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GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX vs MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX scores 6.2/10 overall, ahead of the MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI at 5.6/10.

The GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX leads on platform and features, connectivity and BIOS and support.

The MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI leads on power delivery.

They score the same on value.

GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX

GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX

6.2/10verdict: good, not the best

The GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX is a micro ATX AM5 board for compact builds on Ryzen 7000, 8000 or 9000 processors. It suits buyers who want one PCIe 5.0 NVMe drive, 2.5GbE and built-in Wi-Fi. It fits a general-purpose desktop, a small workstation or a light homelab box that needs four SATA ports.

Typically about £144.99 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI

MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI

5.6/10verdict: good, not the best

This is a micro-ATX AM5 board for people building a compact Ryzen 7000, 8000 or 9000 system on a mid-range chipset. It suits builders who want 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 6E and a solid CPU power stage without paying for PCIe 5.0 storage. It fits best with two memory sticks and a modest storage plan.

Typically about £151.49 in the UK when we researched itSearch Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightGIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AXMSI PRO B650M-A WIFI
Platform and features25%6/105/10
Connectivity25%7/105/10
Power delivery20%5/107/10
BIOS and support15%7/105/10
Value15%6/106/10
Overall6.2/105.6/10

Specifications

SpecGIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AXMSI PRO B650M-A WIFI
CPU socket (e.g. AM5, AM4, LGA1851, LGA1700)AM5 (Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 series)AM5 (Ryzen 9000/8000/7000 series supported)
ChipsetAMD B650AMD B650
Form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, E-ATX)Micro ATX, 24.4 x 24.4 cmMicro-ATX (mATX), PCB 243.84 mm x 243.84 mm
Memory: type (DDR4 or DDR5), number of slots, maximum capacity and speedDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, up to 256 GB (64 GB per DIMM), dual channel; base speeds 5200/4800/4400 MT/s with OC profiles up to 8000 MT/s; EXPO and XMP supportedDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, dual-channel, max 256 GB; 7200+ MHz OC at 1DPC 1R, 6000+ MHz at 1DPC 2R and 2DPC 1R, 4800 MHz JEDEC base; AMD EXPO supported; not ECC or unbuffered only
M.2 NVMe slots and their PCIe generation2 x M.2 slots, both CPU-connected: M2A_CPU PCIe 5.0 x4/x2 and M2B_CPU PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 (Ryzen 7000/9000)2 M.2 slots, both PCIe 4.0 x4 from the CPU (M.2_1 and M.2_2); M.2_2 unavailable with Ryzen 8500/8300; Wi-Fi module uses a separate M.2 Key-E slot
PCIe slots1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 from CPU (PCIEX16); 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 from chipset (PCIEX4)PCI_E1 PCIe 4.0 x16 (from CPU), PCI_E3 PCIe 4.0 x4 (from chipset), PCI_E2 PCIe 3.0 x1; no PCIe 5.0 slot stated
Wired and wireless networking (e.g. 2.5GbE, Wi-Fi 7)Realtek 2.5GbE LAN; Wi-Fi 6E (Realtek RTL8852CE on rev 1.2/1.3); Bluetooth 5.2 or 5.3; no Wi-Fi 7 listedRealtek 8125BG 2.5GbE LAN; AMD Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) with Bluetooth 5.3; no Wi-Fi 7
Rear USB ports, including USB-C and USB4Rear: 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gb/s, from CPU), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 4 x USB 2.0; no rear USB4 or 20 Gb/s port listedConflicting on MSI page: summary lists 4x 5Gbps and 4x 10Gbps Type-A on rear plus 1x 10Gbps Type-C front; back-panel list shows 2x 10Gbps and 1x 5Gbps Type-A rear. No rear USB-C or USB4. Verify with datasheet.

Strengths and weaknesses

GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX

  • + PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot plus a second CPU-connected M.2
  • + Q-Flash Plus updates BIOS with no CPU, RAM or GPU
  • + Front 20Gb/s USB-C header and 2.5GbE onboard
  • − No Wi-Fi 7; Wi-Fi 6E only
  • − No rear USB4 or 20Gb/s port
  • − Graphics slot is PCIe 4.0 x16

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want Wi-Fi 7 built into the board
  • Anyone needing rear USB4 or 20Gb/s ports for fast external storage
  • Builders planning several add-in cards, given the two expansion slots
Read the full GIGABYTE B650M AORUS ELITE AX review ›

MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI

  • + 8-phase 55A DrMOS power stage with 8+4-pin CPU power
  • + Rear Flash BIOS button and four EZ Debug LEDs
  • + 2.5GbE and Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.3 included
  • − No PCIe 5.0 slot stated; both M.2 slots are PCIe 4.0
  • − Owners report memory training and boot trouble with four DIMMs
  • − No rear USB-C or USB4, and no Wi-Fi 7

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want a PCIe 5.0 NVMe slot or graphics slot
  • Anyone planning four DIMMs at high EXPO speeds
  • Builders who need rear USB-C, USB4 or Wi-Fi 7
Read the full MSI PRO B650M-A WIFI review ›

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