The Micro ATX form factor is often overlooked in favour of full ATX counterparts, but the demand for this configuration category is most certainly there – just recently we’ve had a variety of computer case brands engineering new M-ATX cases for system builders (one of which is the Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L.
The B360M Mortar Titanium supplies those system builders with pretty much everything they need to take a slice of Intel’s 8th Generation Processors. Whether we’re looking to the back panel with flexible video output options, twin M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs or dual-PCI Express for a multi-GPU configuration, this motherboard covers all of the basics very well and adds in some extra support to build a solid system.
There are however a few things to note – just four fan headers are present, no designated pump header and only one CPU fan header. There is only one 12v RGB header located on the motherboard and there are four USB 2.0 headers on the back panel; we expect this to be replaced by USB 3.0/3.1.
By crafting a motherboard in a grey livery as MSI has done with Titanium, we have a very unique piece of kit in our hands. This is welcomed in a market which is flooded with dark, monochrome and seemingly characterless solutions – we applaud their creativity with this distinct, head-turner!
Our performance feedback only concerns stock application due to B360 offering no overclocking features, but what we can say is that Titanium offers up reliable performance figures when compared against other offerings out there. We reported consistent results throughout our series of tests and can vouch for this being a good choice to go with under the B360 chipset.
The cost of the motherboard around the globe see it sit at £100 GBP - $100 USD - £169 AUD. This is very reasonable considering what’s on offer and MSI also include a 2 year warranty to solidify a purchase.
B360M Mortar Titanium may be small but it packs in a decent selection of features and is an impressive motherboard for creating a budget system.
Pros
+ Distinct, unique physical design
+ Great for building a compact system
+ Offers brilliant performance
+ Arrives with USB 3.1 front header
+ Features twin M.2 slots
+ Audio solution is good
+ Feature-packed BIOS
Cons
- Just four fan headers in total
- Still using USB 2.0 ports
+ Distinct, unique physical design
+ Great for building a compact system
+ Offers brilliant performance
+ Arrives with USB 3.1 front header
+ Features twin M.2 slots
+ Audio solution is good
+ Feature-packed BIOS
Cons
- Just four fan headers in total
- Still using USB 2.0 ports
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