this motherboard, the B650 CARBON WIFI is the MSI in the B650 product in the highest-end model, in addition to ride the In addition to the 16+2+1 VRM Power Desing and heavy heatsinks, the motherboard PCB utilizes the VRM Power Desing™ technology. IT-170 server grade material and 2oz thick copper stacked in a 6-layer PCB design for better signal stability for motherboard routing.

∆ MPG B650 CARBON WIFI motherboard boxed.

∆ The back of the box has the basic motherboard product highlights.

The B650 CARBON WIFI is similar in appearance to the previously unboxed B650 CARBON WIFI. Z790 CARBON WIFI Using the same design language, the motherboard itself is a mainstream ATX size (30.5 x 24.4cm), with black thermal armor on the processor VRM power supply, the B650 PCH chipset, and all the M.2 SSD slots to ensure that the power supply and other chip-related components will not be subjected to high temperatures during high-load operation, thus compromising their performance and lifespan. This ensures that power supply and other chip-related components will not be affected by high temperatures during high-load operation.

The B650 CARBON WIFI in ∆ ATX size looks exactly the same as the Z790 CARBON.

∆ There is no additional reinforced backplate on the back of the motherboard.

The B650 CARBON WIFI supports AMD's latest Ryzen 7000 series processors. The 7000 series adopts the new AM5 LGA 1718 pinout, which is different from the AM4 PGA 1311 pinout in the past. Although it avoids the problem of the processor being knocked out of alignment, gamers still need to protect the pins on the motherboard when storing the motherboard.

∆ utilizes AM5 LGA 1718 feet and supports AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors.

In terms of design, AMD has been kind enough to keep the AM5 with the same hole spacing as the AM4, so gamers can basically use their old AM4 coolers directly, saving them a small amount of money when assembling a new machine.

The heat sinks on the VRM power supplies help dissipate heat from the 7W/mK MOSFET thermal pads and embedded heat pipes for better stability and overclocking performance in multi-core, high load situations.

∆ is able to use AMD's old AM4 heatsink grommets.

Let's take a look at the expansion and power supply slots on the B650 CARBON WIFI motherboard, which features an 8+8 Pin CPU power supply slot in the upper left corner of the motherboard.

∆ The ATX_12V Dual 8-Pin processor power supply slot on the upper left corner of the motherboard.

There are three 4-Pin fan slots near the memory slots on the upper right corner of the motherboard, CPU_FAN on the lower left corner, and PUMP_FAN and SYS_FAN slots on the upper side. CPU_FAN and PUMP_FAN support up to 3A(36W) current output, and are compatible with all-in-one water cooler, pump and other devices, in addition to fan mounting. In addition to fan mounting, it is also compatible with one-piece water cooler, pump and other devices.

The JARGB V2 in the upper right corner is the regular 5V 3-Pin ARGB slot, the header can support up to 240 individually addressable RGB LED strips or devices with a maximum power rating of 3A (5V), which may cause problems if ARGB Gen1 and ARGB Gen2 LED devices are connected to the same slot header, therefore it is not recommended to daisy chain ARGB Gen1 and ARGB Gen2 LED devices together. ARGB Gen1 and ARGB Gen2 LED devices in series is not recommended.

∆ CPU_FAN, PUMP_FAN, SYS_FAN 4-Pin power supply slots, and JARGB V2 5V 3-Pin (ARGB) slot.

The B650 CARBON WIFI features 4 slots of DDR5 DIMMs with dual snap-in memory slots, supports DDR5 non-ECC, unbuffered memory installation, memory overclocking up to 6000+ MT/s (subject to the official memory QVL table), and up to 128GB capacity with a maximum of 32GB. The maximum capacity of 128GB can be expanded to 32GB, and supports AMD EXPO (EXTended Profiles for Overclocking) memory overclocking technology certification.

For the 2 DIMMs dual-channel memory kits that are often purchased when ordering, the original manufacturer recommends that they be installed in slots A2 and B2 (the second and fourth slots from the left), so that the memory can operate at a higher frequency with the two memory sticks installed in these two locations.

∆Dual snap-in quad-slot DDR5 DIMMs memory slots supporting a single 32GB EXPO memory installation.

The motherboard has a JARGB V2 slot on the right side, EZ Debug LED, two SYS_FAN chassis fan slots, motherboard 24-Pin power supply slot, one front USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (10Gb/s) slot, four SATA III 6Gb/s, one USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports), and one USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 mounting ports). USB 3.2 Gen1 slot (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports).

∆ JARGB V2 slot, EZ Debug LED, SYS_FAN chassis fan slot, front USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C slot.

The ∆ EZ Debug LED quickly identifies the source of errors in the motherboard's self-test through four LED beads.

