Motherboard News & Reviews

Welcome to the Motherboard News & Reviews Database. This is a collection, primarily of reviews, dedicated to motherboards from across the globe. Looking for something specific? Use the search utility, tags, or just explore through using the drop-down menu. From there, you can select your preferred motherboard manufacturer to find a listing of motherboards by chipset that have reviews available. If it’s been reviewed recently, you’ll find it. All reviews that are not natively in English will have translated links provided where possible.

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GIGABYTE Releases Budget Oriented AMD EPYC Motherboards

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Taipei, Taiwan, October 29nd 2020 – GIGABYTE Technology, (TWSE: 2376), an industry leader in high-performance servers and workstations, today announced two new server motherboards extending the diversity of boards for dual 2nd Gen AMD EPYC™ 7002 series processors allowing for incredibly demanding multi-threaded applications used in AI, scientific computations, and more. The MZ71-CE0 and MZ71-CE1 are very similar to the MZ72-HB0, which is more feature rich and has support for PCIe Gen 4 for all NVMe drives and expansion slots. The new budget oriented boards focus more on PCIe Gen 3 but do offer some PCIe Gen 4 support, while they differ only in the Ethernet controller bandwidth.

Introduction to the MZ71-CE0 and MZ71-CE1:
The new MZ71-CE0 and MZ71-CE1 both support dual AMD EPYC 7002 or 7001 series processors up to 280W. Given the E-ATX form factor, each CPU has 8 DIMMs supporting DDR4 memory up to 128GB per DIMM and 3200MHz in 8-channels. All storage drives and expansion slots support PCIe Gen 3, but if 2nd Gen 7002 processors are used then PCIe Gen 4 is supported in the M.2 slot and one PCIe slot (slot_6). As far as storage, both boards have 4 x SATA ports, 3 x SlimSAS ports (for 12 SATA or 3 NVME drives), 1 x M.2 slot, and 2 x NVMe ports. This configuration allows for a mix of fast NVMe drives, large capacity SATA drives, and a M.2 NVMe drive as a boot or local cache drive. Rounding it out are five PCIe Gen 3 x16 slots, which includes slot_6 that supports PCIe Gen 4.

LAN Connectivity:
To differentiate for use cases and budgets, GIGABYTE has made the two new boards with either fast dual 10Gb/E LAN ports in the MZ71-CE0 or more cost-effective dual 1Gb/E in the MZ71-CE1.

Remote and Multiple Server Management:
As part of GIGABYTE’s value proposition, GIGABYTE provides GIGABYTE Management Console (GMC) for BMC server management via a web browser based platform. Whether for server monitoring, updating BIOS and firmware, or remote management, GMC delivers. Additionally, GIGABYTE Server Management (GSM) software can be downloaded and used to monitor and manage multiple servers. GMC and GSM offer a great value while reducing license and customer maintenance costs.

MSI Announces MEG B550 UNIFY Series

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[Taipei, Taiwan] – MSI, a world-leading gaming motherboard manufacturer, proudly announces the new flagship AMD B550 motherboards – MEG B550 UNIFY and MEG B550 UNIFY-X. The spirit of the UNIFY series consists of modest and pure black design, emphasizing the real value of the motherboard that can be brought to the demanding gamers and power users instead of fancy LED decorations. By eliminating all the redundant RGB LEDs and adopting the UV black printing, the heatsink shows the gleam and the shining reflection of the dragon that symbolizes a mysterious and high-quality image. For the UNIFY series motherboard, MSI put great efforts into those essential parts concerned by those enthusiast gamers, enhancing not only the thermal but also power solution to run with the AMD Ryzen processors.

Emphasizing the ultimate performance, MEG B550 UNIFY brings astonishing overclocking records to enthusiast gamers. With AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT processor, it is an incredible result to push CPU frequency to 6155.35 MHz, becoming the world’s record breaker once again.

