High-end B550 this time at mid-range prices. 4x2x50A VRM setup and large heatsinks makes it suitable for 3950X OC.
Comparable to MSI B550M Mortar, better than TUF B550M-Plus.
Comes with rear USB-C, S/PDIF and M.2 WiFi support. Only thing that's missing is front USB-C support.
probably stock level is up … lol
They've been producing the worst boards lately compared to GB / MSI. A shame. Maybe this B550 is better though…
A year ago it was MSI that was screwing up, now their MAG tomahawk boards are VRM beasts for the $.
That is a shame, we're using two ASROCK boards at home for the last few years and they haven't missed a beat so it looks like the pendulum has swung again. SO you reckon MSI is the way to go ATM?
Only the latest MSI boards yeah. Not their early X570 efforts! So talking their B550 boards and X570 MAG tomahawk and unify basically. Gigabyte seem solid too.
Suspect (??) this latest steel legend board is better than their X570 steel legend though, but I'm yet to see a good review on it.
Asrock really screwed up their z490 intel boards https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFNnekpGwSg . Hence my drop on confidence.
@3v3rqu357: I don’t agree. If you’re talking 3950x overclocked to min/max. Maybe you’re right and their mosfets could be better for VRM. But for the average punter not pushing the envelope, I don’t think their x570 boards are bad.
@OzzyBrak: Yeah agree that this B550 is actually decent for the $. 4 layer PCB and a few other things I don't like but meh the average punter won't care. Now I've seen a bit more about it its probably Asrocks best in a little while. I'd still choose the MSI board over it, but the MSI board is ~$80 more.
x570 SL IMHO was not a great board for what it was promising https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8d4C80Ub_o&t=745s , even on just PBO ran a bit hot on a 3900x. If I was buying an x570 personally I would expect a little better. I'm more thinking about potential longevity issues than numbers. Though depends how you use it, I do a fair bit of transcoding so tend to care more than most.
@3v3rqu357: I ended up ordering this as I wanted the newer chipset for a build, and it will only be a 3600 so I’m not concerned about the VRM for now.
The Gigabyte Aorus Pro B550 looks good too if you want 6 layer and a better VRM for more $$. I would have got one if any local stores had them in stock.
@3v3rqu357: B550M Steel Legend has the same VRM setup as X570 Steel Legend, B550 Steel Legend (ATX variation) is better than both.
ASRock is still making strong contenders for AM4, but you're correct that most of their Z490 boards should be avoided.
Website says it has 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 front ports..
Sorry, front USB-C support. Missed a letter there.
Considering full-sized front USB-C cases are so incredibly hard to find I don't think this matters too much.
Yep, it's just something to take into consideration if choosing a case with USB-C.
There's still rear USB-C so you're not missing out on it completely.
I think they meant front USB-C
I don't see any USB-C headers. Only 2 standard USB 3.0 headers, which is more than what any other boards support.
There aren't any, which is the point of my comment.
You are referring to a different board. However, it doesn't matter because they are 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1.
USB 3.2 Gen 1 = USB 3.1 Gen 1 = USB 3.0. Good new marketing trick eh?
Not only the speed is just USB 3.0, it basically means the headers are the conventional USB 3.0 front headers. They are meant for USB-A ports normally. It is possible for a case maker to have a USB-C port (or ports) wired to support this type of header, but it's generally against the norm.
On the issue of USB 3.2 gen 2 ports:
B550 is not an enthusiast chipset, but a mainstream chipset. Only 2 USB 3.2 gen 2 ports are provided by the chipset (yes, this particular part is the same as B450/B350/X370/X470). Now, if you can only have 2 of these ports, you want the motherboard makers to wire them at the back because if they don't and just simply provide an header, you rely on the case maker to provide the ports. Having them at the back panel also means you don't have to buy an expensive case to benefit from USB 3.2 gen 2 ports.
Problem is, with only 2 x USB 3.2 gen 2, you actually prefer motherboard taking the shorter path route. USB 3.2 gen 2 and Thunderbolt signals degrades over distance quite quickly. You need quality cables for USB 3.2 gen 2. If, for some reason, you need a lot of USB 3.2 gen 2 ports (to be honest, they still pale in comparison to Thunderbolt 3), then you should go for X570.
…so does that make this board good or bad?
I cannot comment on the VRM (I don't have the details), which is important if you ever thinking about 3900X or better CPU.
Features wise, on the board itself, given the price, it is hard to fault it. I would really like to have a flash BIOS button, but if you are building a system now, it is not an issue. The 2 x m.2 setup and 6 x SATA3 setup is good (though obviously, if the second m.2 slot were to be used for m.2/SATA3 instead of m.2/NVMe, it will render SATA3_5_6 unusable (chipset limitation). However, the fact that you can do 2xNVMe + 6 SATAs gets a big tick.
You could still nitpick on the bits where corners were cut. On the one hand, 2xUSB 3.0 headers are good (as they did at least expose every port), most people would probably prefer 2 extra ports at the back (and only 1 USB 3 header). A case with 4 front USB 3.0 ports isn't that common. It is nitpick though since there is enough USB 3.0 ports already. Likewise for not including WiFi card in there. The slot is provided and that might be better in the long run. You can get a decent card, rather than potentially a cheap one being included. That said, the antennas can be a bit tricky to install on the WiFi card and looking at the design, it won't be fun to install the antennas I reckon.
Dang it'd be the perfect board if only it had a POST code like it's bigger brother! It'd be a nightmare to fit onto the board though.
Wifi Support (Wifi Module NOT Included), so basically it has a spare m.2 Key E slot, and pre-drilled holes in the Io Plate.
Need cheap B550 to go with my soon to buy Ryzen 3600. What do people recommend?
Also need 4 x RAM slots in case i save up some money to buy to extra sticks.
MSI B550 A Pro would be my pick in terms of performance/value of the bunch
https://www.centrecom.com.au/msi-b550-a-pro-am4-atx-motherbo…
why would you pick that over the current deal?
It got the right combination of VRM, heatsink "design", usb c availability, overall design and good price. I believe it is well reviewed by popular tech reviewers as well such as Buildzoid
Here is a useful spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PuUWroxA0HvSSipsXlB8…
@koflok: Nice find with the sheet, I have been watching Buildzoid and found myself going deeper than I want or need to, but quite interesting.
Worth noting that the b550m pro-vdh Wi-Fi version of this board can moreless handle anything according to the tests hardware unboxed did.
Interesting to see how this steel legend compares though.
This board has a better VRM setup and audio chipset than the B550-A Pro.
This one is the B550M so I believe it's lower compared to B550-A-Pro
@koflok: 4x2x50A is a bit stronger than 5x2x(1+2). The ATX Steel Legend is of course better than both, comparable to B550 Aorus Pro.
Gamers Nexus did a decent preview of the B550 motherboards if you care to sit through 30 mins of analysis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihg6XQiqW7A
It depends on what form factor you like and the above video goes into each category with time slots for each category visible.
The MSI B550 A Pro comes across strongly in their reviews here.
Thanks OP, ordered for my first build
whats up with all the Asrock deals