A high-performance motherboard is essential for any gamer. If you want to take your gaming setup to the next level, the MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard provides the features and ports you need, as well as the capacity to overclock.
Thanks to its overclocking potential, extensive connectivity choices, and cutting-edge thermal design, the MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard is a fantastic pick for PC gamers. Along with the board itself is the Mystic Light RGB LED system, which allows for complete customization of the board's aesthetic via colour.
In a nutshell, MSI's B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard is a no-brainer for budget-conscious gamers that want stability. The MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC boasts a 12+2 phase VRM that can keep even the most power-hungry components running smoothly. Additionally, it features six SATA connections, two M.2 slots that enable PCIe Gen 3 x4 speeds up to 2Gbps (32Gb/s), one USB-C connector, three USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one HDMI port, and one DVI-D port. Read this MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard review before making a purchase. There are many more details that set this board apart from others.
Introduction
A new AMD chipset deserves discussion once more. That a chipset with the B450's specs has been released is not shocking. After the X370 was updated this year to resemble the X470, it was only a matter of time until the B300 series was given the same treatment. Differences between the B300 and B400 series are subtle. The board we are going to be looking at today, however, is nothing to sneeze at. I am happy to utilise MSI's B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC as my introduction to the B450 chipset because it offers more than one could anticipate from a revived midrange board.
As a full-size ATX board, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC has all the features we've come to expect from high-quality mainstream motherboards. To improve drive efficiency and durability, the board incorporates a thermal solution over its two M.2 slots. Furthermore, the VRM and chipset are shielded by a remarkable collection of heatsinks, reducing the possibility of thermal throttling under any load or environmental condition. The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC has the potential to be a gaming powerhouse thanks to its robust VRM architecture, well-developed audio solution, and customizable RGB lighting options provided by MSI Mystic Light and MSI Mystic Light Sync.
Indeed, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is engaged in a dual-front war. As a midrange chipset board, it competes with products like as ASRock's AB350M Pro4. We investigated low-cost boards that don't sacrifice performance earlier this year. However, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC has all the high-end extras found on standard X470 motherboards. MSI has attempted the impossible by balancing features with price. This evaluation will reveal whether or not they were successful.
Packaging and Contents
Graphics of a black heatsink with glinting RGB lights and the words "MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC" are featured on the front of the box for the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC. Both the MSI logo and feature logos may be seen in the upper left corner. Chipset details are displayed on the bottom right, while additional functionality is displayed in the left.
A image of the board with major features highlighted occupies much of the top left, and other features are specified out to the right on the rear of the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC box, a dark and colourful twist on what has become the typical layout. There's a large list of features and specs along the bottom left, and the all-important diagram of the back-end inputs and outputs is located at the bottom right.
When it comes to conforming to type, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC box does it in fine style. The graphics are perfectly printed, and the board's moody tone is spot on. The fact that there isn't much else to say is a huge compliment. This reviewer gives a perfect score of 10; we recommend the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC box.
Technical Specifications
The cheaper motherboard may not have as many connections or extra features as the more expensive one. Compared to other laptops, the MSI Carbon has fewer ports, yet it still has more than enough for the typical user. In addition, the Carbon aesthetic works splendidly with MSI's Mystic Light, so you can be sure to have plenty of style to go along with your prowess. The B450 Carbon has a lot going for it: dual M.2 slots, sturdy heatsinks, LAN and Wi-Fi connectivity (thus the AC in the name), and MSI's Audio Boost and Nahimic3 audio.
Frequently Asked Questions About MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard
Add in a fully fleshed out audio solution, MSI Mystic Light, and Mystic Light Sync for expandable RGB support, and an especially beefy VRM design, and the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC could be a true gaming powerhouse. But, unfortunately, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is actually fighting a battle on two fronts.
The B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC AM4 ATX Motherboard from MSI is built on the AMD B450 chipset, supporting AMD Ryzen series processors with an AM4 socket. ... Other notable features include Realtek ALC1220 7.1-channel HD audio, Intel I211AT Gigabit LAN, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, and MSI Mystic Light RGB LEDs.
