Asus Prime B650M-R M-ATX Motherboard

The ASUS Prime B650M-R is a Micro-ATX form-factor motherboard built on the AMD B650 chipset, designed for the AM5 platform and compatible with AMD Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series desktop processors. It is a compelling choice for compact system builders who want a reliable, feature-rich foundation without stepping up to a full-ATX footprint. At its core, the Prime B650M-R is equipped with two DDR5 DIMM slots supporting a maximum of 96 GB of memory. Speeds range from native DDR5-4800 up to DDR5-7200+ with overclocking, and the board supports AMD EXPO profiles for straightforward memory tuning. A dual-channel memory architecture ensures strong bandwidth for content creation, multitasking, and gaming workloads. Storage connectivity is covered by two M.2 Key-M slots — one routed through the Ryzen CPU and one through the B650 chipset — both supporting PCIe 4.0 x4 at up to 64 Gbps. Four SATA 6 Gb/s ports supplement M.2 drives, and AMD RAIDXpert2 technology enables RAID 0/1/10 across both PCIe and SATA devices. A single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (x16 mode with Ryzen 7000; x8/x4 with Ryzen 8000) accommodates the latest discrete GPUs, while a PCIe 4.0 x1 slot from the chipset provides additional expansion. Networking is handled by a Realtek 2.5 Gb Ethernet controller, giving the board a tangible speed advantage over older 1 Gb solutions. The rear I/O panel provides two USB 5 Gbps Type-A ports and four USB 2.0 Type-A ports alongside an HDMI 2.1 output supporting 4K at 60 Hz — useful when pairing the board with an AMD Ryzen processor that includes integrated graphics. A BIOS FlashBack button on the rear panel allows BIOS updates without a CPU installed, simplifying platform upgrades. Front-panel USB consists of one USB 5 Gbps Type-C connector and one USB 5 Gbps header for two additional Type-A ports, plus two USB 2.0 headers supporting four further ports. Audio is driven by a Realtek HD codec delivering 7.1 surround sound at up to 24-bit/192 kHz, with audio shielding and dedicated PCB layers minimising interference. Cooling infrastructure includes a VRM heatsink with thermal pad, two 4-pin chassis fan headers, and one 4-pin CPU fan header. Fan Xpert 2+ software and the UEFI BIOS both provide granular fan-curve control, while Stack Cool 3+ 2 oz copper PCB layers aid passive heat dissipation. Three Addressable Gen 2 RGB headers support Aura Sync ecosystem lighting. ASUS Two-Way AI Noise Cancellation reduces microphone and speaker background noise in calls and gaming sessions. Key Verified Specifications: - Socket: AMD AM5 - Chipset: AMD B650 - Form Factor: Micro-ATX - Memory: 2 x DDR5 DIMM, max 96 GB, DDR5-4800 native / up to DDR5-7200+ OC, EXPO supported - M.2 Slots: 2 x PCIe 4.0 x4 (Key M, 2242/2260/2280) - SATA: 4 x 6 Gb/s - GPU Slot: 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 - Ethernet: Realtek 2.5 Gb - Rear USB: 2 x USB 5 Gbps Type-A + 4 x USB 2.0 Type-A - Display Output: 1 x HDMI 2.1 (4K@60Hz) - Audio: Realtek 7.1 HD, up to 24-bit/192 kHz - BIOS: 256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI with FlashBack support - Warranty: 3 Years