MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi: Axe for “expensive” and “weak” boards

Ľubomír Samák

8 months ago

MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi in detail

If you don’t want to skimp on a motherboard for an AMD CPU, but also don’t want to pay more than you need to, the MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi appears to be an attractive option. The price is well under two hundred euros and yet it can handle even the Ryzen 9 7950X without any power limits. Although there are also things calling for improvement, the cheapest MSI B650 board in ATX format defends its position in a lower-budget gaming build.

We’ve already had one really cheap motherboard in our tests – the Gigabyte A620M Gaming X. It’s great for very simple computers, but it’s not even suitable for those users who want to use two M.2 SSDs. The alternative in the form of MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi has more support in more ways and the price difference is there, but only in the amount of about 40 euros. That is, if the “equivalent” model (A620M Gaming X AX) with WiFi 6 is compared.


Parameters		MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi

Socket		AMD AM5
Chipset		AMD B650
Format		ATX (305 × 244 mm)
CPU power delivery		15-phase
Supported memory (and max. frequency)		DDR5 (7200 MHz)
Slots PCIe ×16 (+ PCIe ×1)		2× (+ 1×)
Centre of socket to first PCIe ×16 slot		105 mm
Centre of socket to first DIMM slot		56 mm
Storage connectors		4× SATA III, 2× M.2 PCIe 4.0 (1× 80–110 mm + 1× 60–80 mm)
PWM connectors for fans or AIO pump		6×
Internal USB ports		1× 3.2 gen. 2 type C, 2× 3.2 gen. 1 type A, 4× 2.0 type A
Other internal connectors		1× TPM, 2× ARGB LED (5 V), 2× RGB LED (12 V)
POST display		no (but has debug LED)
Buttons		Flash BIOS
External USB ports		1× 3.2 gen. 2×2 type C, 3× 3.2 gen. 2 type A, 4× 3.2 gen. 2 type A
Video outputs		1× HDMI 2.1, 1× DisplayPort 1.4
Network		1× RJ-45 (2,5 GbE) – Realtek 8125GB, WiFi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), Bluetooth 5.3
Audio		ALC897 (7.1)
Other external connectors		–
Manufacturer's suggested retail price		176 EUR

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MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi

MSI expanded the range of motherboards with the B650 Gaming Plus WiFi later, in the second wave – significantly later than the release of most models for the AMD AM5 platform. So we can talk about a newcomer. One that is priced at the lower end of ATX motherboards with the B650 chipset. And that’s overall, across all manufacturers. Cheaper variants are usually poorer, built on smaller PCBs corresponding to Micro ATX formats.

In this case, you are dealing with a “large” board, where the area of 305 × 244 mm is covered with, among other things, DIMM slots for DDR5 memory and three PCI Express slots for the installation of expansion cards. However, none of them support the PCIe 5.0 interface, as no AMD B650 chipset motherboard does. This wouldn’t matter that much in principle, although up-to-date support is always a pleasure. On the other hand, in this price segment there will probably be only quite few users who will appreciate something like that in the future, and instead of a partial upgrade of the build, usually the whole thing is replaced, from the first to the last component.

There’s also a cooler on one of the two M.2 SSD slots (with PCIe ×4.0 support). Simple, but it is a design that has a higher cooling performance by MSI’s standards. Mainly because of the larger footprint in width, which also means support for longer, 110-millimeter SSDs. The second M.2 slot (no longer with a cooler) only supports SSDs up to 80mm in length. Both M.2 slots are exclusively for PCIe SSDs, with a full 4-lane connection. All lanes are brought out from the CPU, but they aren’t shared with the first PCIe ×16 slot as it is usually the case on Intel-platform boards. This means that the graphics card will always run in 16-lane mode, even when using the first and second M.2 slots at the same time.

Also noteworthy is the above-standard distance of the processor socket from the nearest PCI Express ×16 slot, where the graphics card usually ends up. The distance between the centres (CPU socket and PCIe ×16 slot) is as much as 105 mm, roughly a centimeter more than it usually is. This means, first of all, a more convenient access especially for removing the graphics card, and it is also safe to say that a wide CPU cooler with its clips cannot interfere with a typical backplate of a graphics card or a PCB of another expansion card.

