Enhanced with the addition of the X670 plug-in card with an unboxing and live demonstration of the ASRock B650 LiveMixer, showcasing vibrant color combinations

ASRock-B650-LiveMixer.

ASRock has launched a new line of motherboards called “B650 LiveMixer” that are specifically designed for creators and live streamers. These motherboards come in a bold and attention-grabbing paintball bright orange color, and offer a stable power supply of 14-phase 60A to unlock PBO performance. They come with 3 PCIe slots, 3 M.2 slots, 2.5GbE, and up to 23 USB ports with creative specifications. Moreover, the motherboards are equipped with the “X670 XPANSION KIT” interface card upgrade function, which allows users to insert the card and upgrade the X670 chipset for additional M.2, SATA, USB expansion function, and 10GbE LAN.

Specification
Size: ATX (30.5cm x 24.4cm)
Processor Support: AMD Ryzen 7000
Processor Pin: Socket AM5
CPU Power Supply Phase: 14+2+1 Phase 60A Smart Power Stage
Chipset: AMD B650
BIOS: 1 x 256Mb ROM , UEFI AMI
memory: 4 x DIMM, MAX 128GB, DDR5 6400+(OC)/4800 MHz, XMP, EXPO Display
output: HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4 DSC
expansion slot: 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4), 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1 x M.2 Key E Wi-Fi
storage port: 2 x SATA 6Gb/s, Blazing M2_1 (CPU) PCIe 5.0 x4, Hyper M2_2 PCIe 4.0 x4, Hyper M2_3 PCIe 4.0 x4
Network: Dragon RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN
Audio: Realtek ALC897 Audio Codec 7.1ch, Nahimic Audio
USB ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type C (front expansion), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 8 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (4 for expansion), 12 x USB 2.0 (4 need to be expanded)
RGB: 3 x ARGB 4-1pin, 1 x RGB 4pin
FAN: 1 x 4-pin CPU, 1 x 4-pin CPU/PUMP, 4 x 4-pin Chassis/PUMP

X670 XPANSION KIT
M.2: 2 x M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4
SATA3: 2
USB: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A
LAN: 1 x Marvell Aquantia 10GbE LAN

ASRock B650 LiveMixer Unboxing/Creating The live-streaming system upgrades

The X670 plug-in card design for upgrading the chipset is truly innovative. This is because the AMD 600 series motherboard chipsets are usually connected in series to form the X670, while the B650 motherboard uses only a single chip. As a result, the B650 LiveMixer can be expanded using the X670 XPANSION KIT interface card, allowing for the upgrade of the chipset to X670 and enabling access to additional expansion functions. This approach is unprecedented and sets the B650 LiveMixer apart from other motherboards on the market.

X670 XPANSION KIT expansion card.
B650 LiveMixer on the left; after installing X670 XPANSION KIT on the right, the model is also B650 LiveMixer, but the chipset shows X670.

Once the X670 XPANSION KIT expansion card is installed on the B650 LiveMixer motherboard, it is possible to confirm the upgrade of the original B650 chipset to X670 using CPU-Z information. The expansion card brings a number of benefits, including 2 M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4, 2 SATA, and an upgrade for 3 USB 3.2 Gen2, 1 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C, as well as the Marvell Aquantia 10GbE LAN.

2x SATA expansion on the front of the expansion card.
10GbE LAN, USB-C 20Gbps and USB-A 10Gbps behind the expansion card.
Two M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 expansions with heat sink.

The main purpose of the X670 XPANSION KIT expansion card is to provide an additional chipset PROM21. By connecting this card serially, it is possible to transform the B650 motherboard into the X670 motherboard specification. This enables users to access the additional features and benefits that come with the X670 chipset.

X670 XPANSION KIT expansion card.

The X670 XPANSION KIT is presently an experimental product without any scheduled release, which has led to renewed emphasis on the ASRock B650 LiveMixer motherboard. The vividly colored orange motherboard, which was previously targeted with paintballs, has a more dynamic appearance and caters to the needs of artistic and live streaming gamers.

ASRock B650 LiveMixer motherboard box.
There is a product feature description on the back.

For live streaming, live streamers require a motherboard with specific specifications. The ASRock B650 LiveMixer motherboard is well-suited for live streaming due to its 14-phase 60A power supply design and large VRM radiator that can satisfy the power demands of high-core Ryzen 7000 processors. Additionally, it has 4 DIMM DDR5 memory slots with a maximum capacity of 128GB, making it an ideal choice for audio-visual editing, live broadcasting, and multi-program applications that require a substantial amount of memory capacity.