The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC has no less than six fan headers. Four are standard 4-pin system headers, a CPU-specific header, and a high current header for water pumps.
A B450 will serve you just fine. Lots of them will be enough for OC if you're into it, or else it will be more than enough. Just look at the features, not the chipset. If it will do what you'll want from it, then that's a match, as easy as that.
Motherboards come in three main sizes, from largest to smallest: ATX, Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX (Yes, Mini is smaller than Micro). You can use a smaller chassis with the micro or mini boards, but you'll have to settle for fewer PCIe slots, RAM slots and other connectors
Board Layout
When you take the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC out of its packaging, you'll see that it's a strikingly dark board with black carbon-textured heatsinks and a black PCB with white lines tracing it in the bottom left corner. Heatsinks are far larger than one would anticipate on a B450 board, and the entire board is a consistent black colour. The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC looks sleek and aggressive thanks to the design. The back of the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is similarly a consistent black broken only by the backplate for the CPU cooler and a few cautions against misplaced standoffs. The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is an extremely good-looking board. The design and implementation are far superior to what I would anticipate from a mid-range motherboard. The rear I/O is partially shielded by the expanded heatsink.
The PRO CARBON AC's LAN is driven by an Intel I211AT Gigabit LAN Controller. The rear I/O of the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is generally as expected and consists of the following:
- 1x BIOS Flashback+ button
- 1x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port
- 2x USB 2.0 Type-A (black)
- 1x DisplayPort
- 1x HDMI
- 1x LAN (RJ45) port
- 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
- 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A (blue)
- 1x Wi-Fi antenna connectors
- 5x Audio jack
- 1x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
Fan Control and Options
The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC's cooling system is controlled through the motherboard's BIOS or MSI Command Center. The default curves on the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC were nearly quiet with my cooler, and the board gives a lot of room for tweaking. The software architecture is simple, and there is considerable continuity in the user interface design between the BIOS and the operating system. The cooling system of the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is managed by a chip manufactured by Nuvoton and numbered NCT6797.
There are a minimum of six fan headers on the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC. Three of them are high-current headers designed for use with water pumps; the other four are the industry-standard 4-pin system headers. There are six total, with three in the upper right corner and the other three scattered around the lower half of the board. The whole control configuration was designed with the enthusiast in mind, demonstrating thoughtfulness from the beginning of the process.
Product Description and UEFI
Some of us are looking forwards to spending our tax returns on the newest and best PC gear now that the season has arrived in the United States. It's easy to forget about the motherboard when deciding on components, what with RTX, Radeon VII, and 3000 series CPUs on the horizon. MSI's goal is to alter that with a cheap ($140 US) overclocking board that's hard to pass up owing to its huge heat sinks and extensive integrated RGB lighting.
When compared to competing B450 products, this one's packaging goes for a more subdued look, somewhat unlike that of a high-performance automobile. Additionally, the box's contents are few in comparison to the "premium" standards we'd set for the X470. All the same, a B450 board has you covered with a foam backplate, two SATA cables, a built-in Wi-Fi antenna, an LED extension cable, a case badge, a driver disc, a variety of documents, and sticky cable labels.
While it has many of the same specs as the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi that we evaluated earlier, the MSI B450 Pro Carbon has a more understated design and a more pleasant user interface. In addition to its Intel I211AT Gigabit Network controller RJ-45 connector and five gold-plated analogue audio jacks, the MSI B450's rear panel also has one S/PDIF jack, two USB3.1 10Gbps (1 Type-A, 1 Type-C), two USB3.1 5Gbps, two USB2.0 ports, and one USB3.1 Type-A and Type-C ports. For those who don't need or desire a dedicated graphics card, there are HDMI and Display Port connectors available that can handle the bandwidth demands of versions 1.4 and 1.3, respectively. An Intel Wireless-AC 9260 adapter card, which is capable of speeds up to 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2, supplies wireless network connectivity. If you ever need to restore or update the UEFI on your board, you can use the BIOS Flashback Button or PS/2 port.