QUADRUPLE M.2 CONNECTORS WITH DOUBLE SIDE SHIELD FROZR

MEG B550 UNIFY series motherboard features exclusive onboard quadruple M.2 connectors for the maximum storage performance. Three of them support Lightning Gen 4 solution which is the fastest onboard storage on the market with up to 64 Gb/s transfer speed.

To sustain the higher performance of ultra-fast storage devices, the MEG B550 UNIFY series motherboard features exclusive double-sided M.2 Shield Frozr. This next-generation M.2 thermal solution prevents throttling by offering the best thermal protection to make sure that SSD maintains maximum performance.

DIRECT 14+2 PHASES WITH 90A POWER STAGE

To handle the high-performance CPU, the MEG B550 UNIFY series motherboard features extreme power designs including a total of direct 14+2 digital power phases, 90Amp power stage and Titanium choke III. Combining dual power connectors and exclusive Core Boost technology, the MEG B550 UNIFY series motherboard is ready to break the world record.

PREMIUM THERMAL SOLUTION

Cooling is what an enthusiast gamer would care about and the MEG B550 UNIFY series motherboard adopts a premium thermal solution to cool down your system. An aluminum cover with an extended heatsink on top of the power delivery circuits can effectively help dissipate excessive heat. Other than that, a heat-pipe connected from this larger heatsink to another MOS heatsink and an improved thermal pad means better heat conduction.

2.5G LAN WITH WI-FI 6 AX

MEG B550 UNIFY series motherboard features onboard 2.5G LAN plus the latest Wi-Fi 6 AX solution. 2.5G LAN provides incredible data transfer speed faster than ever before. The Wi-Fi 6 AX solution is a revolutionary network with up to 4x network capacity and efficiency in high signal density environments.

DEDICATED FOR EXTREME OVERCLOCKING

The MEG B550 UNIFY offers 4 DIMM slots, but there is a special edition for extreme overclockers – MEG B550 UNIFY-X. This model comes with only 2 DIMM slots for an even clearer memory signal to explore the boundaries of memory overclocking and is ready to surpass all limits!

Full Product Details

GIGABYTE Announces Ryzen 5000 Series Support

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Taipei, Taiwan, October 26, 2020 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and hardware solutions, announced today the release of the latest BIOS for the motherboards with the AMD X570, B550, and A520 chipsets to ensure the most comprehensive performance, compatibility, and reliability improvements for users to have the most pleasant user experience on their PCs equipped with AMD RyzenTM 5000 series processors.

AMD recently released the RyzenTM 5000 series processors which are the most extensive upgrade since 2017. The RyzenTM 5000 series includes four models of RyzenTM 9 5950X, RyzenTM 9 5900X, RyzenTM 7 5800X, and RyzenTM 5 5600X. With the enhancement by the brand new Zen3 core design, these four processors present monumental uplift on performance which attracts notable intension of users to expect further upgrade for their “AMD YES” systems.

GIGABYTE has released bootable BIOS in September to support RyzenTM 5000 series processors. However, our RD team worked closely with AMD to validate the latest AMD BIOS AGESA code in parallel with the belief of providing users with a better product experience. Also, prior to the official launch of the RyzenTM 5000 series processors, we work hard on the BIOS to optimize the Zen3 core’s performance and upload it to our websites available for download. This allows users to firsthand experience the compatibility and reliability improvements made possible from motherboards equipped with RyzenTM 5000 series processors when they get a hold of their processors while enjoying the advantages of the new processors on gaming experience, performance, and overclocking ability.

Users can update their motherboards’ BIOS by their familiar methods, such as ＠BIOS or Q-Flash. They can even utilize the Q-Flash Plus feature to update the BIOS without installing any processor, memory or even graphics card, making it possible for users to enjoy the benefits brought about by the new BIOS core and processors.

