At first we would like to thank BIOSTAR for offering their B650MT AM5 Motherboard for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About BIOSTAR:

 

“In 1980, the IT industry was growing at a phenomenal rate. With wide experience in buying and selling electronic parts as well as researching on future demands for mainboards and add-on cards , the founder of BIOSTAR GROUP, established BIOSTAR MICROTECH INTERNATIONAL CORP in 1986.

 

In the early years, BIOSTAR concentrated on the manufacture of mainboards built for XT form factor. To maintain steady business growth, BIOSTAR managed to keep a large portion of its capital and manpower invested on the design and development of new products, which at the same time has enabled it to stay competitive in the rapid evolution of the computer industry.

 

BIOSTAR has enriched its competence in the design and manufacture of products such as add-on cards, multi-media and system products to develop the market and meet the demands of customers for more integrated solutions. In order to expand its capacity to meet customer demand globally, BIOSTAR was the first to establish a manufacturing facility in China in 1990. In 1998, its sales revenues exceeded US$130 million and it ranked 227th among the top 1000 enterprises in Taiwan. Furthermore, BIOSTAR obtained an ISO 9001 certification in 1999 and became a publicly listed company in the same year. BIOSTAR’s future has limitless possibilities.”

 

DDR5

Boasts an impressive capacity of 48GB per module

Offers a 50% increase in bandwidth compared to DDR4

Supports dual channels and exhibits lower power consumption

 

PCIe 4.0

Supports a 16GT/s bit rate

Maintains backward compatibility

It's 2X bandwidth than PCIe 3.0

 

PCIe 4.0 M.2

Delivers lower latency

Delivers the highest bandwidth 64Gb/s

It's 2 times faster than PCIe 3.0 M.2

 

HDMI

Enjoy TV shows and movies online

Fills the entire screen with lifelike images

Expresses bright and highly detailed content

 

USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A

Capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 5Gbps

Ensures efficient data transfer between various devices

 

USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C

It's reversible so it's easier to plug in

Allows for much higher data transfer rate speed

Offers up to double the transfer rate speed of USB 3.2 Gen1 at 10 Gbps

 

A.I FAN

It has automatic detection system

Ensures optimum performance and save more energy

Detects temperature of PC to make fan operate at defined speed

 

Debug LED

Informs you on the status of your board or hardware

Helps you identify any issues going with your board or hardware

 

Smart Update

Runs updates online

Helps you install drivers automatically

 

SMART BIOS UPDATE

One-click update

Makes more easier

Improves efficiency

 

Chipset: AMD B650

 

CPU SUPPORT

Socket AM5 support AMD Ryzen™ 7000 series Processors

Support for future AMD Ryzen processors with BIOS update

 

MEMORY

Supports Dual Channel DDR5 4800/ 5200/ 5400(OC)/ 5600(OC)/ 6000+(OC)

2 x DDR5 DIMM Memory Slot, Max. Supports up to 96 GB Memory

Each DIMM supports non-ECC 8/ 16/ 24/ 32/ 48 GB DDR5 module

 

INTEGRATED VIDEO

Supports DX12

Supports HDCP

 

STORAGE

Total support 1 x M.2 Socket and 4 x SATA (6Gb/s) ports

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Processors

1 x M.2 (Key M) Socket (M2M_CPU):

Supports M.2 Type 2242/ 2260/ 2280 SSD module

Supports PCIe 4.0 x 4 (64Gb/s) - NVMe SSD

AMD B650 Chipset

4 x SATA III Connector (6Gb/s): Supports AHCI & RAID 0, 1, 10

 

LAN

Realtek RTL8111H

10/ 100/ 1000 Mb/s auto negotiation, Half / Full duplex capability

 

AUDIO CODEC

ALC897

7.1 Channels, High Definition Audio, Hi-Fi

 

USB

1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port (1 via internal headers)

6 x USB 3.2 Gen1 ports (4 on rear I/Os and 2 via internal headers)

6 x USB 2.0 ports (2 on rear I/Os and 4 via internal headers)

 

EXPANSION SLOT

AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Processors

1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 Slot (x16 or x8/x8 mode)

AMD B650 Chipset

1 x PCIe 3.0 x1 Slot

 

REAR I/O

1 x BIOS UPDATE Button

1 x HDMI Port (HDMI1.4)

1 x DP Port (DP1.2)

4 x USB 3.2 (Gen1) Type-A Ports

2 x USB 2.0 Type-A Ports

1 x Giga LAN port

3 x Audio Jack

 

INTERNAL I/O

4 x SATA III Connector (6Gb/s)

2 x USB 2.0 Header (each header supports 2 USB 2.0 ports)

1 x USB 3.2 (Gen1) Header (each header supports 2 USB 3.2 (Gen1) ports)

1 x USB 3.2 (Gen2) Type-C Header

1 x 8-Pin Power Connector

1 x 24-Pin Power Connector

1 x CPU Fan Connector

1 x System Fan Connector

1 x CPU water cooling connector (CPU_OPT)

1 x Front Panel Header

1 x Front Audio Header

1 x Internal Stereo Speaker Header

1 x Clear CMOS Header

1 x COM Port Header

1 x TPM Header

 

