If you’re a fan of clean & minimalistic PC builds, then NZXT has you covered with its first AMD motherboard, the NZXT N7 B550. The company is well-known for its clean and feature-rich PC cases and has been offering Intel motherboards for a few years now but the N7 B550 marks an official entry for NZXT on the AMD platform.
NZXT’s N7 B550 Motherboard Has All The Features You’d Expect For Your AMD Ryzen PC Build & Also Comes With A Clean & Minimalist Design
The NZXT N7 B550 motherboard isn’t designed for the flashy RGB gamer aesthetic but instead for more simple and cleaner PC builds. It is based around the AMD platform and will support both the Ryzen 5000 and Ryzen 3000 desktop CPUs. The motherboard comes in two flavors, a Matte White variant and a Matte Black variant. Both models cost $229.99 US which is a decent price given the design and quality of the motherboard. Most premium B550 designs do fall in the $200-$250 US price range so I think we can say that the pricing is justified here.
Following are some of the highlighted features of the NZXT N7 B550 motherboard before we get into more technical details:
- Designed around AMD’s B550 chipset, the N7 B550 delivers everything you need to build an incredible gaming PC.
- Features include built-in Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, integrated fan controller, front panel USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, RGB accessories supported across all manufacturers, and more.
- The motherboard cover perfectly matches the color and finish of your NZXT case, creating a visually seamless backdrop for your components.
- Wi-Fi 6E connectivity with updated specs for B550 chipset
- Digital RGB lighting control through CAM: advanced lighting with numerous presets and custom modes and compatibility across the board for all lighting accessories.
- Digital fan control: convenient fan profiles within CAM for seven independent fan channels
- Integrated rear I/O shield and efficient layout ensures straightforward and optimal setup with easy upgradeability
- Compatible with 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen processors (3000, 4000, and 5000 Series Processors)
- Two M.2 connectors for storage devices
- Intel Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity and Bluetooth V5.2
- Multi-GPU support with AMD CrossFireX Technology
- Supports memory overclocking speeds of up to 4600+ MHz and XMP
- 8-channel high-definition audio
NZXT N7 B550 (AMD) Motherboard In Matte White:
NZXT N7 B550 (AMD) Motherboard In Matte Black:
The NZXT N7 B550 features the AM4 CPU socket that is powered by a 14+2 phase power delivery. The CPU socket is powered by an 8+4 pin connector configuration. There are four DDR4 memory slots on the board which support up to 128 GB capacities with speeds of up to 4600 MHz (OC+). It looks like NZXT is using the same design approach as their Intel-based N7 motherboards with an elegant metal cover (white or black) that covers the components. The areas around the PCH and the VRM are perforated with holes so that air can vent out considering that they have large metal heatsinks underneath them. There is no active cooling solution used by NZXT but we can see a IO plate covering the connectors at the very top.
As for I/O, the NZXT N7 B550 (AMD) motherboard features two PCIe 3.0 slots x16 slots (x16 / x4 electrical). There are also two M.2 slots and a single M.2 Key slot which is occupied by a WiFi 6E networking card. The motherboard has the following I/O ports:
| 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 | 1 x 24-pin ATX power connector 1 x 8+4-pin ATX 12V power connector 1 x 4-pin CPU_FAN connector(1) 1 x 4-pin AIO_PUMP connector(2) 5 x 4-pin SYS_FAN connectors(2) 2 x NZXT RGB LED connectors(3) 1 x 5V ARGB LED connector(4) 1 x 12V RGB LED connector(5) 3 x USB 2.0 header (Up to 6 USB 2.0 ports) 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 header (Up to 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 front panel header (For USB Type-C) 6 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors 1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage device support (PCIe 4.0 x4 mode (with Matisse & Vermeer) or PCIe 3.0 x4 (with Renoir)) 1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage device support (PCIe 3.0 x2 & SATA mode) 1 x M.2 Socket 1 with E Key, (For wireless cards) 1 x Front panel audio connector 1 x Power button 1 x Reset button 4 x POST LEDs |
You can also expect the full support of NZXT CAM through the N7 B550 motherboard, allowing you full monitoring and control of the motherboard while also offering configuration of LED lights if you are going to go that route even on this motherboard. The motherboard is available for purchase at this link.
Many Thanks to FanOfTech for the tip!
