Colorful Unveils Battle-AX B850M-E WIFI V14: Entry-Level AMD B850 Motherboard

[Nomad76]

Without making any official announcement, Colorful silently listed a new AMD B850 microATX (244 mm x 235 mm) motherboard on their Chinese website: the Battle-AX B850M-E Wi-Fi V14. The model is clearly oriented toward entry-level builds and users on a tight budget, a sharp contrast to the CVN B850I Gaming Frozen that Colorful introduced this week. Built around AMD's B850 chipset, it supports the latest AMD AM5 Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series processors. The two DDR5 dual-channel memory slots can accommodate up to 96 GB (max. 48 GB per slot), with a maximum speed of 7600 MHz (OC) and support for both XMP and EXPO. For storage and expansion, the motherboard offers 2x M.2 slots (1x PCIe 5.0 x4 and 1x PCIe 4.0 x4), one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, and one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot. It also features a Realtek RTL8111K for 1GbE wired connectivity and Intel's AX200 Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5.2 for wireless connections.

The build is "very spartan," so to speak, with a black PCB, a single 8-pin EPS power connector for the CPU, no integrated I/O rear shield panel or VRM cooling—the only heatsink present is the one covering the AMD B850 chipset. Regarding power delivery, it seems that Colorful used a simple (budget-friendly) 7+2 phase approach. The rear I/O panel offers a surprise: an ancient PS/2 port (just wondering who's going to use it aside from some retro-nostalgic users). Then we have the usual array of connectors, including six USB ports (4x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1), DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0, Gigabit RJ45, two Wi-Fi antenna ports, audio jacks, and one BIOS reset/update button (placed just next to the PS/2 port).



Currently, there's no information regarding pricing or whether the Colorful Battle-AX B850M-E Wi-Fi V14 motherboard will be available through Western distributors.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[Daven]

PS/2 just doesn't want to die. The weird part of this is that motherboard manufacturers think PS/2 is a budget port of USB. I don't think I can even buy a PS/2 device anymore and if I can, it will be way more expensive than a USB version. If anything, PS/2 is a super niche, retro enthusiast obsession that should go on high end boards not budget boards. What budget computer user is going to consider a PS/2 mouse or keyboard today? And before anyone says a PS/2 port allows your 'existing' mouse or keyboard, PS/2 devices have been out of production for over a decade. If you can't afford a $10 USB mouse after a decade, you have bigger problems that won't be solved with a PS/2 port on a budget motherboard today.

So why does this port still exist anywhere?

 

[soulphie]

we got enough barebones motherboards, but colorful could actually make their name count and style up those motherboards a little and find a niche for them. This one could only make sense if its the cheapest i can find for a budget build

 

[Nomad76]

PS/2 just doesn't want to die. The weird part of this is that motherboard manufacturers think PS/2 is a budget port of USB. I don't think I can even buy a PS/2 device anymore and if I can, it will be way more expensive than a USB version. If anything, PS/2 is a super niche, retro enthusiast obsession that should go on high end boards not budget boards. What budget computer user is going to consider a PS/2 mouse or keyboard today? And before anyone says a PS/2 port allows your 'existing' mouse or keyboard, PS/2 devices have been out of production for over a decade. If you can't afford a $10 USB mouse after a decade, you have bigger problems that won't be solved with a PS/2 port on a budget motherboard today.

So why does this port still exist anywhere?

Except for that retro-ultra-niche, I really can't think of anything else..

 

[usiname]

PS/2 just doesn't want to die. The weird part of this is that motherboard manufacturers think PS/2 is a budget port of USB. I don't think I can even buy a PS/2 device anymore and if I can, it will be way more expensive than a USB version. If anything, PS/2 is a super niche, retro enthusiast obsession that should go on high end boards not budget boards. What budget computer user is going to consider a PS/2 mouse or keyboard today? And before anyone says a PS/2 port allows your 'existing' mouse or keyboard, PS/2 devices have been out of production for over a decade. If you can't afford a $10 USB mouse after a decade, you have bigger problems that won't be solved with a PS/2 port on a budget motherboard today.

So why does this port still exist anywhere?

