The MSI MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI is a feature-packed Intel B860 motherboard targeted at end-users intending to build a mainstream Intel Core Ultra 200 series gaming PC in the micro ATX form factor.

This article is sponsored by MSI.

On 10 October 2024, Intel officially announced its next-gen Core Ultra 200 series processors (codenamed "Arrow Lake-S") and the accompanying high-end Z890 chipset - fast forward to the first week of 2025, and Intel has just lifted the veil on its new mid-range chipset for the LGA1851 platform, the Intel B860.

To get in on the launch excitement, we'll be taking a look at a mainstream gamer-oriented motherboard by MSI - the MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI. Sporting features such as a beefy VRM setup with 60A power phases, PCIe Gen 5 support for a graphics card and a M.2 drive, a supplemental PCIe power connector on the motherboard, Intel 5 Gigabit Ethernet with WIFI 7 support and so on, read on to learn more about this motherboard!

Summary of Specifications

Processor Support: Intel Core Ultra processors (Series 2)
Chipset: Intel B860
Memory: 4x DDR5 slots, max 256GB, up to DDR5 9200+ (OC) support (as of January 2025), CUDIMMs supported
Audio: Realtek ALC897 audio codec
LAN: Intel Killer E5000B 5 Gigabit Ethernet
WIFI: Intel Killer BE1750x WIFI 7 module with built-in Bluetooth 5.4
Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 1x PCIe 4.0 x4
Storage: 4x SATA III, 1x PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2, 2x PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 (supports M.2 NVMe SSDs only)
Form Factor: Micro ATX
Official Product Page: https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-B860M-MORTAR-WIFI

Packaging & Contents

The MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI comes in a box that sports a grey colourway with lime green accents, and we get the usual summary of specs over on the rear of the box.

The board comes with the following accessories:

• WIFI antenna
• 1x SATA III cable
• 1x EZ Front Panel cable
• 1x 1-to-2 EZ Conn-Cable V1
• 2x EZ M.2 Clip II attachments
• 1x EZ M.2 Clip II remover tool
• Quick installation guide
• Regulatory information leaflet
• MSI survey leaflet

Visuals on the above accessories can be found in the review video for this motherboard, which is embedded at the top of this article. That said, the 1-to-2 EZ-Conn cable forms part of a new MSI specific-feature called EZ Conn, which allows end-users to connect an addressable RGB device and a fan to a single proprietary EZ Conn header on the motherboard - MSI's intention here is to simplify the hardware setup process, and I'll give a more in-depth lowdown on EZ Conn later in this article.

Board Aesthetics

As can be seen, MSI has gone for a relatively clean aesthetic with a black-coloured PCB, an integrated I/O shield design and large black heatsinks all around that feature lime green accents for a nice pop of colour. Fans of RGB lighting effects might be disappointed to note that the board does not come with any onboard RGB LEDs, though it does of course come with an assortment of RGB headers.

The rear of the motherboard doesn't come with any fancy motifs, though we do get some markings that MSI calls "case standoff keep out zones". These markings serve as a warning not to install unneeded motherboard standoffs within your PC case, which could otherwise scratch the board. In addition, MSI has also taken the liberty to include protective paint around the motherboard's screw holes so as to protect the PCB against scratches during installation, which is a nice touch.

For chipset cooling duty, MSI's included a passive heatsink that's tasked with keeping temperatures at bay for the Intel B860 chipset.

As a mainstream motherboard offering, it's great to see that MSI has included heatsink coverage for two out of the three M.2 slots that the MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI comes with. 

VRM & Memory Support

It's great to see that MSI hasn't skimped on the VRM setup for the MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI, where it comes with 12+1+1+1 power stages with 60A DrMOS power phases - the board's power delivery solution should handle the power demands of even Intel's high-end Core Ultra 200 series parts with relative ease.

For memory support, the board comes with four DDR5 slots that as of the time of publishing this article, sport support for up to 256GBs of RAM and the DDR5 9200 standard when overclocked, with plastic slots of a single-tabbed design. Naturally, the board also supports Intel’s XMP technology, which are basically built-in overclocking profiles for DDR5 memory.

It’s worth noting too, that the board also supports the latest DIMM format on the block, Clocked Unbuffered DIMMs, (CUDIMMs), which come with a clock driver on the memory module to improve signal stability, thereby paving the way for even higher operating frequencies.

Front Panel USB Headers

For front panel USB connectivity, the MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI comes with a single USB 5Gbps Type-A front panel header that provides support for up to two USB 5Gbps Type-A ports, and a USB 10Gbps Type-C front panel header located near the RAM slots.

Rounding off this section on front panel USB connectivity are two USB 2.0 front panel headers found along the bottom edge of the motherboard; each of these headers provide support for two front panel USB 2.0 Type-A ports, for a total of four ports.

Expansion Slots & Storage Options

In terms of expansion slots, MSI has included a full-length PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a graphics card; the said slot features MSI's Steel Armour II design which helps reinforce the slots for use with heavy graphics cards.

It's great to see that the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a graphics card comes with the EZ PCIe Release feature, which helps make removing a graphics card from the slot a breeze. To undo the latch, simply press down on the button pictured above, which will undo the latch for the installation or removal of a graphics card - there's even little window with a lock motif that indicates whether the latch is locked in place or not!

The board also comes with a single PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, as pictured above.

In the storage department, MSI has included four SATA III ports, with two ports in a right-angled configuration and two ports in a straight-angled configuration.