The power delivery (VRM) here is 15-phase (12+2+1) with it being cooled by two robust heatsinks with a total weight of 267 g (73+194 g). These are aluminum monoliths whose shape is more articulated, with a number of fins protruding from the core to increase the overall surface area. Thicker, and again there aren’t that many of them, but there definitely are significantly inferior designs out there.

The VRM is based on 80 A (SM4503NHKP) and 55 A (SM4337NSKP) SinoPower voltage regulators (SM4337NSKP). The controller is a Richtek RT3678BE integrated circuit.

The USB port selection is above standard considering the lower price range. In addition to the seven internal USBs (1× USB Type-C with 10 Gbps, 2× USB 3.2 Gen. 1 and 4× USB 2.0), there are up to eight connectors on the rear panel, which is two more (and they are all fast, no USB 2.0) than what is usually found on A620 boards. This is also one of the advantages of the B650 chipset – more USB connectivity. Among the external USB connectors, there’s even one (Type-C) with support for the 3.2 gen. 2×2 standard with 20 Gbps. The others are either 3.2 gen. 2 (3×) or 3.2 gen. 1 (4×).

MSI is also counting on the eventual use of a graphics core in the CPU, for which there are two outputs – both HDMI (2.1) and DisplayPort (1.4). Also included are SMA connectors for connecting the two external WiFi antennas the board comes with. A WF/BT module supporting IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax and Bluetooth 5.3 is also present. The Ethernet adapter (Realtek 8125GB) is 2.5 Gb, and while this may seem like a given, many even slightly cheaper boards have it slower, only 1-gigabit.

Sound? “Only” Realtek ALC897, which is not so surprising in this price range. Audio connectors are a full set of six 3.5 mm jacks.

If you don’t want to skimp on a motherboard for an AMD processor, but also don’t want to pay more than you need to, the MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi appears to be one of the attractive options. The price is well under two hundred euros and yet has equipment that can even handle the Ryzen 9 7950X without any power limitations. Although there are also things calling for improvement, the cheapest MSI B650 board in ATX format defends its position in a lower-budget gaming build.

What is looks like in BIOS

The layout of the buttons on the splash screens (whether advanced or simple/EZ mode) is exactly as you’ve known it for a long time with MSI. You can always conveniently activate the memory profile (EXPO) without having to go into more detailed options. The user interface is also well intuitive in terms of other, basic functions and you won’t get lost even if you’ve come to update – the M-flash button is always in the bottom left corner.

The only thing else MSI could possibly tweak is the Re-Sizable BAR switch. Of course, there are probably only a few people who will have the need to turn it off. ReBAR is active by default, and if it interferes with something (and reduces graphics card performance, which can happen in rare cases), you can turn it off. The way to do this is Settings\Advanced\PCIe/PCI Sub-system Settings.

But more people will probably be interested in the TDP reduction. This is possible in various ways. The best way is via “Config TDP” in the OC tab, where there are several completely preset profiles for different levels up to 45 W. The complete preset also sets the current limits, which otherwise – via Precision Boost Overdrive – have to be entered manually.

Enabling AMD Expo will also enforce the maximum bandwidth of Uncore, that is, at least in the combination of the test memory (2×16 GB G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo, 6000 MHz/CL30) and test BIOS (7E26v13).

But RAM tests still come out slightly worse than on boards with half the memory controller bandwidth. Also playing an important role here is the aggressiveness of the detailed timing choices that MSI has been working on lately in the interest of stable operation of even high-speed modules. Everything can, of course, as always, be adjusted manually to suit individual needs.

The often mentioned “critical” SOC voltage is safely capped at 1.3 V.

The Hardware Monitor section, as is customary with MSI, allows for very detailed fan management. This on all (6) 4-pin headers. The control method can be PWM, but also DC. Before adjusting the curves, it is good to know that PWM control is considerably more sensitive and works from low percentage levels.

When adjusting the linear voltage (DC), consider that it starts from “as high as” approx. 4 V. Some fans that operate at lower voltages will not reach their minimum speeds.

