NZXT N7 B650E

Up Close Continued

USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C front panel headers are ever more important as so many of our mobile devices use Type-C connectivity.

  

Should your chassis still only support Type-A front panel USB then you’re well catered to with two headers bracketing the 4 SATA ports.

  

The bottom right edge has a host of options. From right to left we have front panel connectors that attach your case to the heart of your rig, followed by onboard power and reset buttons, perfect for testing your build before tidying all your cables away. Two more NZXT RGB headers follow, with three system fans after those.

  

Three USB 2 headers ensure all of your other controlling devices have a home without you needing to buy an extension bracket. After those come two ARGB headers of the more familiar type, should you not have NZXT devices for other lighting.

  

The PCIe 5.0 M.2 heatsink is a chunky monkey, and a perfect encapsulation of the careful design behind the N7. The heatsink matches that used on the VRMs, whilst the white cover blends it perfectly into the motherboard itself.

  

Taking the cover off you can see the three M.2 slots – one PCIe 5 and two PCIe 4 – with the Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6E controller sitting in the middle.

  

Beneath the familiar NZXT heatsink and backplate arrangement beats a very impressive 16+2+1 power phase design with 90A Smart Power Stage, ensuring that even if you want to run a Ryzen 9 7950X the N7 B650E has enough power to keep things running smoothly.

  

NZXT deserve a lot of credit for sticking with their design philosophy rather than changing things up for changes sake. Available in both black and white models for £309.98, it’s an affordable way of getting the latest AMD platform into your system.

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