MSI MPG X870E Carbon MAX WIFI
February, 2026
Kind of
Mother’s board
Price
TBD
It has been three years since the introduction of the AMD AM5 motherboard platform and 600 series motherboards. Since its launch, the platform has seen the launch of several CPUs in the Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000, and Ryzen 9000 families. While the 600 series motherboards offer excellent features and compatibility with the new Zen 5 CPUs, motherboard makers are always looking to improve the user experience with the latest technology, so AMD has introduced a new line of chipsets called the 800 series.
Now, AMD has launched both the X870 and B850 chipsets for high-end and mainstream AM5 motherboards. Both of these chips offer new designs and brand new features that are sure to entice new AMD builders and old AM4 users to invest in a new motherboard for their gaming and content creation needs.
We’ve found a number of motherboards from various manufacturers, so let’s start by looking at these reviewed designs. In this review, we will be testing MSI’s latest AM5 refresh board, which is part of its “MAX” series, the MPG X870E Carbom MAX WIFI.
AMD AM5 Platform
The AMD AM4 platform has been the longest running modern platform to date, first introduced in 2017 and is very much alive and kicking in 2025. The company recently introduced new chips for the platform, and it looks like it will stick around for another year until 2025.
AMD is now introducing its 2nd generation AM5 platform under the new 800 series family. The list will initially target high-end enthusiasts with the X870E and X870 chipsets. These chipsets are designed to provide better features, IO memory support, and additional OC features for Ryzen CPUs such as the Zen 5-based Ryzen 9000 “Granite Ridge” family and upcoming Ryzen launches.
Some advanced features on AMD X870E & X870 motherboards include:
- USB 4.0 standard on all X870/X870E motherboards
- PCIe Gen5 for Graphics and NVME on all X870/X870E motherboards
- Enhanced EXPO memory clock support on X870/X870E motherboards
AMD has revealed that there will be new PBO and CO algorithms to be introduced with the Ryzen 9000 CPUs, and these new motherboards will fully support them out of the box. In addition to the X870E and X870 motherboards, the company also plans to launch its B850 & B840 chipsets, which will serve as a mainstream component. The following is what the chipset system will look like:
- X870E (Promontory 21 x2)
- X870 (Promontory 21 x1)
- B650 (Promonotory 21 x1)
- B840 (Promontory 19 x1)
So in terms of what each chipset offers, the X870E series will use Promontory 21 dies on motherboards with USB4 support & both Gen5 GPU/SSD support. The X870 (Non-E) will only include 1 die but retain the same support in terms of I/O. The routes will be few.
AMD Chipset Features and Specifications:
| Wccftech | X870E | X870 | X670E/X670 | B650E/B650 | A620 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrossfireX/SLI | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | N/A |
| CPU Lanes (Useable) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs and above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs and above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs and above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs and above) 24 Gen 4 of B650 |
24 Gen 4 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs and above) |
| PCH Routes (Useful) | 8 Gen4 12 Gen3 |
4 Gen4 8 Gen3 |
12 Gen4 8 Gen3 |
8 Gen4 4 Gen3 |
8 Gen3 |
| USB4 | General | General | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| USB 3.1/3.2 Gen2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| USB 3.1/3.2 Gen1 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| SATA 6Gb/s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| DDR5 DIMMs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| DDR4 DIMMs | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Overclocking Support |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| XFR2 Enhanced | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Precision Boost Overdrive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| NVMe | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | N/A |
| Form Factor | ATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | mATX/ITX |
The motherboards will include support for DDR5-5600 MT/s memory speeds natively and transfer rates of over 8000 MT/s on some of the high-end motherboards we’ll be getting in July.
AMD B850 motherboards will feature the same Promontory 21 die, minus native USB4 support. They will carry Gen5 GPU support, but Gen5 M.2 support will be optional. The B840 will be the entry-level option in the middle of the series, with the death of the old Promontory 19, meaning you’ll only get Gen4 GPU/SSD support, no CPU overclocking, and only memory overclock support. The B840 motherboards will be more affordable in terms of price, so that will compete with the sub-$200 US options from Intel.
AMD will also have the A620/A620A series continuing its role to serve as the entry-level segment. There are plans to offer more price adjustments, making them a viable option for ODMs and system builders to attract more customers.
AMD AM5 Chipset Comparison:
| Chipset name | PCIe Lanes Gen (PCH) | USB Support (Maximum) | Overclocking Support | Graphics Configs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X870E | Gen5 (GPU and NVMe) | USB4 | CPU+Memory | 1×16, 2×8 |
| X670E | Gen5 (GPU and NVMe) | USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) USB4 (Optional) |
CPU+Memory | 1×16, 2×8 |
| X870 | Gen5 (GPU and NVMe) | USB4 | CPU+Memory | 1×16, 2×8 |
| X670 | Gen5 (NVMe) Gen4 (GPU) |
USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) USB4 (Optional) |
CPU+Memory | 1×16, 2×8 |
| B850 | Gen5 (NVMe / GPU Opt) Gen4 (GPU) |
USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) | CPU+Memory | 1×16, 2×8 |
| B650E | Gen5 (NVMe / GPU) | USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) USB4 (Optional) |
CPU+Memory | 1×16, 2×8 |
| B650 | Gen5 (NVMe) Gen4 (GPU) |
USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) USB4 (Optional) |
CPU+Memory | 1×16, 2×8 |
| B840 | Gen3 (NVMe / GPU) | USB 3.2 (10 Gbps) | Only Memory | 1×16 |
| A620 | Gen4 (NVMe / GPU) | USB3.2 (10 Gbps) USB4 (Optional) |
Only Memory | 1×16 |
Meet The LGA 1718 Socket – How Long Will It Last?
As mentioned before, the dominance of AM4 is finally over, and the AM5 socket is now available. The new socket moves from the PGA (Pin-Grid-Array) design to the LGA (Land-Grid-Array) design. The new LGA 1718 socket offers more pin connections to the CPU, allowing more communication channels with the board itself and enabling support for the advanced features offered by the new platform.
As for longevity, AMD has committed to a 2027+ system for its latest AM5 socket. The AM4 platform is a testament to AMD’s support for its customers, and while the new 500 series was initially closed, the company and its partners worked on expanding support for older processors on newer chipsets and newer CPUs on older boards. The AM4 platform continues to be the best seller in the Ryzen lineup, but that could change with the introduction of more budget and feature-rich AM5 socket designs, such as the 800 series.
Cool Compatibility with AM5 Socket
AMD Ryzen 7000/8000/9000 Desktop CPUs will have a perfect square shape (45x45mm), but will feature a very chunky integrated heat spreader or IHS. The CPUs will be the same height, width, and height as existing Ryzen Desktop CPUs and are sealed on the sides, so using thermal paste will not fill the interior of the IHS with TIM. This is also why the current coolers will be fully compatible with the latest Ryzen CPUs.
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