MSI MAG B850M Mortar WiFi Review: Ticks All The Right Boxes!

Sameed Hussain

As a Hardware Expert at Tech4Gamers, I blend my Computer Science expertise with a love for technology. Through comprehensive reviews and comparisons, I guide our audience in making informed tech decisions.

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Ali

I intitally started by writing CPU comparisons and since then have written articles of all kinds, from Wikis and How-Tos to dedicated CPU reviews. Currently, I test and review CPUs, motherboards, and sometimes, RAM.

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MSI’s much-awaited MAG Mortar for the AMD B850 chipset is out, right on cue with rumors that alleged an early March release. The MAG Mortar boards are part of MSI’s microATX lineup for high-end compact builds under the Arsenal Gaming branding. This board is essentially the MAG B850 Tomahawk in the mATX form factor and has slightly cut-down features. For today, let’s dive in and see what this one holds. 

Key Takeaways

• The MSI MAG B850M Mortar WiFi is MSI’s latest microATX release, currently supporting three generations of AMD Ryzen CPUs. It offers satisfactory performance and great features for a fair price. 
• Buy the board if you need excellent performance and features in a mATX form factor and/or you prefer minimalistic designs. 
• Don’t get it if you’re okay with getting B650M boards instead. You can find a similar offering for cheaper on this older chipset. 

Here are the detailed specifications: 

The motherboard is supposed to cost $200, a whopping $40 difference from its predecessor’s $240 tag and $20 cheaper than the B850 Tomahawk WiFi. Specifications-wise, the B850 chipset differs from the B650 only in the mandatory Gen 5 M.2 slot (which is optional in the latter). However, we have other upgrades: WiFi 7 and BT 5.4, faster DDR5 speed support, and 5G LAN.

Considering the upgraded features, this seems like a great price for the board. 

Packaging and Unboxing

The cardboard box packaging is in the familiar grey theme we saw on other Tomahawk motherboards of this generation. 

The front highlights some of the key socket features and a warning against misuse of the onboard battery. On the back, the key features of the motherboard are highlighted along with the detailed specifications and a diagram of the rear I/O. 

Here’s what we found inside the box:

• Quick installation guide
• 1x SATA cable
• 2x EZ M.2 Clips II
• EZ M.2 Clip II Remover
• 1x M.2 Screw 
• EZ WiFi Antenna 
• 1-to-2 EZ Conn-Cable (V1)
• EZ Front Panel Cable 
• EU Regulatory Notice
• Cable Sticker 

As we saw with the MAG B860M Mortar WiFi, this motherboard comes with a 1-to-2 cable instead of a 1-to-3 one. The difference is that this is a 7-pin cable and lacks the 4-pin USB 2.0 connection, so it’s only good for powering your ARGB fans (and not AIOs). The EZ Front Panel Cable combines the pesky little front panel connectors into one that can be connected away at a more convenient spot. 

The included M.2 screw might confuse you; it’s for the M.2 port on the backside of the board. 

Design

On the design end, we have the same design as the other microATX Mortar models of this generation. The board PCB is all black, with the heatsinks in a matte black finish. We have MSI branding across all the heatsinks, highlighted in yellow-green branding. The overall design is minimalistic, and the heatsinks only feature a few printed patterns and shapes. There’s no RGB, but there’s room to install your own with the multiple RGB headers. 

The MAG B850M Mortar WiFi is built on an 8-layered PCB with 2oz thickened copper. It features Transient Voltage Suppressors (TVS) to prevent potential circuit damage by high voltage. We also get overcurrent protection. 

All B850 boards use the Promontory 21 chip. This powers the secondary PCIe and M.2 slots, SATA ports, WiFi 7, LAN, audio, and various USB ports. The CPU powers PCIe Gen 5 connections, DDR5 memory, and 10G and USB 2.0 connections. 

CPU Socket and Power Delivery System 

The B850 motherboards are based on AMD’s AM5 (LGA1718) socket, the same as the B650. This motherboard supports all Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series CPUs out of the box. Removing the heatsinks, we are greeted by the 12+2+1 (VCore + SOC + MISC) Duet Rail power design, with 12x 60A phases dedicated to the CPU. This equals 720A, which is enough for any Ryzen CPU you can throw at it (overclocking potential will be more or less limited, though). 

