MSI B250M Mortar
A proper pocket rocket.
As the only microATX motherboard in the roundup, the MSI B250M Mortar scored second place overall in the APC labs performance tests.
Dropping numbers on the competition, the MSI B250M Mortar commanded a confident lead in its PCMark 8 victory. Followed by strong results across all three tests within Cinebench R15 and delivering the frames with pace across 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme and Far Cry Primal.
While much of the competition is riding the RGB bandwagon, the MSI B250M Mortar is riding the older, established black-red colourway, complete with red LED lighting emanating from LEDs placed on the rear of the PCB. The rearplaced LEDs certainly create a pleasant, gentle glow, but if red isn’t the colour of your aesthetic desire for your PC build, it could be an issue.
Core feature spec is on point with an Intel I219-V NIC for LAN support, M.2 PCIe x4 ready and plenty of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 options spread across the rear I/O and internal headers.
One shortcoming is the lack of USB3.1 support, though this is largely due to insufficient PCIe lane allocation from the PCH and no hub controller implemented to facilitate USB3.1 like on some competitors. Though, with USB3.1 still yet to heavily penetrate the market, some potential buyers may see this as a non-concern.
For those looking for an element of future-proofing, this shortcoming may play a bigger role in the decisionmaking process prior to any purchase.
Overall, a solid little board at a strong price point.