Motherboard MSI MAG B460M MORTAR

2 slots PCI-E 16x with reinforcement. Radiators M.2. LAN port with a bandwidth of 2.5 Gbps. Realtek ALC1200 audio chip. PL Overclock technology for automatic overclocking of processors.

Compact microATX gaming motherboard based on 2020 Intel B460 midrange chipset. Equipped with LGA 1200 processor socket, fully compatible with any 2/4/6/8/10-core 10th generation Intel Core i9/i7/i5/i3/Pentium Gold/Celeron processors with Comet Lake (14nm) microarchitecture. It belongs to the line of gaming boards of the MSI Arsenal Gaming family, the products of which are focused on use as part of high-performance gaming systems that can provide comfortable gameplay in any current gaming projects.

Also, the MSI MAG B460M MORTAR motherboard is suitable for completing powerful universal household PCs and entry-level workstations. Despite its compact overall dimensions (243x243 mm), it is equipped with 4 slots for DIMM modules that support up to 128 GB of DDR4 RAM operating in dual-channel mode. Such an impressive volume is quite enough for any current and future games, streaming, as well as solving resource-intensive professional tasks. It is possible to connect two high-speed NVMe SSD-drives. To work in high-speed GbE LAN networks, there is a Realtek RTL8125B controller (up to 2.5 Gbps).

LAN port with a bandwidth of 2.5 Gbps

MSI B360M PRO-VDH is an affordable but high-quality mid-range motherboard based on the B460 chipset. Among the features of the board, it is worth highlighting reinforced PCI-E slots to protect the graphics card from electromagnetic interference and physical damage, an M.2 connector with cooling, a pumped Realtek RTL8125B network interface with a bandwidth of 2.5 Gb / s, a Realtek ALC1200 audio chip and an extremely interesting feature PL Overclock, which removes most of the overclocking restrictions built into the B460 chipset. Such is the middle finger towards Intel.

Overclocking without overclocking

By the way, MSI is not alone in this desire. In late spring, ASRock showed a similar feature, calling it Base Frequency Boost. A little later, ASUS joined the chat with its version of Asus Performance Enhancement. In all three cases, the idea is the same — to remove artificial restrictions on processor overclocking without an unlocked multiplier. In fact, this is not so much overclocking as a flexible increase in the processor power limit, which allows it to work at maximum speed across all cores without dropping frequencies in the process. Judging by the first reviews, the thing turned out to be useful, but contradictory, in some tests they promise almost a 30% increase in power, in others it is advised not to wait for more than 3 – 5%.

Perfect middle class

With a $150 price tag, the MSI MAG B460M MORTAR looks like a pretty interesting option for a mid-range build based on Intel's 10th generation Comet Lake-S processors. Formally, it is friends even with 16-thread Core i9, but for stable operation of the chip in a turbo boost, we would look at something simpler than the Core i5 or Core i7 caliber. More importantly, for the micro-ATX format, it has excellent equipment (4 slots for RAM, 2 for a graphics card, 6 SATA, a pair of M.2, etc.), high build quality and excellent circuitry with a reinforced 14-phase power system . And yet there are no obvious shortcomings. Unless there could be more slots for cooling the case, but these are already nit-picking. So, what more could you want from a mid-range motherboard?