MSI B650 motherboards with connectors moved to the back
The company is to expand its offer with highly customized AMD motherboards.
MSI B650 DIY-APE motherboards, Source: Bilibili
It is not just ASUS, but MSI and MaxSun are to add more mid-range solutions based on their DIY-APE design. What should be noted is that the name of the concept series is not the name of the final product. ASUS, for instance, has just released its TUF B760M BTF (Back to the Future) motherboard for Intel LGA1700 CPUs, while MSI had their Project Zero.
The main idea behind this project is an optimized cable management, or to be precise, hiding them completely. What this means is that all power connectors, fan headers, storage, and peripherals connectivity is moved to the back side. However, this concept requires a compatible case because otherwise there would be no way to connect any of the connectors.
MSI B650 DIY-APE motherboards, Source: Bilibili
It is now said that two MSI AMD B650 motherboards have entered a qualification state. This likely means we are still weeks if not months way from the launch of the final product, but rushing with such a unique concept is likely never a good idea.
Customers should pay attention to compatibility for DIY-APE motherboards. Only some cases are compatible with these motherboards. The original post on Bilibili shows at least two case designs ready for the DIY-APE series.
ASUS CASE with Maxsun H610 DIY-APE motherboard, Source: Zfrontier
The fact that at least three motherboard makers (Maxsun, ASUS and MSI) are now involved, means that the market adoption for the DIY-APE series should speed up in the coming months. Moreover, Gigabyte also has their Project Stealth, although it is not part of the DIY-APE program.
Source: Bilibili, Zfrontier via @9550pro
