MSI unveils B650M PROJECT ZERO motherboard with connectors hidden on the back

We got our first in-person look at MSI's 'Project Zero' motherboard design at Computex 2023, which moves power and other connectors to the back of the board for a cable-free look. Today comes the official unveiling and product listing for MSI's latest motherboard, the B650M PROJECT ZERO for AMD AM5 and Ryzen 7000 CPUs using the midrange B650 chipset.

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The new B650M PROJECT ZERO motherboard for AMD AM5 from MSI, image credit: MSI.

Per the product images, we see that the 24-pin ATX connectors, EPS12V CPU, and other case headers are all situated on the back of the board, making the MSI B650M PROJECT ZERO motherboard a very special release for the company.

Of course, you'll need to ensure you've got a compatible case with the necessary space to make it work - but it's an exciting look at the future of motherboard designs.

It's not a full-size board; it's a B650M, so you only have a single PCI-E x16 slot for a GPU. And with that, the power running into the GPU will probably be the only visible cable in a complete B650M PROJECT ZERO build.

Other specs include 4 x DDR5 slots with a capacity of 128GB, 2 x PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slots with heatsinks, and an additional 4 x SATA 6G ports for expanded storage. Here's an overview of the B650M PROJECT ZERO specifications.

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The new B650M PROJECT ZERO motherboard for AMD AM5 from MSI, image credit: MSI.

• Model Name: B650M PROJECT ZERO
• CPU Support: Supports AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop Processors
• CPU Socket: Socket AM5
• Chipset: AMD B650 Chipset
• Graphics Interface: 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot
• Display Interface: Support 4K@60Hz as specified in HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4 - Requires Processor Graphics
• Memory Support: 4 DIMMs, Dual Channel DDR5-6400+ (OC)
• Storage: 2x M.2 Gen4 x4 64Gbps slots, 4x SATA 6Gbps ports
• USB ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20Gbps (Type-C), 5x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps (3 Type-C + 2 Type-A), 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 5Gbps (4 Type-A), 6x USB 2.0
• LAN: 1x Realtek 8125BG 2.5Gbps LAN
• Wireless/Bluetooth: AMD Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Audio: 8-Channel (7.1) HD Audio with Audio Boost

Even with all the connectors on the back, the MSI B650M PROJECT ZERO is stacked with ports, memory, and storage options - making it an exciting new motherboard release.