Sapphire Nitro+ B650I: Wi-Fi 6, DDR5 Support in AM5 Board

AM5 motherboards

Sapphire’s Nitro+ B650I AM5 motherboard astonished many PC enthusiasts, who know them for their high-performance graphics cards. This Mini-ITX board is a good choice for individuals who want a compact, powerful Ryzen 7000 series PC at a low price.

A Powerhouse Compact in Size

The Sapphire Nitro+ B650I is designed to conform to the requirements of the Mini-ITX form factor, with each side measuring around 170 millimeters. It’s perfect for SFF PCs, which save space and look clean. Though small, the board has several features.

Ryzen 7000 Support and AM5 Socket

With its AMD AM5 socket at its core, the Sapphire Nitro+ B650I can run the newest Ryzen 7000 series CPUs, including those with the Zen 4 architecture. This guarantees that customers can have the most potent AMD CPUs on the market right now. Furthermore, the board may even support Zen 5 CPUs in the future with BIOS upgrades, providing some futureproofing.

Cooling and the Distribution of Power

An 8-layer printed circuit board (PCB) and an 8+2 phase digital power delivery system are both featured on the motherboard. By combining this design with 70A Dr. MOS power stages, it is possible to deliver sufficient power for even the most demanding Ryzen 7000 central processing units. During load, the Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) is effectively cooled by a heatsink that is specifically designed for that purpose, which ensures excellent thermal performance.

Memory as well as storage

With its two DDR5 DIMM ports, the Nitro+ B650I can support memory speeds of up to an incredible 6000 MT/s . This enables users to benefit from DDR5 memory’s high bandwidth capabilities, which are essential for jobs like gaming and video development.

With two M.2 slots that support the PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface, the board offers ample capacity for storage. Because of this, users can install fast NVMe SSDs for lightning-quick application loading and boot times. Four SATA III ports are also available for attaching conventional hard drives and other SATA-based devices.

Provisions for Connectivity

The compact design of the Nitro+ B650I is prioritised, but connectivity is not sacrificed. For dependable wireless internet access and peripheral device connectivity, the board has built-in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth. Not only that, but a typical Gigabit Ethernet connector guarantees a reliable wired connection capability.

Both aesthetics and design

Although aesthetics may not be the primary consideration for a motherboard designed for a low budget, Sapphire hasn’t ignored this issue entirely. The sleek black PCB of the Nitro+ B650I has silver accents. Furthermore, it comes with two RGB headers, which offers users the ability to personalize their construction by incorporating the lighting effects of their choice.

Accessibility and Cost

At approximately 1,689 Yuan (or $233 USD) in pricing, the Sapphire Nitro+ B650I looks to be exclusively available in China as of April 2024. While some people may find the limited availability to be a negative, a more widespread distribution is ideally in the works.

In conclusion, a low-cost contender for SFF Ryzen 7000 builds

Budget-conscious builders wishing to build a powerful SFF PC with AMD Ryzen 7000 series processors can consider the Sapphire Nitro+ B650I. The reasonable pricing and good feature set make up for the lack of PCIe Gen 5 capability in some higher-end AM5 motherboards. If the Sapphire Nitro+ B650I becomes available in your region, consider it for a tiny but powerful Ryzen 7000 system.

Some Additional Things to Consider

In light of the fact that it is now only available in a restricted capacity, it is essential to keep in mind that user reviews and benchmarks may be rare. Furthermore, despite the fact that the motherboard is equipped with a powerful power delivery system, the extent of the overclocking headroom may be restricted in comparison to premium AM5 motherboards.

In general, the Sapphire Nitro+ B650I carves out a specific area in the market for AM5 motherboards by providing a cost-effective alternative for constructing a powerful small form factor personal computer that is equipped with the most recent generation of AMD CPUs. With its emphasis on cost and basic functionalities, it is designed to appeal to a particular subset of builders and has the potential to be a fruitful introduction for Sapphire into the market for motherboards.

Sapphire Nitro+ B650I specs