MSI B650M Project Zero review: shifting cables that bind behind

We’re in the midst of a potentially seismic shift in component design, with motherboards like MSI’s B650M Project Zero leading the charge. It’s a simple but enticing promise, removing the clutter of cables from the front of our cases to the rear instead. The results in reality are striking and it’s difficult to imagine going back, even if there are a few kinks that need ironing out before this form factor can really take off.

Fancy features are only part of what makes the best motherboards alongside price, performance, ports, and more. I’ve built countless computers, but this is my first time doing so on a back-connect bed for our test rig’s components. The process has been illuminating, both good and bad, but I’ve nonetheless walked away generally impressed by B650M Project Zero on its own merits.

Specification

As you might glean from its name, B650M Project Zero is a MicroATX motherboard with an AM5 socket sporting AMD’s B650 chipset. This is the only back-connect option from MSI that supports Ryzen 7000 or newer processors, as there aren’t yet any alternative models with X670E or B650E feature sets. Nonetheless, the company has crafted a generally solid board with a decent spread of internal and peripheral connections.

With a 10+2+1 phase design, the motherboard is more than equipped to handle the best CPUs in AMD’s lineup. With the ten phases dedicated to the processor rated at 80A, B650M Project Zero can handle everything up to and including the 170W demands of Ryzen 9 7950X. Naturally, this VRM array gives you overhead to overclock any chip you throw at it, too.

Confident as I am that the VRMs could handle their job in their birthday suits, the large heatsink MSI includes is a welcome touch. It keeps modules looking and performing plenty cool under load with its brushed metallic aesthetic, left unspoiled by unnecessary RGB.

All PCIe expansion slots for graphics cards and storage are Gen 4, with MSI forgoing optional Gen 5 support likely in a bid to keep costs down on an already expensive board. This does leave B650M Project Zero on the backfoot relative to some other high-end motherboards on the same chipset, but it’s a smart cutback. After all, as fast as the best SSDs are with a PCIe 5.0 interface, most people have little to gain over a PCIe 4.0 drive.

Connectivity via the rear I/O is pretty flush, though, with nine USBs of varying speeds, each clearly labelled and colour-coded, ranging from 2.0 to 20Gbps via one of the two Type-Cs. Providing you have a Ryzen processor with integrated graphics, MSI also provides HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs. Above these display connections is the welcome addition of two buttons for flashing the motherboard BIOS and clearing CMOS, which prove invaluable when troubleshooting.

Rounding off ports, we have 2.5Gbps Ethernet in addition to support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 via the included antennas. For those with analogue audio setups, there are also audio connectors at the ready.

Back-connect design

With its core specs out of the way, let’s talk about the real point of interest, B650M Project Zero’s back-connect design. Seeing a motherboard like this in person hits different, let alone handling one. Having all the ports on the back makes you readjust how you visualise a finished build. It also makes you more cautious about not pricking your fingers on any pins.

The experience is simultaneously surreal yet sensical, providing a glimpse into what should be the future design all manufacturers use.

I say a glimpse, as there are teething issues that still need resolving before this new era can take off. I’ll touch on these in more detail shortly, but suffice it to say that none of them feel impossible to overcome. We just need time and perhaps a bit more bubble wrap.

Building with B650M Project Zero

Populating B650M Project Zero for our test build presents some unique challenges and changes to our usual approach. For example, my established practice of placing the motherboard atop its box causes an unexpected bout of anxiety. The weight of the board is partly resting on its pins.

With this observation at the forefront of my mind, I opt to skip placing a gargantuan graphics card into the motherboard prior to its placement in a case. While there’s probably little chance the pins would buckle and bend under the weight, it’s not a chance I’m willing to take. Manufacturers, please take note that some sort of bedding as part of the packaging would be welcome.

Getting our Ryzen 5 7600X into its socket, alongside 32GB of Corsair Dominator Titanium RGB RAM, expectedly proves no issue. Removing the included heatsink for our Crucial T500 Pro SSD is similarly straightforward. I’d prefer MSI to include a screwless latching mechanism but this bugbear applies to many motherboards.

