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Gigabyte B860M Power specifications and in-depth review

Gigabyte B860M Power

Manufacturer: Gigabyte

The Gigabyte B860M Power is a Micro-ATX motherboard designed around Intel's LGA 1851 platform and the B860 chipset. It ships in a compact 244 × 225 mm footprint while still accommodating a respectable feature set for its class, including dual BIOS for added firmware resilience and native support for easy overclocking through the BIOS interface. The board carries a three-year warranty and foregoes onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, making it a straightforward wired-only build option.

Memory support extends to two DDR5 slots capable of holding up to 128 GB across dual channels, with a rated top speed of 6400 MHz and overclocked headroom reaching 9066 MHz. Expansion is handled by a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot alongside a PCIe x4 slot, and storage connectivity includes four SATA 3 ports plus two M.2 sockets with full RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support. Rear-panel I/O offers three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, three USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort output, and a single RJ45 Ethernet jack, while the onboard audio subsystem delivers 7.1-channel sound through three audio connectors.

Pros
  • Dual BIOS provides a useful safety net if the primary firmware becomes corrupted or fails during an update
  • Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10, offering meaningful flexibility for both performance and redundancy storage configurations
  • DDR5 memory with overclocked speeds reaching up to 9066 MHz gives considerable headroom for memory tuning
  • A PCIe 5.0 x16 slot ensures compatibility with current-generation graphics cards and high-bandwidth add-in cards
  • Three-year warranty offers a solid coverage period for a motherboard in this form factor
  • Two M.2 sockets alongside four SATA 3 ports provide a practical mix of fast and traditional storage connections
Cons
  • No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth means wireless connectivity requires a separate add-in card or adapter
  • Only two memory slots limits future upgrade paths and leaves no room for additional DIMMs
  • No USB Type-C ports on the rear I/O, which restricts connectivity for modern peripherals and devices
  • The absence of a quick CMOS reset button can make BIOS recovery more cumbersome in troubleshooting scenarios
  • No S/PDIF Out port limits digital audio output options for users with compatible audio equipment
  • With only three fan headers, cooling management flexibility may be insufficient for more thermally demanding builds
Who is this for?

This board is a solid fit for users building a compact desktop system around Intel's LGA 1851 platform who want capable storage flexibility, as the combination of two M.2 sockets, four SATA 3 connectors, and support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 suits both everyday workstation builds and light NAS-style setups. The PCIe 5.0 x16 slot makes it a reasonable choice for those pairing a current-generation discrete GPU with a Micro-ATX chassis, and the DDR5 support with overclocked speeds up to 9066 MHz will appeal to users who want meaningful memory tuning headroom within a smaller form factor. The dual BIOS feature also makes it a practical pick for builders who prefer added firmware resilience without manual intervention.

Who is this NOT for?

Users who require wireless connectivity out of the box will find this board limiting, as there is no onboard Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and no USB Type-C on the rear panel makes it a poor match for those with modern peripherals or devices that rely on that connector. With only two memory slots, it is not well suited to users who anticipate significant RAM expansion over time or who need more than two DIMMs for their workload. Similarly, enthusiasts aiming to build a heavily cooled, multi-fan system may find three fan headers insufficient, and the lack of an S/PDIF Out port rules it out for anyone dependent on digital audio passthrough to external receivers or DACs.

General info:

CPU socket LGA 1851
chipset B860
form factor Micro-ATX
supports Wi-Fi ✕
Has Bluetooth ✕
HDMI version HDMI 2.1
Easy to overclock ✓
has RGB lighting ✕
Easy to reset BIOS ✕
Has dual BIOS ✓
CPU sockets 1
Has integrated graphics ✕
warranty period 3 years
height 225 mm
width 244 mm
Has integrated CPU ✕

The Gigabyte B860M Power is built around the LGA 1851 socket and is compatible with the B860 chipset, housed in a Micro-ATX form factor measuring 244 × 225 mm. It supports a single CPU and does not include an integrated CPU or integrated graphics. The board features dual BIOS for firmware redundancy and allows easy overclocking, though it does not offer a quick CMOS reset option. Wireless connectivity is absent, as the board lacks both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and there is no RGB lighting onboard. Video output is handled via an HDMI 2.1 port, and the board comes backed by a three-year warranty.

