Putting connectors on the backside of motherboards seems to be the new trend for 2023 as MSI has uncovered its Project Zero series motherboards. A few months back ASUS began revealing its prototype which is now heading to market, and GIGABTYE has its own version as well. MSI is launching its Project Zero series with the B760M for Intel, and the B650M for AMD processors. A leaked specifications slide from earlier this week has shown that a Z790 offering could be arriving soon also.
MSI Project Zero B760M description (per official page):
“The B760M PROJECT ZERO features a unique back-connect design that reduces the complexity of cable management, resulting in a neater and more aesthetically pleasing appearance for the system. It’s compatible with Intel 14th/13th/12th Processors, supports DDR5, and comes equipped with a 2.5G LAN and Wi-Fi 6E solution. This makes it an excellent choice among mATX motherboards.”
B760M Specifications:
- Chipset: INTEL B760
- CPU Support: Intel® Core™ 14th/ 13th/ 12th Gen Processors, Intel® Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors LGA1700
- Memory: 4x DDR5, Maximum Memory Capacity 192GB
- Memory Support: 7800+(OC)/ 7600(OC)/ 7400(OC)/ 7200(OC)/ 7000(OC)/ 6800(OC)/ 6600(OC)/ 6400(OC)/ 6200(OC)/ 6000(OC)/ 5800(OC)/ 5600(JEDEC)/ 5400(JEDEC)/ 5200(JEDEC)/ 5000(JEDEC)/ 4800(JEDEC) MHz
- Max. overclocking frequency: 1DPC 1R Max speed up to 7800+ MHz, 1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6600+ MHz, 2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MHz, 2DPC 2R Max speed up to 5600+ MHz, Supports Dual-Channel mode, Supports non-ECC, un-buffered memory, Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile
- Onboard graphics ports: 1x HDMI™, Support HDMITM 2.1 with HDR, maximum resolution of 4K 60Hz*, 1x DisplayPort, Support DP 1.4, maximum resolution of 4K 60Hz*Available only on processors featuring integrated graphics. Graphics specifications may vary depending on the CPU installed.
- PCIe Slot Support: SLOT 2x PCI-E x16 slot 1x PCI-E x1 slot PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x16 (From CPU) PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 3.0 supports up to x1 (From Chipset) PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x4 (From Chipset) STORAGE 2x M.2 M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices M.2_2 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x4 / SATA mode, supports 2280/2260/2242 devices 4x SATA 6G RAID Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA storage devices
- USB Ports: 4x USB 2.0 (Rear) 4x USB 2.0 (Front) 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A (Front) 3x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A (Rear) 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C (Front) 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type C (Rear)
- Network: LAN Realtek® 2.5Gbps LAN WIRELESS LAN & BLUETOOTH Intel® Wi-Fi 6E The Wireless module is pre-installed in the M.2 (Key-E) slot Supports MU-MIMO TX/RX, 2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz (160MHz) up to 2.4Gbps, Supports 802.11 a/ b/ g/ n/ ac/ ax, Supports Bluetooth® 5.3, FIPS, FISMA, Wi-Fi 6E 6GHz may depend on every country’s regulations and will be ready in Windows 11., ** Bluetooth 5.3 will be ready in Windows 10 build 21H1 and Windows 11.
- AUDIO: Realtek® ALC897 Codec 7.1-Channel High Performance Audio,Supports S/PDIF output
- I/O Connectors: 1x Power Connector(ATX_PWR), 2x Power Connector(CPU_PWR), 1x CPU Fan, 1x Pump Fan, 4x System Fan, 2x Front Panel (JFP), 1x Chassis Intrusion (JCI), 1x Front Audio (JAUD), 1x TBT connector (JTBT, supports RTD3), 1x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH),2x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2),2x RGB LED connector(JRGB),1x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0)
Leaked Z790 Specifications (per VideoCardz):
B650M PROJECT ZERO Features (per official page)
- Supports AMD Ryzen™ 7000 Series Desktop Processors
- Supports DDR5 Memory, up to 7600+(OC) MHz
- Premium Thermal Solution: Extended Heatsink Design and M.2 Shield Frozr are built for high performance system and non-stop works
- 2.5G LAN and AMD Wi-Fi 6E Solution: Upgraded network solution for professional and multimedia use. Delivers a secure, stable and fast network connection
- Lightning M.2: Running at PCIe Gen 4 maximizes performance for NVMe based SSDs
- Lightning USB 20G: Built-in USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port, offers 20Gbps transmission speed, 4X faster than USB 3.2 Gen 1
- Audio Boost: Reward your ears with studio grade sound