Gaming tests…

The vast majority of tests are based on the methodology for processors and graphics cards. The choice of games is narrower with motherboards, but for this purpose there is no need for more of them. The processor we use is always the powerful AMD Ryzen 9 79500X or on Intel platforms It’s the Core i9-13900K. These processors highlight both the strengths and weaknesses of any motherboard well. In the past we have tested with two processors, including a cheaper, more low-power model, but we don’t do that anymore. The hypothesis that more expensive motherboards might give an “advantage” to cheaper processors in performance has not been confirmed, so it’s rather pointless.

We’ve selected five titles from games we’re testing in two resolutions. There are significantly fewer games than in the CPU or graphics card tests, but these are just enough for the motherboard tests. Few people consider performance in a particular game when choosing a motherboard. But an indicative overview of which motherboard shapes gaming performance in what way (compared to another motherboard) is necessary. To avoid significant discrepancies over time, we’ve reached for relatively older titles that no longer receive significant updates.

These are Borderlands 3, F1 2020, Metro Exodus, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War Saga: Troy. With newer games, there might be some performance changes over time (updates) and especially in high resolutions with high details. This is one of the test setups (2160p and Ultra, or the highest visual detail but without ray-tracing graphics) that focuses on comparing performance, for which the bottleneck is the graphics card. In other words, it will be clear from these tests which motherboard can affect the performance of which graphics card to what extent for any reasons. In contrast, a setup with Full HD resolution and with graphical details reduced to “High” will also reflect the CPU’s contribution to the final gaming performance.

We use OCAT to record fps, or the times of individual frames, which are then used to calculate fps, and FLAT to analyze the CSV. The developer and author of articles (and videos) for the GPUreport.cz website is behind both.
For the highest accuracy, all runs are repeated three times and average values of average and minimum fps are displayed in the graphs. These multiple repetitions also apply to non-game tests.

… Computing tests, SSD tests, USB ports and network tests

We test application performance in a very similar way to the processor tests. Almost all tests are included, from the easier ones (such as those in a web environment) to those that push the CPU or graphics card to the limit. These are typically tests such as 3D rendering, video encoding (x264, x265, SVT-AV1) or other performance-intensive computing tasks. As with processors or graphics cards, we have a wide range of applications – users editing video (Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio), graphic effects creators (Adobe Premiere Pro), graphic designers or photographers (Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, Affinity Photo, AI applications Topaz Labs, …) will find their own in the results, and there are also tests of (de)encryption, (de)compression, numerical calculations, simulations and, of course, tests of memory.

SSD performance tests are also important for motherboards. Therefore we test the maximum sequential read and write speeds on an empty Samsung 980 Pro SSD (1 TB) in the well distributed CrystalDiskMark, in all slots. We approach the USB port tests in the same way. We use a WD Black P50 external SSD to test them. It supports fast USB 3.2 gen. 2×2, so it won’t be a bottleneck for even the fastest USB controllers. We report only one result for each USB standard. This is calculated from the average of all available ports.

We won’t deprive you of network bandwidth tests either. We move large files in both directions within a local network between the motherboard network adapters and the Sonnet Solo10G 10-gigabit PCIe card. This from the aforementioned Samsung 980 Pro SSD to the Patriot Hellfire (480 GB), which is still fast enough to not slow down even the 10 Gb adapter.

The results of all performance tests are averaged over three repeated measurements for high accuracy.

CPU settings…

We primarily test processors without power limits, the way most motherboards have it in factory settings. For tests that have an overlap with power, temperature and CPU clock speed measurements, we also observe the behavior of boards with a power limit according to Intel’s recommendations, where we set PL1 to the TDP level (125 W) while respecting the Tau timeout (56 s). The upper limit of the power supply (PL2/PTT) is set in the BIOS according to the official values. For Core i9-13900K it is 253 W, for Core i9-12900K it is 241 W. On AMD platforms with the Ryzen 7950X test processor, the reduced power supply mode represents a TDP setting of 105W with a PPT of 142W. Such a load also corresponds to unconstrained power supply of the Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X processors. Aggressive overclocking technologies such as PBO2 (AMD) or MCE (Asus) and similar are not covered in standard motherboard tests.

… and application updates

Tests should also take into account that over time, individual updates may skew performance comparisons. Some applications we use in portable versions that do not update or can be kept on a stable version, but for some this is not the case. Typically games get updated over time, which is natural, and keeping them on old versions out of reality would also be questionable.