There is sufficient room between the top-mounted Corsair LED, CPU 4-pin fan, and 4 and 8-pin EPS power connections for tidy cable routeing. The last 4-pin fan header is tucked away behind the main VReg heatsink. Last but not least, the two hinged DDR4 DIMM slots are an improvement over the regular B450 design.
With this being a midrange board of greater quality, we figured it was time to turn up the overclocking features. A range of modes from 1 to 8 is available for CPU Loadline Calibration (higher to lower load line settings, respectively). It is possible to increase the CPU core voltage to a maximum of 1.55V, which is much over the safe operating range. Furthermore, VCore voltages may be adjusted manually with a 12.5mV step. Memory (RAM) clock speeds range from a lowly DDR4-1600 all the way up to a breathtaking DDR4-4200. A distinguishing feature among B450 boards is the inclusion of over-voltage and over-current protection in the board's legs, in case you're extra cautious about blowing things up.
Efficiency of Storage
Storage on the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is standard fare for a full-size board. It's important to remember, though, that using the M.2 slots forces the system to shut down one of the PCIe 2.0 x1 slots or one of the SATA ports (M.2 1 for the SATA and M.2 2 for the PCI) in order to make room. To avoid engineering in extra storage controllers and still provide interface flexibility, this restriction has been implemented. In most storage benchmarks, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC fared admirably.
Apparent Completion
The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC was a great addition to my testing rig, and it gave off an aura of high-quality potential. While an all-black colour scheme may be tired, I seldom see an example of good execution. Put your own spin on it if you like. It's dashing, and since it's all black, it'll be a breeze to pair it with any number of other devices.
The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC's RGB approach is more restrained than on previous boards, being small in scope yet competently implemented. Chipset and top-right edge are primary locations for RGB LEDs. Despite my lack of experience with photographing in low light, I think it looks great and complements the rest of the board's dark colours.
Conclusion
MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC features six SATA connections, two M.2 slots that enable PCIe Gen 3 x4 speeds up to 2Gbps (32Gb/s), one USB-C connector, three USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one HDMI port, and one DVI-D port. Reviewer says it offers more than one could anticipate from a revived midrange board. MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is engaged in a dual-front war with ASRock's AB350M Pro4. Board has potential to be a gaming powerhouse thanks to its robust VRM architecture. MSI has attempted the impossible by balancing features with price.
The B450 Carbon has a lot going for it: dual M.2 slots, sturdy heatsinks, LAN and Wi-Fi connectivity (thus the AC in the name), and MSI's Audio Boost and Nahimic3 audio. The design and implementation are far superior to what I would expect from a mid-range motherboard. MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC's cooling system is controlled through the motherboard's BIOS or MSI Command Center. Default curves on the board were nearly quiet with my cooler, and the board gives a lot of room for tweaking. Packaging goes for a more subdued look, somewhat unlike that of a high-performance automobile.
MSI B450 Pro Carbon has a more understated design and pleasant user interface. Intel Wireless-AC 9260 adapter card is capable of speeds up to 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2. Memory (RAM) clock speeds range from a lowly DDR4-1600 all the way up to a breathtaking DDR4-4200. MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC was a great addition to my testing rig. While an all-black colour scheme may be tired, I seldom see an example of good execution. Chipset and top-right edge are primary locations for RGB LEDs.
Content Summary
- A high-performance motherboard is essential for any gamer.
- If you want to take your gaming setup to the next level, the MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard provides the features and ports you need, as well as the capacity to overclock.
- Thanks to its overclocking potential, extensive connectivity choices, and cutting-edge thermal design, the MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard is a fantastic pick for PC gamers.
- In a nutshell, MSI's B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard is a no-brainer for budget-conscious gamers that want stability.
- The MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC boasts a 12+2 phase VRM that can keep even the most power-hungry components running smoothly.
- Additionally, it features six SATA connections, two M.2 slots that enable PCIe Gen 3 x4 speeds up to 2Gbps (32Gb/s), one USB-C connector, three USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports, one HDMI port, and one DVI-D port.
- Read this MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC motherboard review before making a purchase.
