Much of the focus at Computex 2018 was on the new B460 and X399 Refresh motherboards for the 2nd Gen Ryzen and 2nd Gen Threadripper processors. But MSI also shared some Intel love, launching two new Intel B360 motherboards – the MSI B360M Mortar and the MSI B360M Mortar Titanium.
Let’s take a quick look at these new motherboards designed for the 8th Generation Intel Core processors!
Intel B360 Chipset
When Intel launched their 8th Generation Intel Core (Coffee Lake) processors last year, you had to pair them with the high-end Intel Z370 chipset. Six months later, Intel finally released the cheaper Intel B360 chipset. Here is a comparison of the Intel Z370 and Intel B360 chipsets :
| Features | Intel Z370 | Intel B360 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Overclocking | Yes | No |
| DDR4 Overclocking | Yes | No |
| DDR4 Memory Channels | 2 | 2 |
| Chipset PCIe Lanes | 24 | 12 |
| PCIe Configuration | 1 x PCIe x16, or 2 x PCIe x8, or 1 x PCIe x8 + 2 x PCie x4 | Only 1 x PCIe x16 |
| SATA Ports | 6 | 6 |
| USB 3.1 Gen2 Ports | 0 | 4 |
| USB 3.1 Gen1 Ports | 10 | 6 |
| PCIe 3.0 M.2 Slots | 3 | 1 |
| PCIe RAID 0/1/5 | Yes | No |
| SATA RAID 0/1/5 | Yes | No |
| CPU-attached PCIe Storage | Yes | No |
| Integrated LAN | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated WiFi | No | Yes, Wireless-AC |
As you can see, the Intel B360 chipset drops CPU and memory overclocking, as well as RAID 0/1/5 support. It also comes with fewer PCIe lanes, and fewer USB ports.
On the other hand, it introduces native USB 3.1 Gen2 ports and integrated Wireless-AC capability – both features noticeably lacking in the Intel Z370.
MSI B360M Mortar + B360M Mortar Titanium
The MSI B360M Mortar (Price Check) and B360M Mortar Titanium (Price Check) motherboards are part of the MSI Arsenal GAMING family. They are both micro-ATX motherboards with four DDR4 memory slots, two PCIe x16 slots and two PCIe x1 slots.
- 26% larger VRM heatsinks which reduce temperatures by up to 10°C
- PCI-E Steel Armor for primary PCIe 3.0 x16 slot
- Arsenal sticker area for personal customisation
- Two M.2 slots supporting PCIe x4 operation
- Two USB 3.1 Gen2 ports – one Type A, one Type C
- EZ Debug LED for easier troubleshooting
The only real difference between the Mortar and the Mortar Titanium models is their colour. The B360M Mortar (Price Check) has a dark grey and black design, while the B360M Mortar Titanium (Price Check) has white and silver design.
B360M Mortar + Mortar Titanium Price + Availability
The two new MSI B360M Mortar motherboards are available with immediate effect, with the following recommended retail prices
- MSI B360M Mortar : US$ 99.99 / € 85.95 / RM 399
– Now on offer at just $89.99 ($79.99 with rebate) - MSI B360M Mortar Titanium : US$ 104.99 / € 98.25 / RM 419
– Now on offer at just $99.99 ($89.99 with rebate)
Suggested Reading
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- AMD Computex 2018 – Threadripper 2, 7nm Vega + More!
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