The best B550 motherboards come with so many bells and whistles that it’s easy to mistake some of them for the ones with the top-tier X570 chipset. With a B550, you would hardly have to sacrifice anything baza prime in terms of features. So if you’re looking for a new motherboard that matches your AMD Ryzen 5000 CPU, these should be running.
Almost a year after the launch of the original AMD Ryzen 500-series motherboard, this more mainstream chipset hit the market, bringing PCIe 4.0 support to the more affordable end of the market, although B550 versions from some manufacturers may even cost more than the X570. That’s one symptom that B550 motherboards are lagging behind on price, and existing X570 boards generally get cheaper around 12 months after launch. However, many B550 boards can offer quite similar performance.
The main difference between the B550 and X570 chipsets is that AMD has replaced the PCIe Gen 4 interface used in high-end boards, which connects the CPU socket to the Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip at the heart. of the chipset, by a PCIe Gen 3 version for these second chain boards. Ryzen 3000 CPUs can still offer PCIe 4.0 support, delivering 16 high-speed lanes for a GPU and four more for ultra-fast SSDs, but it means that the B550 cannot support SSDs or secondary PCIe 4.0 graphics cards.
The tighter bandwidth affects other sensitive areas, such as USB connectivity, but generally, it doesn’t really affect gaming performance. And it all means we’ll have a couple of 500-series chipsets once AMD’s next-gen processors arrive this year to lay siege to our best CPU for the gaming list.
1. Games Asus ROG Strix B550-E
Best B550 motherboard
- Extensive feature set
- Build quality
- High-end networks
Sure, the Asus ROG Strix B550-E is priced the same as other X570 motherboards; in fact, it matches our favorite of AMD’s high-end boards, the MSI MPG X570 Gaming Pro Carbon. But it’s a premium motherboard, with all the trimmings you’d expect from Asus’ Republic of Gamers stables, like 14 + 2 power amp, M.2 heatsinks, and pre-installed backplates. You also get Wi-Fi 6 wireless networks, as well as Intel 2.5Gb ethernet. And RGB LEDs, of course.
Performance is usually good for a high-end Asus motherboard as well, combining with X570 motherboards for smooth gaming performance. That said, out of the B550 boards we’ve tested, it’s the much more affordable MSI board that actually ranks first in our direct performance tests. But the Asus can overclock much better, even if it draws more raw power from the socket overall.
2. ASRock B550 Taichi Razer Edition
The best premium motherboard B550
- Razer Chroma ecosystem support
- Strong VRM
- Good I / O and connectivity features
The best premium B550 motherboard may seem like an oxymoron, but the Razer Edition of the ASRock B550 Taichi is just that. Avoid yin / yang, the steampunk aesthetic of traditional Taichi boards, and favor a sleeker, more RGB, and more Razer design. And it looks great.
It works well too and contains all the high-end motherboard features you’d expect from a high-end B550 board. Hell, even a high-end mobo X570 too. With heady VRM support ASRock has moved to the Taichi Razer Edition, you can happily run an overclocked Ryzen 9 5950X, and we’ve done it, as well as boost your high-performance memory as fast as possible.
Unfortunately, when it offers X570-level performance and features, that means you’re also going to demand a lot of cash for the privilege. And honestly, that’s our only real problem with this board and the only reason it’s not at the top of the list. For almost $ 300, that’s a lot of money for a mobo, much less for a second-tier chipset.
3. MSI MAG B550M Mortar
Best B550 motherboard for pure gaming performance
- Great performance and efficiency of the stock clock
- Smart BIOS
- Competitive price
When it comes to gaming performance above all else, MSI’s MAG B550M micro-ATX mortar is your best bet for an affordable next-gen Ryzen machine. It comes in around the $ 160 mark, which makes it cheaper than many X570 and other B550 motherboards on the market right now.
The MSI B550 Mortar’s gaming frame rates put it above the rest of the B550 rig we’ve tested so far, and indeed its straightforward CPU performance puts it right up there with some of the best X570s. That bodes well if you’re looking for an affordable home for your AMD Zen 3 CPU of the future; This B550 has a great chance of ensuring it performs at its full stock clock potential without breaking the bank.
But you’ll miss out on extra PCIe 4.0 M.2 and x16 graphics slots if those extras mean a lot to you. You can also choose to ditch wireless networks, depending on whether you choose the direct version of Mortar or the more expensive Mortar Wi-Fi version. The 8 + 2 + 1 power phase design is arguably a less welcome mistake, though, as that results in a board that won’t spark any overclocking joy to your heart. But, as an affordable unpretentious OC game board, it’s a big cry.
