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The motherboard is indeed the very pillar around which your gaming experience is based.
You might have the latest and greatest CPU and/or GPU, but a motherboard has the ability to make or break a strong base for your build. In rare cases, a bad motherboard can even fry all the expensive components of your computer.
Hence, it is critical to choose the best motherboard, which delivers on what it promises and is easy on the wallet, as a costly motherboard doesn't necessarily mean the best.
Since AMD's Ryzen series is a craze now (especially in the budget segment), today, we will be listing down the best B550 motherboards for AMD CPUs.
The two best B550 motherboards
- Gigabyte B550M DS3H
- MSI MAG B550M Mortar
1) Gigabyte B550M DS3H ($108)
Specifications
CPU Support: 3rd, 4th & 5th Gen Ryzen
Memory Support: 4x DIMM, up to 128 GB, up to DDR4-3600
Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 3.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x1
Video Ports: 1 HDMI, 1 DVI-D
Rear USB: 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 4x USB 2.0, 1 PS/2 port
Storage: 2x M.2, 4x SATA 6Gbps
Networking: Realtek 1Gb ethernet
Extras: Size: Micro-ATX, Socket: AM4
Get it here.
2) MSI MAG B550M Mortar ($186)
Specifications
CPU Support: 3rd, 4th & 5th Gen Ryzen
Memory Support: 4x DIMM, up to 128 GB, up to DDR4-4400
Expansion Slots: 1x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x4
Video Ports: 1 HDMI, 1 DP
Rear USB: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 2x USB 2.0
Storage: 2x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps
Networking: Realtek 2.5Gb ethernet
Extras: Size: Micro-ATX, Socket: AM4
Get it here.
Factors to consider when buying a motherboard
There are several aspects one should consider before buying a keyboard. They include:
- CPU Support: What CPUs does the motherboard support?
- Memory Support: Type (DDR4 etc), amount, and speed (universally measued in Mhz) of RAM the motherboard supports.
- Form Factor: The physical size of the motherboard. Eg. ATX, micro ATX.
- Storage Options: How many SATA and M.2 connectors do they have?
- No. of ports: No. and types of I/O (Input-Output) ports available (USB ports, Display Ports, HDMI, Ethernet, etc).
- Extra features/Efficiency: If Bluetooth and On board Wifi is available, VRM, Power delivery, etc.