Duet Rail Power System (DRPS) is MSI’s term for teamed power stages, where two phases receive the same PWM signal. This system is faster than doublers but not as effective as pure phases, of course. 

The VRMs are surrounded by copper rings to minimize electromagnetic interference and promote efficient heat conduction. 

A closer look at the capacitors surrounding the VRMs, they are rated at 560µF and 6.3V. These are the same capacitors that all other MSI boards of this generation are using. 

Power enters the VRMs through the 2x 8-pin EPS connectors, each capable of 150W for a total of 300W combined. These are MSI’s solid-pin connectors, which MSI claims are capable of lower impedance and better durability than traditional connectors. 

The heatsinks cooling the VRMs feature a stacked fin design with six layers. They are not connected by a heat pipe. Underneath the heatsinks are dedicated 7 W/mK MOSFET thermal pads and additional thermal pads for the chokes. 

DIMM Slots 

The motherboard has 4x surface-mounted DIMM slots supporting a maximum capacity of 256 GB across the two channels. The slots support JEDEC memory speeds between 4800-5600 MT/s, while the maximum overclocked memory speed supported is 8200 MT/s. Here are the maximum speeds supported across different configurations:

• 1DPC 1R = 8200 MT/s
• 1DPC 2R = 6400 MT/s
• 2DPC 1R = 6400 MT/s
• 2DPC 2R = 4800 MT/s 

Editor`s Note

Note that the Ryzen 9000 CPUs function optimally when the memory is set to 6400 MT/s (3200 MHz). This is the maximum frequency at which the CPU’s memory controller can sync with the memory itself. Beyond this, latency is introduced as the CPU controller starts operating at half the memory frequency. This can only be countered by speeds exceeding 8000 MT/s. 

– Ali

ECC memory is not supported. MSI promises ideal overclocking conditions with the “Memory Boost” feature. The motherboard offers customized memory timing presets in the BIOS for different configurations. You can either tighten the timings, keep them balanced, or keep them relaxed. 

CUDIMMs are supported, but only with clock driver mode bypassed. In case you don’t know, the clock driver allows the memory to regenerate the clock signal, reducing latency compared to UDIMMs that rely on the CPU for this purpose. With the clock driver bypassed, the memory functions as UDIMM, so there’s nothing exciting to be excited about yet. 

PCIe Slots 

The motherboard features 2x PCIe slots, including a full PCIe Gen 5 x16 slot. This slot is surface-mounted (SMT) to minimize interference and noise. It is also steel-reinforced (MSI Steel Armor II) for improved durability, which is ideal for supporting heavy graphics cards (a support bracket is still recommended, though!).

The EZ PCIe release button for this slot is a notable feature. Simply press the button to release your graphics card. Installing a new card requires pressing the button and releasing it when the card is seated correctly in place. The padlock icon beside the button shows whether or not the lock is in place. 

The secondary slot is a PCIe Gen 4 x4 slot, ideal for any add-on PCIe cards. 

Storage Options

The MSI MAG B850M Mortar WiFi for SATA storage has 4x SATA 6G slots. These support RAID 0, 1, and 10 configurations. For NVMe storage, it sports dual Gen 5 x4 slots and a Gen 4 x2 slot at the backside. The NVMe drives support RAID 0, 1, and 5 configurations. The RAID 5 configuration is only supported by the Ryzen 9000 series CPUs. 

Here are the different form factors supported by the M.2 slots: 

• M2_1, M2_2 = 2280/2260
• M2_3 = 2280 

A shared heatsink cools the dual Gen 5 slots. Removing the heatsink requires a gentle push to the right side (EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II). We have thermal pads on the base and heatsinks to accommodate the high heat output of the Gen 5 drives. Installing 2260 drives involves the EZ M.2 Clip, which uses a simple latch-like mechanism. Meanwhile, installing a 2280 drive uses traditional screws, but you can install the included M.2 Clips II here for easy installation. 

The M.2_3 port at the back does not have a heatsink, of course. That’s not a concern since it will support PCIe 3.0 x4 speeds at most. Installing an SSD with a dedicated heatsink will require a chassis with enough motherboard cutout space for the SSD, which should be the case in most ATX chassis. The motherboard manual has details about M.2 SSD heatsink restrictions. 

