Wires have long been the bane of my existence when trying to make a PC look as good as possible, so I was excited to hear about MSI’s Project Zero at CES 2024. Designed to solve the problem of cables ruining the look of your new build, the MSI B650M Project Zero motherboard is a bold step into the future of PC building.
Designed for AMD’s Ryzen AM5 processors, this AM5 socket motherboard aims to revolutionize the way we think about PC interiors by moving all connections to the back of the motherboard. It’s a concept as intriguing as it is innovative, and assuming you have a compatible case, it’s a great option for enthusiasts looking for a cleaner, more streamlined build.
Let’s get this out of the way early: I was skeptical that the concept of Project Zero would work, but MSI has done it in a way that looks good and actually makes the process easy. The first thing you’ll notice about the B650M Project Zero is its striking appearance. The board is covered in sleek metal heat sinks and shrouds, giving it a clean gamer look and feel that I found immediately striking. The only visible components are the essentials: the CPU socket, RAM slots and PCIe slots. Everything else, from the power connectors to the fan headers, has been moved to the back of the board.
“…the MSI B650M Project Zero motherboard is a bold step into the future of PC building.”
I have been building PCs for over twenty years, and this is one of the most dramatic changes I have seen in a long time. It’s a design choice that is both functional and aesthetic. By moving the connectors, MSI has eliminated the need for cable routing on the front of the motherboard. This not only gives a cleaner look but also improves airflow and makes the build process faster and easier. No more fiddling with tiny connectors or trying to hide cables out of sight — just plug everything in from the back, and you’re ready to go.
The MSI B650M Project Zero may look unconventional, but it does not skimp on features. It supports up to four DDR5 memory modules with speeds up to 6400+ (OC). It has a premium thermal solution with extended heat sinks and an M.2 Shield Frozr to keep your high-performance components cool under pressure. It all looks fantastic with solid back panel connectors for everything you want to connect while letting you see what normally looks good in a PC, so it all looks positively striking when put together. The white and black look of the board is also striking, especially when everything is installed, and the case lighting is on.
I should note that because this is a B650-based board, you will not be able to use shiny new PCIe Gen 5 SSDs on it, but beyond that, you will be able to take advantage of most of what the AM5 allows. Fortunately, there is plenty of connectivity onboard to give you flexibility in how you set up your new build.
It features a 2.5G LAN port and an AMD Wi-Fi 6E solution, ensuring fast and stable networking for both wired and wireless connections. It also offers a solid set of USB ports, including three USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, as well as a Lightning USB-C 20G port, which offers blazing transfer speeds of 20Gbps, four times faster than USB 3.2 Gen 1.
For those looking to take full advantage of the latest AMD Ryzen 8000 series CPUs, the board features both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort outputs, making it a great choice for those looking to build a powerful gaming rig or integrated graphics workstation. The audio solution, called Audio Boost, promises studio-quality sound for immersive gaming and media experiences. It is great to see so much IO on such a small board, and MSI manages to do it all while keeping things incredibly clean.
As I mentioned, I was a bit skeptical of the new Project Zero concept, but once I started building the system, I was convinced. The fact that everything is around the back means the building process with the MSI B650M Project Zero motherboard was incredibly simple. I slotted the board in place, got the CPU, Coolers and GPU all installed, and most of what I needed to worry about on the front was done. From there, it was just a matter of connecting everything to the back and tidying up the bird’s nest that may come from hooking everything up.
“The fact that everything is around the back means the building process with the MSI B650M Project Zero motherboard was incredibly simple.”
Even still, this process took much less time since the need to route cables in unique ways was eliminated, making the PC something to show off, even after a mere fraction of the work normally going into building a PC. I still love to keep things looking clean, but the process and design made it much easier to get everything looking the way I wanted.
While this all sounds nice, as mentioned above, this only works if you have a Project Zero case, as it simply will not work in a standard PC case. There are a few vendors that support the concept, including Corsair, with their 6500X and 2500 series cases. We used the MSI MAG PANO M1 00RPZ for the build, and it made the process easy, but if you do not have a case that supports the board, you will unfortunately not be able to take advantage of everything due to the way it works.
This makes sense because of the way it was designed, but it does make upgrading a bit more difficult. MSI has partnered with case manufacturers like Lian Li and XPG to offer compatible options, but your choices are a bit limited compared to a traditional motherboard. Honestly, if you just want a quick build, there are easier options; this is really made for people who want a system they can show off. I love what the MSI B650M Project Zero brings to the table and found it incredibly interesting from a PC build perspective; it is certainly on the bleeding edge, meaning it is not quite as easy to dive into as traditional boards, at least for now.
Thankfully, beyond this issue, MSI has managed to pack a lot of features in this tiny board, with it even offering two M.2 NVME PCI Gen 4 slots under heatsinks to get everything running fast with no worries about overheating the components. Even the BIOS has everything you would need to get your system working the way you want, with a UI that feels intuitive yet powerful and even supports overclocking should you wish to push your system.
The MSI B650M Project Zero is a motherboard that dares to be different and largely succeeds in its mission. The relocated connectors and clean aesthetics are a welcome break from the norm, while the premium features and connectivity options make this a compelling choice for AMD Ryzen AM5 series builds.
While it still feels on the cutting edge of computing and may not be for everyone, especially those who prefer a more traditional layout or have specific case requirements, the B650M Project Zero is a solid option. It’s an innovative take on motherboard design that prioritizes both form and function, and we can’t wait to see how this concept evolves in the future.
- Supports AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop Processors
- Supports DDR5 Memory, up to 7600+(OC) MHz
