MSI B760M PROJECT ZERO Motherboard Review
Having been reviewing PC hardware for a considerable time, I still find great excitement when encountering new technology or the latest generation of PC product lines. However, there are moments when a product distinguishes itself as a significant turning point for the industry, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to review such a groundbreaking product.
Today we have such an opportunity to review an Intel B760 chipset base m-ATX form factor unique motherboard from MSI, the MSI B760M PROJECT ZERO Motherboard.
MSI 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.
Board is compatible with Intel 14th/13th/12th Processors with DDR5 memory support, and comes with a 2.5G LAN and Wi-Fi 6E solution on-board for PC enthusiast and gamers in mind.
Now let’s see what MSI B760M PROJECT ZERO board have for us.
Features
- Support Intel® Core™ 14th/ 13th/ 12th Gen Processors, Intel® Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors for LGA 1700 socket
- Supports DDR5 Memory, up to 7800+(OC) MHz
- Enhanced Power Design: 12+1+1 Duet Rail Power System, dual 8-pin CPU power connectors, Core Boost, Memory Boost
- Lightning Fast Game experience: PCIe 5.0 slot, Lightning Gen 4 x4 M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
- Premium Thermal Solution: Extended Heatsink Design and M.2 Shield Frozr are built for high performance system and non-stop works
- Audio Boost: Reward your ears with studio grade sound
- High Quality PCB: 6-layer PCB made by 2oz thickened copper and server grade level material
B760M PROJECT ZERO moves the power connectors, fan connectors, and other pin headers to the back of the motherboard. This provides a cleaner and neater front view, allowing the motherboard, liquid cooler, and graphics card's aesthetic design to be fully displayed.
EXCULSIVE FEATURES
THERMAL SOLITION
CONNECTIVITY
COOLING
OPTIMIZED FOR WATER COOLING – Designed to support the most popular All-In-One & customized water cooling solutions on the market. A dedicated water pump PIN header supports up to 3 amp, giving you full control of the water pump speed. A clearly marked ‘keep-out-zone’ allows for easy and safe installation and a perfect fit.
12+1+1 DUET RAIL POWER SYSTEM – Unleash and sustain maximum performance with an aggressive VRM design built with digital CPU power system. Combining 8 + 8-pin power connectors and exclusive Core Boost technology, B760M PROJECT ZERO is ready to sustain heavy gaming loadings.
OPTIMIZED PCB SOLUTION – The PCB design has been optimized for higher bandwidth and faster transfer speeds, which is also beneficial for reliable circuit transmission.
EZ OC TUNING -
PERFORMANCE SWITCH – Performance Switch combines the benefits of AMD default PBO(Precision Boost Overdrive) and MSI’s own OC settings, provides higher CPU performance in both status of single-core and multi-core. This is for users who dare for the maximum performance.
PBO THERMAL POINT – MSI PBO Thermal profiles are setting maximum CPU temperature at 85°C, 75°C and 65°C levels. With the thermal profiles, the CPU operates at lower voltage and temperature but remaining the same performance.
CONFIG TDP – Config TDP is designed to provide ECO Mode (65W) or different TDP (PPT/TDC/EDC) settings for advanced users. By offering several profiles for different TDP settings in Click BIOS 5, Config TDP makes setting TDP profiles easier and don’t need to modify settings manually for each TDP.
BACK-CONNECT DESIGN – The B760M PROJECT ZERO features a back-connect design, which relocates the motherboard power, CPU power, fan pins, SATA, and other interfaces to the back of the motherboard. This allows for simpler cable management, while also providing a cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing appearance for the system.
EZ DEBUG LED – Onboard LEDs will indicate the source of the problem so you know exactly where to look to get up and running again.
SOLID PIN DESIGN – The 4-pin, 8-pin, and 24-pin power connectors of MSI motherboards are all designed with solid pins. The solid pin design allows for a more stable transmission of 12V power to the CPU, even when handling high current loads.
ADVANTAGES OF SOLID PIN POWER CONNECTOR
Improved stability : Larger contact area enhances stability during power delivery.
Low impedance : Solid pins offer low impedance, enabling efficient power flow.
Strong durability : The solid pin design ensures strong durability, capable of withstanding demanding conditions.
Suitable for high-current applications.
ANTI-CORROSIVE STAINLESS STEEL IO SHIELD – An extra layer of sponge materials along with corrosive resistance IO Shield to help improve static electricity and reduce electromagnetic radiation noise from the system as well as much more durable compare to traditional IO Shields.