USB Connectivity

Here’s the list of USB ports on the motherboard: 

• 4x USB 2.0 (Front)
• 4x USB 5Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type A (Front)
• 3x USB 10Gbps Type A (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Rear)
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type C (Front)
• 1x USB 20Gbps Type C (Rear)

USB4, which is optional on the chipset, hasn’t been included. We have no complaints considering the price tag. The GL850 controller powers the USB 2.0 ports. 

Network and Connectivity

The MAG B850M Mortar WiFi sports 5G LAN, an impressive offering at this price tag. This is coupled with WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 to bring you an impressive connectivity package. WiFi 7 supports a channel of 320 MHz and enables speeds of up to 5.8Gbps with 4K QAM. MSI’s AI LAN Manager comes bundled with the motherboard. It offers features like auto bandwidth prioritization for multiplayer games and analysis of WiFi signals to find the best signal. 

Both WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 require Windows 11 24H2. 

Audio Solution

The motherboard uses the mid-range ALC4080 codec from Realtek, the same as the MAG B650M Mortar WiFi. It supports 7.1 surround sound and playback support of 32-bit/384kHz with the front panel 3.5mm jack, while the rear ports offer S/PDIF output.

MSI’s “Audio Boost 5” enables high-quality audio thanks to a dedicated headphone amplifier, depop protection, and separate left/right channels. The “Isolated Analogy Structure” ensures that the external framework does not affect the internal audio signal. 

Internal Connectors and Components

Here are all the internal connectors: 

• 1x Power Connector
• 2x Power Connector
• 1x PCIe 8-pin Connector
• 1x CPU Fan
• 1x Combo Fan (Pump_Sys Fan)
• 4x System Fan
• 1x EZ Conn-header (JAF_1)
• 2x Front Panel (JFP)
• 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
• 1x Front Audio (JAUD)
• 1x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH)
• 3x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
• 1x RGB LED connector (JRGB)
• 1x TPM pin header (TPM 2.0)
• 4x USB 2.0
• 2x USB 5Gbps Type-A
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type-C

The motherboard has the Tuning Controller connector, a device that MSI included in older boards such as the Z690 Unify-X. This connector connects the Tuning Controller, which offers features useful for overclocking, such as power/reset, clear CMOS, and a safe boot option. 

The 8-pin PCIe connector is a new addition to selective motherboards of this generation, offering up to 252W of extra power and totaling 420W of board power. This includes 132W for fans, 36W for RGB, and a 165W maximum power excursion for the PCIe slots (2.5x). You need enough power from your supply and a spare 8-pin connector to use this, though!

The 8-pin connector and the ATX connector also use the solid pin design. 

We see the 4x debug LEDs on the upper right-hand side for troubleshooting booting issues. There’s no debug code LED panel, another feature we wouldn’t have expected at this price anyway. 

Rear I/O Connectivity

Here’s what we have for the rear I/O:

• Clear CMOS Button
• 5G LAN
• USB 10Gbps Type-A
• USB 5Gbps Type-A
• Audio Connectors
• Flash BIOS Button
• HDMI 2.1
• USB 10Gbps Type-A
• USB 10Gbps Type-C
• USB 20Gbps Type-C
• Wi-Fi / Bluetooth connectors
• Optical S/PDIF Out

There’s nothing out of the ordinary at the back. We appreciate the labeling of USB speeds back here, which we have also pointed out before. The stainless steel I/O shield comes pre-installed on the board.

Test Setup 

Here’s what our test bench looks like:

• AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 16C/32T
• ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420 Liquid CPU Cooler
• G. Skill Trident Z5 Royal NEO DDR5-8000 CL36 EXPO Kit (2×16 = 32GB)
• XPG Lancer RGB 32GB 7200MHz DDR5 RAM
• Nvidia GeForce Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
• Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD [For Software]
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD [For Games]
• Sabrent Rocket NANO V2 4TB Portable SSD
• Corsair HX1200i Platinum PSU
• Windows 11 Pro Build 23H2
• BIOS Version 
• AGESA 1.2.0.2 firmware

Synthetic Benchmarks

Here’s a look at the synthetic tests first. 