∆ Four SATA, USB 3.2 Gen1 slots (supports two front USB 3.2 Gen1 ports), SYS_FAN chassis fan slot.

On the bottom of the motherboard, from right to left, there are one JARGB V2 5V 3-Pin (ARGB), one JFP1/JFP2 system front panel slot, two SATA III 6Gb/s, two USB 2.0, two SYS_FAN chassis fan slots, JCI1 chassis boot connector, RGB physical switch, JDASH1 overclocking utility slot, one JRGB1 12V 4-Pin (RGB), HD_AUDIO audio slot, and one JRGB1 12V 4-Pin (RGB). JRGB1 12V 4-Pin (RGB), HD_AUDIO audio slot.

∆ JARGB V2 5V 3-Pin (ARGB), JFP1/JFP2 system front panel slots, two SATA III 6Gb/s, two USB 2.0, two SYS_FAN.

∆ JCI1 Chassis Open Connector, RGB Physical Switch, JDASH1 Slot for Overclocking Tool, JRGB1 12V 4-Pin (RGB), HD_AUDIO.

TPM security module slot above ∆ M2_1.

PCIe slots are available in PCIe 4.0 x16, PCIe 4.0 x4 (x16 slot), PCIe 3.0 x1, and the first PCI_E1 is most commonly used for installing graphics cards in PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, which are directly connected to the channel by the CPU. In addition to the high bandwidth of up to 64 GB/s, the PCIe slots themselves use metal slots to increase the slot's support. In addition to the high bandwidth of up to 64 GB/s, the PCIe slot also uses a metal slot to increase the support of the slot and prolong its lifespan. After all, today's graphics cards are becoming heavier and heavier, which is still a burden for the PCIe slot in direct-plug installations.

The second PCIe 4.0 x4 is an x16 slot on the surface, but the internal pinout of the PCI_E2 slot supports only PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth, which is also directly connected via the processor channel.

PCI_E3 supports PCIe 3.0 x1 via the B650 chipset channel. One thing to note is that since PCI_E1 shares bandwidth with the M2_2 & M2_3 slots, if an NVME M.2 SSD is installed in the M2_2 or M2_3 slots, the PCI_E1 slot will be automatically downgraded to run at PCIe 4.0 x8 bandwidth.

∆ PCIe 4.0 x16, PCIe 4.0 x4, PCIe 3.0 x1.

The B650 CARBON WIFI board has a total of four M.2 SSD mounting positions, M.2_1/M.2_2/M.2_3 mounting positions are all through the processor direct channel, these three connectors support 2280/2260 size M.2 SSD installation, the first one M.2_1 supports PCIe Gen5 x4 NVME SSDs without E-support B650/X670. The first M.2_1 supports PCIe Gen5 x4 NVME SSDs without the E-prefix B650/X670, due to channel design constraints, most of them will choose to support the more versatile M.2 PCIe Gen5 SSD slot instead of the lesser-used PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, while the second and third M.2_2/M.2_3 support PCIe Gen4 x4 NVME SSDs.

The last M.2 SSD mount is via the B650 chipset channel, and M.2_4 supports PCIe Gen4 x4 NVME SSDs in the 22110/2280/2260 size.

∆M.2_1 supports PCIe Gen5 x4 NVME SSDs, M.2_2/M.2_3/M.2_4 support PCIe Gen4 x4 NVME SSDs for installation.

∆ All four M.2 SSD mounting positions are equipped with heat sinks and thermal pads.

The first M.2_1 heat sink on the top adopts the SCREWLESS M.2 mounting design, which can be quickly removed by pressing the switch on the left side, and each M.2 SSD mounting position is equipped with MSI's unique EZ M.2 snap-on clips, which can be used to secure the M.2 SSDs more quickly without screws.

∆ M.2_1 Heat sinks are of SCREWLESS M.2 fixed design.

∆ is turned on by pressing from the left side of the heat sink.

∆ EZ M.2 CLIP.

The ∆M.2_1 also has additional cylindrical latches, which are secure but difficult to remove when removing the M.2 SSD.

The Rear I/O provides Clear CMOS, Flash BIOS, HDMI 2.1, DP 1.4, 7x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps (Type-A), 2.5G LAN, 2x USB 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps (Type-C), Wi-Fi 6E/BT 5.2 Antenna Port, Optical S/PDIF Out, Audio Ports. -C), Wi-Fi 6E/BT 5.2 Antenna Port t, Optical S/PDIF Out, Sound Interface.

∆ Rear I/O interface.

MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI Power supply material / 16+2+1 80A SPS power supply

After looking at the expansion slots on the outside of the motherboard, let's take a look at the power supplies and various small components underneath the motherboard. The B650 CARBON WIFI has 16+2+1 80A SPS power supplies, with 16 phases being responsible for the CPU Vcore, 2 phases being responsible for the SOC, and the last phase being responsible for the MISC power supply.

