The NZXT N7 B550 is launched and looks like it’s a second step in the right direction. NZXT, more known to start with PC cases and moving steadily towards CPU cooling and certain peripherals. The company did step into motherboards starting with the Z490 which is made by ECS. Many did appreciate its motherboard design, It’s just that the N7 Z490 was overshadowed by other variants due to multiple reasons (as shown in this review).
NZXT’s run with motherboards so far…
Still, it’s the first step and usually, it takes time. The second step is delayed but in the right direction. NZXT launched a new motherboard, calling it the N7 B550. While it doesn’t carry any N7 themed design on the motherboard (but it did make a Mass Effect themed CRFT 07 Limited Edition), it did learn what it can from the previous launch. As a result, NZXT is playing it safe by having B550 motherboards. Due to its accessibility and features in the native chipset, B550 makes sense. It stuck with its design philosophy with its PCB plate. This comes with several features, the main takeaway being that this motherboard is made by ASRock, a veteran motherboard maker. They’re two colour variants- matte black and matte white.
The offering on the NZXT N7 B550
What I do appreciate on this motherboard is the specific amp rating for the CPU/ AIO Pump and system header, as it’s something nobody really mentions. This is more important for system fans since people go crazy with fan daisy-chaining. Both the CPU and AIO Pump header supports 2A each, while the 5x sys_fan header support 0.5A each. There is a 2x NZXT RGB LED connector, but it does also include a 1x 5v ARGB and a 1x 12v RGB LED connector for others. There’s a decent amount of I/O options on the rear and mid-board and includes the Intel AX210 WiFi 6E+ BT v5.2 chip support with an included antenna.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the N7 B550 motherboard layout matches something from ASROCK’s stable. But you would expect some specific customizations. In this case, the ones I can differentiate from the paper specs is the wide array of NZXT CAM Software and RGB support. NZXT is slowly building an ecosystem with its cases, coolers, power supplies and motherboards.
Specification
| CPU & Socket | Supports AMD Socket AM4 Ryzen™ Processors (3000, 4000, and 5000 Series Processors)* *Not compatible with AMD Ryzen™ 5 3400G and Ryzen™ 3200G |
| Chipset | AMD® B550 |
| Memory | 4 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR4 Dual-channel memory architecture
*Please refer to Memory QVL on NZXT’s website (www.nzxt.com) for more information. |
| Expansion Slots | AMD Ryzen Series CPUs (Vermeer) 2 x PCIe x16 Slots (PCIe1: Gen4x16 mode; PCIe3: Gen3 x4 mode) AMD Ryzen Series CPUs (Matisse) 2 x PCIe x16 Slots (PCIe1: Gen4x16 mode; PCIe3: Gen3 x4 mode) AMD Ryzen Series CPUs (Renoir) 2 x PCIe x16 Slots (PCIe1: Gen3x16 mode; PCIe3: Gen3 x4 mode)
2 x PCIe 3.0 x1 Slots |
| Integrated Graphics | Integrated AMD Radeon™ Vega Series Graphics in Ryzen Series APU* *Actual support may vary by CPU
|
| Multi-GPU Support | Supports AMD 2-Way CrossFireX™ Technology |
| Storage | AMD® B550 Chipset 1 x M2_1: M.2 type 2242/2260/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4 mode (with Matisse & Vermeer) or PCIe 3.0 x4 (with Renoir)) 1 x M2_2: M.2 type 2242/2260/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x2 & SATA mode) 6 x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
* M2_2 and SATA3_5_6 share lanes. |
| LAN | Realtek® RTL8125BG 2.5G LAN
|
| Wireless | Intel Dual Band Wireless-AX210 Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ax
|
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth V5.2 |
| Audio | Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
|
| USB Ports | 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (3 at back panel) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (at back panel) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 front panel port (For USB Type-C) 8 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (4 at back panel, 4 at mid-board) 8 x USB 2.0 ports (2 at back panel, 6 at mid-board) |
| Rear I/O | 2 x USB 2.0 ports 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports 1 x HDMI™ port 2 x Wireless antenna SMA connectors 1 x Clear CMOS button 1 x BIOS Flashback button 1 x LAN (RJ45) port 1 x Optical S/PDIF Out port 1 x 5.1-Channel audio jacks |
| Internal I/O | |
| Included Accessories | 1 x User’s manual 4 x SATA cables (2 x 90 degree, 2 x 180 degree) 2 x Wireless antenna 2 x M.2 screws |
| Operating System | Microsoft® Windows® 10 (64-bit) |
| Form Factor | ATX |
| Regulations & Certifications (EMC & Safety) | FCC, CE, KCC, BSMI, ErP/EuP Ready |
| Warranty | 3 Years |
| Model Number | N7-B55XT-W1 |
| UPC | 815671015235 |
| EAN | 5060301696680 |
Ryzen Compatibility
Naturally, it carries over the native chipset support with corresponding AMD Ryzen APUs and CPUs. It does not support Ryzen 3200G and 3400G, something AMD made clear in many of its promo. Sure, there is compatibility with AMD Ryzen 4000 series APUs, natively these APUs don’t have PCIe 4.0 lanes. Again, something that AMD made clear. It would be nice if NZXT listed a CPU BIOS section and history. Though it just has one, usually the BIOS section mentions certain details one needs to know. It’s not clear if NZXT N7 B550’s Day 1 BIOS includes the AGESA 1.2.0.2 update which fixes an issue with intermittent USB disconnection many AMD Ryzen users faced. We’ll just have to wait and watch. It does have a BIOS flashback button to make the whole process much easier for a wider userbase.
Pricing and Availability
At the time of writing, this isn’t listed in Amazon. But NZXT priced the N7 B550 for $229.99. It is about the same price as the N7 Z490 when it made a debut. This will be updated once the respective websites listed the motherboard for retail. But even at this price, NZXT N7 B550 kept itself against many dominant options. So, let us see how things progress with these.
What about the NZXT Z590?
I am curious to see if NZXT Z590 will be made by ASROCK. I wouldn’t be shocked. It will be interesting to see how fast NZXT can be when it comes to BIOS updates considering Intel Microcode and AMD AGESA update is something that would come either regularly or once in a blue moon, depending on the situation.