The motherboard managed a 52-second render time, sitting somewhere in the middle. 

In Cinebench 2024, the board outputs par numbers. 

The Corona 11 benchmark showed similar results again, with a 64.1-second render time.

The Geekbench 6 multi-threaded test saw a score of 21698 from the MAG B850M Mortar WiFi. 

We recorded a score of 48895 points in the V-Ray benchmark.

Overall, the performance in synthetic benchmarks is just as expected!

Gaming Benchmarks

Next, we’re looking at the gaming tests.

In Cyberpunk 2077, the board outputs 143 FPS on average, with a minimum of 109 FPS.

Moving on to Far Cry 6, the board’s output is 183 FPS on average, dropping to 139 FPS at the lowest.

Finally, the board shows 108 FPS on average in Starfield at 1080P resolution.

Power Consumption and VRM Temperatures

Let’s look at the combined motherboard and CPU power consumption numbers. For the “Load” test, we used the Cinebench 2024 multicore benchmark. 

The motherboard had the second lowest combined power consumption of all the B850 boards in our list. It came in at 359W under load, 114W while gaming, and 106 watts at idle. 

Impressive cooling performance from the VRM heatsinks! The heatsink is essentially the same as the MAG B850 Tomahawk WiFi, and we recorded the same maximum temperature as it. 

Boot Times 

With the MAG B850M Mortar WiFi, we noted a 22-second boot time, which it shares with four other boards. 

Should You Buy It? 

Worth it? 

Buy It If: 

✅You need a power-packed mATX board for Ryzen 9000: The motherboard’s top features make it perfect for powerful Ryzen 9000 (or Ryzen 7000/8000) systems. These include 4x DIMM slots (up to 256 GB), fast memory speed support, 5G LAN, and WiFi 7.

✅You prefer minimalistic designs: Not a fan of flashy motherboard designs? The B850M Mortar WiFi might be the right fit for you then.

✅You need great VRM cooling: The motherboard’s VRMs peaked at just 57°C under full Cinebench 2024 load. 

Don’t Buy It If: 

❌You want cheaper options: If you’re okay with sacrificing some features, you can find cheaper B850/B650 chipset motherboards. 

My Thoughts

The MSI MAG B850M Mortar WiFi is a great option if you’re looking for a capable microATX B850 motherboard. It features a decent 12+2+1 (with 12x 60A DRPS for the CPU), providing plenty of current for most users’ needs. The motherboard is enough to handle every Ryzen CPU out there, but don’t expect extreme overclocking!

The motherboard’s design is quite basic, free of RGB and flashy aesthetics, which will suit those who prefer more laid-back designs. RGB can, of course, be installed in the form of RGB fans or strips. 

There’s room for up to 256 GB of DDR5 memory. Four DIMM slots on mATX boards is standard now, so we also saw that on the B650M Mortar WiFi. However, there’s room for faster speeds (up to 8200 MT/s) and CUDIMMs (with clock driver bypass!).

The motherboard has 2x PCIe slots, including a full-size PCIe 5.0 for your GPU. This slot is steel-reinforced and surface-mounted, and it sports the EZ PCIe release mechanism for great, convenient functioning. Storage is covered by 4x 6G SATA ports and 3x M.2 (including two PCIe 5.0), an impressive offering. With EZ M.2 heatsink removal and drive installation/removal, there’s plenty of added ease. The Gen 4 SSD slot at the back is one of its unique offerings.

Other top offerings include 20G USB, 5G LAN, WiFi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4, and we can’t forget about the remaining EZ-DIY features. MSI has made it a point to make their latest generation motherboards as easy to work with as possible, and we love it. 

The motherboard costs $199. While cheaper B850 boards are available, the features and performance here certainly justify the price.

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Ali

[Hardware Reviewer]

Hi! I’m Ali Tauseef, and I have been writing for Tech4Gamers since 2022. I love all things computer hardware but am particularly fond of CPUs and motherboards, and I like to stay up-to-date about the latest advancements in these worlds, and when possible, write about it. When I’m not doing that, I like to get into a little FPS action in CS2 or get lost in the vast world of RDR2.

Get In Touch: ali@tech4gamers.com