Apart from supporting a PCIe 4.0 x16 graphics card, the B650 LiveMixer motherboard also features two PCIe 4.0 x4 expansion slots that allow creators to add HDMI capture cards, sound cards, and other professional equipment. However, the board only has 2 SATA ports, which may not be sufficient for creators with a larger amount of data. Nonetheless, it still provides three basic M.2 expansion slots: the Blazing M2_1 (CPU) PCIe 5.0 x4, Hyper M2_2 PCIe 4.0 x4, and Hyper M2_3 PCIe 4.0 x4.

B650 LiveMixer hit by paintballs.
There is also a large spray-painted graffiti on the back of the motherboard.

To accommodate the high memory bandwidth requirements of audio-visual creators, the motherboard features 4 DIMM DDR5 memory slots and can support a maximum memory capacity of 128GB. The upper right corner of the motherboard offers ARGB expansion pins, USB 3.2 Gen 1, and Front USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type C ports for expansion purposes.

DDR5, ARGB, USB.

The AM5 processor socket is compatible with AMD Ryzen 7000 processors. AMD has committed to using the AM5 socket until 2025, providing gamers the option to upgrade their CPUs and enhance their computing performance in the future. The motherboard also features a 14+2+1 phase 60A Smart Power Stage power supply around the CPU to cater to the power requirements of high-core Ryzen 7000 processors. It has an attractive large VRM heat sink.

AM5, VRM cooler.

Regrettably, the B650 LiveMixer motherboard only offers 2 SATA ports, which may not be sufficient for creators who require additional data storage. This could be seen as a drawback of the motherboard.

SATA.

On the other hand, the B650 LiveMixer motherboard boasts several advantages, including multiple PCIe slots. The first PCIe 4.0 x16 slot is designed for installing graphics cards, and there are 3 additional slots reserved for expansion purposes. The second and third PCIe slots provide a wide PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth, enabling users to incorporate professional equipment such as HDMI capture cards and sound cards.

PCIe slot.

The motherboard features M.2 slot expansion, including the first Blazing M2_1 that utilizes the PCIe 5.0 x4 channel of the CPU, as well as the second Hyper M2_2 PCIe 4.0 x4 and the third Hyper M2_3 PCIe 4.0 x4, along with 3 additional M.2 expansions, all of which are equipped with M.2 heat sinks.

Blazing M2_1.
Hyper M2_2/3.
Thermal pad for M.2 heat sink.

Among ASRock’s new boards, this motherboard boasts the highest number of USB ports. It offers 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1C1A), 8 USB 3.2 Gen 1, and 12 USB 2.0 ports. Among these ports, there are 8 rear I/O USB 2.0 ports, 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports.

While the motherboard offers a significant number of USB ports, it is worth noting that if a live capture device is incorporated, USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports will be the primary interface. Therefore, the rear I/O section features 8 USB 2.0 ports, which could prove useful in such scenarios. Additionally, the motherboard also includes an internal display HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4 DSC, 2.5GbE LAN, and a 3.5mm audio output.

Rear I/O port.

ASRock B650 LiveMixer Motherboard Material / 14 Phases 60A, 2 x SATA, 3 x M.2, 2.5GbE

Based on the features and attractive design of the ASRock B650 LiveMixer motherboard, some individuals may be interested in examining the motherboard components and design details in greater depth. As a result, we will be disassembling the motherboard to provide a more detailed analysis for interested individuals.

B650 LiveMixer motherboard appearance.
The CPU is powered by 14+2+1 phases, and each phase uses ISL99360 60A Smart Power Stage.
PWM Power Supply Controller RAA229620.
GL8526 USB 2.0 HUB chip.
ASM1543 USB3.1 type-C Switch and integrated CC logic; GL9950 USB 3.2 Redriver.
Dragon RTL8125BG 2.5GbE LAN chip.
Realtek ALC897 audio chip and audio capacitor.
Nuvoton NCT6686D environmental control chip.
ASM1074 USB 3.0 HUB.
AMD B650 chipset.
Motherboard heatsink.

ASRock B650 LiveMixer accessories

Motherboard accessories include B650 LiveMixer manual, SATA cable, M.2 screws, Velcro, etc.

Motherboard Accessories.

ASRock B650 LiveMixer BIOS Functions / Paintball Graffiti

The BIOS of the B650 LiveMixer motherboard is also designed with a bright orange color scheme. The main page displays essential information such as the BIOS version, CPU, and RAM.

In the advanced OC Tweaker section, users can adjust settings related to manual CPU overclocking, DRAM clock frequency, and voltage settings for overclocking, among other options.

BIOS Main Information.
OC Tweaker overclocking page.

On the advanced page, the CPU settings enable fTPM by default, while the PCI settings enable the Re-Size Bar function by default. Additionally, the board function settings allow users to adjust Onboard LED, sound effects, LAN, and other related settings.

