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GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x) vs MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ

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

all judged against motherboards at a similar price

The GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x) scores 6.7/10 overall, ahead of the MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ at 6.6/10.

The GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x) leads on platform and features.

The MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ leads on BIOS and support.

They score the same on connectivity, power delivery and value.

GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)

GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)

6.7/10verdict: buy

This is an AM5 board for Ryzen 7000 and 9000 builders who want a full-size B850 platform with Wi-Fi 7 and 2.5GbE. It suits people who need several NVMe drives, PCIe 5.0 for the graphics card and a fast front USB-C port. It is less suited to anyone who needs rear USB faster than 10Gbps or still runs Windows 10.

Typically about £200 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

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

MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ

MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ

6.6/10verdict: good, not the best

The MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ is an ATX AM5 board for people building a mid-range Ryzen 7000, 8000 or 9000 system. It suits buyers who want Wi-Fi 7, 5Gbps wired networking and a 12-phase VRM without moving up the range. It fits best alongside a discrete graphics card that connects over DisplayPort.

Typically about £219.94 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at 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 B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ
Platform and features25%7/106/10
Connectivity25%7/107/10
Power delivery20%7/107/10
BIOS and support15%6/107/10
Value15%6/106/10
Overall6.7/106.6/10

Specifications

SpecGIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ
SocketAM5AM5; supports AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000 and 7000 series desktop processors
ChipsetAMD B850AMD B850
Form factorATX (retailer listing; not confirmed on the manufacturer page)ATX, 243.84 x 304.8 mm
MemoryDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, up to 256 GB (64 GB per DIMM), dual channel, base speeds 5200/4800/4400 MT/s, up to 8200 MT/s with overclocking profilesDDR5, 4 DIMM slots, up to 256 GB maximum
M.2 slotsThree M.2 slots: M2A_CPU PCIe 5.0 x4/x2 (Ryzen 9000/7000); M2B_CPU PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 (Ryzen 9000/7000); M2C_SB PCIe 4.0 x4/x2 (chipset)Three M.2 Key M slots: M.2_1 from CPU up to PCIe 5.0 x4 (2260/2280); M.2_2 from CPU up to PCIe 4.0 x4 (22110/2280); M.2_3 from chipset up to PCIe 4.0 x2 (2260/2280). Taken from the non-PZ sibling's MSI spec page and user guide; the PZ page confirms one PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot.
PCIe slotsOne PCIe 5.0 x16 slot from the CPU; two PCIe 3.0 x16-length slots running at x1 from the chipsetOne PCIe x16 slot, described as PCIe 5.0 on MSI's PZ page; MSI's regional spec page shows PCIe 5.0 x16 with Ryzen 9000/7000 and a UK review describes the non-PZ sibling as PCIe 4.0 x16, so the generation is disputed
NetworkingRealtek 2.5GbE RJ-45 LAN (2.5/1/0.1 Gbps); Realtek Wi-Fi 7 RTL8922AE with Bluetooth 5.4Wi-Fi 7 and 5G LAN (Realtek 8126VB 5 Gbps wired, per MSI's spec page for the non-PZ sibling)
Rear USBRear: 1 x USB-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 4 x USB 2.0/1.1; 12 rear ports in totalRear: one USB-C 10 Gb/s port per a PZ review (MSI's sibling spec lists two); front USB 5Gbps Type-C header

Strengths and weaknesses

GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x)

  • + PCIe 5.0 for graphics slot and primary M.2 slot
  • + Front USB-C header runs at 20Gbps
  • + 14+2+2 phase design with 60A DrMOS on CPU rail
  • − Fastest rear USB port is 10Gbps
  • − Wi-Fi 7 needs Windows 11; no Windows 10 driver
  • − Both chipset PCIe slots run at x1 only

Skip it if:

  • Windows 10 users who want to use the Wi-Fi 7 adapter
  • Buyers who need rear USB faster than 10Gbps
  • Builders planning several wide PCIe expansion cards
Read the full GIGABYTE B850 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 (Rev. 1.x) review ›

MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ

  • + Wi-Fi 7 and 5Gbps wired LAN
  • + 12+2+1 power design with two 8-pin connectors
  • + Flash BIOS button works without CPU or memory
  • − No HDMI output reported; DisplayPort 1.2 only
  • − Only one M.2 slot runs at PCIe 5.0
  • − Third M.2 slot is limited to PCIe 4.0 x2

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need HDMI output from the board itself
  • Builders who want two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots
  • Builders who need more than four SATA ports for bulk storage
Read the full MSI B850 GAMING PLUS WIFI PZ review ›

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