ASUS Pro WS B850M-ACE SE brings IPMI and U.2 to a microATX AM5 board
ASUS has introduced the Pro WS B850M-ACE SE, a microATX Socket AM5 motherboard that borrows a few ideas from server platforms. The headline feature is an onboard BMC (ASPEED AST2600) that enables IPMI remote management through ASUS Control Center Express.
The board uses the AMD B850 chipset and supports Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000, and Ryzen 9000 desktop processors. It also lists support for AMD EPYC 4005 series CPUs that use the AM5 package. ASUS rates it for up to 256 GB of DDR5 across four DIMM slots. ASUS has rotated the socket and memory, to match more of the server system layout, rather than consumer PC.
For expansion and storage, the spec list calls out one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot plus a second x16-length slot wired for x4, and two PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slots. It also includes an MCIO NVMe connector and a U.2 port, with four SATA ports for legacy drives. Networking includes 10 GbE and 2.5 GbE, plus a third LAN interface tied to the management controller.
Source: ASUS
Pricing varies by region, but a US listing referenced on January 2, 2026 showed $359.99.
ASUS Pro WS B850M-ACE SE AMD Micro-ATX motherboard, with server-grade IPMI management, PCIe 5.0 x 16, PCIe 5.0 M.2, PCIe 5.0 MCIO, U.2 connector, 10Gb and 2.5Gb Ethernet, ready for USB4®
- Ready for Advanced AI PCs: Built to power next-gen AI workloads with robust performance, ultrafast connectivity, and future-proof architecture.
- AMD AM5 Socket Support: Compatible with AMD Ryzen™ 9000/8000/7000 Series and AMD EPYC™ 4005 Series processors.
- Ultrafast Connectivity: Two PCIe® 5.0/4.0 x16 slot (one at x4), 10 Gb & 2.5 Gb LAN ports, two PCIe® 5.0 x4 M.2 slots, front USB 20Gbps Type-C® and MCIO NVMe support.
- Server-grade IPMI Remote Management: Supports onboard BMC AST2600, along with ASUS Control Center Express IT management software for
- real-time monitoring and management.
- Proven Reliability & Stability: Extensively validated with broad compatibility, a comprehensive QVL, and tested for 24/7 operation.
Source: ASUS , TechPowerUP