I am with 23 years old keyboard with PS/2 that is more comfortable than any keyboard that I tried and I won't replace it cause it will last for decades to come, so I like the PS/2

 

[Daven]

I am with 23 years old keyboard with PS/2 that is more comfortable than any keyboard that I tried and I won't replace it cause it will last for decades to come, so I like the PS/2

But are you buying budget motherboards to get access to a PS/2 port or are you looking for enthusiast motherboards that enable your retro PS/2 port needs?

 

[Nomad76]

I am with 23 years old keyboard with PS/2 that is more comfortable than any keyboard that I tried and I won't replace it cause it will last for decades to come, so I like the PS/2

Here's to 23 years more for you and your PS/2 keyboard! My last PS/2 keyboard (Dell) died 10- 12 years ago. I remember using it with a PS/2 to USB adapter 'cause the mobo didn't have PS/2

 

[usiname]

But are you buying budget motherboards to get access to a PS/2 port or are you looking for enthusiast motherboards that enable your retro PS/2 port needs?

I have USB adapter

 

[A Computer Guy]

So why does this port still exist anywhere?

I thought it had to do with input latency?

Older KVM switches would still be useful. I still have one somewhere and unlike USB switches they never glitched out on me leaving me without a working keyboard and mouse after switching.

 

[L'Eliminateur]

PS/2 just doesn't want to die. The weird part of this is that motherboard manufacturers think PS/2 is a budget port of USB. I don't think I can even buy a PS/2 device anymore and if I can, it will be way more expensive than a USB version. If anything, PS/2 is a super niche, retro enthusiast obsession that should go on high end boards not budget boards. What budget computer user is going to consider a PS/2 mouse or keyboard today? And before anyone says a PS/2 port allows your 'existing' mouse or keyboard, PS/2 devices have been out of production for over a decade. If you can't afford a $10 USB mouse after a decade, you have bigger problems that won't be solved with a PS/2 port on a budget motherboard today.

So why does this port still exist anywhere?

At work i'm currently using a HP ps/2 keyboard on a AM4 motehrboard because it's higher quality than current consumer crap....
A lot of the computers here also use ps/2, industrial computers tend to also have ps/2 ports only, the port is far more rugged and has much more bite in the contacts to resist accidental disconnections than usb

 

[Daven]

I have USB adapter

Lol! Okay, so you don't use PS/2.

At work i'm currently using a HP ps/2 keyboard on a AM4 motehrboard because it's higher quality than current consumer crap....
A lot of the computers here also use ps/2, industrial computers tend to also have ps/2 ports only, the port is far more rugged and has much more bite in the contacts to resist accidental disconnections than usb

While this sounds good, I've worked in the academic, industrial, scientific and corporate environments and I have yet to see any PS/2 devices. Also you are not using PS/2 if you have a USB adapter. If there is a significant industrial application, I'm guessing that off-the-shelf motherboards like this one from Colorful are not used.

This discussion may seem silly to many of you but there is some serious poor manufacturer judgement if PS/2 ports are just being added without thinking about it after 40 YEARS since PS/2 was introduced. I guess this is just one of my obsessions that such a port with no significant present-day functionality at all gets reflexively added to motherboards without justification.

 

[A Computer Guy]

Also you are not using PS/2 if you have a USB adapter. If there is a significant industrial application, I'm guessing that off-the-shelf motherboards like this one from Colorful are not used.

I would disagree. Just because one uses a USB to PS/2 keyboard adaptor doesn't invalidate the fact they are using the PS/2 port however because of interface conversion you might loose any performance advantage PS/2 had if any. ( I don't know the specifics of how the adaptor works ) Some googling says to some extent the keyboard needs to support such adaptor so it can change it's mode of operation from USB to PS/2.

This discussion may seem silly to many of you but there is some serious poor manufacturer judgement if PS/2 ports are just being added without thinking about it after 40 YEARS since PS/2 was introduced. I guess this is just one of my obsessions that such a port with no significant present-day functionality at all gets reflexively added to motherboards without justification.

Perhaps you simply don't know the use case. They wouldn't continue to put these on if there wasn't some market segment that continued to use them. Most people don't use serial port anymore either but industrial PC's continue to have them because they are used in that segment.