In short, just count on the fact that the accuracy of the results you are comparing with each other decreases a bit as time goes on. To make this analysis easier, we’ve listed when each board was tested. You can find this out in the dialog box, where you can find information about the date of testing. This dialog is displayed in the interactive graphs, next to any result bar. Just hover over it.

Methodology: How we measure power draw

In contrast to the Z690/B660 tests, we’ll simplify it a bit and measure only the CPU power draw on the EPS cables. This means that (also for the sake of best possible clarity) we omit the 24-pin measurements. We have already analysed it thoroughly and the power draw on it doesn’t change much across boards. Of the ten boards tested with an Alder Lake processor (Core i9-12900K), the power draw at 12 volts of the 24-pin connector ranges from 37.3–40.4 W (gaming load, graphics card power supply via PCI Express ×16 slot), at 5V (memory, ARGB LEDs and some external controllers) then between 13.9–22.3 W and finally at the weakest, 3.3-volt branch, the power draw of our test setup tends to be 2.2–3.6 W.

On top of the CPU power draw, which also takes into account the efficiency of the power delivery, this adds up to some 53–66 W under gaming/graphics load and only 15–25 W outside of it, with the graphics card idle. We already know all this from older tests, and it will be no different on the new boards, and as the number of measurements increases, reducing measurements that worsen orientation is beneficial. But from the text above, you know how much to add for the total power draw of the motherboard components to the CPU’s majority power draw.

The situation will be a bit different on AMD platforms, for those we will deal with what is the power draw on which branch of the 24-pin, but already in a separate article that will better highlight this topic. In a large comprehensive motherboard test, these measurements disappear, they do not attract enough attention.

We measure the power draw of the CPU (and its VRM) on the power supply cables, with calibrated Prova 15 current clamps and a calibrated Keysight U1231A multimeter. The clamps measure the electric current, the multimeter measures the electric voltage. In the union of these two electrical quantities, we finally obtain the exact power draw. We measure this in different loads on the CPU. The maximum multithreaded load is represented by Cinebench R23.

Lower, gaming load by Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p@high), single-threaded load by audio encoding (reference encoder 1.3.2, FLAC with bitrate 200 kbps) and idle power draw is measured on the Windows 10 desktop when only basic operating system processes and launchers of some test applications are running in the background.

Methodology: Temperature and clock speed measurements

By far the most critical part in terms of temperatures on the motherboard is the power delivery (VRM) for the CPU. This is where we return to the Fluke Ti125 thermal imager, which produces temperature maps that can be used to locate the average temperature, as well as the hottest point. We record both these values (average and maximum temperature on the Vcore) in graphs, and we will later evaluate the efficiency of the VRM heatsinks based on the maximum one. However, we lack a suitable thermometer for that yet. Of course, the thermovision is implemented without a heatsink, and a thermocouple needs to be installed on the hottest MOSFET to detect the reduction of temperature with a heatsink. This will be added soon.

Thermal imaging always relates to operating with the more powerful of the pair of test processors. With it, the differences and possible limitations or impending risks (for example, even from thermal throttling) become more apparent. In order to have a good view of the VRM, we use an Alphacool Eisbaer 360 liquid cooler with the fans fixed at full power (12 V) instead of a tower cooler (from the CPU tests). The temperature tests also include CPU temperatures for completeness, and we also test the efficiency of the supplied SSD heatsinks as part of the motherboard tests. These are already included with virtually all better motherboards, and so the question naturally arises whether to use them or replace them with other, more finned ones. We will test these heatsinks on a Samsung 980 Pro SSD during ten minutes of intense load in CrystalDiskMark. Finally, the temperature of the chipset’s southbridge and the cooling efficiency in this direction is noteworthy as well.

All tests are conducted in a wind tunnel, so full system cooling is provided. This consists of three Noctua NF-S12A PWMs@5V (~550 rpm) . Two of which are intake, one is exhaust. But the three fast AIO fans also function as exhaust fans, so there is underpressure in the case.

The temperature at the entrance to the tunnel is properly controlled and ranges between 21-21.3 °C. Maintaining a constant temperature at all times during testing is important not only for the accuracy of the temperature measurements, but also because a higher or lower ambient temperature also affects the eventual behaviour of the processors’ boost. And we also properly monitor and compare the clock speeds, whether under all-core load or even single-threaded tasks. We use the HWiNFO application to record the clock speeds and temperatures of the cores (sampling is set to two seconds).