CPU Settings.
PCI Settings.
Onboard Device Settings.

Once the X670 XPANSION KIT interface card is installed, the BIOS will also offer MAC settings for 10GbE LAN and Secondary PROM21 chipset settings for AMD CBS.

X670 XPANSION KIT network card MAC settings.
Secondary PROM21 Chipset.
RGB adjustment in tool settings.
Temperature and voltage monitoring, fan setting.
Boot menu.

ASRock B650 LiveMixer Motherboard Performance Test

To assess performance, various standard CPU rendering, computer performance, and game performance tests are employed. The hardware utilized for testing includes an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor, KLEVV DDR5 16GBx2 6000MHz RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card. The motherboard settings are set to the default, and a 280mm AIO water cooler is employed for cooling. The scores obtained from the tests are presented below as a point of reference.

Test Platform
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 7900
Motherboard: ASRock B650 LiveMixer
Memory: KLEVV DDR5 16GBx2 6000MHz
Display Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
System Disk: Solidigm P41 Plus 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Radiator: 280mm AIO Liquid Cooler
Power Supply: Seasonic PRIME PX-1000
Operating System: Windows 11 Pro 22H2

CPU-Z is utilized to verify the details of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X processor, which is code-named Raphael and boasts a 5nm manufacturing process, 12 cores, and 24 threads. The processor is tested using an ASRock B650 LiveMixer motherboard, with a BIOS version of 1.04, and paired with dual-channel DDR5 16GBx2 6000MHz memory.

CPU-Z.

MAXON developed CINEBENCH R20 and R23, which utilize Cinema 4D to assess a processor’s 3D graphics performance. These software programs are also frequently used to evaluate a computer’s CPU computing performance.

In the R20 version test, the 7900X processor achieves a CPU score of 11440 points; in the R23 version, it scores 29341 points. The single-core performance of the processor is rated at 788 points in the R20 test and 2026 points in the R23 test.

CINEBENCH R20 and R23.

During the AIDA64 memory cache test, the KLEVV DDR5 16GBx2 6000MHz memory is utilized, and when paired with the B650 LiveMixer motherboard, the memory achieves a read speed of 82367 MB/s, a write speed of 70615 MB/s, a copy speed of 74139 MB/s, and a latency of 74.7 ns.

AIDA64 memory.

CrossMark is a free, cross-platform computer performance testing tool developed by BAPCo. It supports various platforms, including Windows, iOS/iPadOS, macOS, and Android. It is designed to evaluate computer productivity tasks such as text editing, spreadsheets, web browsing, creative photo, video editing, and computer responsiveness.

In the CrossMark test, the 7900X processor obtains an overall score of 2187 points, with 2027 points for Productivity, 2538 points for Creativity, and 1759 points for Responsiveness.

CrossMark.

The 3DMark CPU Profile is a test designed specifically for processors. It primarily evaluates the physical operations of the CPU and custom simulations, which necessitates different execution thread tests as various applications and games employ different numbers of execution threads.

For instance, the Max threads test displays the maximum CPU performance, but this does not indicate that games can achieve the same level of performance. Instead, applications such as movie-level rendering, simulations, or scientific analysis require full execution thread performance. Similarly, 16 threads provide better performance for computing and digital content creation but have minimal impact on games.

The 7900X processor achieves a score of 13103 points in the Max threads test, fulfilling the requirements of applications such as film-level rendering, simulations, or scientific analysis. However, for most gamers, 8 threads are sufficient, achieving a score of 8112 points, and 4 threads achieve a score of 4321 points.

3DMark CPU Profile.

When utilizing the 3DMark Fire Strike test, the RTX 4090 graphics card is employed, and the CPU physics score is 41225 points. On the other hand, for the Time Spy test that is designed specifically for DirectX 12, the CPU scores 13792 points.

3DMark Fire Strike.
3DMark Time Spy.

Summarize

The new ASRock B650 LiveMixer motherboard series features a bold paintball and bright orange design that can certainly attract many young gamers. The specifications for this motherboard are impressive, including a 14-phase 60A power supply for the Ryzen 7000 processor, three M.2 slots, three PCIe slots for expansion, and numerous USB ports that allow creators and live broadcasters to easily connect professional equipment such as HDMI capture cards, sound cards, and audio controllers.

However, to cater to the extended DIY specifications of regular players, streamers, and creators, it would be better if the B650 LiveMixer provided four SATA ports and additional USB 3.2 Gen 1 specifications. Unfortunately, this attractive motherboard has not yet been released in Taiwan, and it remains to be seen how ASRock will plan its motherboard product line in the Taiwan market in the future.

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Title: Enhanced with the addition of the X670 plug-in card with an unboxing and live demonstration of the ASRock B650 LiveMixer, showcasing vibrant color combinations

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