With these components in place, I waste no time in getting them all inside a compatible MSI MAG Pano M100 PZ chassis. I’m thankful to have this case to hand, as it’s one of few on the market that accommodates front and back-connect motherboards alike. It features cut-outs specifically designed to give room to the shifted connectors, making installation a breeze. However, this isn’t a given with many existing cases, so checking compatibility is a must before jumping into any build with a board like this.

Confident that there’s no risk to the pins, I quickly set about getting our MSI GeForce RTX 4080 Gaming X Trio graphics card in. Even with its 12VHWPR cable sticking out from the PSU shroud, alongside the small wires from the case fans, the clean, near-cable-free build is taking shape. The finished result is, of course, more striking, but it added to the fun of the build, seeing everything come together in a way that I hadn’t experienced with previous systems.

Our Fractal Design Lumen S24 RGB makes for the last addition I need for the front of the build and it looks particularly pretty if I say so myself. Having so few visible cables really helps sell the panoramic glass of MAG Pano M100 PZ, more than a standard build would, even with expert cable management. So, with the party in the front taken care of, it’s time to turn to business in the back and… it’s Spaghetti Junction.

It now dawns on me that back-connect motherboards don’t eliminate cables so much as bundle them all together at the back. It sounds obvious on paper and in retrospect, but seeing this familiar tangle take on a new form makes the reality of the situation all the more keenly felt. As such, cable management remains a must, if not more so, to save your build from unsightly bulge. However, this also highlights that a certain level of clearance is necessary to properly support this style of board.

I’m someone who pays little mind to form when it comes to back panel cable management, and this motherboard receives such treatment. Thankfully, even with a 24-pin to wrestle with, I’m able to get things neat enough and close up the case with little trouble.

So, with a few minor adjustments, building with B650M Project Zero isn’t much more difficult than your usual front-connect motherboard. This is, of course, presuming you’ve got a compatible case to hand. The end result, though, is much more pleasing to the eye and is deserving of at least a tempered glass side panel, if not a panoramic chassis.

Firmware

MSI uses the same Click BIOS 5 for B650M Project Zero that it uses for its more premium motherboards. As such, conveniences such as one-click A-XMP/EXPO profiles, M-Flash BIOS installer, and more are ready to go in just a few clicks.

After activating the 7,200MT/s overlock profile for our RAM, I take a moment to adjust the default fan curve as it’s a touch aggressive for my liking. However, easy as it is to make tweaks here, I opt to make the majority of my changes via MSI Center after booting into Windows for a more modern GUI.

The same goes for RGB lighting control. Now, our case fans, graphics card, and memory are all proudly flying the Club386 colours.

Performance

As you might expect given the high bar set by its specs, B650M Project Zero has no problem letting the components housed within it shine brightly. Running AIDA64, Cinebench 2024, and CrystalDiskMark, none show signs of the board or its components buckling under pressure.

Our Ryzen 5 7600X manages a score of 822 in multi-core Cinebench 2024 tests, which is well within expected performance. More pertinent to the motherboard, though, sensors for chipset, MOSFETs, and VRMs all report temperatures below 45°C under load during the stress test. Perhaps more impressively, this is all while the processor does its best to heat things up with its stock turbo behaviour, peaking at 94°C.

Similarly, both memory and storage perform expectedly well under load while connected to the motherboard.

Should you buy B650M Project Zero?

Even putting the allure of its back-connect design aside for a moment, B650M Project Zero doesn’t miss the most important mark of being a reliably sound motherboard first and foremost. It shows no signs of buckling under the pressures of our test system, and I’ve every confidence it’d handle higher wattage components with the same poise.

At £210 ($230), it’s on the pricier side as mATX B650 motherboards go, but this is part and parcel for a niche and unique product like this. After all, it’s the only back-connect Socket AM5 board on the market right now. We imagine pricing will come down as the form factor becomes more commonplace and competition pops up, but there is an early adopter tax to contend with here.

If you’re ready to be a pioneer, B650M Project Zero is an intriguing option for AMD CPUs, and a cool first foray into back-connect PC builds.

MSI B650M Project Zero

Verdict: A solid motherboard that makes a strong case for rear connectors but handle the revolution with care.

Pros

Back-connect for AM5 CPUs
Immaculate aesthetics
Great thermal management
Reliable power delivery
Solid feature set

Cons

Limited case compatibility
Rear pins require extra care
Pricey

Buy