ITX motherboards in that article as well, can't say I'm a fan (pun intended) of fans being back on the chipset / SSD cover. Gen 5 SSD's run hot so I guess they have to deal with that somehow !!!
 

Skripka

Cat-Dog Perch Manager
May 18, 2020
443
543
Because you have to change it in like 8 years?
Because you change a BIOS setting, and the board won't finish POST--first step of debug is to pull the CMOS battery. Putting it under a bolt-on heatsink makes a simple 30 second debug step require an hour of tearing apart your computer. It is horrid design.

It is like having your circuit breaker panel hidden behind your finished drywall. Yea it looks better, and you'll only need to access the damn thing once in a while....
 

Skripka

Cat-Dog Perch Manager
May 18, 2020
443
543
There's a button on the back for CMOS reset..
Didn't read the manual, I thought that was only for flashback. I'm used to never having one--because most AMD boards have never had one (like my x570 STRIX)
Or a good old jumper.
And you're advised in manuals that sometimes that may not work, in case pull the battery...which is *thougthfully* buried.
 

wertzius

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Sep 13, 2022
102
70
Gigabyte B650I AORUS Ultra page is up - updated the table.

Seems to be one of the more expensive boards with several daughterboards, huge M.2 stack with heatsink and fan.
No option ticks really all the boxes for me. Might get the ASUS B650 or the Gigabyte depending on a good deal.
 

msystems

King of Cable Management
Apr 28, 2017
781
1,366
Does anyone who have the B650I AORUS know if you have to use the "Front panel" daughterboard ("GC-B650I FRONT CARD" or what you lose by not using it? It might interfere with a really compact case.

Edit: OK the diagram in the manual is really helpful.

Appears it provides two additional SATA and the full breakout for the 9pin switch header. So I guess if you don't use it, you can still use a 2-pin switch BUT you'll lose the PWR led and HDD led and RGB (12v). but not ARGB which is on the m.2 daughterboard.


Edit: Picture



Something to think about if there is limited space in front of the 24 pin
 
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initium

Chassis Packer
Mar 14, 2023
13
3
I'm thinking of buying the ASRock B650E PG-ITX. As a new PC builder, should I be worried that it doesn't have BIOS Flashback?
 

rfarmer

Spatial Philosopher
Jul 7, 2017
2,588
2,702
I'm thinking of buying the ASRock B650E PG-ITX. As a new PC builder, should I be worried that it doesn't have BIOS Flashback?
Check supported CPUs and if the one you are getting is supported it doesn't matter. Any future BIOS you will be able to flash.
 

initium

Chassis Packer
Mar 14, 2023
13
3
Thank you rfamer
As a first time builder how would I go about flashing the BIOS without the BIOS Flashback button? I see a CMOS jumper, but I'm not sure if that's the same thing.
 

rfarmer

Spatial Philosopher
Jul 7, 2017
2,588
2,702
Thank you rfamer
As a first time builder how would I go about flashing the BIOS without the BIOS Flashback button? I see a CMOS jumper, but I'm not sure if that's the same thing.
If you look at supported CPUs here there are only 4 that are supported on the original BIOS. If you plan on getting one of the X3D or the non X they won't work if the motherboard you get still has the 1.05 BIOS, the only way to flash to an updated BIOS is to use one of the supported CPUs. If this board had BIOS flashback you could update it without using a CPU.
 

msystems

King of Cable Management
Apr 28, 2017
781
1,366
So just a heads up if anyone has been living under a rock and picks up one of these boards with an old bios, the board WILL TRY TO KILL ITSELF AND YOUR CPU upon loading a 6000mhz+ expo profile, reason is the board erroneously allows too much soc voltage, if you don't catch it in time it will burn a hole in the cpu. So when you get one of these DO NOT LOAD EXPO/docp. Just let it run at the 4800 jedec speed. Set SOC to 1.1v just in case, then update the bios, and you'll be good.

This happens for a fact on Asus and gigabyte
 

initium

Chassis Packer
Mar 14, 2023
13
3
For clarity, is this issue bypassed if you flash the mobo to the latest BIOS on a fresh pc build?
If so is this done before placing the CPU into the socket, or after that but before loading the OS?
 
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msystems

King of Cable Management
Apr 28, 2017
781
1,366
If the board support bios flash without CPU it would be smart to do it first. The ASUS board I got from Amazon is old stock with bios 1 year old