Motherboards
For Computex 2023, MSI is introducing an interesting USB4 PCIe expansion card. The card not only offers two full-bandwidth USB4 40Gbps Type-C ports, but the card can also deliver up to 100W of power to a device connected to it, allowing it to be used to power high-drain devices like laptops. The MSI USB4 PD100W Expansion Card (MS-4489) has two DisplayPort inputs as well as two USB Type-C connectors. The Type-C ports support USB data rates up to40 Gbps, but also supports DP alt mode and USB power delivery. What really makes this card notable are those power delivery capabilities; most USB4/Thunderbolt 4 expansion cards are PCIe bus-powered, and can only deliver up to 15 Watts or so. MSI's card, on the other hand, can deliver...
Voltage Lockdown: Investigating AMD's Recent AM5 AGESA Updates on ASRock's X670E Taichi
It's safe to say that the last couple of weeks have been a bit chaotic for AMD and its motherboard partners. Unfortunately, it's been even more chaotic for some...
40 by Gavin Bonshor on 5/16/2023AMD Issues Second Statement on Ryzen 7000 Burnout Issues: Caps SoC Voltages
Yesterday, AMD issued a statement surrounding the burnout issues some users have been experiencing with their Ryzen 7000X3D processors. The problem, reported in multiple Reddit subforums, includes some Ryzen...
43 by Gavin Bonshor on 4/27/2023AMD Issues Official Statement on Reported Ryzen 7000 Burnout Issues
Yesterday we reported that MSI announced a wave of firmware updates designed to address and alleviate potential issues with users on AM5 using AMD's Ryzen 7000X3D processors with 3D...
35 by Gavin Bonshor on 4/25/2023MSI Addresses CPU Voltages on AM5 Motherboards for Ryzen 7000X3D Processors
In response to recent reports of AMD's Ryzen 7000X3D processors being damaged, MSI has announced a wave of firmware updates to address potential issues. The highlight of MSI's new...
15 by Gavin Bonshor on 4/24/2023AMD Quietly Launches A620 Platform: Sub $100 AM5 Motherboards
AMD has introduced its entry-level A620 platform for AM5 processors. The new platform is designed to power inexpensive PCs that use AMD's CPUs in AM5 packaging based on the...
28 by Anton Shilov on 4/4/2023ASUS Unveils TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WIFI D4 Motherboard: Reverse Mounted Connectivity
When done correctly and with patience, cable management can be a rewarding experience; for the most part, it's frustrating, especially for premium systems. Much of the onus has been...
11 by Gavin Bonshor on 3/14/2023AMD AM5 Motherboards Finally Reach $125 Mark with ASRock's mATX B650M-HDV/M.2
When AMD introduced its Ryzen 7000-series processors and AM5 platform last September, it said that over time motherboards for the new CPUs would get to mainstream price points. Yet...
23 by Anton Shilov on 3/9/2023Intel Shares Stopgap Solution For Erratic Connection Drops With I226-V Ethernet Controller
The transition to 2.5Gbps Ethernet has not been an easy one for Intel. The company's I225/I226 2.5 GbE Ethernet controllers (codename Foxville), a prevalent choice on Intel platform motherboards...
40 by Zhiye Liu on 3/6/2023Best Intel Motherboards: Holiday 2022
Since we posted our previous motherboard guides, there has been a couple of notable processor launches. Perhaps one of the most impressive of the aforementioned launches is Intel's 13th...
4 by Gavin Bonshor on 12/12/2022Best AMD Motherboards: Holiday 2022
It has been a busy couple of months for both Intel and AMD, as well as their partner motherboard manufacturers. The release of AMD's latest Ryzen 7000 series processors...
13 by Gavin Bonshor on 11/3/2022NZXT Unveils N7 Z790 Motherboard for Intel 13th Gen Core Series
With a lot of news and info dropping on Intel's latest Z790 chipset using the LGA1700 socket, NZXT has pulled the trigger and announced its N7 Z790 motherboard. Available...
17 by Gavin Bonshor on 9/27/2022ASRock Announces New AM5 BIOS Design, Promises Faster Booting Times
In preparation for AMD's Ryzen 7000 series processors, which will launch on September 27th, ASRock has announced that it has developed a new BIOS for its AM5 motherboards. ASRock...
27 by Gavin Bonshor on 9/9/2022MSI Unveils X670 Pricing Ahead of AMD Ryzen 7000 Launch, Starting at $290
Ahead of the launch of AMD's latest Ryzen 7000 processors, which will hit retail shelves on September 27th, MSI unveiled pricing on four of its X670/X670E motherboards. Given the...
29 by Gavin Bonshor on 9/8/2022The MSI MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI (DDR5) Motherboard Review: A Decent Mid-Ranged Z690
As we near the end of Intel's 12th Gen (Alder Lake) life cycle, its 13th Gen Core series is expected to be due by the end of the year...
18 by Gavin Bonshor on 9/8/2022AMD Announces B650 Extreme Chipset for Ryzen 7000: PCIe 5.0 For Mainstream
Over the last couple of months, the rumor mill surrounding AMD's impending Ryzen 7000 processors for desktops has been in overdrive. Although Lisa Su unveiled Zen 4 back at...
24 by Gavin Bonshor on 8/29/2022ASUS Unveils Crosshair X670E Gene, Premium Micro-ATX AM5 Motherboard for Ryzen 7000
Over the years, multiple motherboards have captivated the market at various price points. Models like the Hero and the Formula are staples of ASUS's premium but popular ROG-themed offerings...
29 by Gavin Bonshor on 8/23/2022ASRock Releases Raptor Lake BIOS Updates For Its 600 Series Motherboards
While Intel has yet to officially announce its next (13th) generation of Core processors, this isn't stopping motherboard manufacturers from releasing products for them. Always eager to slide ahead...
3 by Gavin Bonshor on 6/29/2022The ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero Motherboard Review: A Solid Option For Alder Lake
Over the last six months since Intel launched its 12th Gen Core series of processors, we've looked at several Alder Lake desktop CPUs and seen how competitive they are...
40 by Gavin Bonshor on 6/15/2022NZXT Announce N7 and N5 Z690 Motherboards for Intel 12th Gen Core Processors
NZXT has announced a pair of new motherboards designed for Intel's 12th Gen Core processors: the N7 Z690 and N5 Z690. The N7 Z690 positions itself as the premium...
6 by Gavin Bonshor on 6/1/2022