Memory:

maximum memory amount 128GB
RAM speed (max) 6400 MHz
overclocked RAM speed 9066 MHz
memory slots 2
DDR memory version 5
memory channels 2
Supports ECC memory ✕

The board accommodates DDR5 memory across two slots in a dual-channel configuration, supporting up to 128 GB of total system RAM. Standard operation tops out at 6400 MHz, while overclocking headroom extends that figure to 9066 MHz for users looking to push memory performance further. ECC memory is not supported.

Ports:

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A) 0
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-A) 3
USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-C) 0
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-C) 0
USB 2.0 ports 3
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports 0
USB 4 40Gbps ports 0
USB 4 20Gbps ports 0
Thunderbolt 4 ports 0
Thunderbolt 3 ports 0
has an HDMI output ✓
DisplayPort outputs 1
RJ45 ports 1
Has USB Type-C ✕
eSATA ports 0
DVI outputs 0
has a VGA connector ✕
PS/2 ports 1

The rear I/O panel provides three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports alongside three USB 2.0 ports, while USB Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 4, Thunderbolt 3, and Thunderbolt 4 are all absent. Display output is covered by one HDMI port and one DisplayPort output, with no DVI or VGA connectivity present. Networking is handled by a single RJ45 port, and a PS/2 port is also included for legacy peripheral support. There are no eSATA ports on this board.

Connectors:

USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (through expansion) 2
USB 2.0 ports (through expansion) 4
SATA 3 connectors 4
fan headers 3
USB 3.0 ports (through expansion) 2
M.2 sockets 2
Has TPM connector ✓
U.2 sockets 0
Has mSATA connector ✕
SATA 2 connectors 0

Internal connectivity is well-covered, with four SATA 3 connectors and two M.2 sockets available for storage, while SATA 2 and U.2 sockets are not present, and there is no mSATA connector. USB expansion headers include two USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectors and four USB 2.0 ports for adding front-panel or bracket-mounted connections. The board also includes three fan headers for cooling management and a TPM connector for hardware-based security module support.

Expansion slots:

PCIe 4.0 x16 slots 0
PCIe 5.0 x16 slots 1
PCIe 3.0 x16 slots 0
PCIe x1 slots 0
PCI slots 0
PCIe 2.0 x16 slots 0
PCIe x4 slots 1
PCIe x8 slots 0

The board offers a total of two expansion slots: one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a primary graphics card or other full-bandwidth add-in card, and one PCIe x4 slot for additional expansion needs. There are no PCIe 4.0, 3.0, or 2.0 x16 slots, and no PCIe x1, x8, or legacy PCI slots are present.

Audio:

audio channels 7.1
Has S/PDIF Out port ✕
audio connectors 3

The onboard audio solution supports 7.1-channel surround sound and provides three analog audio connectors for connecting speakers, headphones, and microphones. There is no S/PDIF Out port available for digital audio output.

Storage:

Supports RAID 1 ✓
Supports RAID 10 (1+0) ✓
Supports RAID 5 ✓
Supports RAID 0 ✓
Supports RAID 0+1 ✕

The board supports a broad range of RAID configurations, including RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 (1+0), catering to both performance-oriented and redundancy-focused storage setups. RAID 0+1, however, is not supported.

Final Verdict

The Gigabyte B860M Power is a capable Micro-ATX motherboard that delivers a well-rounded feature set for LGA 1851 builds within a compact footprint. Its PCIe 5.0 x16 slot combined with DDR5 support and overclocked memory speeds up to 9066 MHz gives it solid headroom for performance-oriented configurations, while dual BIOS and broad RAID support add a layer of reliability and storage flexibility that goes beyond what is typical at this form factor. It does come with notable omissions — no wireless connectivity, no USB Type-C on the rear panel, and only two memory slots — which mean it is best matched with builders whose requirements align with its wired, focused feature set. For those who do fit that profile, it represents a dependable and technically competent platform for a modern Intel-based compact desktop build.

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