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Benchmarks and Final Analysis

Benchmark Results and Final Analysis

To get the most out of the Intel Alder Lake chips, you need to be on Windows 11 with its updated scheduler. In most cases, Windows 10 performs well. However, some tests (Cinebench R20, Corona and POVRay) take a significant hit. In short, if you’re going with Alder Lake, you must upgrade to Windows 11 for the best results across the board. That may change with patching and updates in the future, though.

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Biostar B660M Silver — (Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The B660M Silver performed well during most synthetic benchmarks, landing around the average of other DDR4-equipped motherboards. The only below-average tests were Cinebench R23 and POV-Ray’s multi-threaded tests. But if you’ve read our previous reviews, you know that’s a recurring theme due to the thermal throttling of the processor. The Procyon tests were all averag, as was the AIDA64 memory bandwidth.

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Starting with the launch of the Z690 chipset, we’ve updated our game tests, moving to Far Cry 6 and shifting from F1 2020 to F1 2021. We run the games at 1920x1080 resolution using the Ultra preset (details listed above). As the resolution goes up, the CPU tends to have less impact. The goal with these settings is to determine if there are differences in performance at the most commonly used resolution with settings most people use or at least strive for. We expect the difference between boards in these tests to be minor, with most falling within the margin of error differences. We’ve also added a minimum FPS value, which can affect your gameplay and immersion experience.

Priced at $159.99, the Biostar B660M Silver is an inexpensive Micro ATX Alder Lake option for the general user. The board doesn’t do anything poorly, but also doesn’t deliver anything spectacular. That isn’t a bad thing, though! Hardware-wise, the B660M Silver includes what’s expected for this class board. You get capable power delivery, two M.2 sockets and four SATA ports, premium last-gen audio, plenty of USB ports on the rear IO, and more. While there are plenty of comparables in this space, it’s still a worthy option to for your Alder Lake processor.

As far as competition goes, all major partners have an option around this price range. The ASRock B660M Steel Legend is the least expensive at $114.99 (down from $159.99). Asus’ TUF Gaming B660M-Plus WIFI D4 sits at $169.99. Gigabyte’s B660M Aorus Pro AX is also $169.99, and the MSI MAG B660M Mortar WIFI DDR4 is $159.99, just like the Biostar. Most of the hardware in this range is similar, offering two M.2 sockets and at least four SATA ports (MSI and ASRock have six). The difference comes in audio codecs (Biostar and MSI have the best here), integrated Wi-Fi (the Biostar and ASRock do not come with it), and maybe a few other things like USB port count and speed. If it’s looks you’re after and need integrated RGB, ASRock and Gigabyte have you covered on that front.

The Biostar B660M Silver is a great affordable way into the Micro ATX Alder Lake space. The black-on-silver design fits most build themes and doesn’t draw attention to itself out of the box. Hardware-wise, it has most everything users are looking for. But for the price, I would like to see Wi-Fi included as most of the other comparables include that handy feature. If you’re looking for a B660-based Micro ATX motherboard, the B660M Silver doesn’t stand out compared to others, but is still a worthwhile consideration for your Alder Lake needs.