Maintaining a constant temperature at the intake is necessary not only for a proper comparison of processor temperatures, but especially for objective performance comparisons. The clock speed development, and specially the single core boost, is precisely based on the temperature. Typically in summer, at higher temperatures than is normal in living quarters in winter, processors can be slower.

Temperatures are always read as maximum (both from the VRM thermovision and average, but still from the local maximum values at the end of Cinebench R23). For Intel processors, for each test we read the maximum temperature of the cores, usually all of them. These maxima are then averaged and the result represents the final value in the graph. From the single-threaded workload outputs, we extract only the recorded values from the active cores (there are usually two of these, and they alternate between each other during the test). For AMD processors it is a bit different. They don’t have temperature sensors for each core. In order to make the procedure methodically as similar as possible to the one we apply on Intel processors, we define the average temperature of all cores by the highest value reported by the CPU Tdie (average) sensor. However, for single-core workloads we already use the CPU sensor (Tctl/Tdie), which usually reports a slightly higher value that better corresponds to hotspots of one or two cores. However, these values as well as the values from all internal sensors should be taken with a grain of salt, the accuracy of sensors across CPUs varies.

Clock speed evaluation is more accurate, each core has its own sensor even on AMD processors. However, unlike the temperatures, we write the average values of the clock speeds during the tests in the graphs. We monitor the temperatures and clock speed of the CPU cores in the same tests in which we also measure power draw. Thus, sequentially from the lowest desktop idle load in Windows 10, through audio encoding (single-threaded load), gaming load in Shadow of the Tomb Raider to Cinebench R23.

Test setup

Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 liquid cooler w/ a metal backplate

G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo memory (2×16 GB, 6000 MHz/CL30). Motherboards with DDR4 memory support are tested with Patriot Blackout (4×8 GB, 3600 MHz/CL18) and Z690/B660 motherboards with DDR5 memory support were tested with Kingston Fury Beast (2×16 GB, 5200 MHz/CL40)

MSI RTX 3080 Gaming X Trio graphics card

Patriot Viper VP4100 (1 TB) and Patriot Viper VPN100 (2 TB) SSDs

Note: Graphics drivers used at the time of testing: Nvidia GeForce 466.77 and OS Windows 10 build 19045.

3DMark

We use 3DMark Professional for our tests and from the tests, Night Raid (DirectX 12), Fire Strike (DirectX 11) and Time Spy (DirectX 12). In the graphs you will find the CPU sub-scores, the combined scores, as well as the graphics scores. From this you can see to what extent a given CPU is limiting the graphics card.

Borderlands 3

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: None; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

F1 2020

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: off, Skidmarks Blending: off; test scene: built-in benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle).

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: TAA, Skidmarks Blending: off; test scene: built-in benchmark (Australia, Clear/Dry, Cycle).

Metro Exodus

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Extreme; API DirectX 12; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: off; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Highest; API DirectX 12; extra settings Anti-Aliasing: TAA; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Total War Saga: Troy

Test environment: resolution 1920 × 1080 px; graphics settings preset High; API DirectX 11; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

Test environment: resolution 3840 × 2160 px; graphics settings preset Ultra; API DirectX 11; no extra settings; test scene: built-in benchmark.

PCMark

Geekbench

Speedometer (2.0) and Octane (2.0)

Test environment: To ensure that results are not affected by web browser updates over time, we use a portable version of Google Chrome (91.0.472.101), a 64-bit build. Hardware GPU acceleration is enabled as well, as it is by default for every user.

Note: The values in the graphs represent the average of the scores obtained in the subtasks, which are grouped according to their nature into seven categories (Core language features, Memory and GC, Strings and arrays, Virtual machine and GC, Loading and Parsing, Bit and Math operations, and Compiler and GC latency).

Cinebench R20

Cinebench R23

Blender@Cycles

Test environment: We use well distributed projects BMW (510 tiles) and Classroom (2040 tiles) and the renderer Cycles. Render settings are set to None, with which all the work falls on the CPU.

LuxRender (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Adobe Premiere Pro (PugetBench)

Test environment: PugetBench tests set. We keep the version of the application (Adobe Premiere Pro) at 15.2.