H/W MONITORING

CPU / System Temperature Monitoring

CPU / System Fan Monitoring

Smart / Manual CPU Fan Control

CPU/DDR Voltage Monitoring

 

DIMENSION

Micro ATX Form Factor Dimension: 22.1cm x 23.5cm ( W x L )

 

After trying out the high-end X670E VALKRYIE AM5 motherboard from BIOSTAR, it is now time to also look at an entry-level offering for the same socket, the B650MT. From the manufacturer’s presentation, this motherboard is oriented towards “work and play”, meaning that we should not expect the premium features of the more expensive versions, such as 2.5Gbps LAN, 7.1 dedicated channel audio ports, PCIe Gen5 M.2 interfaces, a powerful CPU VRM and so on, but all is oriented towards cost efficiency.

 

The Micro ATX board (22.1 x 23.5 cm) is shipped inside a rather small cardboard enclosure, which does sport the new BIOSTAR box art on the top cover:

 

 

 

On the side, we will note a small sticker with some board specs:

 

 

 

The back side does show the main product highlights, but also QR codes in order to reach different Internet resources:

 

 

 

On the top layer of the box, we will note the hardware bundle along with the documentation:

 

 

 

The bundle is quite simplified, so here we will note the I/O shield, two SATA cables, a M.2 pin holder, the driver disk but also the Quick Installation Guide:

 

 

 

The I/O shield format makes us remember of the boards back in the day, which did not have pre-installed shields and we need to fit this first onto the case before actually fitting the board into the computer chassis. The shield does also have cut-outs for WiFi antennas, something this board does not possess:

 

 

 

The guide does open up as a large document, which explains the installation procedure, together with drawings:

 

 

 

Here we will also note a clear description of the motherboard pin-outs/interfaces:

 

 

 

The BIOSTAR B650MT does feature a clean design, while the ports are placed in convenient positions in order not to have a messy cable management; the only exception to the rule are the SATA ports, which are oriented upwards instead on the side:

 

 

 

On the top left area of the board, we will find the CPU ATX 12V 8-pin power connector:

 

 

 

Nearby, we will find a RT3678BE Dual Channel PWM Controller with I2C Interface Control for AMD SVI3 CPU/GPU Core Power Supply:

 

 

 

The VRM components come with pairs of the SM4377 and SM4364A N-channel Mosfets:

 

 

 

The 6-phase VRM does feature a very small heatsink:

 

 

 

Nearby, we will note the RT3672EE 2/1-phase synchronous buck controller:

 

 

 

Next, we can mention the JSPI and TPM_SPI headers:

 

 

 

The solder points for the WiFi interface do exist, but no hardware is installed here:

 

 

 

The small Realtek RTL8111H takes care of the Gigabit LAN port:

 

 

 

The SuperIO IT8613E chip is also here:

 

 

 

The ALC897 CODEC is the OEM version of the ALC892 and is 7.1 capable, the audio jacks are only in a number of three, two of them being combo ports (Line In is also Surround, while Mic In is also Bass/Center):

 

 

 

The bottom area comes with headers for the F_AUDIO, COM port, we have a System fan header, the CMOS reset jumper, two frontal USB 2.0 headers, but also an USB 3.2 Gen1 port:

 

 

 

Moving on to the right, we do have the Speaker header, the F_Panel header but also two SATA 3.0 ports:

 

 

 

The AMD B650 chipset is covered by a small black aluminum heatsink, not needing a more elaborated solution, since it comes with a TDP of just 7W!

 

 

 

The M.2 port does support PCIe 4.0 drives with 2242, 2260 and 2280 formats.

 

 

 

The pre-installed fixing pin is for 2280 format, which is the most familiar:

 

 

 

The board is also equipped with a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, powered by the CPU, while the PCIe 3.0 x1 slot is powered by the B650 chipset:

 

 

 

Instead of a debug display, the B650MT does integrate status LEDs, for DRAM, CPU, VGA and BOOT:

 

 

 

Two extra SATA 3.0 ports are next:

 

 

 

The ASM1543 is a one Four to two differential channels mux switch with integrated Type-C Configuration Channel Logic Circuitry. This one drives the USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C header:

 

 

 

The ATX 24-pin power header is in black color:

 

 

 

The RAM slots do have a healthy amount of space between it, so modules with thicker heatsinks will fit just fine:

 

 

 

The CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT header are found in the top right corner of the PCB:

 

 

 

Here is the complete view of the CPU socket, along with the 6+2 VRM sections:

 

 

 

On the I/O, we have got a HDMI 1.4 port, a DisplayPort supporting 1.2 standard, a BIOS Update button, two USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, another set of USB 3.2 Gen1 ports (one being the BIOS Flash USB Port), two USB 2.0 ports and a Gigabit LAN port, but also 3 audio jacks:

 

 

 

On the back we did not find extra chips/interfaces, only the AM5 backplate:

 

 

 

The UEFI interface of the B650MT is similar to the one we have seen along other BIOSTAR boards; we have the sensors on the left column, while the menus are present in the top area. The Fan controls are available separately, by pressing the F5 key:

 

Main

Advanced

Trusted Computing

ACPI Settings

SATA Configuration

AMD CBS

SuperIO Configuration

Serial Port Configuration

PC Health Status

CPU Configuration

PCI Subsystem Settings

 

USB Configuration

Network Stack

CSM

NVMe Configuration

AMD Overclocking

Chipset

South Bridge

North Bridge

Onboard Device

 

Boot Configuration

Security

Tweaker

DRAM Timing Configuration

Save & Exit

Fan Control

 

The test system did incorporate the following:

 

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X @ Stock

CPU Cooler: be quiet! Pure Loop 240mm AIO

Motherboard: currently tested mobo

RAM: Sabrent Rocket 2x16GB DDR5 4800MHz (no XMP)

Video: PowerColor Radeon RX 5700

Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W

SSD: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus NVMe 4.0 2TB

Case: Cooler Master HAF 932

 

With the help of the AIDA64 system reporting/benchmarking utility, we have extracted some more information regarding the system:

 

CPU

Motherboard

IMC

Chipset

 

Southbridge

Network adapters

Audio CODEC

 

After testing the Sabrent Rocket DDR5 4800 kit at stock JEDEC timings (40-40-40-76), we went ahead and increased the frequency up to 6000MHz and the same timings, the specs we have tested as being stable on the X670E VALKYRIE. We were surprised that the system was not stable in TM5. We rolled back to 5800MHz, but in the last run of TM5 there was still an error, so we set the frequency to 5600MHz, where the system became rock solid!

 

 

AIDA64

 

Memory

 

CPU Queen

 

CPU PhotoW

CPU Zlib

CPU AES

CPU SHA3

FPU Julia

FPU Mandel

FPU SinJulia

FP32 Ray-Trace

FP64 Ray-Trace

CineBench R15

 

CineBench R20

 

CineBench R23

 

Blender Ryzen Render

 

PCMark 7

 

 

PCMark 10

 

 

Geekbench 5

 

 

 

SuperPI XS

 

X265 Benchmark 1080P 64-bit Normal

 

3DMark Vantage

 

3DMark 11

 

3DMark 2013

 

Unigine Superposition 1080P Medium

 

Ashes of the Singularity DX12 CPU Focused

 

 

Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Highest

 

 

The ALC897 CODEC implementation on this board is not the best around and we noticed a bit of noise on the left channel while performing the testing with RMAA. While doing loopback tests, we noted the limitation of the CODEC, not being able to record at 24/96 on Line-In, so we could only test at 16/96:

 

 

BIOSTAR Racing X470GT8 16/44

MSI X470 Gaming M7 AC 16/44

ASRock X570 Taichi AM4 16/44

BIOSTAR RACING X570GTA AM4 16/44

BIOSTAR RACING B550GTQ AM4 16/44

BIOSTAR RACING B550GTA AM4 16/44

BIOSTAR RACING B550M-Silver AM4 16/44

BIOSTAR RACING Z690GTA LGA1700 16/44

BIOSTAR Z690A VALKYRIE LGA1700 16/44

EVGA Z690 CLASSIFIED LGA1700 16/44

BIOSTAR X670E VALKYRIE AM5 16/44

BIOSTAR B650MT AM5 16/44

 

 

 

 

 

BIOSTAR Racing X470GT8 24/96

MSI X470 Gaming M7 AC 24/96

ASRock X570 Taichi AM4 24/96

BIOSTAR RACING X570GTA AM4 24/96

BIOSTAR RACING B550GTQ AM4 24/96

BIOSTAR RACING B550GTA AM4 24/96

BIOSTAR RACING B550M-Silver AM4 24/96

BIOSTAR RACING Z690GTA LGA1700 24/96

BIOSTAR Z690 VALKYRIE LGA1700 24/96

EVGA Z690 CLASSIFIED LGA1700 24/96

BIOSTAR X670E VALKYRIE AM5 24/96

BIOSTAR B650MT AM5 16/96

 

The entry-level AM5 board proposal from BIOSTAR with the code name B650MT does offer the necessary components in order to build a cheap AM5 system but there are some drawbacks here due to cost saving: we could not run the RAM at either 5800MHz or 6000MHz error free, while the AUDIO codec implementation is not exactly great. Both issues are not that bad, considering that for an entry-level system 5600MHz RAM should be enough, while most people use anyway external DACs for better audio for analog headsets, while others choose to go with USB models, most of which are wireless.

 

The board does not feature RGB capabilities as other boards do have, neither on-board of off-board via headers; we only get a single PCIe M.2 slot which is version 4.0 and not 5.0, but we can attach extra storage via the included SATA interfaces. In terms of USB interfaces, there is a decent number of ports on the I/O and we were quite surprised to see here again USB 2.0; extra interfaces can be sourced out by using the internal headers, while more elaborated cooling systems can be easily installed since we do have separate headers for both CPU fan and CPU_OPT (usually used for water pumps).

 

The B650MT is also offered as a combo with the BIOSTAR AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, but separately we could find the board online for about 98.9 Euros.

 

BIOSTAR B650MT AM5 Motherboard is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank BIOSTAR for making this review possible!