THE GROUNDING STRUCTURE OF POWER PHASES – The grounding structure of power phases is the MSI's exclusive design. This patented design enables to suppress the electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by the power phases and helps to efficiently conduct heat to the copper plane with grounding properties.
OVER CURRENT PROTECTION – MSI motherboards prioritize safety with the embedded Overcurrent Protection (OCP), ensuring crucial components such as the USB ports, DDR memory, PWM IC, and CPU are shielded from excessive current. This proactive defense mechanism curtails the risk of damage or malfunction due to power surges, promoting long-term system stability. This commitment to safeguarding your hardware underscores MSI's dedication to producing motherboards that prioritize durability and stability.
LIGHTNING GEN 5 PCI-E WITH STEEL ARMOR
FAST AND FUTURE-READY STORAGE – MSI PROJECT ZERO series motherboards support all the latest storage standards, which allows users to connect any ultra-fast storage device. Start games faster, load levels faster and have a real advantage over your enemies.
USB Connectivity
LATEST DDR5 MEMORY WITH SMT SLOT – A huge step of DDR performance enhancement with the latest DDR5 memory. Combines with dedicated SMT welding process and MSI Memory Boost technology, B760M PROJECT ZERO is ready to deliver the world class memory performance.
EASY OVERCLOCKING WITH XMP PROFILE – The XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles) in MSI BIOS are tested and certified by MSI OC LAB. It is easy to enable with auto power settings to get the best memory speed and stability.
MSI CENTER – MSI brand new MSI Center unifies a suite of MSI software utilities into a single centralized application. Take control of advanced motherboards features and unleash endless possibilities.
AUDIO BOOST – To provide clear voice, MSI develops a unique structure – Isolated Analogy Structure. The external metal framework of the audio connectors is separated from the internal layout, which ensures the sound quality crisp.
EXTEND YOUR RGB EXPERIENCE WITH EASE – Add more color if you want! Mystic Light Extension pin header provides an intuitive way to control additional RGB strips and other RGB peripherals added to a system, without needing a separate RGB controller.
HIGH-BANDWIDTH AND LOW-LATENCY NETWORK – MSI's premium network solution provides incredible data transfer speed for demanding users.
COMPATIBLE CASES – We have recently reviewed an interesting Mid-Tower case from MSI the MSI MAG PANO M100R PZ Gaming Case which is compatible with B760M PROJECT ZERO Motherboards resulting in keeping the interior of the case a lot cleaner.
MSI have many partners, working together to cultivate the Back-connect device ecosystem, and we warmly welcome others to join us in strengthening the entire system!
Specifications
Package
Board comes in a nice light blue MSI PROJECT ZERO theme cardboard box with model number, image of the board and details about supporting technology and features.
Inside the box
PROJECT ZERO B760M board comes with very nice set of accessories :
Looks
Components Installation
We in this review are using MSI MAG PANO M100R PZ Gaming Case a Back-Connect motherboard compatible case, system building with this board was fun and a unique experience. With all the connectors having easy access from the back side of the case, cable management was very easy. Case provided lots of anchor points and Velcro straps which helped to tie all the cables easily.
BIOS
Bundled Software
Benchmarks
Power Consumption
Wattage reading as per displayed by APC Pro 1000VA (Model no. BR1000G-IN) UPS.
Pros
- Unique Back-Connect design
- WiFi 6E
- Intel 2.5 G Ethernet
- PCIe 5.0
- ARGB LED header
- Nice Audio
- MSI Center
- Easy Overclocking
- USB 3.2 Gen 20Gb/s connectivity
- Great Heatsink cooling
Cons
Conclusion
The MSI B760M PROJECT ZERO Motherboard is a feature packed mATX motherboard offering a unique back-connect design that reduces the complexity of cable management. MSI B760M PROJECT ZERO is great designed motherboard for mainstream and gamers with USB 3.2 connectivity, 2.5Giga LAN, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 onboard.
With the MSI Center App offers single platform for handling of not only all of the motherboard features as well as other MSI products installed along, gives a completely immersive pc experience in single app.
Finally, considering the unique back-connect design and using with MSI MAG PANO M100R PZ Gaming Case a Back-Connect motherboard compatible case, system building with this board was fun and a unique experience and is worthy our PC TeK Reviews EXCELLENCE Award.
Manufacturers Info
Site Link
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