MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi VS MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi

In terms of general characteristics, the MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi and the MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi are remarkably alike. Both use the LGA 1851 socket in a Micro-ATX form factor, share identical dimensions of 243.8 × 243.8 mm, and come with a 3-year warranty. Connectivity credentials are also a perfect match: both support the full Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) stack down through Wi-Fi 4, pair that with Bluetooth 5.4 for low-latency, stable wireless peripherals, and output video via HDMI 2.1. Neither board carries an integrated CPU or GPU, so a discrete processor and — if display output is needed — a dedicated graphics card are required for both.

The sole differentiator in this group is dual BIOS: the Gaming Plus WiFi includes it, while the Mortar WiFi does not. Dual BIOS means a backup firmware chip automatically takes over if the primary BIOS becomes corrupted during a failed flash or power outage, effectively making the board self-recovering. Both boards do offer an easy manual BIOS reset, but that requires physical intervention and does not protect against a corrupt flash — dual BIOS handles that scenario autonomously. For users who update firmware frequently or run an always-on system, this is a meaningful safety net.

Overall, the Gaming Plus WiFi holds a clear edge in this group solely because of its dual BIOS. Every other general specification — platform, size, wireless stack, display output, overclocking support, RGB, and warranty — is completely tied between the two boards.

Both the MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi and MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi support a maximum memory amount of 256GB, and both feature 4 memory slots and 2 memory channels. Both motherboards also support DDR5 memory, and neither supports ECC memory.

There is a notable difference in the maximum supported RAM speed: the Gaming Plus model supports a maximum RAM speed of 6400 MHz, while the Mortar model also supports up to 6400 MHz but offers a higher overclocked RAM speed of 9200 MHz compared to the Gaming Plus's 8600 MHz overclocked speed.

In summary, the primary difference between these two products in terms of memory is the overclocked RAM speed, with the MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi offering a higher overclocked speed than the MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi. Other memory-related specs such as maximum capacity, RAM slots, and DDR5 support are identical for both models.

The MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi and MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi both offer a range of ports for connectivity. Both motherboards include 1 HDMI output, 1 DisplayPort output, and 1 RJ45 Ethernet port. They also support USB Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, as well as Thunderbolt 4 ports.

There are a few differences in the USB ports between the two models. The Gaming Plus 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). The Mortar, on the other hand, offers 3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A) and 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (USB-C), with no USB 3.2 Gen 1 (USB-A) ports. The Gaming Plus also features 2 USB 2.0 ports, while the Mortar has 4 USB 2.0 ports.

Both motherboards are similar in terms of video outputs, with both having 1 HDMI output and 1 DisplayPort output, and neither includes a VGA connector. Additionally, both lack eSATA, DVI, and PS/2 ports. The MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi offers a higher count of USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and more USB 2.0 ports than the Gaming Plus, while both include Thunderbolt 4 and USB Type-C support.

The MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi and MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi differ in several key connector features. Both motherboards provide 4 SATA 3 connectors, 4 USB 2.0 ports through expansion, 1 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port through expansion, and 3 M.2 sockets. Both models also include a TPM connector and do not support mSATA or U.2 connectors.

However, the Gaming Plus model has 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and 4 USB 3.0 ports through expansion, while the Mortar has only 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports through expansion. The Mortar also offers 6 fan headers, compared to the Gaming Plus's 5 fan headers.

In summary, the key differences between the two motherboards in terms of connectors include the number of USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 3.0 ports, as well as the fan headers, with the MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi offering slightly more fan headers than the MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi.

The MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi and MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi differ in their expansion slots configuration. The Gaming Plus model offers 1 PCIe 4.0 x16 slot and 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, along with 2 PCIe x1 slots. It does not feature any PCIe x4, x8, or x2 slots. In contrast, the Mortar model has 1 PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and 1 PCIe x4 slot, but no PCIe 4.0 x16 slot or PCIe x1 slots.

Both motherboards lack PCI slots and PCIe 2.0 x16 slots, and neither includes any PCIe x8 slots. The key difference lies in the presence of PCIe 4.0 support on the Gaming Plus, which the Mortar does not have.

In summary, while both models feature PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, the MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi stands out with its PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, whereas the MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi includes a PCIe x4 slot, which is not found on the Gaming Plus.

Both the MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi and MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi support 7.1 audio channels, providing high-quality audio output. However, there are differences in the additional audio features and connectors.

The Gaming Plus model does not have an S/PDIF Out port, whereas the Mortar model includes this feature. In terms of audio connectors, the Gaming Plus provides 3 connectors, while the Mortar offers only 2.

In summary, while both motherboards support 7.1 audio channels, the MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi has an S/PDIF Out port, but the Gaming Plus offers more audio connectors.

Both the MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi and MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi support RAID 1, RAID 10 (1+0), and RAID 5 configurations, providing flexibility in storage setups. Additionally, both models support RAID 0, allowing for increased performance through striping.

However, neither motherboard supports RAID 0+1, which combines elements of both RAID 0 and RAID 1. This is the only RAID configuration that is absent on both products.

In summary, the storage capabilities in terms of RAID configurations are identical across the MSI B860M Gaming Plus WiFi and MSI MAG B860M Mortar WiFi, with both models supporting the same set of RAID options, excluding RAID 0+1.