DaVinci Resolve Studio (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests, test type: standard. App version of DaVinci Resolve Studio is 17.2.1 (build 12).

Graphics effects: Adobe After Effects

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe After Effects is 18.2.1.

Test environment: For video conversion we’re using a 4K video LG Demo Snowboard with a 43,9 Mb/s bitrate. AVC (x264) and HEVC (x265) profiles are set for high quality and encoder profiles are “slow”. HandBrake version is 1.3.3 (2020061300).

x264 and x265 benchmarks

Naposledy sme sa zaoberali základnou doskou, ktorá, ktorá je aj vďaka nižšej cene vhodná najmä na použitie s lacnejšími procesormi. Teraz tu máme o zhruba 50 eur drahšiu Gigabyte B660 Aorus Master DDR4. Príplatok tu má jasné opodstatnenie a odzkadľuje sa na lepších vlastnostiach. Napájacia kaskáda je výrazne efektívnejšia, chladiče sú účinnejšie a výbava je celkovo bohatšia, vrátane svetielok.

Audio encoding

Test environment: Audio encoding is done using command line encoders, we measure the time it takes for the conversion to finish. The same 42-minute long 16-bit WAV file (stereo) with 44.1 kHz is always used (Love Over Gold by Dire Straits album rip in a single audio file).

Encoder settings are selected to achieve maximum or near maximum compression. The bitrate is relatively high, with the exception of lossless FLAC of about 200 kb/s.

Note: These tests measure single-thread performance.

FLAC: reference encoder 1.3.2, 64-bit build. Launch options: flac.exe -s -8 -m -e -p -f

MP3: encoder lame3.100.1, 64-bit build (Intel 19 Compiler) from RareWares. Launch options: lame.exe -S -V 0 -q 0

AAC: uses Apple QuickTime libraries, invoked through the application from the command line, QAAC 2.72, 64-bit build, Intel 19 Compiler (does not require installation of the whole Apple package). Launch options: qaac64.exe -V 100 -s -q 2

Opus: reference encoder 1.3.1, Launch options: opusenc.exe –comp 10 –quiet –vbr –bitrate 192

Adobe Photoshop (PugetBench)

Test environment: set of PugetBench tests. App version of Adobe Photoshop is 22.4.2.

Affinity Photo (benchmark)

Test environment: built-in benchmark.

Topaz Labs AI apps

Topaz DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI. These single-purpose applications are used for restoration of low-quality photos. Whether it is high noise (caused by higher ISO), raster level (typically after cropping) or when something needs extra focus. The AI performance is always used.

Test settings for Topaz Labs applications. DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI, left to right. Each application has one of the three windows

Test environment: As part of batch editing, 42 photos with a lower resolution of 1920 × 1280 px are processed, with the settings from the images above. DeNoise AI is in version 3.1.2, Gigapixel in 5.5.2 and Sharpen AI in 3.1.2.

The processor is used for acceleration (and high RAM allocation), but you can also switch to the GPU

WinRAR 6.01

7-Zip 19.00

TrueCrypt 7.1a

Aida64 (AES, SHA3)

Aida64, FPU tests

FSI (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Kirchhoff migration (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Python36 (SPECworkstation 3.1)

SRMP (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Octave (SPECworkstation 3.1)

FFTW (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Convolution (SPECworkstation 3.1)

CalculiX (SPECworkstation 3.1)

RodiniaLifeSci (SPECworkstation 3.1)

WPCcfd (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Poisson (SPECworkstation 3.1)

LAMMPS (SPECworkstation 3.1)

NAMD (SPECworkstation 3.1)

Memory tests…

… and cache (L1, L2, L3)

M.2 (SSD) slots speed

USB ports speed

Ethernet speed

In the second test setup we use a Sonnet Solo10G network card to measure the LAN adapter transfer speeds

Analysis of power draw without power limits

Analysis of power draw with power limits

Achieved CPU clock speed w/o power limits…

… and with power limits

Disclaimer: The temperatures of the Core i9-12900K with the Core i9-13900K are incomparable. With the Intel Raptor Lake processor (Core i9-13900K) we use a metal backplate, while with Alder Lake (Core i9-12900K) the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 cooler has a plastic backplate. The latter has lower pressure and the heat transfer intensity is worse, as our tests show.