 

[Chaitanya]

PS/2 just doesn't want to die. The weird part of this is that motherboard manufacturers think PS/2 is a budget port of USB. I don't think I can even buy a PS/2 device anymore and if I can, it will be way more expensive than a USB version. If anything, PS/2 is a super niche, retro enthusiast obsession that should go on high end boards not budget boards. What budget computer user is going to consider a PS/2 mouse or keyboard today? And before anyone says a PS/2 port allows your 'existing' mouse or keyboard, PS/2 devices have been out of production for over a decade. If you can't afford a $10 USB mouse after a decade, you have bigger problems that won't be solved with a PS/2 port on a budget motherboard today.

So why does this port still exist anywhere?

Security, most enterprise/industrial products disable USB ports for data connections in order to reduce malicious access/code execution(autoruns). PS/2 doesnt transfer any data plus when it comes to PS/2 keyboards there are interupts which means keyboards dont have to wait for USB root controllers to wake up during POST.

 

[Athena]

PS/2 just doesn't want to die. The weird part of this is that motherboard manufacturers think PS/2 is a budget port of USB. I don't think I can even buy a PS/2 device anymore and if I can, it will be way more expensive than a USB version. If anything, PS/2 is a super niche, retro enthusiast obsession that should go on high end boards not budget boards. What budget computer user is going to consider a PS/2 mouse or keyboard today? And before anyone says a PS/2 port allows your 'existing' mouse or keyboard, PS/2 devices have been out of production for over a decade. If you can't afford a $10 USB mouse after a decade, you have bigger problems that won't be solved with a PS/2 port on a budget motherboard today.

So why does this port still exist anywhere?

you would be amazed, but PS/2 peripherals are still being made for lots of big corps, especially ones that have KVM equipment for their servers

though, I'm not sure how many consumers still use that port, I suppose some diehards use it to lower latency than USB because that uses interrupts instead of polling, but, that must be a super small minority

 

[L'Eliminateur]

Lol! Okay, so you don't use PS/2.


While this sounds good, I've worked in the academic, industrial, scientific and corporate environments and I have yet to see any PS/2 devices. Also you are not using PS/2 if you have a USB adapter. If there is a significant industrial application, I'm guessing that off-the-shelf motherboards like this one from Colorful are not used.

This discussion may seem silly to many of you but there is some serious poor manufacturer judgement if PS/2 ports are just being added without thinking about it after 40 YEARS since PS/2 was introduced. I guess this is just one of my obsessions that such a port with no significant present-day functionality at all gets reflexively added to motherboards without justification.

i never said i'm using a usb adapter, it's native PS/2 on the motherboard which has separate k+m ports, not even a combo one.
In my home computer i used a 1994 Compaq PS2 keyboard nonstop until 2 years ago when i switched to AM5 on release and i could not find a MB with PS/2 port and i still miss that keyboard, every new one has been trash with bad plastic that polishes and erases in very little time.

You could say there are modern double-shot ABS keyboards that don't have that issue.. but at what price?, i did not pay 100+$ for that compaq keyboard(in fact it was the bog standard one included on the compaq pc), i should not need to pay for a super rare ultra premium "enthusiast" keyboard to have the same quality as a consumer standard keyboard from 30 years ago.

that's why i still prefer ps/2, you have far far better quality keyboards even at entry level at the same price

 

[Random_User]

Looks like a bare minimum board. Not an issue though, if it does it's job, and the EFI/BIOS is decent, and the price is reasonable. The good thing, that there are the holes, for a "potential" VRM hitsink. Could be used in a lot of "semi-industrial" use cases.

PS/2 just doesn't want to die. The weird part of this is that motherboard manufacturers think PS/2 is a budget port of USB. I don't think I can even buy a PS/2 device anymore and if I can, it will be way more expensive than a USB version. If anything, PS/2 is a super niche, retro enthusiast obsession that should go on high end boards not budget boards. What budget computer user is going to consider a PS/2 mouse or keyboard today? And before anyone says a PS/2 port allows your 'existing' mouse or keyboard, PS/2 devices have been out of production for over a decade. If you can't afford a $10 USB mouse after a decade, you have bigger problems that won't be solved with a PS/2 port on a budget motherboard today.

So why does this port still exist anywhere?

I'll just leave this here...

Spoiler

Disclaimer: the image belongs to it's respectable owners.

 

[Freedom4556]

This Colorful board certainly doesn't look very colorful...

Honestly expected more waifus.

 

[Caring1]

What happened Colorful, your products used to be so vibrant and, well colorful.