Even though we're seeing the first signs of AMD's B550 chipset, MSI announced today two new B450 motherboards. The MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon Max WiFi and the MSI B450M Bazooka Max WiFi are both compatible with up to 3rd-generation AMD Ryzen 9 processors, and the latter comes in the Micro-ATX form factor.
With no release date or pricing yet, we're far from knowing if these will be the best motherboards, but they are an interesting duo. They're very well-kitted, considering their B450 nature.
MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon Max WiFi
The full-size ATX B450 Gaming Pro Carbon Max WiFi sports two PCIe 3.0 x16 slots and support for the best RAM in the form of dual-channel DDR4 support. You also get plenty of SATA ports, space for two M.2 NVMe SSDs. There's also addressable-RGB, along with USB 3.2 Gen2 and Audio Boost 4 for those that care about good sound quality.
With big chunky heatsinks and, from the looks of it, elaborate VRM circuitry hiding underneath there, the MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon Max WiFi is the most feature-rich B450 motherboard in MSI's lineup.
MSI B450M Bazooka Max WiFi
Taking a step in a different direction, the B450M Bazooka Max WiFi will aim to compete with an aggressive price point, according to MSI's announcement. It offers the basic features needed in a Micro-ATX motherboard without adding so much that it jacks up the price.
Consequently you won't find big heatsinks, highly elaborate VRM circuitry, an overdose in connectivity or built-in RGB on this board.
What you will find is an RGB header for connecting to the lighting of your PC case, CPU cooler or accessories, plus a basic variant of MSI's Audio Boost circuitry, on-board WiFi, USB 3.2 Gen 1 and an NVMe M.2 SSD slot. If you need more features, on a Micro-ATX platform from an MSI AM4 board, you'll have to look at the B450M Mortar Max instead.