… and with power limits

VRM temperature w/o power limits…

… and with power limits

SSD temperature

Chipset temperature (south bridge)

Conclusion

A very good compromise between the A620 models and, say, the mid-range B650 motherboards. That’s how, in all simplicity, one can write about the MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi.

The advantage (compared to the A620 boards) is in wider connectivity and compared to the early B650 boards in a lower price. But at the same time, it can’t be taken to mean that you’re getting something “for free”. There is some cost cutting with the B650 Gaming Plus WiFi. Just by looking at how much power draw is achieved. This board can handle the Ryzen 9 7950X at maximum performance, but at a relatively low efficiency. The latter is both due to the hardware design of the VRM and the fact that the voltage regulation in the default settings does not reach the lower limit of its capabilities. By undervolting, you can get more attractive results. These appear, for example, even after simply limiting the TDP to 105 W, where the B650 Gaming Plus WiFi pulls away from the bottom of the rankings at high load and outperforms even the more expensive Gigabyte X670 Aorus Elite AX in efficiency. Under gaming load, however, the MSI board still lags behind a bit.

The VRM temperatures attacking 120 °C are a bit alarming, but it’s important to remember that thermal imaging is done without heatsinks and at the same time it’s powering a processor (R9 7950X), which in practice isn’t really counted on.And if it is, then with the PPT reduced to 142 W (and you can already stay within 85 °C). Anyway, the B650 Gaming Plus WiFi board is more suitable for the lower-power Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 processors, which is what it will mostly be sold with. With them, the efficiency will be decent already as well as the temperatures will be low enough, although it is still true that this board can handle everything, including a Ryzen 9 with a PPT of 230W. And even in harsh conditions in builds with quieter system cooling. The margin here is quite large, and the B650 Gaming Plus WiFi is always far from some “overheating with CPU multiplier reduction”. Of course, it’s not for some hardcore overclocking anymore, but boards that go together with high-end CPUs look different. This is an affordable option for regular build configurations that are relatively lower budget.

Worth praising and highlighting are the high speeds of the USB 3.2 gen. 2×2 interface. The 10-gigabit USB 3.2 gen. 2 ports are already slower, at the tail end of the comparison charts. This is what MSI boards with the B650 chipset seem to have in common. We saw similar results (extra-fast USB 3.2 gen. 2×2 and slower USB 3.2 gen. 2) with the MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi.There has also been some improvement in the SSD cooler, which has always been significantly weaker in this class of MSI boards. We can’t have any complaints when it comes to CPU performance. In none of the tests (and that we went through quite a few of them…) the board shows any anomalies with any unexpected drops.

What’s worse is the low-load power draw, which is excessively high. Its management could use some fine-tuning (56W is really quite a lot, when other boards with the same R9 7950X are in the 21–41W range).

Considering the price, equipment and measurable features, the MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi is a board that should definitely not be missing from the broader list when deciding on the components of a new computer. With processors with power draw on the level of the Ryzen 7 7700X and lower, the lower efficiency of the VRM doesn’t detract that much from its quality. It’s just a shame about the higher power draw at low load. But this is a matter that can be resolved, and to deny this board the well-deserved “Smart buy!” award because of it would be unfair.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš


MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi
+ Lower price...
+ ... and attractive features for the price
+ Stably handles even Ryzen 9 7950X without power limits
+ As many as eight external USB connectors. That's a decent number for this class
+ Effective VRM cooler...
+ ... and finally, even on a cheaper MSI board, a fairly decent SSD cooler
+ Very detailed fan management options
+ Fast Ethernet connection in both directions
+ Unusually large distance between the CPU socket and the first PCIe ×16 slot *
- High idle power draw
- Weaker efficiency in higher load...
- ... and higher VRM temperature. But this is a necessary tax for the lower price
Suggested retail price: 176 EUR

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* As a result, both convenient (de)mounting of expansion cards and extra support for very wide CPU coolers are ensured

Some of the tested boards are also available in the Datacomp e-shop

Special thanks to Blackmagic Design (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI) and Topaz Labs (for licenses for DeNoise AI, Gigapixel AI and Sharpen AI)

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