The latest BIOS for the AMD X570, B550, and A520 motherboards is available now on our websites. Users can visit the product websites to download and upgrade their systems to keep them in the best condition possible. At the same time, we are working on the BIOS for AMD X470 and B450 motherboards to support RyzenTM 5000 series processors and will release them as soon as possible. Remember to check out GIGABYTE’s website for the latest news.

The Latest AMD Platform Motherboard BIOS List:

  Chipset  BIOS Version
  X570  F31
  B550  F11
  A520  F11
  X470  F60
  B450  F60

GIGABYTE Z490 Vision D and Vision G

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Gigabyte states its Vision line offers “…a no-compromise platform that excels in performance, functionality, and stability… paving the way for creators to work faster and efficiently…” The Vision D is higher up the product stack than the Vision G, bringing more features to the table including integrated Wi-Fi, Thunderbolt 3 ports, and RGB lighting. The Vision G, on the other hand, is priced about $90 less and doesn’t include the features mentioned in the previous sentence.

Read more @ Tom’s Hardware

ASRock Rack E3C246D4I-2T

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Perhaps the most important feature of the E3C246D4I-2T is its size. At 6.7″ x 6.7″ this is a standard mITX form factor motherboard. There is an enormous ecosystem of chassis solutions ranging from small desktop to rackmount, to storage appliances, and to other form factors. Part of the E3C246D4I-2T is that it can take advantage of this ecosystem.

Read more @ STH

EVGA Z490 FTW WIFI

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EVGA may be better known for graphics cards and power supplies, but the company has also been pushing into the motherboard realm for years, though with far fewer products than competitors like MSI or Gigabyte.The EVGA Z490 FTW WiFi that we’re looking at here sits at the ‘bottom’ of the company’s Z490 product stack, with the high-end Z490 Dark ($699.99) sitting above as the only other board on Intel’s current platform. You won’t find a Micro ATX or Mini ITX board from EVGA, just the ATX FTW and E-ATX Dark.

Read more @ Tom’s Hardware

MSI Confirms 400 Series Motherboards Support Zen 3

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While we knew that AMD had confirmed that Ryzen 5000 processors would be compatible with existing B450 and X470 motherboards, it was also clear that each motherboard maker would need to offer such compatibility. Fortunately, MSI has decided to go all in by ensuring that all its X470 and B450 offerings provide support. That includes the company’s Max and non-Max models. 

Read more @ Bit-Tech

ASUS TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS

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The A520 motherboard chipset represents the budget end of the market, perfectly placed to build cheap AMD Ryzen 5000 gaming PCs around. Following on from the Gigabyte A520 Aorus Elite and ASRock A520M ITX/ac we’ve already enjoyed, we have the Asus TUF Gaming A520M Plus. From its Sabertooth motherboard origins, the TUF sub-brand has expanded into other product lines, and not just from Asus.

Read more @ PC Gamer

ASRock B550M Steel Legend

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It has a Camouflage pattern PCB that uses silver heatsinks, one of which supports the chipset and the main M.2 slot which is a PCIe 4.0 x4 slot while the secondary one is below it and is unfortunately running at 3.0 x2 and disables the top two SATA ports when in use. The fact that it is limited to only 3.0 x2 and is a secondary drive may make adding a heatsink, an unnecessary cost that most users in this price point. 

Read more @ AdoredTV

GIGABYTE B550I AORUS PRO AX

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Gigabyte has the perfect motherboard for you too, the Gigabyte B550i AORUS PRO AX! B550 motherboards lack full PCI-Express 4.0 support, but you will get it on a single x16 slot and an M.2 slot, which means in the mini-ITX form factor you really aren’t losing all that much. Gigabyte’s B550i AORUS PRO AX is loaded with features which include a 6+2 VRM with 90A power stages, USB 3.2 support, dual M.2 slots, WiFi 6, 2.5G LAN, RGB lighting and much more! Is this the ultimate mini-ITX motherboard for Ryzen?

Read more @ ThinkComputers