For your M.2 drive needs, the MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI comes with three M.2 slots, of which the slot right above the PCIe 5.0 x16 slot conforms to the PCIe 5.0 x4 standard, while the other two slots beneath the graphics card slot both support the PCIe 4.0 x4 standard. Do note that these three M.2 slots support NVMe SSDs only - SATA M.2 drives will not work with any of these slots.

As mentioned earlier, two out of the three M.2 slots come with heatsinks, where the heatsink for the Gen 5 M.2 slot features a tool-less design called EZ M.2 Shield Frozr II, which makes removing and installing the said heatsink really easy. All one's got to do is to press down on a button located at the side of the heatsink, and lift the heatsink away from the board. Reinstalling the heatsink is a breeze too, which involves simply sliding it back into place and pressing down on it, until the latch mechanism catches in place.

A quality-of-life feature that the board's M.2 slots have is EZ M.2 Clip II, which appears to be a spring-loaded standoff device that makes installing and removing a M.2 drive a tool-less affair. Simply insert the M.2 drive into the slot and push the drive into place - the EZ M.2 Clip II will snap into place and secure the said M.2 drive.

Do note though, that not all of the M.2 slots come with the EZ M.2 Clip II preinstalled - the lone PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot (M2_1) and one of the PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots (M2_3), still utilise the traditional EZ M.2 Clip design for the standard 2280 M.2 form factor, but can still accommodate the EZ M.2 Clip II for shorter M.2 drive form factors.

On the above note, the EZ M.2 Clip II remover tool comes in handy to remove and reposition the EZ M.2 Clip II device - this is so as to accommodate M.2 drives of different lengths apart from the standard 2280 form factor.

Audio & Internet Connectivity

Powering the board's audio is a Realtek ALC897 audio codec...

...while wired internet connectivity is care of an Intel Killer E5000B LAN controller that provides support for speedy 5 Gigabit Ethernet. The board also comes with built-in WIFI courtesy of an Intel Killer BE1750x WIFI7 module that supports the 320 MHz channel width, and also serves up Bluetooth 5.4 support.

Fan & RGB Headers

The MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI comes with six fan headers:

• 1x CPU_FAN1
• 1x PUMP_SYS1
• 4x SYS_FAN

Also included are three Gen2 addressable RGB headers and a single 12V RGB header.

Other Features

To help with troubleshooting PC issues, the MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI comes with a set of EZ Debug LEDs that can help end-users troubleshoot PC startup issues.

Moving to the bottom edge of the board, we get a unique feature in the form of an 8-pin supplemental PCIe power connector (PCIE_PWR1), where the said connector provides for an additional source of juice for the power-hungry flagship GPUs of tomorrow. According to MSI, the said connector can supply up to 252W of supplemental power.

We do also get a Thunderbolt 5 expansion card header that is to be used with an optional MSI Thunderbolt 5 add-on card, a Clear CMOS header...

...a Tuning Controller header that is to be used with an optional MSI Tuning Controller device, as well as a chassis intrusion header. 

MSI's also included a TPM header for an optional TPM module located, as well as an EZ Conn header.

As mentioned earlier, EZ Conn (JAF_1) is a new MSI-specific connector, and it allows end-users to easily connect MSI's next-generation aRGB fans to the motherboard with just one onboard connector.

For end-users who do not have such MSI aRGB fans, the EZ Conn header can still be used with non-MSI devices via the included 1-to-2 EZ Conn-cable included with the motherboard, which as can be seen, comes with an addressable RGB header and a four-pin fan header.

It's worth noting that as of the time of writing this article, MSI has a higher-end variant of the EZ Conn connector (JAF_2) that supports the 1-to-3 EZ Conn-Cable - the said cable comes with an addressable RGB connector, a USB 2.0 connector and a 4-pin fan header, and is found on MSI's high-end motherboards.

Rear I/O

The MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI comes with an integrated I/O shield design, where the board comes with the following rear I/O ports:

• 1x DisplayPort 1.4 port (supports display output of up to 4K resolution at 60Hz)
• 1x HDMI 2.1 port (supports display output of up to 4K resolution at 120Hz or 8K resolution at 60Hz)
• 1x Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C port (supports display output of up to 4K resolution at 120Hz or 8K resolution at 60Hz, also supports 15W Power Delivery)
• Flash BIOS button
• Clear CMOS button
• 4x USB 2.0 Type-A
• 3x USB 10Gbps Type-A
• 1x USB 10Gbps Type-C
• 5 Gigabit Ethernet port
• EZ WIFI Antenna connectors
• Audio jack connectors

The Flash BIOS feature allows end-users to update the motherboard's BIOS without needing to install a processor, RAM and graphics card.

Conclusion

And with that, the MSI MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI shapes up to be a feature-packed Intel B860 motherboard offering, where it has plenty of features that actually matter, which allows it to rival even cheaper motherboards sporting the high-end Z890 chipset. We're talking about features such as a relatively beefy VRM setup, PCIe 5.0 support for a graphics card and a M.2 drive, Intel 5 Gigabit Ethernet and Intel WIFI 7 as standard, and a whole bunch of nice quality-of-life features such as EZ PCIe Release, EZ M.2 Clip II, and so on. All in all, if you're looking to build a mainstream microATX PC powered by Intel's Core Ultra series of processors, the MAG B860M MORTAR WIFI should definitely be on your radar.

Get this motherboard from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3C5U7gH (affiliate link)

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This article was sponsored by MSI, and the motherboard featured in this article was a provided on loan from MSI.