Check compatibility with your specific motherboard model.
Check compatibility with your specific motherboard model.
It's fine to consider a budget B450 board with a Ryzen 3700X, but make sure it matches the system requirements.
Occasionally, some boards with b450 have insufficient VRM power to support even a 3700x clock speed without overclocking. A key issue is the wattage estimates for Ryzen chips, which tend to be underestimated—65w models might actually run around 88w occasionally. This happens sporadically, not consistently.
The poorer the board, the lower your results become. Eventually, you might be better off with the R5 3600.
If you prefer a simple look, MSI B450 A-Pro MAX is a solid pick—the ATX version only! https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/B450-A-PRO-MAX About as similar to the Tomahawk, but more affordable, generally priced near 100USD.