MSI B650I Edge Wi-Fi Review: Affordable ITX for AM5

Mid-priced Mini-ITX with a unique look but no PCIe 5.0 M.2

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MSI B650I Edge Wi-Fi
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Firmware

MSI’s BIOS for the B650I Edge Wi-Fi is the same as the other X670/B650 we’ve seen. The menus still reside on the sides, and information is up top, giving it a unique look compared to other BIOSs. It still has a black background with red highlights (MSI Gaming theme), making it easy to read. It also has an informative Easy Mode that displays various information about the system and allows for some changes (boot order and XMP enable, enable/disable RGBs, etc.). Though different than other UEFIs, it is easy to navigate; everything has a place, and many frequently used options are readily available, not buried within sub-menus.

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Joe Shields
Joe Shields
Staff Writer, Components

Joe Shields is a staff writer at Tom’s Hardware. He reviews motherboards and PC components.

9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Loadedaxe
    A little pricey for a B650 even at ITX, and with no pcie 5.0 nvme slots. The B650 mATX project zero has better I/O and is $65 less.

    All in all these AM5 boards, all of them are way too much!
    Reply
  • SonoraTechnical
    it costs too much.
    Reply
  • logainofhades
    Priced too high for what it is.
    Reply
  • Amdlova
    Itx boards are too expensive. Motherboard, case, power supply are insanely over priced.
    It's why I have a open case with atx board.
    Reply
  • logainofhades
    Amdlova said:
    Itx boards are too expensive. Motherboard, case, power supply are insanely over priced.
    It's why I have a open case with atx board.

    Even ATX has gotten pricey, if you want a decent motherboard that doesn't have VRM's you could cook a steak on.
    Reply
  • daddelbud
    How did you manage to test it with an Intel CPU?
    Reply
  • jeffy9987
    the pcie x16 slot is 4.0 not 5 all images/spec sheet from msi say 4.0 (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-B650I-EDGE-WIFI/Specification)
    Reply
  • Loadedaxe
    jeffy9987 said:
    the pcie x16 slot is 4.0 not 5 all images/spec sheet from msi say 4.0 (https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MPG-B650I-EDGE-WIFI/Specification)
    @Admin
    He is right, might want to fix that in the article.
    Reply
  • slava524
    Using such a board for a month with Ryzen 7 8700G. Bought it specially for a build in a custom ITX-case.
    Very DYI-ish MB (with the meaning that you'll need to do some extra work on it).
    A strangely high CMOS Reset button on the rear — do we really need to push it that often?? Not only me suspects that it can lead to permanent push inside of the packaging box (I guess the next point is a consequence of this)
    The CMOS battery was already almost dead (so BIOS settings often reset after power-off) — had to disassemble it and change to a new CR2032 (problem solved but the warranty is gone).
    Very annoying (but almost useless) chipset/ssd fan. Why do we need it here at all? Yes, one can adjust its fan curve in the BIOS to the minimums, but if your pc case is not far away under the desk you will still hear it. Will try mounting a ssd with its own fanless heatsink and watch for temps (already suspect that this should be fine).
    No DP output — lots of B650 MBs not featuring it too, IDK why.Otherwise it's a rather decent middle-class board.
    Reply