AMD’s Ryzen 7000 (Raphael) processors and premium X670 motherboards are already on the market. However, the more budget-friendly B650 motherboards aren’t far behind. Slated for an October launch, U.S. retailers have already started to list the B650 motherboards on their online stores.
B650 motherboards have PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 support, similar to the high-end X670 motherboards. The most substantive difference is that X670 motherboards deliver more I/O options. Other than that, you still get access to the more essential features of Zen 4 at a more affordable price. Like the X670 Extreme (X670E), AMD will also offer an “extreme” version of the B650 chipset (B650E), which supplies at least one PCIe 5.0 expansion slot.
B&H Photo Video (via momomo_us (opens in new tab)) is one of the first retailers to list a plethora of B650 motherboards. The seven offerings come from MSI and are available in different form factors between standard ATX to Micro ATX. The MSI B650 motherboards start at $199.99. Unfortunately for those looking to build a more affordable Ryzen 7000 system now, these boards aren’t available for purchase yet. Although we always recommend treating retailer listings with a grain of salt, we doubt these prices are placeholders, given we’re now in the month when AMD promised these boards would go on sale.
| Motherboard | Price | Form Factor |
|---|---|---|
| MSI MPG B650 Carbon WiFi | $329.99 | ATX |
| MSI MPG B650 Edge WiFi | $289.99 | ATX |
| MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk | $259.00 | ATX |
| MSI MPG B650I Edge WiFi | $239.99 | mini-ITX |
| MSI MAG B650M Mortar | $239.99 | microATX |
| MSI Pro B650-P WiFi | $219.99 | ATX |
| MSI Pro B650M-A WiFi | $199.99 | microATX |
The MPG B650 Carbon WiFi is likely the most premium MSI B650 motherboard, retailing for $329.99. Compared to the MPG X670E Carbon WiFi, we’re looking at a 31% ($150) lower price. On the other end, the Pro X670-P WiFi seems to be the cheapest X670 motherboard from the company at $289.99. In its defense, the Pro X670-P has more connectivity and expansion options at a lower price. However, the MPG B650 Carbon WiFi is a more gaming-oriented motherboard.
MSI’s Tomahawk-branded motherboards have always been a favorite for offering the best bang for your buck in terms of performance and features. However, we’re unsure about the MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk, which is listed here for $259. It represents a 52% ($89) increase over the previous MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk. The B650 chipset logically brings a lot of new goodies, but the higher price may scare off some consumers.
Continuing with its tradition, MSI has cooked up the MPG B650I Edge WiFi for small-form-factor (SFF) enthusiasts. The Mini-ITX motherboard carries a $239.99 price tag, so only 20% ($40) more expensive than the MPG B550I Gaming Edge WiFi, which it’s replacing.
At $199.99, the Pro B650M-A WiFi could be the cheapest ticket to get on the Zen 4 train, at least from MSI. The Micro ATX board lacks the eye candy of pricier models, but it’s packing all the features you’d expect from an entry-level B650 motherboard.
AMD’s B650 motherboards officially hit retail shelves this month, so expect to see more competition from the other vendors, such as Asus, ASRock, and Gigabyte very soon.