MSI B860 GAMING PLUS WIFI Review

The B860 GAMING PLUS WIFI is an ATX motherboard from MSI designed for gamers looking to build around an Intel Core Ultra 200 processor. Priced just under $199, it targets a broader audience than the more premium (and expensive) Z890 chipset motherboards.

Despite its clean and minimalist design, it offers everything essential for gaming needs. It features a black PCB, several aluminum heatsinks, wired and wireless networking, PCIe 5.0 support, and a 12(2×6)+1+1+1 phase power delivery system.

Tech2Geek takes you through a complete overview of this affordable yet capable gaming motherboard.

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Buy on Amazon: MSI B860 Gaming Plus WiFi Motherboard ($199)

Design and Features

The B860 GAMING PLUS WIFI is an Intel LGA 1851 motherboard built around the B860 chipset. It supports all Core Ultra 200 processors, including the unlocked “K” models such as the Core Ultra 9 285K.

This ATX-form-factor board uses a matte black PCB highlighted by modest aluminum heatsinks covering the VRMs, the first M.2 slot, and the chipset. There’s no rear I/O shield, and while the first PCIe x16 slot is reinforced, the other three are standard.

MSI includes a quick-release system for the primary M.2 heatsink and SSD, a welcome touch for easier installation. However, given its thin design, it’s not suitable for cooling next-gen PCIe 5.0 SSDs.

Memory support extends to 256 GB DDR5, with speeds up to 8800 MT/s (OC). The main PCIe x16 slot runs in PCIe 5.0 x16, while the first M.2 slot supports PCIe 5.0 x4.

The LGA 1851 socket is surrounded by two aluminum heatsinks cooling the 12(2×6)+1+1+1 power stages (vCore, iGPU, VCCSA, VNNAON). There’s no heat pipe linking them, but thermal pads are present.

Expansion and Connectivity

MSI provides four PCIe x16 slots, three of which are managed by the chipset in PCIe 4.0 mode. Only the third slot runs at x4, while the others are x1, so it’s essential to check the manual (unfortunately not included) before adding expansion cards.

For storage:

• The first M.2 slot supports PCIe 5.0 x4 (2280/2260)
• The second supports PCIe 4.0 x4 (2280/2260/2242)
• The third supports PCIe 4.0 x2 (2280/2260)
• Plus, four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, mounted at 90° for better cable management.

There are also two USB 3.0 headers placed at 90° for easy connection.

For networking, it includes:

• Intel Killer E5000 Ethernet (5 Gbps)
• Killer BE1750x wireless (Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4)

Power delivery uses a 24-pin ATX connector, 8-pin + 4-pin EPS, and an additional PCIe 8-pin connector at the bottom of the PCB.

Additional connectivity includes:

• Thunderbolt 5 header (JTBT5 with RTD3 support)
• COM port, two 3-pin aRGB headers, one 4-pin RGB header
• Internal USB headers for four USB 2.0, four USB 5 Gbps Type-A, and one USB 10 Gbps Type-C port.

Fan control is handled through:

• Combo Fan (Pump/Sys Fan)
• Four System Fan headers
• One CPU Fan header

Included Accessories

The accessory bundle is minimal:

• 1 SATA cable
• Quick installation guide
• EU regulatory notice
• EZ Conn 1-to-2 cable (V1)
• EZ Wi-Fi antenna
• EZ M.2 II clip and removal key

No full documentation or wiring guide is provided, which makes setup less beginner-friendly.

Test Configuration

• Processor: Core Ultra 9 285K
• Cooling: Aorus WaterForce II 360 ICE
• Memory: FURY Renegade DDR5-8400 CL48
• Graphics Cards: GeForce RTX 4090 / RTX 3080 Ti
• Storage: Corsair MP700 Pro SE 4TB NVMe
• Power Supply: NZXT C1500
• OS: Windows 11 24H2 (64-bit)

Benchmarks included PCMark 10, CrossMark, Procyon Office Productivity, CrystalDiskMark, and AIDA64 Extreme. Power draw was measured at the wall using a wattmeter.

Games tested (1080p, Ultra settings, no Ray Tracing or DLSS):
Far Cry 6, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus, Cyberpunk 2077.

Power Consumption

The test platform (Core Ultra 9 285K + RTX 4090 + B860) showed power draw between 81 W (idle) and 837 W (load) — relatively high under stress. Compared to an AMD B850/Ryzen 9 9950X setup, it consumes ~85 W more at full load.

The test used a Platinum-certified PSU, emphasizing the need for high-efficiency power supplies to minimize energy loss.

Cooling Performance

Thermal measurements were taken after a 10-minute full-load stress test (CPU, GPU, RAM, and NVMe SSD at 100%).

• CPU temps were well-controlled thanks to the 360 mm AIO cooler.
• M.2 PCIe 5.0 heatsink failed to prevent thermal throttling; SSD temps spiked rapidly.
• VRM MOS temps reached 96°C, a concerning level indicating poor VRM cooling. The heatsinks became extremely hot, suggesting the need for a well-ventilated case.

Despite this, the motherboard remained stable throughout testing.

Gaming Performance

At 1080p Ultra (RTX 4090, no DLSS or RT), performance was excellent, averaging over 90 FPS across all tested titles. Compared to AMD’s B850/Ryzen 9 9950X setup, Intel’s platform trailed by around 11% on average.

Memory performance (AIDA64):

• Read: 92.6 GB/s
• Write: 81.9 GB/s
• Latency: 76 ns

Interface Performance

Using CrystalDiskMark, MSI’s B860 delivered strong storage and I/O throughput:

• M.2 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD: ~12 GB/s
• External USB drives: ~2 GB/s
• USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports: >1 GB/s (read/write)
• SATA SSD: ~534 MB/s (limited by interface)

Productivity Benchmarks

PCMark 10: 7% slower than AMD’s TUF Gaming B850-Plus (Ryzen 9 9950X).

Procyon Office Productivity: 14% faster than AMD’s equivalent setup.

This makes it an excellent choice for productivity workloads in addition to gaming.

Verdict

The MSI B860 GAMING PLUS WIFI is a solid mid-range motherboard for gamers looking to adopt Intel’s LGA 1851 platform. It delivers the essentials — PCIe 5.0, DDR5 up to 8800 MT/s, Wi-Fi 7, 5Gb Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.4, and Thunderbolt 5 support — in a clean, minimalist package.

✅ Pros

• Modern connectivity (PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7, TB5)
• Strong overall performance
• Solid power delivery for its class
• Great DDR5 and storage bandwidth

❌ Cons

• VRM cooling is inadequate under heavy load
• Ineffective M.2 heatsink for PCIe 5.0 SSDs
• Minimal accessory bundle
• No detailed manual

Conclusion:
At around $199, this motherboard is an excellent value option for gamers using a Core Ultra 5 or 7, provided it’s housed in a well-ventilated case with adequate cooling. It’s a reliable, balanced board that prioritizes practicality over luxury — perfect for cost-conscious builders.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Buy on Amazon: MSI B860 Gaming Plus WiFi Motherboard ($199)