- A new AMD chipset deserves discussion once more.
- That a chipset with the B450's specs has been released is not shocking.
- As a full-size ATX board, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC has all the features we've come to expect from high-quality mainstream motherboards.
- To improve drive efficiency and durability, the board incorporates a thermal solution over its two M.2 slots.
- The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC has the potential to be a gaming powerhouse thanks to its robust VRM architecture, well-developed audio solution, and customizable RGB lighting options provided by MSI Mystic Light and MSI Mystic Light Sync.
- Indeed, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is engaged in a dual-front war.
- As a midrange chipset board, it competes with products like as ASRock's AB350M Pro4.
- However, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC has all the high-end extras found on standard X470 motherboards.
- MSI has attempted the impossible by balancing features with price.
- Packaging and ContentsGraphics of a black heatsink with glinting RGB lights and the words "MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC" are featured on the front of the box for the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC.
- The cheaper motherboard may not have as many connections or extra features as the more expensive one.
- Compared to other laptops, the MSI Carbon has fewer ports, yet it still has more than enough for the typical user.
- The B450 Carbon has a lot going for it: dual M.2 slots, sturdy heatsinks, LAN and Wi-Fi connectivity (thus the AC in the name), and MSI's Audio Boost and Nahimic3 audio.
- Board LayoutWhen you take the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC out of its packaging, you'll see that it's a strikingly dark board with black carbon-textured heatsinks and a black PCB with white lines tracing it in the bottom left corner.
- The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC looks sleek and aggressive thanks to the design.
- The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is an extremely good-looking board.
- The design and implementation are far superior to what I would anticipate from a mid-range motherboard.
- The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC's cooling system is controlled through the motherboard's BIOS or MSI Command Center.
- The software architecture is simple, and there is considerable continuity in the user interface design between the BIOS and the operating system.
- The cooling system of the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is managed by a chip manufactured by Nuvoton and numbered NCT6797.There are a minimum of six fan headers on the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC.
- The whole control configuration was designed with the enthusiast in mind, demonstrating thoughtfulness from the beginning of the process.
- It's easy to forget about the motherboard when deciding on components, what with RTX, Radeon VII, and 3000 series CPUs on the horizon.
- MSI's goal is to alter that with a cheap ($140 US) overclocking board that's hard to pass up owing to its huge heat sinks and extensive integrated RGB lighting.
- While it has many of the same specs as the Gigabyte B450 Aorus Pro Wi-Fi that we evaluated earlier, the MSI B450 Pro Carbon has a more understated design and a more pleasant user interface.
- In addition to its Intel I211AT Gigabit Network controller RJ-45 connector and five gold-plated analogue audio jacks, the MSI B450's rear panel also has one S/PDIF jack, two USB3.1 10Gbps (1 Type-A, 1 Type-C), two USB3.1 5Gbps, two USB2.0 ports, and one USB3.1 Type-A and Type-C ports.
- Last but not least, the two hinged DDR4 DIMM slots are an improvement over the regular B450 design.
- Memory (RAM) clock speeds range from a lowly DDR4-1600 all the way up to a breathtaking DDR4-4200.
- A distinguishing feature among B450 boards is the inclusion of over-voltage and over-current protection in the board's legs, in case you're extra cautious about blowing things up.
- Storage on the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC is standard fare for a full-size board.
- It's important to remember, though, that using the M.2 slots forces the system to shut down one of the PCIe 2.0 x1 slots or one of the SATA ports (M.2 1 for the SATA and M.2 2 for the PCI) in order to make room.
- In most storage benchmarks, the MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC fared admirably.
- Apparent CompletionThe MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC was a great addition to my testing rig, and it gave off an aura of high-quality potential.
- While an all-black colour scheme may be tired, I seldom see an example of good execution.
- Put your own spin on it if you like.
- The MSI B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC's RGB approach is more restrained than on previous boards, being small in scope yet competently implemented.
- Chipset and top-right edge are primary locations for RGB LEDs.
- Despite my lack of experience with photographing in low light, I think it looks great and complements the rest of the board's dark colours.