Fans of the Mini-ITX form factor have plenty of options to choose from with multiple platforms and chipset options ranging from entry level to high-end. ITX has replaced Micro ATX as the preeminent small form factor.
ITX replaced Micro ATX as the preeminent small form factor.
I’m a big fan of Mini-ITX and recently had the chance to test out a couple of mini motherboards, first the ASRock Z790I Lightning and then the MSI MPG B650I Edge WiFi. As the name suggests, this is an AMD B650 board that aims to balance affordability with a decent feature set.
We love the look of this board; it blends in with any black or white themed build. It supports Ryzen 7000 and 8000 series processors and will definitely get a BIOS update so it will be able to run the upcoming Zen 5 CPUs as well. The two memory slots support up to 128GB of memory at DDR5-7200 speeds, although DDR5-6000 or a little above is still optimal on the AM5 platform to maintain the optimal 1:1 RAM to memory controller ratio.
The board features an 8+2+1 phase VRM with 80a stages. This isn’t extreme compared to some VRM systems found on boards built for Intel 14th Gen processors, but it’s more than enough to run a Ryzen 9 7950X, and other AM5 CPUs, including X3D models, will work fine on the Edge. The VRM heatsink is fairly large, so potential buyers should check that their chosen cooler will fit, but this is a common issue with all ITX boards.
MSI MPG B650I Edge WiFi Specifications
socket: About AM5
CPU Compatibility: AMD Ryzen 7000/8000 Series Processors
Form Factor: Mini-ITX
Memory Support: DDR5-7200+(OC), up to 128GB
Storage: 2x M.2, 4x SATA
USB: Up to 1x USB 20Gbps, 4x USB 10Gbps, 4x USB 5Gbps, 2x USB 2.0
screen: 1x HDMI 2.1
networking: Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5G LAN, AMD WiFi 6E
audio: Realtek ALC4080
price: $259 / £199 / AU$349
The board comes with a PCIe Gen 4 x16 slot and two Gen 4 M.2 slots, one of which is on the back of the board. If you need Gen 5 SSD and GPU support, you’ll need to look at the B650E or X670E, although Gigabyte’s competitor, the B650i Aorus Ultra, includes one Gen 5 SSD slot. However, Gen 5 SSDs aren’t a must-have for gamers right now.
Four SATA ports is nice. With PCB space at a premium and M.2 becoming mainstream, SATA ports are becoming scarce, with many ITX boards only having two. If you’re looking for a board that can support multiple SATA SSDs or hard drives, your options are fewer than you might expect.
You may have noticed that the chipset and SSD heatsinks have built-in fans. Ugh, but in this case it’s a necessary evil. A single chipset B650 board with a 7W TDP can be passively cooled, but if you also add a high-performance M.2 SSD, the small ITX-sized heatsink won’t be able to cool both without some help. Luckily, it’s quiet in general operation, but you may need to tweak the fan curves in the BIOS depending on the included graphics card (if any) and the airflow characteristics of your case.
The primary controllers aren’t bad at all for a board in this price range, and there’s Realtek ALC4080 audio, Realtek 2.5G LAN, and AMD RZ616 WiFi 6E.
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The I/O on the back is pretty typical for an ITX board that can’t pack in a ton of USB ports. The 20Gbps Type-C port is nice, and it adds three 10Gbps and two 5Gbps ports. Two basic USB 2.0 ports for a keyboard and mouse would be nice, but there’s also the option of two USB 2.0 ports, two 5Gbps ports, and one 10Gbps Type-C port connected on the front. At least the 20Gbps port on the back means you can plug in a high-speed dock or hub for extra USB ports if needed.
System Performance
Gaming Performance
Test Equipment
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
graphic: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
Ram: 2x 16GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 C36
Storage: 2TB Kingston KC3000
cooling: Cooler Master PL360 Flux 360mm AIO
Power supply: Corsair HX1000i
Performance-wise, this board performed a bit worse than other B650 boards I’ve tested. I don’t know why other than to speculate that it was because the 7950X sample downclocked a bit more than normal when it hit the 95°C threshold. Looking at the equivalent gaming tests where the CPU is not limited bears that out. VRM temperatures were within limits, so I don’t think these minor shortcomings are the fault of the board itself.
In summary, I’m overall impressed with the MSI MPG B650I Gaming Edge. I like the look of it, but it’s a bit disappointing to see the return of chipset fans on many SFF boards, due to the heat of the M.2 drives. Luckily, this little MSI fan is unobtrusive and the speed can be controlled in the BIOS.
…then buy it
✅If you need 20Gbps USB support: Many boards in this price range don’t support 20Gbps USB, so if you plan on using a USB dock or hub, the MSI B650i Edge is one of the few options.
✅ Four SATA ports are required: 4 Mini ITX boards Although there are fewer SATA ports, SATA is still useful, making the MSI B650i Edge a good choice for anyone who stores a lot of files.
Do not purchase if…
❌ You Must Supports Gen 5 SSDs and GPUs: I need to see it If you need full PCIe Gen 5 support, choose the B650E or X670E options.
The set of controllers is good – ALC4080 audio is welcome over the cheaper ALC897, WiFi 6E and 2.5G LAN are pretty standard these days, and with the inclusion of a Type-C 20Gbps USB port and four SATA ports, MSI has given it a well-balanced feature set for the suggested retail price of $259 / £199 / AU$349.
If we were to nitpick, we’d like to see a DisplayPort for use with the Ryzen 8000G series processors, and one HDMI 2.1 port is the bare minimum.
If you’re looking for an affordable AMD socket AM5 option, this affordable little MSI is worth considering. There’s no Gen 5 support, which isn’t that important right now, but it may become important in the next few years. Zen 5 CPUs are definitely supported, and likely Zen 6 CPUs as well. Depending on AMD’s releases, I don’t think you’re going to be pushing a 32 core CPU on an AM5 Mini-ITX board; you might be pushing the VRM a bit too hard.
If you need ports for storage on your SFF motherboard, need 20Gbps USB, and want a solid upgrade path, this MSI might be your pick.