∆ Full view of the motherboard PCB.
∆ 16+2+1 80A SPS supply.

∆ MPS MP87670 80A Power Stage.

The ∆ PWM controller is the MPS MP2857.

The ∆ Genesys GL3590 is a USB 3.1 Gen 2 hub controller.

∆ Realtek® RTL8125 2.5Gbps LAN.

The ∆ Genesys GL9905 is a dual-channel 20 Gbps linear redriver.

∆ Realtek® ALC4080 Codec.

∆ NUVOTON NCT6687D-R (Super I/O) is an environmental control chip mainly used for temperature measurement, fan speed control, and system voltage monitoring.

The ∆NUVOTON NUC126NE4AE is a 32-bit USB microcontroller RGB controller.

∆ asmedia asm1061 SATA chip.

∆ AMD B650 chipset.

∆ VRM and PCH heatsinks.
The ∆VRM power supply block has a heat sink with a heat pipe embedded in it, but it's a bit deeper and harder to photograph.

∆ Accessories at a glance, but I got a media tester motherboard so there are things missing.

BIOS Function Setting Menu

MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI Motherboard Performance Test

First of all, CPU-Z will check the hardware information of this test platform, the processor AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16C 32T, code name Raphael is made by TSMC TSMC 5nm process, the motherboard is made by MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI which supports PCI-E 5.0 lanes and the Bios is updated to 7D74v131 Beta version, the memory is made by DDR5 5600Mhz CL40 with 32GB of dual-channel capacity, the CPU scored 771.5 points with single-threaded operation, and the CPU-Z built-in test Version 17.01.64 was also run. The motherboard uses MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI supporting PCI-E 5.0 lanes, and the BIOS has been updated to 7D74v131 Beta. The memory is DDR5 5600Mhz CL40 dual-channel with a total capacity of 32GB, and the CPU-Z built-in test Version 17.01.64 was run, with the CPU scoring 771.5 points for single-threaded and 15925.5 points for multi-threaded.
∆ CPU-Z information at a glance and Version 17.01.64 built-in test score results.

The AIDA64 memory and cache tests, this time using DDR5 5600Mhz 16Gx2 CL40 dual-channel memory with EXPO on, yielded read speeds of 70210 MB/s, write speeds of 74,792 MB/s, copy speeds of 64,687 MB/s, and a latency of 69.6ns.
∆ AIDA64 cache and memory test.

In addition, the author also used 3D Mark Fire Strike and 3D Mark Time Spy, which are commonly used for gaming performance simulation tests, with the NVIDIA GTX 1070 graphics card to conduct the test. In Fire Strike, which simulates DX11 contextual gaming simulation tests with 1080p quality, the author obtained a physical score of 46817, while in Time Spy, which simulates DX12 contextual gaming simulation tests with 1440p quality, the author obtained a CPU score of 15983. In Time Spy, which simulates DX12 situational gaming at 1440p, it achieved a CPU score of 15983.
∆ 3D Mark Fire Strike.

∆ 3D Mark Time Spy.

After more than two hours of score testing, the MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI bare test platform without additional direct fan blowing, the maximum temperature of the MOS is 49°C while the B650 PCH is 48.5°C. Thanks to the MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI's 16+2+1 power supply and embedded heat pipes, it is more than enough to be used with the Ryzen 9 7950X without additional manual overclocking. With the MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI's 16+2+1 power supply and embedded heatpipe heatsinks, it's more than capable of working with the Ryzen 9 7950X without additional manual overclocking.
∆ During the above series of test software scores, HWiNFO 64 was used to record both MOS and PCH temperatures, with a maximum temperature of 49°C/48.5°C. The maximum temperature was only 49°C/48.5°C. The maximum temperature was only 49°C/48.5°C.

MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI Summary

The MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI is the top of the line model of AMD's mainstream chipset B650 motherboards, and since MSI's product strategy this time around is probably not to launch UNIFY on the B650, CARBON has naturally become the top of the line, and to summarize, the 16+2+1 80A is quite easy to use for auto overclocking Ryzen 9 7950X, and if gamers want to manually overclock, I believe it will also perform well. If gamers want to overclock manually, I believe they can also have a good performance.

The B650 CARBON is equipped with M.2 PCIe Gen5 x4 SSD expansion, PCIe 4.0 x16, AMD Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5Gbps LAN, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C and other high-specification expandability, which is quite sufficient for mainstream users and heavy DIY users. If you think the X670/X670E is too expensive, you can also take a look at this high-end MSI MPG B650 CARBON WIFI, which will be paired with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D/7900X3D that will be unlocked from the shelves in the next few days, and it should be a good choice for those who love to play games.