Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E VS MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E

The Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E and MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E share many similarities in their general specifications. Both support the AM5 CPU socket, use the B850 chipset, and feature Wi-Fi capabilities with support for Wi-Fi 4, 5, 6, and 6E. They also both have Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI 2.1, and are easy to overclock, alongside having RGB lighting. Additionally, each motherboard comes with a 3-year warranty.

In terms of size, the Gigabyte board has a Micro-ATX form factor (244 mm x 244 mm), while the MSI board is slightly larger with an ATX form factor (243.8 mm x 304.8 mm). The Gigabyte motherboard includes dual BIOS, but the MSI board lacks this feature and instead makes resetting the BIOS easier.

Another difference is that the Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E does not include integrated graphics or an integrated CPU, a specification that is matched by the MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E. Neither product features aptX, and both support a single CPU socket. However, the MSI board does not include dual BIOS, a feature that is present on the Gigabyte board.

The Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E and MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E differ in their memory specifications, with the Gigabyte board offering a maximum memory capacity of 128GB, while the MSI board supports up to 256GB. Both motherboards are compatible with DDR5 memory and support dual memory channels. However, the Gigabyte board provides 2 memory slots, compared to the 4 slots on the MSI board, offering potentially greater flexibility for memory expansion on the MSI product.

In terms of RAM speed, the Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E supports a maximum of 5200 MHz, while the MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E slightly exceeds this with a maximum of 5600 MHz. The overclocked RAM speeds also differ, with the Gigabyte motherboard capable of reaching 9600 MHz, whereas the MSI board supports up to 8200 MHz.

Another key difference is that the Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E supports ECC memory, while the MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E does not. This means the Gigabyte motherboard offers additional error-correction capabilities, which can be important for certain professional or server-oriented use cases.

The Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E and MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E offer a variety of ports, but there are some key differences between them. Both motherboards include USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 1 ports, HDMI output, DisplayPort output, and an RJ45 Ethernet port. The Gigabyte board has 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (USB-A), 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-A), and 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (USB-C), while the MSI board provides more USB-A Gen 2 and Gen 1 ports, with 3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB-A) and 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB-A). The MSI board also has 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (USB-C), whereas the Gigabyte board does not include any Gen 2 USB-C ports.

When it comes to legacy ports, the Gigabyte board includes a PS/2 port, but the MSI board does not. The Gigabyte motherboard also features 2 USB 2.0 ports, while the MSI board does not provide any USB 2.0 ports. Both boards feature an HDMI output and a DisplayPort output, but neither has any Thunderbolt or eSATA ports. Additionally, neither motherboard has a VGA connector or DVI outputs.

In terms of USB Type-C support, both motherboards offer it, but with a difference in the number of ports and versions: the Gigabyte board has 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C port, while the MSI board has 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, providing slightly faster transfer speeds. Overall, both motherboards offer similar connectivity options but with notable differences in the number and types of USB ports, as well as legacy connectivity features.

The Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E and MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E both provide several expansion and connectivity options, though there are a few differences in their configurations. Both motherboards feature 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (through expansion), 4 USB 2.0 ports (through expansion), and 4 SATA 3 connectors. Additionally, both offer 2 USB 3.0 ports (through expansion), and neither includes SATA 2 connectors or U.2 sockets.

In terms of expansion options, the Gigabyte board provides 3 M.2 sockets, while the MSI board has 2, offering slightly more flexibility for M.2 storage on the Gigabyte motherboard. The Gigabyte board also has 4 fan headers, whereas the MSI board offers 6, giving users on the MSI board a bit more room for additional cooling options.

Both boards support TPM connectors, ensuring compatibility with security features, and neither includes an mSATA connector. Overall, the key differences between these two motherboards in this category are the number of M.2 sockets and fan headers, with the Gigabyte board offering more M.2 slots, while the MSI board provides more fan headers for cooling expansion.

The Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E and MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E differ in their expansion slot configurations. The Gigabyte board features a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, while the MSI board includes a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot. The Gigabyte motherboard does not have any PCIe 4.0 x16 or PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, while the MSI board offers 1 PCIe 4.0 x16 slot. Both boards have a PCIe x4 slot and a PCIe x1 slot, with the Gigabyte board lacking any PCI slots or PCIe 2.0 x16 slots, which are similarly not available on the MSI board.

Both boards feature 0 PCIe x8 slots. Additionally, the Gigabyte motherboard includes 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, which is not present on the MSI motherboard, while the MSI board offers 1 PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, which the Gigabyte board does not have. The expansion slot configurations provide users with similar options, but the Gigabyte board supports the newer PCIe 5.0 standard, while the MSI board supports PCIe 4.0 for its primary x16 slot.

Overall, the main distinction between these two boards in terms of expansion slots is the inclusion of the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot on the Gigabyte board, compared to the MSI's PCIe 4.0 x16 slot. Both motherboards provide similar PCIe x4 and x1 options but lack PCIe x8 or PCI slots.

Both the Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E and MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E motherboards offer the same audio capabilities. They both support 7.1 audio channels, ensuring high-quality sound output. Neither motherboard includes an S/PDIF Out port, which may be a consideration for users looking for that specific feature.

In terms of audio connectors, both motherboards provide 3 audio connectors, offering standard connectivity for speakers and other audio devices. Overall, the audio specs are identical between the two products, with no notable differences in features or configuration.

The Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E and MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E offer similar RAID support, with both motherboards supporting RAID 1 and RAID 10 (1+0). However, the Gigabyte board offers more options, also supporting RAID 5, while the MSI board does not. Both motherboards do not support RAID 0+1.

In terms of RAID configurations, the Gigabyte B850M Force Wi-Fi6E provides broader flexibility with RAID 5 support, while the MSI Pro B850-S Wi-Fi6E limits itself to RAID 1 and RAID 10 (1+0) and lacks RAID 5 support. Both products support RAID 0 for striped disk arrays.

Overall, the key difference in storage support between these two boards is the inclusion of RAID 5 on the Gigabyte board, offering an additional option for users seeking data redundancy and performance optimization.