Today we are reviewing the Nitro+ B850A WiFi 7 motherboard that Sapphire first showed at Computex 2025. The timing seems curious as AMD launched Socket AM5 back in 2022, but you could also argue Sapphire is getting ready nice and early for Zen 6 which will likely launch in 2027. Whatever their thinking might be, this budget B850 motherboard is rather decent.
Time stamps
00:00 Start
01:05 Accessories
01:35 The Board
02:22 Rear I/O and connectors
03:16 VRM Configuration
04:16 M.2 and Expansion Slots
06:05 SATA
06:16 Board Layout
07:03 Test PC Config
07:33 BIOS and Software
08:23 Processor Analysis / Power
09:39 Cinebench 2024 Multi Core
10:03 Cinebench 2024 Single Core
10:17 Geekbench 6 Multi Core
10:29 Far Cry 6
11:15 Assassins Creed Mirage
11:40 Total War Pharaoh
12:20 Leo’s Thoughts
12:55 Worth buying?
Specification:
- Chipset: AMD B850
- CPU Support: AMD Ryzen 9000/8000/7000 desktop processors.
- VRMs:
- 12+2+1 x55A Smart Power Stages
- Richtek RT3678 controller
- AOS (Alpha and Omega Semi) AOZ5510Q1 DrMOS
- Memory support:
- 4 DIMMs, Dual Channel DDR5, Maximum Memory Capacity 256GB up to 8000MT/sec
- Expansion slots:
- 1x PCIe Gen 5 x16 slot (from CPU)
- 1x PCIe Gen 4 x4 slot (from chipset, shared with one M.2 slot))
- 1x PCIe Gen 4 x2 slot (from chipset)
- Storage:
- 1x M.2 Gen 5 x4
- 1x M.2 Gen 4 x4
- 1x M.2 Gen 4 x4 (shared with PCIe Gen 4 x4 slot)
- 4x SATA 6Gbps
- USB support:
- 1x USB 5Gbps Type-C (Front)
- 1x USB 10Gbps Type-C (Rear)
- 3x USB 10Gbps Type-A (Rear)
- 2x USB 5Gbps Type-A (Front)
- 4x USB 2.0 (Rear)
- 2x USB 2.0 (Front)
- Ethernet: Realtek 8125BG 2.5Gbps LAN
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3
- Audio: Realtek ALC897 7.1-Channel Audio
- Form Factor: ATX 305mm x 244mm
Testing and Performance
Test system
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- Memory: 32GB ADATA XPG Lancer RGB DDR5-6000
- CPU Cooler: Phanteks Glacier One 360MPH
- Graphics card: MSI GeForce 4090 Ventux 3X 24GB
- Power supply: Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 ATX 3
- SSD: 1TB Crucial T700 M.2 NVMe
- OS: Windows 11
Cinebench 2024 Multicore

In Cinebench 2024 Multicore the Sapphire does reasonably well but falls behind the other AMD AM5 motherboards we have used in the past few months The margin is small but tells against the Nitro+ B850A WiFi 7.
Geekbench 6 Multicore

It is a similar story in Geekbench 6 Multicore where the Sapphire performs OK but lags behind the competition by a fraction of a percent.
Far Cry 6 at 1080p

We see the same small gap in performance in Far Cry 6 at 1080p. It is a minor consideration when you factor in the low price of the Sapphire but it shows you rarely get a free ride with PC technology.
Closing Thoughts
When we first saw the new range of Sapphire motherboards at Computex we were taken aback. After all, Asus, ASRock, Gigabyte and MSI appear to have the entire spectrum of motherboards covered with a vast array of products, however it seems that Sapphire has found a niche.
This Nitro+ B850A WiFi 7 is the top model they have released to date, yet it is priced under £160. We have to assume the Nitro+ X870E PhantomLink will cost rather more, however we have hopes it will sneak in around £300 and won't head beyond £400.

In this light it seems Sapphire is aiming for the ‘Perfectly Reasonable' sector of the market, and we applaud this move. The Nitro+ B850A WiFi 7 includes all the features you require, and while it omits a few things such as fast USB-C this seems like a perfectly reasonable move when you consider the price.
Overall we are very happy with the Nitro+ B850A WiFi 7 and feel a sense of relief that Sapphire has managed to deliver on what looked like a bold promise.
You can buy the Sapphire Nitro+ B850A WiFi 7 for £157.99 from Overclockers UK HERE.
Pros:
- Priced towards the budget end of the market
- Understated styling with zero RGB
- Sapphire TRIXX-M software does a decent job
Cons:
- A single USB-C on the rear panel and no USB4 ports
- Access to M.2 slots is laborious
- M.2 support is effectively limited to two SSDs
KitGuru says: Sapphire has delivered a range of budget AMD motherboards and the Nitro+ B850A WiFi 7 does a fine job at a low price.

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Sapphire Nitro+ B850A WiFi 7 Motherboard Review first appeared on
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